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... :)

Berry Patriotic Poke Cake

Incorporating the flavors of black cherry, fresh raspberries and blueberries, this easy-to-make Berry Patriotic Poke Cake is the perfect addition to your summer celebration...

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

With Memorial Day weekend and long summer days quickly approaching, we all need easy, crowd-pleasing dessert recipes to have on hand for holiday get-togethers and backyard cookouts. 





One of my favorite desserts to make, especially during the summer months, is a good old-fashioned poke cake. Poke cakes are so easy to make, yet they are impressive and pretty. They also lend themselves well to all the sweet fruits of summer.





While I created this Berry Patriotic Poke Cake with Memorial Day weekend in mind, this is also the perfect dessert for a Fourth of July celebration. You just can't beat a light and fluffy white cake spiked with black cherry gelatin, then topped with creamy whipped topping and fresh raspberries and blueberries. 

You can have your red, white and blue, and eat it too!

Chocolate Raspberry Chia Seed Smoothie

This creamy & healthy Chocolate Raspberry Chia Seed Smoothie only tastes like a decadent treat...

I am partnering with Hamilton Beach today to bring you all this recipe. As always, all opinions expressed below are 100% my own.

I have had a love/hate relationship with making smoothies. I love sipping on smoothies and packing them full of the good stuff. But I have often found myself hating actually having to blend them up. 

You do that first pulse of the blender just to have to take a spoon to scrape down the sides of the blender cup and scoop up what is laying on the bottom to get it all blended in and smooth & creamy. And often times I have to repeat that once or twice more. 

I know that a fancy pants high tech blender would solve my little blender conundrum, but have you all seen the price tags on some of those blender models?? Yikes! 

When Hamilton Beach approached me about giving their new Wave-Action® Blender a whirl (see what I just did there ;) ), I was all in. I mean, what did I have to lose? Besides possibly my smoothie/blender frustrations. 

And the first thing that I whipped up in my new sleek & shiny Wave Action Blender was this smooth and creamy Chocolate Raspberry Chia Seed Smoothie. 

I kind of have a thing for making smoothies that tastes just like desserts since my mean sweet tooth can often get in the way of my attempts to eat healthier. ;) This creamy and chocolaty smoothie satisfied my sweet tooth without the guilt...

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...

Red, Light, & Berry Dessert Dip

With just 4 simple ingredients, you can make this light & fruity three-layered dessert dip in minutes. And it just happens to have a natural color palette of red, white, & blue- perfect for the Fourth of July...

Need a last minute sweet treat for a Fourth of July barbecue or get-together this weekend?

I know it is tempting to just run into the bakery of your local grocery store and pick up some ready made red, white, and blue cupcakes or cookies, but just hold up for a sec. ;)

Because I have a super easy & quick dessert dip for you that you can literally whip in under 15 minutes.

Yes, folks. Fifteen minutes. But probably less.

And bonus? It is low fat and low calorie! No need to wreck the healthy eating and sweating you have been doing at the gym for swimsuit season in just one weekend. :)

Fresh berries, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and light whipped topping combine to make this super simple layered dessert dip....