Strawberry Basil Sour Cream Shortcakes

Soft, moist homemade shortcakes are topped with a sweet & tangy strawberry basil topping in these perfect for summer Strawberry Basil Sour Cream Shortcakes...

Post updated 8/8/18- These sweet & tangy Strawberry Basil Sour Cream Shortcakes deserved some updated photos. I did leave one of the originals down below just so you all can see for yourself why this recipe so desperately needed a little face lift. ;)

So, who is excited that it is strawberry season now?  (Ummmmm... me, me, me!)

I love juicy, sweet strawberries. And I love them even more when they are in season and the prices per quart drop WAY down.

The strawberries I used in the shortcake above?  $1.50 at my local ALDI's!  And can I mention the ones that I picked up from there this past week were just 99 cents??

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry & Ricotta Ice Cream

Sweet roasted strawberries & creamy ricotta cheese come together in this perfect for summer homemade ice cream...

Right before summer has officially arrived comes another season that I get pretty excited about each year- peak strawberry season.

And my friends, peak strawberry season is indeed here.

How can you tell?

You can pick up a quart of strawberries at just about any grocery store for less than $2.  

Vendors at the local farmers markets can't keep those juicy red jewels of theirs in stock any longer than the first hour of the market.

They are at their juiciest and sweetest right now, so I figured that this is the perfect time to share one of THE BEST homemade ice cream recipes I have created and made yet- my Roasted Balsamic Strawberry & Ricotta Ice Cream.

Roasted Beet & Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Cake

This Roasted Beet & Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Cake combines sweet, roasted beets with locally grown strawberries in a moist & buttery buttermilk cake...

This recipe first appeared on the Bridgeport Farmers Market Let's Get Fresh site.

I am on a mission once again this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing mostly locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market. 

I started this locally inspired recipe series last summer, and I am thrilled to be continuing the series this year as well. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

For the month of June, I am sharing a delicious summer dessert recipe with an unexpected ingredient- roasted beets! This Roasted Beet & Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Cake combines sweet, roasted beets with locally grown strawberries in a moist & buttery buttermilk cake. 

Top with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or some homemade whipped cream, and you have an impressive dessert to serve at your next summertime get-together...

Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Inspired by the classic flavors of a PB&J, this Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Bread is sure to quickly become a family favorite...

Strawberries are in peak season in Florida right now, and that means spring is just around the corner, folks. (Thank goodness!) That also means that you can pick up strawberries for pretty cheap at your local grocery store. I have been snagging fresh strawberries for about $2 a package for the past couple of weeks now.

In season, cheap strawberries is the perfect motivation for me to get in the kitchen and create. My family & I love anything that is inspired by the flavors of a PB&J, so I decided to take my recipe for Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Banana Bread & give it a peanut butter & jelly spin by leaving out the chocolate chunks & adding in sliced strawberries & strawberry jam. The results definitely got my family's seal of approval. :)

Strawberry-Raspberry Lime Chia Jam

This easy to make & low-sugar Strawberry-Raspberry Lime Chia Jam is the perfect combination of fresh strawberries, sweet raspberries, and tart lime... 

I want to preface today's recipe post with the fact that I do not make homemade jam on the regular. I can probably count on one hand just how many times I have whipped up a batch of homemade jam in my whole entire lifetime. ;) But after seeing recipes for super simple chia jams popping up everywhere, I finally decided to give it a whirl and see what all the fuss was about. I am no stranger to chia seeds. 

In fact, I have several recipes on the blog already that feature chia seeds as one of the main ingredients. Chia seeds are amazing at absorbing liquids so it totally makes sense to use them in homemade jams as a thickening agent. And it doesn't hurt that they happen to provide a nice little nutritional boost as well.

I think there are like a million recipes out there for simple strawberry or raspberry chia jams, but I wanted to create my own version that would really capture the flavors of summer. I think I achieved just that in this super simple jam with the combination of fresh strawberries, sweet raspberries, and tart lime. And since we are using naturally sweet, in-season berries & chia seeds to thicken it up this jam, you hardly need to add any kind of sweetener to this making it lower in calories and sugar than your traditional berry jams... :)

Oven Dried Strawberries

These easy Oven Dried Strawberries are the perfect way to preserve those sweet summer strawberries...

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

One of my favorite things about summertime is all of the fruits and berries that come into season. Not only are they sweet & ripe, but since they are also plentiful so you can usually pick them up for a pretty good price too. 

Though I am pretty much a huge fan of all the summertime fruits and berries, I think that I most look forward to strawberry season each summer. But strawberry season & those low prices only last so long. My solution to that little predicament? Picking up an extra pint at the store or farmers market each week and oven drying those babies to preserve some of those sweet summer strawberries just a little longer.

So why oven dry your strawberries at home versus just picking up a bag of dried strawberries at the store? For starters, it is MUCH cheaper to make your own dried strawberries at home. Have you seen the prices on a tiny bag of store bought strawberries??

Another reason is because I know exactly what is going into my dried strawberries when I make them at home. Most often store bought dried strawberries contain a bunch of unpronounceable preservatives and unnecessary added sugar. 

There is just one drawback to these homemade dried strawberries that I am sharing with you all today- they won't last as long as conventional store bought ones since we have nixed the preservatives and chemicals in this recipe. But that shouldn't be a problem seeing as how these Oven Dried Strawberries rarely last more than a few days in my house. ;)

Strawberry-Pineapple Sansgria

This fruity & bubbly Strawberry-Pineapple "Sans"gria is the perfect kid friendly drink to serve for a spring brunch or summer BBQ! Adults can add a splash of white wine or rum... ;)

I don't know about you all, but I can feel swimsuit season looming ahead.  Don't get me wrong- I am anxious for the warmer weather, the sunshine, the beach vacation just calling my name...

But like everyone else, I have goals and aspirations to look fabulous in my bathing suit & to confidently pull off leg baring flirty summer dresses.

I know I need to work out more.

I know I need to eat healthier & cut down on the sweet treats and the higher calories drinks.

But I am horrible at trying to make and maintain huge, sudden changes in my diet or workouts.  

For me, baby steps are the most successful way for me to make those healthier changes in time for bathing suit season...

Like swapping out the afternoon cookie for a granola bar. 

Or adding a 30 minute workout at home a couple of times a week to my usual gym workouts.

And dropping the high calorie beverages for my new favorite line of low calorie beverages that I discovered at my local Walmart- Four TEN sodas from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. 

Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie

This Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie is a thick & creamy blend of tofu, sweet strawberries, fresh papaya, frozen mango, & banana- a perfect quick & easy after school snack!

Thank you House Foods for sponsoring this post.

My daughter is enjoying her last few days of summer break, and I am thinking ahead to next week when school starts back up for the year. Even though we do not know quite yet what her second grade year will bring, one thing is for certain- she will come through the door just about every afternoon after school proclaiming how hungry she is. So I am making a mental list now of fun & easy snacks that she can help me make when her after school munchies hit.

Inspired by her recent reading of The Tales of Tofu from House Foods ebook, my daughter asked if we could try one of the recipes from the ebook. My daughter loves any & all smoothies, so she of course requested that we whip up the Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie in preparation for all that upcoming back to school snacking. 

Grilled Sweet Corn & Strawberry Ice Cream

This no-churn homemade ice cream is infused with freshly grilled sweet corn and then swirled with a fresh strawberry sauce...

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Sunshine Sweet Corn from Florida. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Just a little over a month or so ago, I was wondering if winter was ever going to formally make it's exit. Winters here seem to linger around... sometimes with snowfalls showing up in late March or early April. 

And now given our weather of the last week, I am wondering what ever happened to spring! We have been in the 80's and 90's here for almost the past week. Which wouldn't be that big of a deal if our central air hadn't happened to go out just less than a week ago. Everyone else around here must be having the same issue as we have been on the wait list for a heating & cooling repairman for the past 5 days. 

Needless to say, I have been desperate to find ways for us to cool off during the day. I mean, you can only spend so many hours at the mall play area and at the local library. ;) My tasty solution? Cool and creamy homemade ice cream outside on the back deck...

Cake Mix Strawberry Shortcakes

These easy-to-make Strawberry Shortcakes start with one of my favorite time-saving baking hacks- a boxed cake mix!

While I tend to make most of my recipes from scratch, I have also posted my fair share of recipes using one of my absolute favorite baking hacks- a simple boxed cake mix. I know that some people might consider using a boxed cake mix as "cheating", but I personally just find it to be a convenient shortcut that comes in handy if you are short on time or happen to not be the best at baking. 

For the most part, a boxed cake mix takes the guesswork out of making sure you have the right amount of flour, baking soda or baking powder (or both), salt, etc. And bonus? Cake mixes come in so many different varieties and flavors that they can easily be adapted to just about any recipe you would like to make!

I have used boxed cake mixes in everything from actual cakes (see my secret for making a boxed cake mix taste better than the bakery HERE) to pancakes and even cookies and muffins.

But today's recipe was my first time making a shortcake from a cake mix...

Strawberry-White Beet Green Smoothie

Packed with vitamins, nutrients, & antioxidants, this thick & creamy Strawberry-White Beet Green Smoothie is the perfect way to get in those leafy greens...

This recipe first appeared on the Bridgeport Farmers Market Let's Get Fresh site.

I am on a mission once again this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing mostly locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market. I started this locally inspired recipe series in the summer of 2017, and I am thrilled to be continuing the series this year as well. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

For the month of June, I am sharing the recipe for this vitamin & nutrient packed Strawberry-White Beet Green Smoothie. Since I started on my journey to a healthier lifestyle a few months ago, smoothies- especially green smoothies - have become an integral part of my diet. I start out most days with a creamy smoothie blended with lots of the good stuff- frozen fruit, leafy greens, green tea, & chia seeds. 

Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins

These creamy & moist Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins combine two bright spring flavors- sweet strawberries and tart lemon...

It feels like spring has finally arrived here in my little corner of West Virginia! This whole week has been filled with warmer temperatures, lots of sunshine, and a few spring showers. Last weekend? It felt a little more like January.... 

My son had his first big track meet of the season last Friday and Saturday, and it was in the 20's and 30's the entire time. My daughter, mother, and I shuffled between watching my son run in his events, and then heading to the parking lot to sit in a warm car. I lamented in my head (and aloud) about just why spring had disappeared so suddenly.

But luckily, spring made her presence known again this week (and hopefully she is sticking around for good now!) this past week, and I am in the mood to celebrate in the way that I best know how to- with bright, fresh spring flavors! :) These creamy and moist Strawberry Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins with their fresh sweet strawberry slices and bright lemon zest and juice are the perfect way to celebrate a sunny spring morning...

Strawberry Cannoli Tiramisu

Sweet summer strawberries & two classic Italian desserts come together perfectly in this no-bake Strawberry Cannoli Tiramisu...

Now that summertime is pretty much in full swing, I am ready to break out all the no-bake recipes. I try to avoid turning on my stove top or oven as much as possible in the summer months. 

I mean, 80+ degree temps + a hot kitchen = no bueno, am I right? So from late June right on through the end of August, we are grilling, slow cooking, and no baking every chance we get. 

While I definitely have a pretty deep arsenal of slow cooker recipes & grilling favorites, I have realized that I really need to step up my no-bake desserts game on the blog. 

Inspired by the sweet summer strawberries that are just now starting to come into season around here & a two of my favorite Italian desserts, I came up with this easy to make Strawberry Cannoli Tiramisu. And the best part? It is 100% no-bake, folks! :)

Cranberry Gingerbread Mug Cake

Soft gingerbread and tart cranberries come together in this low calories dessert for one... 

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I am picturing it all now... The busy holiday season is quickly approaching on the not so distant horizon.

I see lots of holiday cookie baking, and gift wrapping, and online shopping in my near future.

I see lots of wonderful memories about to be made. Cozy evenings snuggled up on the couch with my family and a warm mug of cocoa watching the twinkling of the lights of the Christmas tree.

But I am also seeing lots of extra calories and fat grams and not enough time for a good workout (ahem... time to #drinkTEN ). And a some stressful, frazzled evenings. And moments when all I want to do is hide in a distant room of the house and catch my breath for a moment... alone. 

Ahhhhhh... 'tis the season, folks! ;)

Before the hustle and bustle and wonderful craziness of the season are upon us, I decided to come up with a perfect little dessert for one that can be made in minutes, is low calorie and low fat (less guilt!), and has some of my favorite flavors of the season. 

And believe it or not, the recipe inspiration for my newest mug cake came from a little trip to my local Kroger to pick up some of my favorite TEN beverages...

Strawberry Coconut Bread Pudding

The sweetness of strawberries comes together perfectly with the creaminess of coconut in this easy to make Strawberry Coconut Bread Pudding...

So, one of my favorite things about us going from late spring to early summertime is those first of the season strawberries. There is just nothing quite like them- wouldn't you all agree? Not only do they seem to be at their very best, but the prices drop dramatically and you can snag a big ole package of them for just a few bucks. 

But unfortunately when there are only two people in your house most of the time, a big ole package of strawberries doesn't seem to get consumed quickly enough. Not wanting to see them go to waste, I brainstormed what I could do with them. 

I also happened to have on hand a loaf of locally baked sourdough bread I needed to use and some leftover canned coconut milk from when my boyfriend made me homemade Indian food from scratch a few days before. 

Fresh strawberries + sourdough bread + coconut milk? It was a no-brainer, folks. It was time to whip up a new homemade bread pudding recipe! ;)

Strawberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies

You only need 4 simple ingredients & just 25 minutes to whip up these filling & budget friendly Strawberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.

With back to school season in full swing over here, I am always looking for quick & budget friendly breakfast ideas for those busy school mornings. 

My daughter needs something quick and filling that she can enjoy before we head out the door to drop her off at Pre-K. And my high school senior son needs a filling breakfast that he can grab and take on the go since he rarely has the time in the mornings to have a sit-down breakfast. These easy to make Strawberry Muffin Breakfast Cookies fill the bill for both of my kiddos! :)

Not only are these breakfast cookies quick & easy (think just 4 ingredients & 25 minutes of your time), but they are also crazy budget friendly too. 

Would you believe me if I told you it cost me less than $2.50 at my local Save-A-Lot (prices may vary by location) to bake up this batch of kid-approved muffin cookies? With savings of up to 40% from conventional grocery stores, Save-A-Lot is the perfect headquarters for your family's back to school breakfast, snacks, & lunch shopping...

Raspberry-Orange Chia Seed Scuffins

Muffins meet scones in these bright, moist, and healthy Raspberry-Orange Chia Seed Scuffins- the perfect way to start out your day...

I had never heard or seen the term scuffins before until I had stumbled upon a recipe for Strawberry Cream Scuffins from Better Homes & Gardens. Yes folks, a scuffin is just what it sounds like- a scone + a muffin = a scuffin. Sometimes I am just blown away by the creativity and cleverness I discover and find every day in the online culinary world! :) While I was definitely intrigued by BHG's concept for a scuffin, the recipe for their Strawberry Cream ones were far from being categorized as healthy. ;) Not that there is anything wrong with that, but since swimsuit season is literally knocking on the door for me (our local pool opens this weekend & I will be on a beach in about a month) I wanted to come up with my own healthier version of their scuffins.

I lightened up and brightened up their more pastry like scuffins with these Raspberry-Orange Chia Seed Scuffins. I replaced the heavy cream with almond milk & Greek yogurt, gave it a fresh, bright flavor with fresh orange and raspberries, and threw in some nutrient-packed chia seeds just for added assurance. ;) And instead of a super sugary icing for this, I used my vanilla yogurt glaze on these moist & dense scuffins...