strawberry biscuit shortcakes

a couple explanations about this recipe:
1. it was my turn to bring the snack for our small group & there are 2 girls who are nursing & doing the mspi diet so i made it my mission to bring a treat that they could have!
2. i don't have any sites to properly attribute for the recipe because i looked at a ton & this is what i came up with.
3. i have always had some animosity towards homemade whipped creme. my mom made it a lot growing up, and being an ungrateful child i overlooked all of her hard work to make us healthy & gourmet desserts & just wished for cool-whip.  BUT this creme is incredibly rich & sweet & i might just love it.

strawberry biscuit shortcakes
dairy free {mspi friendly}

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (solid)
1 cup coconut milk

heat oven to 425 degrees.

in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt. cut in the coconut oil until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. gradually stir in milk until a soft dough forms.

drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into mounds onto baking sheet.
bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. cool on wire rack.
makes about 8 shortcakes.

coconut whipped creme 
1 can coconut milk, chilled
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

chill mixer bowl & wisk!
do not shake the can of coconut milk (you want it to be separated), open & spoon off all of the thick cream. (use the leftover thin milk in your shortcakes!)
add all ingredients & mix at high speed for about 5 minutes until it is fluffy

1 lb of strawberries (optional: sweeten with organic sugar or honey)

caramel apple dip.

a favorite afternoon snack around our house.
really, it's a favorite snack at any time!
(i actually had a little sister come over after school just so she could have this as her snack!)
i am playing it safe by keeping some extra cream cheese in the fridge.
you never know when the need for apple dip will arise! 


1 stick cream cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup caramel sauce (i just bought some from trader joes for the first time. LOVE it!)
1/4 brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla 

1. whip all ingredients together in the mixer!

deodorant.

let's put aside the pictures of bentley...just for a moment.
and get down to the nitty-gritty.
i'm picky about my deodorant.
i've always kind of been a powdery fresh type,
but those have lots of things added to them that i don't really want on my skin.
but it seems that the brands that have less ingredients,
also don't work as well.

so i crossed over to the dark side homemade side.
i've been testing it for about 2 weeks now (so if you have caught me doing smell checks, it's just research, i promise!) & am happy to report that i like it! it would definitely be fun to experiment with essential oils for scent, but i used what i had on hand.

homemade deodorant

1/3 cup baking soda
1/3 cup corn starch 
4 T. coconut oil
*20 drops tea tree oil
**20 drops essential oil-lime

1. stir all ingredients together(the coconut oil with be liquid if it is warmer than room temperature, but so far, keeping it in the bathroom drawer the consistency has been the same as a regular stick of deodorant you would buy at the store).

*tea tree oil is optional. it just adds an antibacterial property. 
**i used lime because i had it on hand. i am pleased with how it combats the strong scent of the tea tree oil. 
 

pecan chicken salad.

andrea gave me the "recipe" to the chicken salad that she usually makes.
it is inspired by the arbys version.
i say recipe using it loosely, because it is one of those things you kind of keep throwing together, till it looks right. (i apologize to those who can't handle that style of cooking. i am right there with you, liking exacts. but this is something that you can't really mess up. if you like a lot of grapes, add more. not that many pecans? only add a small amount. it is up to your taste!)

peacan chicken salad

chicken. cooked, seasoned to your tastes (i used garlic salt + whatever else i felt like), cooled, & chopped. (i used about 1 lb)

mayo (i used about 3/4 cup)

diced apples (i used about 1/2 a large apple)

grapes sliced in half (i used a large handful, grapes are hard to hold. so probably two handfuls.)

chopped celery (about 4 stalks)

pecan pieces (about 1/2 cup)

mix all the ingredients together. 

serve on romaine lettuce either in a wrap or as a sandwich! 

sweet + salty cookies.

(this somehow got deleted from the blog? weird. here it is again in case you were wanting to make some cookies--like me!)

i have been holding out.
i have come across the best cookie recipe!
right after my sister-in-law had her baby,
a friend brought her these cookies.
and cookies, being my weakness,
so i had to try one.
and then shawn had to try one.
SORRY FOR EATING ALL YOUR COOKIES!
and then i had to get the recipe.
and i tweaked it, to maybe...
perfection.
i can already tell that these are going to be our go-to cookies this summer.

sweet + salty cookies 

preheat oven: 375

bake time: 12 minutes

yields: 4 dozen

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 package vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup crushed pretzels (not powder, some bigger pieces are good)
• 3/4 cups chocolate chips
• 3/4 cups peanut butter chips

combine flour, baking soda, pudding mix and salt in small bowl. 

beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

gradually beat in flour mixture. 

stir in crushed pretzels, chocolate chips, & peanut butter chips.
sprinkle lightly with fine sea salt.

drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. 

bake for 11-14 minutes.

let cool on wire rack.

joes birthday/ play dough.

according to bentleys to-do list...we have a full week!

today, is my baby BROTHER'S birthday.
his 10th birthday.
(and he isn't having a victorian tea like i did.)

i am holding on to him being a kid for as long as possible.
so i made him play dough.

Grandma Kathy's play dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 Tablespoon Alum
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• food coloring
  
  step 1 : Mix the dry ingredients together
  step 2: Boil together oil, water, & food coloring
  step 3: Pour into dry ingredients and mix well
  kathy's notes: I found that you don't want to heap the flour (or it is to dry) and don't let the water boil any length of time (or it will boil away some moisture) So I have my dry ingredients ready the minute it starts boiling.
  

  

  
  

  and in the spirit of birthdays...

  i found old pictures. 

  (mary, you KNEW i had to bust this one out!)

  our first look at the little guy. the end of my junior year of high school.

  i'm pretty sure no one else in my class had a baby brother born that year.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  this is the age i remember him the most. maybe it was because that was when i lived at home. weird to think i moved out when he was only 2.

  
  

  

   this is a gem. i am a few months younger than joe in this picture, but it is amazing how much we look alike/are built the same! and yes, those ginger snaps got a purple ribbon at the fair.
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  

   happy birthday, joe!

  you are a great guy.

  we are so blessed to have you as our brother.

  

  and since we are going through old pictures, might as well bring out shawn's jr prom teal jacket.

  
  

   

  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

valentines party.

we had our valentines party at grandmothers today!
there were plenty of valentines to go around,
including a new pair of elmo pj's.
bentley will forever love this holiday due to all the little gifts + candy he receives.
i guess that is partially my reasoning for loving valentines day too...

{what bentley brought}

cherry chocolate kisses adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Servings: approximately 36 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
3. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.
4. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.
5. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.
7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
8.  Dip the bottom of a glass (i used my 1/4 measuring cup) in sugar & gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.
9.  Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.
10. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.
11.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. warning: the chocolate takes a VERY long time to cool. just a heads up.

image

laundry soap.

for about the last 6 or so months i have been making my own laundry soap! it isn't anything new or invented by me, but it works great for us! it is cost effective-which is a huge plus, and i like that it has minimal ingredients/low on added fragrance. don't get me wrong, one of my favorite things in life is good smelling laundry-so that is very important to me. but this stuff is amazing! oh yes, and it also get your clothes clean.

what you need:
arm & hammer washing soda
borax
oxiclean
fels-naptha bar soap
optional: downy scentable beads ( i will note here, at my wal-mart, when these first came out, they had tons of samples. so whenever i would walk down the laundry isle i would grab a few. so i actually never bought them, which would up your price a little bit. it also adds a fragrance that might not work for sensitive skin. when i run out of my samples, i will just add in some essential oils for extra fresh scent.)
also optional: 19 month old helper. who is obsessed with standing/walking sitting on the counter & unwraps your soap for you.

recipe:
2 cups washing soda
2 cups borax
1 cup oxiclean
1 bar fels-naptha
1 cup downy beads or 30 drops essential oil

mix together your powders.
grate or grind your soap. i have previously used my enormous cheese grater. this time i used the chop attachment to my immersion blender. i like the small pieces better.
add soap & beads or oil.
mix together well.

i have found that about 2 tablespoons is a good amount to wash with. (you can tell if you are using to much, your clothes won't feel as squeaky clean-if that makes sense.) also, i usually times the recipe by 3 since you will have such large quantities of the washing soda & borax.

shepards pie.

image

shawn loves "casseroles"
so it is up to me to figure out what that means...
a few weeks ago we were at my Meemas for lunch, and naturally she has casually whipped this up for us. she couldn't believe i didn't make it all the time, cause it is so easy.
she gave me the recipe, and you know what?
it is that easy.

Shepards Pie
adapted from Meema

1 lb ground beef, browned & seasoned to taste (i tossed in a little onion salt + pepper)
1 can green beans
1 can Campbells condensed tomato soup

mix together!

top: mashed potatoes! so how ever you do that. i boiled about 5 or 6 small potatoes & hand mashed them. i add a little sour cream, a splash of milk, and salt.

spread on top. you can sprinkle with paprika ( i didn't have any)
bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.
since everything is already cooked, you really don't need to bake it to long, it just kind of sets everything up all together.

enjoy! (and thanks for asking for the "recipe")

magic bars.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

• HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
• COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.
• BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars. 

original recipe/ image 

monster cookies.

{image}

thanks to some prodding from shawn, i went on a hunt. for monster cookies (i had never baked them before!). i came across this recipe, made it for the fam. got rave reviews. super easy to make, super yummy to eat.

 
Monster Cookies from Everyday Home Cook


1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M’s

Preheat oven to 350. 
Beat together butter and sugars. 
Add eggs, vanilla extract, and baking soda, and mix well. 
Mix in peanut butter until well-blended. 
Add oats and stir until combined.
Mix in chocolate chips and M&M’s.
Drop cookies by ice cream scoopful (or normal sized) about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. 
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. 
Let cookies cool on baking sheets before moving to wire racks. 
Makes 2 dozen “monster” cookies, or 4 to 5 dozen regular-sized cookies

an original.

i received this text last night:

"you should bring us some good homemade snacks for our room tomorrow :)"

 

uh oh. the girls stressed & home sick already?! classes haven't even started! but no worries, i had something up my sleeve. i was out of chocolate chips, so i used my moms perfect chocolate chip recipe + a secret (it won't be secret if you read the recipe) ingredient of my own. thus, creating an original recipe.  

anneliese's take-to-the dorms cookies (doesn't really roll of your tongue...the name might need some tweaking.)

Beat until well blended:

½ cup butter

¼ cup Crisco

3 T. oil

add:

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 t vanilla

beat until fluffy. Then add:

2 medium eggs

mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl combine:

2 ½ cup flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

add to mixer.

Mix until blended, do not over mix.
add:

1 heaping cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips 

bake 350 for 10 minutes.

yields 4 dozen (and this does allow for some dough tasting).

 

share the wealth.

i am a sucker for tried & true.
i'm not very brave when it comes to trying something first.
BUT, if someone (my sister) recommends a recipe, i go at it with gusto!
and then, i like to pass it on.
can i just say? shawn said feel free to always have this in the fridge. it's that good.

restaurant style salsa

1 large can Hunts tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic

a big ole bunch of cilantro (hey, those are her instructions!)

1/2 of an onion 

1 jalapeno, seeds removed

1/2 of a lime, squeezed

salt + pepper to taste

throw all of this into your food processor! 

blend until smooth! 

i realize this isn't much of a recipe. i'm sure mary adds 4x the cilantro i do. i had shawn do a taste test & he said a little more salt & lime juice. so you will just have to have your tortilla chips handy. create away! you won't be sorry.

image

about a month ago, pioneer woman posted about the perfect iced coffee (feel free to read her version to get more info/ the whole story/ who doesn't love reading pw). anyways............i was excited. then extremely overwhelmed. ::i don't have a pound of coffee/cheese clothe/the container to store it in if i did/ room in my fridge/cute square cubes/half n half :: so there went my excitement out the window. i talked to my sister about how i had wanted to make this, & she had just done a little experimenting on her own--cutting the recipe in half. i was re-encouraged to come up with something that was more manageable & this is what i came up with....

summer iced coffee (& can i say it is so exciting to know this is waiting in the fridge for you each morning?!)

1 1/4 cup dark roast coffee

2 quarts water

1. stir together & let sit for at least 8 hours. i did mine overnight!

2. strain. i used a mesh strainer, twice. the second time using a paper towel as a filter. i think next time i make a batch i won't use the paper towel. i felt like i could taste it? call me crazy.

3. store in the refrigerator in an sealed container.  pw says it lasts for quite sometime, but with this smaller quantity you should have nothing to worry about!

4. pour over ice, add some coffee creamer, & drink with a straw! 

morning glory muffins

i have been wanting to make these for a while...and finally got around to it! i don't know why i waited so long! they are delish! they appear to be a little bit time intensive, but i actually just used a cheese grater & grated the carrots & apple by hand and it was super quick! 

image

 

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut (i omitted this, but i thought i would show it since it is in the original recipe)

3/4 cup Earthbound Farm Organic Raisins

1 large organic apple, peeled and grated

1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat to 350 degrees F.
Sift or whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
Add the raisins, apple, pineapple, carrots, and nuts, and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and vanilla. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend well.
Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with muffin cups (or greased. mine were. i am out of muffin wrappers.), filling each to the brim. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
let cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack to finish cooling.

recipe found here 

mini fruit pizza.

crust:

1 stick butter (room temperature)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp each: baking soda, cream of tartar, salt
In mixer:  blend butter, oil, and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.  Mix well.  Cover and chilll at least 30 minutes up to 1 day.  Roll into balls, place on cookie sheet and dip a flat-bottom glass in water to moisten.  Dip glass in sugar and press to 1/4 " round.   Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes (until light brown)

sauce:
8 oz cream cheese 
8 oz marshmallow cream 
whip together in mixer until light & fluffy.

topping:
fruit of your choice! i (obviously) used a quarter of a strawberry, half a grape, & one mandarin orange.  but, i also used the same recipe + only diced strawberries. instant mini strawberry shortcakes! 

fruit salsa

my sister-in-law makes a great fruit salsa! but, i thought of the idea to late at night to call & ask for the 'recipe'...so i just sorta winged it (wung it?). BUT, it turned out great! i love it. so maybe you will too!

fruit salsa (ps. i don't think there really is a right or wrong way to make this...)

fruit:

8 strawberries

12 raspberries

1 handful of blueberries

1 peach

1 kiwi

sauce:

1 Tablespoon strawberry jelly

1 Tablespoon sugar (this turned out so sweet that next time i will omit all sugar! but maybe if your fruit wasn't as ripe/juicy you would want a little extra sweetness) 

1 Tablespoon water

in a bowl:

1. quarter & dice your strawberries, peach, & kiwi.

2. quarter raspberries.

3. throw in blueberries.

4. add sauce.

5. stir.

chips:

tortillas

1 Tablespoon melted butter (you can also use butter flavored Pam spray)

cinnamon sugar

heat oven to 350.

on a baking sheet:

1. cover one side of tortilla with melted butter.

2. slice into strips with a pizza cutter.

3. sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4. bake for about 15 minutes.

from these apples...

{fresh from my moms apple tree!}

i have made...
apple crisp (twice),
applesauce,
spice muffins (that have applesauce in them), &
applesauce cake.

the apple crisp is my meema's recipe. a go-to. it won't let you down.

8 cups apples placed in buttered 9x13 pan along with 

1/2 cup sugar (i used a little less, i just sprinkled it over all the apples & then dumped whatever was left in my measuring cup back in the bag)

1/2 cup water

topping: 

1 cup flour 

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

combine & sprinkle over apples.

bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (i gauge by when it is getting bubbly around the edges).
serve warm with ice cream. or eat out of the tupperware, the next day, cold. from the fridge.  

this was my first experience with applesauce cake (also the first time i have used my bundt pan that i got for a wedding shower gift. 3+ years ago...) and it turned out fabulous! i wouldn't have expected it to be such a hit, but my youngest sister requested it for her birthday. so that must mean it was good!


applesauce cake (via food network website)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups applesauce
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (i only had 1/2 a cup, so that is what i used)
• Powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter. Add the brown sugar and continue mixing. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla, then mix until well blended and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the applesauce. Fold in the raisins and walnuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf or tube pan and bake until firm to the touch, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan, then turn it out, and dust with powdered sugar.

pico de gallo

 with these fresh + organic tomatoes from my moms garden (i have also been given a bunch from our neighbors...hence why we didn't plant any tomoatoes in our garden. and by our i mean shawns. it is his project. i am stuck in this parenthesis.) i have made pico de gallo! it is so refreshing + summery.

i don't have an exact recipe.

tomatoes. 4-6...but maybe 7 or 8.
a 'bunch' of green onions
cilantro (in shawns words, to much cilantro is a rookie mistake. BUT, i suppose the amount is up to your taste)
half a lime
salt + pepper

i chop my tomatoes. not to big, not to small. just remember you are scooping them with chips.
i then chop the onions as small as i can. also, remember you are going to be eating this...so who wants a giant hunk of onion!?
i semi-chop, but more kind of rip up the leaves of the cilantro.
squeeze in the lime juice. i shake it a little bit so some of the lime pieces fall in.
salt + pepper to taste! i kind of like to be able to taste the salt flavor, but, remember again, you are using corn chips to scoop this...and they are salty!

is that vague enough? it is just one of those things you go for! and you can't really mess up.

 

peanut butter cookies

i just made these for a church potluck (of all things) and they were so nostalgic. a classic childhood cookie. they were also perfect because my baking window of time is completely unpredictable! the dough was actually in the fridge overnight. never the less, i thought they were pretty tasty. so i loaded up a sturdy paper plate of my best cookies! (i don't have enough pot luck experience to take something in a pan that has my name on it.) speaking of names on things....when i was younger i entered some ginger snap cookies in the county fair. the rules are you write out your recipe, fill out a little entry slip & then present your 4 best cookies on a white paper plate. on the bottom of your paper plate you also write your name, etc. we used a giant permanent marker. yep, you guessed it...my lovely ginger snaps absorbed the smell! i don't recall if the judges docked me for it, but moral of the story? the industrial size permanent marker was a bad idea.

Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening (i used butter)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
2. Heat oven to 375ºF.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into sugar.
4. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.