Oatmeal Muffins/ Bread with Fruit

402. To have an Oatmeal Muffin Recipe that you can add any fruit to is a staple for your recipe file.  This recipe is lovely and you can edit and tweek the flavors.  

Blueberries and lemon zest were the flavoring and fruit added to this recipe.  And the texture of the muffin seems more like a loaf bread and not as dry as a muffin.  So I made both muffins and mini loaf bread.

Whole oats add texture but you may want the batter to sit for 15 minutes before pouring into your pans.

I am not a fan of cupcake paper liners with muffins so I cut small strips of parchment paper and crisscross them in the oiled cups as well as the mini loaf pan.  Once baked, removal is a snap.

I use my extra large cookie scoop to fill the oversized pans.  A muffin or loaf is spectacular with a dome when baked, hence my "overfilling" of the muffin cups and loaf pan.  And then a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top to create that crunchy crust.

Here is my recipe:

To save this recipe simply select, drag and drop onto your desktop.  Print as a picture.

This is a lovely recipe to use any time, breakfast, brunch or to wrap and give to a friend.

"The most important decisions you make are not the things you do,

 but the things you decide not to do."

~ Steve Jobs

Lemon Blueberry Cake

391.  A light lemon flavored slice of cake dotted with blueberries and a lemony glaze is a delight any time.  This recipe does not disappoint.  You can bake this cake as a bundt, loaf or in a baking dish. 

To save recipe select and drag to desktop and print or select and print from smart device.

 I chose to bake in a bundt pan only because I love the shape of a bundt cake.

"My love of baking might have originated with my grandmother. She had a lemon tree growing in her backyard, and one of my favorite memories is of picking lemons together and then baking lemon bars." 
~ Lisa Graff

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

376.  With Independence Day fast approaching, I have a perfect recipe for you.  It is clever in that you can color coordinate with red, white and blue.  It is a dessert with pretzels in the crust, cream cheese in the filling and strawberries and blueberries in the top jello layer.  As a child I recall this dessert at picnics and gatherings with family friends.

We have a local Strawberry patch down the road with the most sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted. I used all three pints for this recipe and placed it in a 9 X 13" baking dish.

My addition to the traditional recipe is to add pecans to the pretzel crust which gives a richer, nuttier depth of flavor.  The salt from the pretzels also adds additional nuance.

 
I chose to use sugar free jello and sugar free cool whip to slash calories and eliminate extra guilt *wink*.  You could go further and use fat free cream cheese as well...but the flavor profile changes drastically when all sources of fat and sugar are removed.  If you want to create a more pronounced color profile you could use an additional 3 oz. box of blueberry gelatin with 1 cup of water and mix separately with blueberries and pour this over the red layer after it has hardened.

To save recipe select and drag to desktop and print or select and print from smart device.

"I love berries.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything with an 'eerie' in it!"

~  Jordin Sparks

"We do not rejoice in victories.  We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel."

~  Golda Meir

"Strawberries are what make life taste wonderful!"  ~ Anthony T. Hincks

Four Berry Pie

372.  This past Memorial Day was a special time to remember all those fallen in battle to gain our freedom.  We are thankful for their sacrifices.
I took time that day to make a special meal and to make a Four Berry Pie for dessert with a Coconut Oil crust.  The berries included Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry and Blackberry.

Here is my recipe:

To save recipe select and drag to desktop and print or select and print from smart device.

 I am proud of my heritage, my father, my family, my husband who served bravely in WWII, Korean and Vietnam War and who actively helped to gain our freedom.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” 

~  Ronald Reagan

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them." ~  Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men."           ~  Minot J. Savage

"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."  ~  Adlai E. Stevenson II

"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran does not have that problem."   ~  Ronald Reagan

“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."   ~  Unknown

"For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue."   ~  James A. Garfield

Lemon Blueberry Poundcake & Pink for Baby Girl

339.  I't's a Girl!  was our theme for a Baby Shower recently.  The mom and dad love succulents so I went with a rustic romantic theme with pink being the dominant color.  I spray painted these little clothespins, pencils and also spray painted mason jars with pink and gold.  

Cut slices of wood and handmade doilies added rustic romantic to each centerpiece with pink roses, terra cotta pots and candles.  The doilies are my collection from my grandmother, mother and mother-in-law's handiwork.  

Our meal was lite and so perfect for a summer afternoon:  Chicken Salad on King Hawaiian's mini rolls, Fresh Fruit Parfaits, Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake recipe Here which was amazing! Veggies and Dip, Crackers and Cheese and Cream Puffs.

Our favors were White Chocolates in a Brazilian handmade rosette.

And a special gift I decided to encourage was for the ladies, who crochet or knit, to make a small square 4" X 4" in any design using the yarn I provide.  They had a month to make as many squares as they desired and then to return them to me for construction of a baby blanket.  There were 12 ladies that participated and each and every square was so unique.  Some were very elaborate and others were perfectly plain.  

 I did a crochet boarder around each square to make each square the same size then attached them together.  Lastly, placed a cozy flannel fabric on the back and using a blanket embroidery stitch to attach to the blanket with little picots every so often to keep the blanket attached to the fabric at the center and sides.

Each lady wrote her name on a card with a note to identify the squares they made. I then attached the card on their square with a ribbon that could easily be removed.

The blanket was beautiful and a great collaborative project!!  Of course matching the theme as well.

It was an enjoyable day celebrating a very special baby-on-the-way!  (But we won't mention when we went to pick up the cake and the bakery said we never order it...till I spoke with the manager, who I left the order with and he then remembered!!!...giving us a full sheet cake for free!)

"'Tis love that makes the world go round, my baby."

~ Charles Dickens

Vanilla Cake

313. My summer beach reading has meandered through a few classics, food magazines and a surprising memoir by NY Times Food Critic Ruth Reichl, "Garlic and Sapphires"

A dear friend sent me this book and suggested it as good reading.  Thanks Colleen!  Not only have I enjoyed following Ruth all over Manhattan disguised in pseudo personalities but reading the descriptions of the decadent foods she ingested.  My desire to cook, bake and create culinary delights has increased significantly.  My favorite chapter was following Ed Levine, "the ultimate connoisseur of New York food."  

It was a captivating book that was hard to put down.  A delightful addition to this book are the recipes sprinkled throughout the book.

So this is my homage to Ruth Reichl, making her son's favorite recipe "Nicky's Vanilla Cake"

I cut the recipe in half and used my small vintage fluted tube pan.  The batter was thick, glossy and beautiful and oh so aromatic.  Baking for 30 minutes was perfect.

The cake came away from the pan without a fight and was beautiful.

I then made a blueberry syrup using 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Once cooled the cake sliced easily and even the crumbs were irresistible.

I whipped heavy cream with a touch of vanilla and powdered sugar.  A drizzle of blueberry syrup and a dollop of whipped cream on top.  Delicious ★★★★

"Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." 

-Mark Twain

Fresh Peach Blueberry Pie

311. A slice of fresh peach blueberry pie is on the dessert menu tonight.  

Using free-stone peaches is a breeze.  You are able to remove the peach pit quickly and clean leaving the beautiful peach in perfect shape.

A little sugar, corn starch and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and dash of cinnamon makes your filling light and perfectly sweet.

Instead of the traditional top crust I'm using my star cutters to make a random pattern, perfect for July⭐️ 🇺🇸.

If the stars are all the same it makes your top crust too uniform.  So I cut three different sizes and star frames as well.

A sprinkling of water and a few corse sugar crystals finish off the top.

With the left over pie crust I cut out little stars and sprinkle a sugar-cinnamon mix over.  My mom would make these for me when she had extra dough. 😋

I used Joy of Cooking to check my ingredients.  The recipes are always spot on and reliable.

And here is the finished product for your viewing pleasure!

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." 

~Steve Jobs, co-founder & CEO of Apple