Healthy Strawberry Milkshake

Here is a sugar free milkshake option.  You can eat this immediately OR put it in the freezer for 3 hours and then serve as ice cream.  The shake will freeze really hard after 5 hours and will have more of an icy consistency, but you can certainly still eat it that way.

Image from Here

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. plain whole fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 c. milk of choice (or 1/2 and 1/2 for creamer flavor)
2 medium frozen bananas
3 c. fresh sliced strawberries
6 drops of lemon essential oil

-Blend all of the following.  Add more milk/yogurt to get your desired consistency.

-Serve immediately or freeze in desired container for 3 hours before serving as "ice cream."

EXTRA OPTIONS:

-You can use frozen strawberries too.  You'll get a thicker consistency, but you will get a more watered down flavor. 

-You can also use 2 TBS of orange juice concentrate instead of lemon oil.  That tastes really good too!

-Cottage cheese also works well as a substitute for yogurt

-If you're feeling adventurous, add 2-4 fresh basil or mint leaves

Crepes

This is my go to recipe 

(and image credit) from melskitchencafe.com for crepes.  

I love the simplicity of just throwing everything in the blender!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a blender or large bowl using an electric mixer, combine the eggs, milk, flour, oil (or butter) and salt. Blend or mix on high until the ingredients are well combined. Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. This helps the gluten to relax, making the crepes even more tender.

Combination Ideas we like:

LEMON AND BERRY

lemon curd
fresh berries (or defrosted frozen combination works great too)
whipped cream

Honey Bunches of oats cereal (or other preferred granola)

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY
strawberries
nutella
cream

BANANA GOODNESS
bananas
mini chocolate chips
whipped cream
nutella
peanut butter

toasted pecans

-If you want to get extra fancy...you can make your whipped cream with add-ins like the lemon curd or Nutella, or cinnamon, etc.

Berry Feta and Pecan Salad

This recipe is SUPER easy.  My kids may or may not think that having fruit in a salad is NOT right, but they eat it anyway!  Others of us with more "refined" taste will make and eat this whenever possible!

Ingredients:

Lettuce Greens (romaine, spinach, etc)

blueberries, raspberries, strawberries

Feta (or blue) cheese crumbles

Sugared Pecans (or toasted)

Dressing:  I like Trader Joes Balsamic Glaze OR you can use a honey mustard vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)

1/4 c. honey

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

I guess rhubarb isn't a common ingredient in most households, but if you are feeling daring--give it a try! Rhubarb desserts were a favorite of my grandpa, so I grew up enjoying a few different ways of eating it.  I love the tartness.  I now have my own rhubarb plant in my garden so that I can enjoy making rhubarb desserts often! (picture credit to Cafe Delites)

Filling:

4 c. chopped rhubarb
2 lb. fresh strawberries, diced
1/2 c. sugar (or maple syrup)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
3 TBS orange juice concentrate
6 TBS arrowroot or cornstarch
-Combine all ingredients and place into glass or ceramic baking dish.

Topping:
2 c. oats
1 c. flour (or gluten free flour or just another cup of oats)
1/2 c. brown sugar (or maple syrup)
1/2 c. butter or coconut oil, melted

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

-Combine topping ingredients in one bowl and stir until mixed well.  Sprinkle over Rhubarb and strawberry filling.

-Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until fruit begins to bubble and topping turns golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

GOURMET Strawberry Shortcake

Talk about a CLASSIC summer dessert! 

Strawberry shortcake is great with a vanilla cake, yellow cake, angel food cake or my favorite...Lemon Pound Cake!

Serve with sliced strawberries, fresh whipped cream, drizzle with Berry Coullis or Strawberry Sauce, and you have a very good dessert!

For your whipping cream you can always add in a little vanilla bean paste, lemon extract, lemon oil, or lemon zest as well.

Lemon Pound Cake

I think pound cake is my favorite base for strawberry shortcake.  This cake is stand-alone good, but I just love strawberry shortcake so much, that it never does stand alone!  I love the This is great for strawberry shortcake! Along with sliced strawberries, drizzle some STRAWBERRY SAUCE for an extra wow factor!  (image from tastespotting.com)

Cream until fluffy:
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, at room temp.
4 eggs, at room temp.
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
zest from 3 lemons (optional--but makes it extra good! you can also sub in 6 drops lemon oil)
Add and mix together well:
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 cups white flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
-Grease and flour bundt pan. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 350 for 50-60 minutes until wood skewer comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert.  Glaze or serve with sliced strawberries and strawberry sauce and a little whipped cream.  Taste a little bit of heaven!!!

Optional glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
3 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
-Combine and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

NOTE:  You can sub the lemon zest and lemon juice for ORANGE zest and juice (just zest from one orange) for an ORANGE pound cake version

Coconut Ice Cream with Fresh Fruit

Picture credit goes here.

Oh, Spring is here and so is my major craving for delicious seasonal fruit!  

My brother-in-law whipped up this simple, colorful, fresh, and beautiful dessert just last night.  I had to post it and share.  

Chop up a variety of fresh fruit such as kiwi, mango, strawberries.  Add other fresh berries.  Generously spoon fruit mixture over coconut gelato or ice cream.

The is the ice cream he used:

Fruit Pizzas with Lemon Curd

This is similar to my recipe for FRUIT PIZZAS only it has the added flare of a layer of lemon curd.  Follow the recipe as outlined only spread a layer of curd and then a layer of the yogurt/cool whip mixture.  I like the Trader Joes lemon curd.  You can make your own, or go for the easy store bought brand of your choice.

Fruit Pizzas

 For a fun dessert buffet...have a "Make-Your-Own" Fruit Pizza Bar!

Cookies:Mix together
1 pkg white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
-Form balls into desired size (regular or mini)
-Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes.
-Note: You can use your favorite sugar cookie recipe instead...this is just the easiest way!
Frosting:
Mix together:
1/2 of small carton cool whip
2 yoplait yogurts (I usually either do a berry or lemon/lime)
**(with whatever is left over, use it for a fruit salad or on top of pancakes/waffles!)

Decorate with:sliced strawberries
canned mandarine oranges
fresh blueberries
sliced kiwi

Mini No-Bake Strawberry Pies

I love these fresh tasting, easy to make, cute mini pies!  These are great to make with kids!

Serves 6
6 mini-prepared graham crusts.

Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
6 oz. yogurt (berry, or lemon)
1 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS powdered sugar
-Whip with mixer until smooth and creamy about 1 minute.  Divide evenly into six shells.
-Top with whole, sliced, or diced FRESH strawberries.
-Garnish with drizzled chocolate.  Place 1/4 cup chocolate chips in ziploc bag.  Heat in microwave 30-60 seconds until chocolate melted (don't want it hot,just warm).  Snip corner off the bag and squeeze chocolate in a drizzle over the strawberries.

No-Bake Strawberry Pies

I think it is so so so very wrong to bake fresh strawberries.  This is not a "healthy" recipe, but you should make it anyway!  Your family and friends will love diving into their individual FRESH strawberry pie!

Watermelon-Strawberry Slushie

Frozen watermelon, strawberries, and Sprite (or gingerale).  Easy!  Just blend and don't get a brain-freeze!  If you don't want to use Sprite, you can substitute a berry or lemonade juice instead.  This is a great recipe for so-so watermelon.  If you're watermelon is AMAZING then you can omit strawberries if you don't have any.

Strawberry Syrup

 Strawberries!  My family downed this entire pitcher of strawberry syrup in two sittings...YUM!  Just blend up your fresh strawberries and add a bit of sugar to taste (you may not need any sugar at all!).  Keeps in fridge for a week.  Serve over ice cream...I recommend DRENCHING Breyers Natural Vanilla...

stir in a few tablespoons into some lemonade, drizzle over strawberry shorctcake, or pour over waffles/pancakes!

Strawberry Soup

 This is a recipe from a cooking class I took with my mom and sisters about ten years ago. It's a cold soup...and perfect for strawberry season! The picture is of the recipe doubled.  Kids AND adults love this!