Blackberries & Cream Biscuits

Sweet summer berries are the star of the show in these simple & easy to make Blackberries & Cream Biscuits...

My youngest just may have started the first grade last week. And my oldest may have moved into his dorm room this past weekend to start his sophomore year of college, but I am not throwing in the towel on summer just quite yet, folks. I mean, technically it is still summer until September 22nd- am I right? ;)

I am sure you all have already seen the pumpkin recipes starting to creep in all over Facebook lately. And while I am probably the biggest fan of fall that you will ever meet, I am not quite ready for all the pumpkin things just yet. I most definitely will be, but not in mid AUGUST, you all. 

So, let's enjoy summertime just a little bit longer with these easy to make Blackberries & Cream Biscuits, shall we?

Berry Patch Yogurt Pops

Forget those sugary popsicles this summer and make these super simple & healthy Berry Patch Yogurt Pops instead...

I'm required to disclose a relationship between my blog and Annie's Homegrown. This could include Annie's providing me w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Is there anything better than a cool, creamy popsicle on a hot summer day?

While ice cream is a frosty treat we enjoy in this house any time of the year, popsicles are pretty much only reserved for the summer.

They are perfectly portable for taking on the run while chasing fireflies at dusk or dancing through a water sprinkler on a hot afternoon. Or for slurping on while sitting on the back deck. 

Yes, we love a good popsicle during the summer months. But the problem with most store bought popsicles are that they are super sugary and syrupy. 

Forget those sugary popsicles this summer and make these super simple & healthy Berry Patch Yogurt Pops instead!

They are made with nonfat yogurt, coconut milk, and fresh summer berries... and for a fun and tasty twist I added chewy, fruity Annie's Homegrown Berry Patch Bunny Fruit Snacks to them...

12 Tasty Mojito Recipes for Summertime

The classic mojito is taken to a whole other level of deliciousness with the addition of sweet summer berries & fruits in these 12 Tasty Mojito Recipes for Summertime...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

When it comes to summertime sipping, my cocktail of choice is a refreshing & fruity mojito.

We have an amazing mint plant in our backyard that comes back summer after summer, so I always have an endless supply of free fresh mint on hand during the hot summer months. I walk outside, snip off a few sprigs, and come back to the house and muddle up a couple of bubbly mojitos for my husband & I to sip on while sitting on the back deck.  

For those of you not familiar with this perfect for summertime cocktail, the mojito has it's roots in Cuba. It is a refreshing concoction of muddled lime & mint with a little simple syrup & a shot (or two) of light rum, all topped off with bubbly club soda. 

The beauty of a classic mojito recipe is that it lends itself very well to other flavors, especially summer fruits & berries.

While I can always go for a traditional mojito, we often like to change it up and add strawberries or blueberries to the mix. And sometimes we swap out the light rum for a spiced rum, like Captain Morgan. 

In my never ending quest to always have a variety of delicious mojito recipes on hand, I decided to browse some of my favorite cocktail bloggers' sites to gather up the very best. 

Each of these 12 Tasty Mojito Recipes for Summertime that I am sharing with you all today take the classic mojito to a whole other level of deliciousness with the addition of the sweet flavors of summer...

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. ;)

Creamy Summer Fruit Pizzas

Topped with creamy ricotta & mascarpone cheeses, juicy peaches, & sweet blackberries, these sweet & savory personal sized pizzas are perfect for summertime...

This delicious recipe was created in partnership with the ADA Mideast. As always, all thoughts & opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

"Summer, summer, summertime... Time to sit back and unwind." Okay, I know, I know. It isn't quite officially summertime yet. We are still 19 days away from that. 

But it certainly feels like summertime around here already. Temperatures have been in the balmy 80's most of this week, and my oldest's summer break from school started this past weekend. So for all intents and purposes, let's just say that summer has indeed arrived, k? ;)

Aside from the warmer weather and evenings around the fire pit, I most look forward to summertime for the flavors of the season. 

Sweet, juicy fruits and berries come into season. My basil plant overflows with bright green, fragrant leaves. And my mind starts spinning with delicious recipe ideas inspired by the sweet, fresh flavors of summer. 

These Creamy Summer Fruit Pizzas are the very embodiment of my love for perfectly ripe summer peaches and juicy blackberries. When they are paired with creamy ricotta & rich mascarpone cheeses and a little fresh basil, the end result is delicious, no fuss pizzas perfect for summertime...

Double Berry Tea Smoothie

This Double Berry Tea Smoothie combines your favorite berry flavored tea & frozen berries to make a delicious low calorie frosty treat...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Equal®. As always, the opinions and text expressed below are 100% my own.

The weather has really started to warm up around here, and it seems like I am suddenly realizing that the season of shorts, cute summer dresses, and swimsuits is right around the corner. (Please tell me I am not the only one who is panicking just a little over this. ;) ) 

We literally went from one weekend of temperatures in the 30's with 2 inches of snow on the ground to the next weekend being sunny with temps hitting over 70 degrees! 





So now that I am realizing that soon I won't be able to hide the extra "padding" I have acquired over winter inside my big comfy sweaters anymore, I have been making a few changes to my diet and to my exercise routine. And yes, I end up doing pretty much this exact same thing every. single. spring.





One change that I am making right now is cutting back on calories by making little swaps here and there. A glass of iced water with a squeeze of lemon instead of pop. A piece of fruit instead of a cookie. And swapping my usual sugar in my morning coffee, evening tea, and smoothies with 0-calorie Equal® packets. 





One of my favorite ways to get in my servings of fruit a day and stay cool as the temperatures start to get warmer is with a refreshing, frosty smoothie. This Double Berry Tea Smoothie combines your favorite berry flavored tea & frozen berries to make a delicious low calorie frosty treat...

Summer Simple Syrup 3 Ways

It would suffice to say that I love summer drinks.  

Be it with rum or vodka... or without. ;)

Believe it or not, I made simple syrup for the very first time at home just earlier this summer.  Yes.  I was one of those people who actually bought a bottle of sugared up water at the liquor store. 

Once I read how ridiculously easy it was to make your own simple syrup at home, I literally planted a palm to my forehead.  

Had I really been paying for sugar and water??  Oy!

Those of you who have been following me for the past couple of months know my obsession with mojitos.  You probably saw (and hopefully pinned!) my recipe for Spiced Pineapple Mojitos.  Or perhaps you caught my drinks contributor post on White Lights on Wednesday for my Blueberry Ginger Mojitos.  ;) 

Well, simple syrup is essential for the perfect mojito, my friends.  

Essential.

I decided to start experimenting with infusing simple syrups with my favorite flavors of summer- strawberry, blueberry, and basil.

The results were amazing.

Today I am going to be sharing with you all the recipes for my Summer Simple Syrup 3 Ways, but over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some delicious and refreshing beverages you can easily make with them.  

And think WAY beyond the mojito, folks.  That would be too easy... ;)

Summer Simple Syrups 3 Ways

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 2-5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes (includes steeping

6051202

Ingredients (3 pint jars of simple syrup)

For the simple syrup base (you will need this for all 3 simple syrup recipes)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

For the Basil Simple Syrup

• 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

For the Strawberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup of hulled and chopped strawberries (about 5 large strawberries)

For the Blueberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup of fresh blueberries

Instructions

To create the simple syrup for each flavor, you will need the base of 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup water. You will combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan and heat until slightly boiling and the sugar is completely dissolved. You can choose to leave this plain- If you do so, just allow it to cool completely before transferring to a glass jar.

You could also choose to make all 3 syrups at one time. To do this combine 3 cups of sugar with 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Heat til slightly boiling and all the sugar is dissolved. Then divide into 3 different bowls to infuse.

To make the Basil Simple Syrup

Drop the handful of basil leaves into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the basil leaves to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the basil flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

To make the Strawberry Simple Syrup

Saute the strawberries in a small frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Drop them into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the strawberries to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the strawberry flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

To make the Blueberry Simple Syrup

Saute the blueberries in a small frying pan for 3-4 minutes. You want most of the berries to burst open. Drop them into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the blueberries to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the blueberry flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

The jars of lidded simple syrup will keep in the fridge for 1-2 months.

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I actually made all 3 of the syrups right before our 4th of July barbecue. I whipped up a picture of plain mojitos (sans the simple syrup) and let my family pour their own mojitos and then add whichever (and how much) of the flavored simple syrups themselves.  It was a fun self-serve mojito bar- perfect for a cookout! (And I wasn't stuck muddling limes and mint all evening when someone needed another drink- genius!)

These simple syrups are also perfect for simply flavoring and sweetening your favorite iced tea or a glass of club soda. 

I have 3 fun drinks coming your all's way using these Summer Simple Syrups.  

Believe me when I say they will be going WAY beyond flavoring and sweetening your simple mojito.

If you could infuse a simple syrup with a flavor that says summer to you, what would it be? :)

14 Berry Patriotic Sweet Treats

Celebrate our nation's independence all summer long with these 14 Berry Patriotic Sweet Treats...

Just so you all know, we are just under a week until the 4th of the July. Like 6 days, to be exact.

 

We are keeping things pretty low key this year. Since my parents will be out of town on vacation next week, it will just be us. We are going to spend the day together as family, grill out, break out the corn hole & sparklers, and then catch the fireworks from the lake on a blanket from our front yard. 

My daughter has been really looking forward to "American Day" pretty much since summer vacation started over a month ago (yes, that is what she calls it ;) ). 

While we won't be hosting & entertaining our usual holiday crowd for the 4th, I am still planning on whipping up a little red, white, & blue sweet treat for the four of us to enjoy. 

When perusing some of my favorite food blogs for patriotic dessert recipes ideas, I started noticing a theme going on- summer berries lend themselves very well to the 4th of July color scheme. 

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... :)

Double Berry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

This Double Berry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal is a delicious way to use those seasonal fresh berries & a healthy way to start your day... 

I love this time of the year because it seems like you can find just about any berry you can think of for crazy cheap at your local grocery store.  In fact, I was just browsing the berries while doing my grocery shopping for the week yesterday and not a single container of them was over $2!

Whenever a fruit or vegetable is in season and is budget friendly, I get busy trying to find new & tasty ways to use them in my everyday meals.   This Double Berry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal is one such recipe. :)

I have to admit- I avoided the baked oatmeal bandwagon for a very long time.  In fact, this is my very first ever baked oatmeal recipe on the blog.

Honestly, I just didn't understand "baked oatmeal".  Why would you bake it? 

But then I tried Budget Byte's Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal from her cookbook, and my mind was absolutely blown!

Why had I resisted this for SO long??

This Double Berry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal was inspired by Beth's recipe, but I lightened it up with Greek yogurt & coconut milk and left out the eggs- moist, healthy, and completely satisfying...

Small Batch Blueberry Muffins

 These Small Batch Blueberry Muffins are perfect to bake up when you don't need an entire dozen of muffins in the house. They are nice & moist thanks to the addition of creamy Greek yogurt and are bursting with fresh blueberry flavor...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

So I know that summer is on the exit and that the fall season is just about to arrive, but I had to sneak in just one last summer-inspired recipe this year before we dive head first into all things pumpkin spice and apple. ;) 

One thing that we have not been in short supply of this past summer was local blueberries at our weekly farmers market. And one of my absolute favorite things to make with fresh blueberries is homemade blueberry muffins.

The problem is that most recipes I have come across online make a dozen or more muffins. But since it is now just my daughter and I at home together most weeks, we can rarely get through an entire dozen of muffins between the two of us before they go stale no matter how amazingly delicious they may be. Cue my mission to come up with the perfect small batch blueberry muffin recipe!

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.

Blackberry Lemonade Green Smoothie

Juicy blackberries & freshly squeezed lemon come together perfectly in this creamy, delicious, & good-for-you Blackberry Lemonade Green Smoothie...

Post updated 3/21/18- This tart & sweet Blackberry Lemonade Green Smoothie 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. ;)

In case you all are curious, I am still on my green smoothie kick.  It did not end with my Green Smoothie Week.

Although I do have to admit that I am not having one every afternoon like I used to. 

But they are still my absolute favorite way to sneak in some extra leafy greens for myself and for baby girl.  Seriously you all- she sucks them down like they are the best thing ever.

Like she would have a green smoothie over an Oreo almost any afternoon.

I will take that any day. ;)

Peach-Mint Green Smoothie

As a Blue Diamond Tastemakers blogger, I am sharing with you all this recipe for a refreshing & healthy Peach-Mint Green Smoothie. This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze Almondmilk.

In late spring of each year, I get down into the dirt and start planting seedlings and seeds in a spot in our backyard with dreams of having a garden brimming with homegrown veggies come July and August. And almost every summer, I am met with a little disappointment. A few tomato plants seem to do well early on, and then for what seems like no reason at all they just dry up and never produce another tomato. Pumpkin vines start sprawling through half my garden making me excited for all the fun (and free) pumpkins we would have in October only to have them bloom and produce cantaloupe sized pumpkins... in mid August. This year I decided that I needed a break, so we didn't plant a garden. Then a very strange thing started to happen late last month... plants just started appearing on their own.

First, it was the parsley plant I had dumped over the side of my deck railing at the end of last fall. It came back to life. Then it was a single pumpkin plant in what was my garden last year. And after a few good rains here the past couple of weeks, I now have an abundance of fresh, beautiful garden mint at my disposal. I have come to the conclusion that maybe I am better at accidental gardening than purposeful gardening. ;)

Now when I say I have an abundance of fresh mint, I am not exaggerating. I have a TON, folks. Since peaches are so affordable right now due to it being peach season, I knew I wanted to create a healthy and summer perfect recipe combining those sweet peaches with the refreshing crispness of the mint. And that is just what I did with this Peach-Mint Green Smoothie...