Hi, Everybody! I hope you are all having a good week and enjoying some June sunshine! One of my favorite things about this time of year is all the seasonal fruit that fills the grocery stores and farmer’s markets. I love that sweet, delicious smell of fresh peaches and strawberries, and the beautifully vibrant colors of all the fruits. One of my favorites of the season is rhubarb. I love the fresh, tart taste it adds to desserts, and I love the bright pink color that it produces as it’s bubbling away while it bakes! I wanted to make something a little different than the traditional strawberry-rhubarb pie, so I came up with this Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp, which is to die for! Paired with the sweeter raspberries and a dash of vanilla, the rhubarb filling is just tart enough, and complements the sweet, crunchy topping just perfectly! Add some vanilla ice-cream on top of your warm Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp, and you have the most wonderful summer dessert!

FILLING

3/4 rhubarb stalk, chopped

4 oz fresh raspberries

1/2 tbs cornstarch

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbs granulated sugar

TOPPING

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup rolled oats

2 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 tbs brown sugar

Tiny pinch of salt

1. First, prepare your fruit. Wash the raspberries and scrub the rhubarb well. Cut off both of the ends of the rhubarb stalk, then cut it into small chunks. Place all the fruit in a small bowl and gently toss it with the granulated sugar (if you prefer a sweeter filling, add an extra tablespoon of it). Set aside.

2. Next, prepare your topping. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together. You could definitely use a food processor or a mixer to get all the ingredients combined, but I prefer to do it by hand. You should end up with medium sized crumbles that you will spread over the fruit.

3. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and finish off your fruit filling by adding in the vanilla extract and the cornstarch. Mix gently, so you don’t mush the raspberries. Place all the fruit evenly into your baking dish (I used a small, 7 inch oval baking dish) then cover with the topping. Place the baking dish onto a larger baking sheet covered with foil or baking paper (just to make sure that any liquid that comes out of the crisp is caught on it and you don’t have to scrub your oven afterwards!) Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling (I covered the baking dish with foil after about 20 minutes of baking time to make sure the topping didn’t burn). Let cool for a couple of minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.

(*Note: You will need to double or triple the recipe for the filling as well as the topping if you are making it for a big crowd! This recipe only makes a dessert to share for two!)

Hi, Everybody! Happy First Day of June! As ready as I was for the summer to finally be here, I was definitely not prepared for the intense heat that we’ve been having this past week! I feel like it went from “light jacket kind of weather” to “I don’t even want to step outside kind of weather” within just a couple of days! But I’m not complaining, and am loving this much needed dose of Vitamin D every day! As you probably know from reading my blog, I love to bake, whether it’s in the fall when we crave those cozy, comforting pies and cakes, or in the summer, when all you want is something light and refreshing. These Lemon Bars that I’m sharing with you today are just that – deliciously refreshing! The crust is wonderfully sweet and buttery and perfectly complements the tart, gooey filling that’s dusted with a thin layer of sugar for a little extra sweetness! The perfect summer dessert!

Filling
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioners sugar for dusting

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DIRECTIONS

Hi, Everybody! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and enjoying these last couple of days of May! I have a delicious recipe to share with you today. You know those days when nothing but a big brownie will do? And not just any brownie, but the rich, dense, chocolaty kind of brownie, filled with big walnut chunks, that makes everything ok again as soon as you take a big bite out of it! I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about! Well, for days like that, this is one of my favorite brownie recipes!

(Recipe from The Smitten Kitchen)
*Makes 16 Brownie squares*

YOU WILL NEED
10 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

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DIRECTIONS

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Hi, Everyone! Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend! I have a great recipe to share with you to start this week off! These Light Raspberry Muffins with Greek Yogurt are delicious and make for a great breakfast! They are not overly sweet (so feel free to add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter taste!) and are incredibly light and fluffy. I reduced the amount of butter used in the original recipe by half, and replaced it with Greek yogurt, which makes these muffins wonderfully soft and moist. As well as making my own muffins, making my own Yogurt would be worth it too. It goes with pretty much everything- in cereal, cakes, fruit and even seeds! I’d have to look into the best rated yogurt maker to do this, as we only have the best here.
Here’s the recipe…

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tbs baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs milk

1 egg

4 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tbs all-purpose flour, for coating raspberries

1. First, in your electric mixer bowl, mix together the milk, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract and Greek yogurt, until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two or three portions, making sure that all the ingredients are well combined and there are no lumps, but making sure not to over mix the batter so it stays light once the muffins are baking. In a small bowl, sprinkle the raspberries with 1 tbs of all-purpose flour and very gently toss until they are all coated. Add them into the batter, folding them in gently using a spatula so they keep their shape and don’t get mushy.

3. Preheat your oven to 375 deg F and line your muffin pan with baking cups. Fill the baking cups with the batter until they are about 3/4 of the way full, then bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a couple of minutes before eating.

And for another recipe that uses Greek yogurt, try this delicious Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Find my recipe here!

Happy Baking, Everyone!

Hi, Everyone! Happy Weekend! Today, I’m sharing a couple of simple cookie packaging ideas with you! This post really combines two of my favorite things – baked goodies and gift wrapping! I love giving (and receiving!) homemade goodies from the kitchen, because nothing says love more than something you took the time and care to make for someone! And I have always loved wrapping gifts and making them look special, getting pretty ribbon and gift tags, and making any little gift a little more personal. Here is a simple and pretty way to package your baked goodies to give away!

Instead of just using a plain ziplock bag or a tupperware box, pack your cookies in little cellophane bags. Use twisty ties to make sure the bags are air tight, and add some colorful ribbon or baker’s twine on top. You can order personalized labels and gift tags from many places online, or you can design and print your own! So easy and simple, but it adds a nice little personal touch! And whoever is getting the cookies knows what they are and who they are from!

Hi, Everyone! Happy Monday! I hope you’ve all had a great weekend and are ready for another week! We had a great weekend celebrating my husband’s birthday, which involved a delicious dinner at an Indian restaurant, his favorite cherry chocolate cake, and some present opening too, of course! I’ve been loving the beautiful warm weather we’ve been having here for the past couple of days, and it feels like the summer is just around the corner! And what’s one of our favorite things about summertime? S’mores, of course! So I made a batch of these deliciously sweet and chewy S’mores Treats!

12 oz Golden Grahams cereal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

10 oz mini-marshmallows

6 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. First, prepare your dish (I used a 9×9 baking pan) by lining it with wax paper. Set aside. Next, place your chocolate chips in a bowl and let them sit in the freezer until you need them (this will prevent them from melting later on). Pour your golden grahams cereal into a large bowl, and set it aside as well.

2. Next, in a medium sized pot, melt the butter on medium-low heat, making sure that it doesn’t burn or brown. Once it has melted, stir in your marshmallows. Stir constantly, until the marshmallows have melted and you have a thick, smooth, creamy mixture. Add your vanilla into it and mix well.

3. Pour the melted marshmallow mixture onto the golden grahams in the large bowl, and immediately begin mixing. All the little pieces need to be coated with the gooey marshmallows so that the bars stick together. Once all the golden grahams are coated, add in 3/4 of your chocolate chips. Mix well, then pour the whole messy mixture (and it WILL be very messy and sticky!) into your prepared pan.

4. Pat it down evenly (you might want to spray some cooking spray on your hands so they don’t stick to the mixture!), the sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on the top and press them down so they stick down. Then let the whole thing sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it is solid. Then, cut into squares and serve!

Hi, Everybody! I have a quick little kitchen tip to share with you today! I love using fresh herbs when I’m cooking and baking, there’s just nothing like that fresh flavor and aroma that herbs bring to a dish. But whenever I buy a bunch of parsley, or rosemary, or any other herb, I use a little bit and then end up throwing the rest away. I recently I started freezing the herbs and that way I can just take them out and pop them into meals whenever I need them! All you need to do is chop up your herbs as roughly or finely as you want, put equal amounts of chopped herbs in the little ice cube compartments, slowly pour water in each and freeze them. Once they are frozen, you can move them into a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer until you need them!

Have a great rest of the week, Everyone!

Hi, Everybody! So, after a weekend of eating all that delicious food on our trip to Colonial Williamsburg I was craving something light and fresh yesterday, and made one of my favorites! This Bruschetta with Heirloom Tomatoes is perfect for a light lunch or dinner, especially in the summertime! What could be better than a soft piece of toasted crusty bread brushed with olive oil and topped with juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs?! There are lots of different kinds of toppings you could use for your bruschetta, but this is one of my favorites! It only takes a couple of minutes to make, and you only need a few simple ingredients and you have a delicious lunch or dinner!

A selection of heirloom tomatoes, fresh crusty bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, salt and freshly ground pepper

First, cut your tomatoes into equal sized chunks and place them all in a bowl. Season them well with salt and pepper, add a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with chopped basil. Toss all the ingredients together and let sit for a couple of minutes so the tomatoes can absorb all the flavors. Next, brush both sides of your slices of crusty bread with some olive oil and either grill for a couple of minutes on each side, or toast them on a pan. (If you want to add some garlic flavor, you can rub the top of each toasted slice with one clove before topping it with the tomatoes.) Once they have formed a nice crust on each side, top them with a generous portion of the tomato topping!

Hi, Everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend! We just returned from spending a couple of days in Colonial Williamsburg with my husband’s grandparents and so I’m here to share some pictures with you today! This was my first time visiting the area, and I just fell in love with it! I loved that being there was like stepping back in time, with all the beautiful historic homes and buildings, the quaint little streets, original specialty shops, Fifers and Drummers walking down the streets, old-time horse-drawn carriages taking people around and traditional taverns serving delicious food and giving you a real 18th century dining experience! We had a wonderful couple of days, and here are some pictures of our time…

Duke of Gloucester Street, the main street in Colonial Williamsburg, which is filled with beautiful historical buildings and homes, little shops and markets, and taverns serving delicious local food. Walking down the street is almost like stepping back into history as you see horses and carriages going up and down, people dressed up in period costumes and old English and Irish songs being played in the taverns.

 My husband and I with a couple dressed in period costumes! There were lots of people dressed up in beautiful costumes, both adults and children, walking around the town, representing the fashion of the 18th century!

We had dinner at one of the taverns on the main street, called Shields Tavern which not only served delicious food, but gave you a real experience of what life was like back in the day! As you walk in, you are greeted by people dressed in 18th century costumes and seated at candlelit tables as musicians walk around the tavern playing popular songs of the time.

 The tavern had some delicious food on their menu, including this Ale-potted Beef with mashed potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. This would have been a popular dish in the 18th century, and it was absolutely delicious!

 My husband standing  by the gate that led to the tavern through a vegetable patch!

St. George Tucker House in Colonial Williamsburg, which was one of the original colonial homes in the town.

Standing by one of the beautiful gardens.

 My husband and I.

 A beautiful Colonial Garden and Nursery, where they use 18th century gardening techniques and sell plants and herbs from the time period.

 More of the Colonial Garden and Nursery.

 These hats were being sold everywhere, and there were lots of little girls walking around wearing them.

 My husband and I.

One of the horse-drawn carriages coming down the street.

 One of my favorite little houses on the main street!

I hope you all enjoyed this little tour of beautiful Colonial Williamsburg! I love seeing new places and learning new things, and this was my favorite new place we’ve visited recently! I loved seeing all the beautiful buildings and homes, stepping back into time and experiencing what life was like for the original inhabitants of the town, and tasting some delicious 18th century food! If you want to find out more about Colonial Williamsburg and visiting the town, read all about it here!

Have a great rest of your weekend, Everyone!

Hi, Everybody! Happy last day of April! This month has been filled with so much rain here in Maryland, but at least it means that everything is looking beautifully green outside, and spring has truly arrived! After all those months of everything being dark and gray, it’s so refreshing seeing green everywhere! I have a great quinoa recipe to share with you today! If you’ve never had quinoa before, you should try it out sometime! It is high in protein, fiber, magnesium and iron, as well as calcium. I know that that may make it sound too healthy to taste good, but this is a great way to prepare it! I’ve been seeing different kinds of quinoa patties everywhere, and so I came up with a recipe to suit my taste! These Cheesy Quinoa and Broccoli Patties are delicious; crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside!

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

5 large broccoli florets

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1 large egg

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Olive oil for cooking

1. First, cook your quinoa according to the directions on the packaging. I cooked mine by combining 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1 cup of boiling water, then letting it come to a boil, and simmering, covered for about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the water (this shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes), put it on a plate and let it cool completely.

2. Next, saute your diced onion until it’s soft and translucent. Set aside and let cool completely. Cook your broccoli until it has softened a little bit, then let it cool as well. Once the broccoli has cooled completely, dice it into small pieces.

3. Now that you have everything ready, in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together, leaving the egg until the end. Mix well so you have a smooth, wet mixture that will allow you to make patties that will stick together.

4. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and make your patties. I made each using 1/4 cup of the mixture. Just make a ball out of the mixture, and squash it down a little bit. Cook each patty for about 7 – 8 minutes on each side on medium heat. You want the patty to develop a crust, but not to burn, so watch them carefully. Let cool for a couple of minutes before eating.