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 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 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. :)

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...

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-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 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...

Strawberry-Walnut Chicken Salad

Fresh, juicy strawberries and crunchy toasted walnuts come together in this lightened up & creamy Strawberry-Walnut Chicken Salad...

I will admit it- Mother's Day has kind of sneaked up me on this year. It seriously feels like I was whipping up desserts for Easter dinner just last week. Is anyone else feeling the same?  

Whether you have been prepping for Mother's Day for weeks now or just now realized today while reading this post that it is indeed this coming Sunday, I am sharing a recipe perfect for a Mother's Day brunch or luncheon with you all today. :)

This Strawberry-Walnut Chicken Salad is a fresh, bright take on a classic chicken salad that is perfect for your spring or summer lunch table. Juicy, ripe strawberries lend just a tiny bit of sweetness to this chicken salad. And it also happens to be lighter and healthier than it's traditional counterpart thanks to a little Greek yogurt... 

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.

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??