Category Archives: Desserts

How to Make Cake Pops

Posted on September 26, 2011 by amydeline

Cake pops are all the rage these days…or am I thinking of cupcakes? Or is it macarons?? I can’t keep up. But, you can find cake pop recipes and ideas all over the internet and magazine covers these days. Starbucks even carries these sweet treats right next to the muffins and dessert bars. They’re insanely cute and super fun to eat. The best part is that there are a million possible flavor and design combinations.

Once you’ve got the basic idea, you can have a lot of fun customizing these little goodies with different flavors of cake, frosting, and candy coating! Then, get creative with the decorating! I’m already planning on making bloody eyeball cake pops for Halloween, turkeys for Thanksgiving, and snowmen and trees for Christmas!

For my little guy’s third birthday (and my first attempt at cake-popping), I made a batch of decadent triple chocolate cake pops. It’s a simple, but somewhat time-consuming process, so plan ahead. Here’s how it’s done.

You will need:

1 13×9 inch cake
Cake frosting (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
Lollipop sticks
Candy Melts (approximately 4 cups)*
Sprinkles or other decorating candies (optional)

*If your grocery store doesn’t carry the candy melts, check your local craft store. They come in all sorts of colors and flavors!

Bake a 13 x 9 inch cake. Use your favorite homemade recipe or one box of any flavor cake mix. (You can bake the cake a day ahead of time, if desired.)

Once cool, crumble the cake into fine crumbs. This is a perfect job for little helpers.

You’ll end up with a big bowl of fine cake crumbs.

Combine the cake crumbs with any flavor frosting. A container of prepared frosting works fine or use your favorite homemade. Depending on how moist the cake is, you probably will not need the whole container of frosting. About 3/4 of a 16-ounce container should do the trick. You want the mixture to be moist enough to mold, but not too mushy. Mushy cakes will have a harder time staying on the sticks…lesson learned the hard way.

Refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes (or longer) to help firm up the mixture.

Roll the mixture into balls, just over an inch in diameter.

Melt a small quantity of the candy melts according to package directions. Dip the end of each lollipop stick into the melted candy, then insert the stick a little more than halfway through each cake ball. Place each pop upside down on a baking sheet and refrigerate until quite firm.

Once firm, warm the candy melts according to package directions. Use a container that is tall and narrow enough to fully submerge each cake pop into. A 2-cup pyrex measuring cup worked well.

Dip each pop into the melted candy. Gently swirl the pop to remove excess candy. (Skipping the swirl step will result in a candy coated stick. Trust me on that one.)

Decorate with sprinkles or candies, if desired. Then, place each pop into a piece of styrofoam to dry upright at room temperature. (Refrigeration will cause condensation on the surface of your pops. Another lesson learned the hard way.) The candy exterior will harden at room temperature.

29 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged baking, birthday, cake, cake pops, celebrations, chocolate, Cooking, cooking with kids, culinary technique, dessert, Food, how-to, parties, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Top Ten Gourmand Mom Recipes

Posted on September 20, 2011 by amydeline

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m greatly entertained by reading through the search terms which lead people to this little blog. It often leaves me puzzling over how the terms “Christmas money wreath” or “dog with running shoes” brought people here. What in the world have I been writing about? Of course, most of the time, people are just looking for recipes and, as it turns out, some of those recipes are quite popular!

Here, I’ve compiled a list of the top ten most viewed Gourmand Mom recipes. Then, if you scroll down a bit further, you’ll see ten of my personal favorites. (Clicking on the recipe titles will bring you straight to the recipe.)

What’s your favorite recipe? Tell me about it!

Top Ten Gourmand Mom Recipes

(according to page views)

Crab Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers – Coming in at #10, these spicy little appetizers are a fresh and flavorful alternative to the kind you’ll find in the frozen food section of your grocery store!

A Better Caramel Apple Cake – Yum! This recipe is the result of experimenting with a delicious recipe I found in the Food Network magazine! Who knew that a bit of boiling water would make such a big difference?? With apple season reaching its peak, now’s a great time to give this one a try!

Almost Perfect Fontina Chops – This recipe is inspired by a Bonefish Grill dish, which is apparently a big favorite, since I get a few search hits every day from people looking for this recipe. This version is not intended to be a copycat recipe; it’s just a delicious dinner inspired by the popular Bonefish dish.

Independence Day Berries and Cream – Mixed Berry Mousse and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta – My love for panna cotta began with this sweet treat. Mmmm….fresh berry mousse with sweetened cream! Mmmm…

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds – The fresh ingredients do all of the hard work in this simple and delicious salad!

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp – This is another recipe that gets a ton of search hits. The people want Hawaiian garlic shrimp…and with good reason! It’s delicious! Next time, I’d veer away from the traditional preparation and cook these babies with the shells removed to get more of the buttery garlic in my mouth and less on my fingers.

Chicken Wing Dip – Coming in at #4 is Chicken Wing Dip. It’s practically a classic and totally crave-worthy. Oh dear, just thinking about it makes me want to throw batch in the oven. Must. Have. Chicken Wing Dip.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Parfait – Perfect season for these tasty treats. Some may prefer to sweeten the pumpkin a touch more in these easy treats. For me, they’re just right!

Sweet Honey Cornbread – This one scored most of its hits when it landed on WordPress’ Freshly Pressed section for a day. It’s a great cornbread recipe; sweet, tender, and super easy to make!

And the #1 Most Viewed Gourmand Mom recipe is (drumroll, please)…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie – This luscious pie wins the top spot by a landslide. Somehow it’s found itself within the StumbleUpon community. I’m really not quite sure how StumbleUpon works, but it sure drives a ton of traffic to this delicious recipe!

Ten of My Personal Favorite Recipes

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce – This burger takes the cake as far as my husband is concerned! It’s become his meal of choice for birthdays, anniversaries, and any other excuse he can come up with!

The World’s Greatest Penne ala Vodka – I can’t claim credit for the creation of this recipe, but it’s definitely on my list of all-time favorites!! Seriously the best vodka sauce I’ve ever tasted!

Sausage, Bean, and Rapini Soup – This incredibly satisfying dish is in our regular dinner rotation. It freezes well, so make it in a huge batch to keep on hand for an easy dinner. Make it as brothy as you prefer and serve with a nice piece of French bread!

Chicken Salad Sandwich – Waldorf Style – There’s something incredibly satisfying about the combination of sweet, savory, and crunch in this chicken salad. It’s on my go-to list of easy weeknight dinners!

Grilled Honey Garlic Baby Lamb Chops – I want to slather this honey garlic sauce on everything. I think I could live on this honey garlic sauce.

Cheddar and Garlic Biscuits – I first made these biscuits during a major craving for Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I searched online for a copycat recipe and found a ton of Bisquick-based recipes. Wanting to make fresh biscuits from scratch, I combined the elements from a basic, buttery drop biscuit with the seasoning of the Red Lobster biscuit. They’re perfect. Everyone cheers when these are on the menu!

Salmon, Cucumber, and Orzo Salad in Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette – This was initially intended as a pantry meal, if you will; something quick and easy using a few leftover ingredients I had on hand. It became an instant favorite. There’s something incredibly satisfying about the combination of flavors and textures in this simple dish!

BBQ Beef Chili – This hybrid chili/bbq beef dish makes my mouth water. Serve it with the cornbread from the Top 10 list!

Corn and Bacon Fritter Cakes – I just posted about these recently. I want to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday, topped with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. The best part is that they reheat really well. In fact, they may even be better reheated than straight out of the pan. Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees and they’re perfect! (P.S. A dollop of sour cream would make a fine substitute for the creme fraiche!)

Pizza Dragon and Chairs of Stock (Steak Bordelaise Pizza) – My brother in law goes nuts for this pizza! He’s still trying to figure out how to package it and sell it, since he’s convinced it will make me millions. This pizza is a steak dinner on a pizza crust. It takes a little time to get all of the components together, but everything can be prepared ahead of time and it’s worth the trouble!

Do you have a favorite Gourmand Mom recipe? Any other recipe you’d like to see here? Tell me about it!

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Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Beef, Breads, Burgers, Cakes, Cheese, Desserts, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Fruit, Lamb, Main Course, Pizza, Pork, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged appetizers, baking, beef, bread, cake, cheese, chicken, comfort food, Cooking, dessert, easy dinner, Eating, Food, food photography, fruit, hors d'oeuvres, Recipes, sausage, seafood, soup, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Cinnamon Apples

Posted on September 7, 2011 by amydeline

And just like that, it’s fall. We were swimming on Sunday. Today, it’s raining and chilly enough for hoodies. Mother Nature doesn’t dilly dally around here.

Before we can blink, the leaves will be a rainbow of bright reds, burnt oranges, and golden yellows. And then the snow will hit.

Ugh. The snow. I still haven’t recovered from last year’s 179 inches. Do the math. That’s almost 15 whopping feet of snow.

I could do without Syracuse winters, but Syracuse falls are spectacular. I sometimes forget to appreciate the absolute beauty of where we live.

We brought in September with a visit to a local apple farm. The Paula Reds, an apple similar to McIntosh, were ripe for picking. After a quick tractor ride to the trees, the boys filled two baskets. I’m already planning our next trip back to enjoy the changing fall foliage and fill our baskets with another variety of fresh-picked apples…and maybe taste a bit more of the apple wine while we’re there!

There is no shortage of delicious ways to put fresh-picked apples to use. I decided to use a few of our apples to make a quick cinnamon apple topping, which would be delicious over ice cream or mixed in with a bit of yogurt and granola. Or, do as I did, and pair the apples with a creamy buttermilk panna cotta!

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Ingredients

3/4 cup half and half, divided
1 packet gelatin powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin powder over 1/4 cup of the milk. Set aside to allow the gelatin to bloom, or soften.

In a saucepan, combine the remaining half and half, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Over medium/medium-low heat, gradually heat the mixture, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture begins to bubble around the edges and the sugar is fully dissolved, gradually whisk in the gelatin mixture. Gently simmer for a minute or two, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Strain, if necessary, to remove any undissolved gelatin chunks. Allow the mixture to cool to almost room temperature. Then, pour the mixture into small dishes or ramekins. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Serve in the dishes, topped with cinnamon apples (recipe below), or unmold to serve plated. To unmold, dip the bottom of the dishes into warm water for a few seconds. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Invert over your serving dish.

Easy Cinnamon Apple Topping

Ingredients

4-5 apples, sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes, until the apples are quite tender and lightly glazed with the sugar and cinnamon.

5 Comments

Posted in Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged apples, autumn, comfort food, Cooking, dessert, fall, family, Food, kids, life, Recipes, syracuse. Bookmark the permalink.

Strawberry Spinach Smoothies

Posted on July 15, 2011 by amydeline

Obsession, thy name is Strawberry Spinach Smoothies.

I honestly can’t quantify the amount of fresh baby spinach my family has consumed over the past two weeks. We are a family obsessed. It would probably behoove Popeye to snatch up whatever remaining spinach he can get his hands on, before my family calls dibs on every last green leaf. I suppose there are worse things to be obsessed with.

It all started with the Strawberry Basil Smoothie recipe I recently shared. While adding the bright green basil, it occurred to me that a bit of spinach might be a nice match to the ripe summer strawberries.

So, as soon as I was able to get my hands on some spinach, I set about making my first ever strawberry spinach smoothie. I started with just a small handful of spinach. A quick taste led to another handful. Another taste, another handful. Turns out that these smoothies can easily handle a full bag of fresh baby spinach without sacrificing any of the sweet strawberry flavor.

Now, admittedly, adding vegetables to a smoothie is not an insanely novel idea, but it’s one I hadn’t tried before and I just had to share the recipe with you! These smoothies are so insanely nutritious and delicious, you won’t be able to stop smiling. You’ll smile even wider while watching your young picky eaters happily gulp down massive quantities of fresh, spinachy goodness.

Strawberry Spinach Smoothies

Ingredients

3-4 cups frozen strawberries
6-8 cups baby spinach
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup apple juice, milk or water

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth and frosty. Enjoy!

**Tips**

Buy and freeze plenty of strawberries now, while they’re in season and priced low.

Freeze your strawberries on a baking sheet before placing in a container to help prevent them from sticking together.

Chop large strawberries before freezing to make things easier on your blender.

Freeze leftover smoothie mixture in ice cube trays. Blend your frozen smoothie cubes with a splash of juice when you’re ready to enjoy!

This recipe is fully customizable. Have fun playing around with different combinations of fruits and vegetables!

13 Comments

Posted in Beverages, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged berries, Cooking, Eating, family, Food, fruit, kids, parenting, Recipes, smoothies, spinach, strawberries, summer, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Posted on July 12, 2011 by amydeline

Yowzers! It’s sure been tough to find the time to write lately. Busy summer days with very busy little boys!

I’ve got an ever-growing backlog of recipes hanging out in the queue. They’ve all been taste-tested and photographed. Ingredients, quantities, and procedures have been drafted. Now if only I could find a moment to form a few semi-coherent thoughts to complete the posts. Coherent thoughts are hard to come by these days.

But, busy is good. Busy means happy, healthy, curious kids. Busy makes me tired, but busy is definitely good!

Hanging out alongside a tasty recipe for corn and bacon fritters and two separate grilled shrimp recipes were these cookies…carrot cake cookies. They’re sort of a cross between a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie and a slice of moist, delicious carrot cake. And they’re good! I made the first batch as a thank you gift for the midwives I saw throughout my pregnancy and a second batch for my son’s nursery school teachers. Who doesn’t love to receive homemade cookies as a gift?? And somewhere in between those two batches, I ate at least a dozen of these tender, sweet and spicy cookies myself. Mhmm…they’re yummy indeed!

Carrot Cake Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks salted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Quaker oats
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely grated
1 1/4 cup golden raisins
Confectioner’s sugar and water, for icing (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Blend until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl and blend. Stir in the oats, carrots, and raisins. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet which has been lightly greased with cooking spray. Bake for 12-14 minutes on the middle rack. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the icing (optional): Combine about a cup of confectioner’s sugar with a few spoonfuls of water to form an icing. Add the water slowly. It won’t need much. The icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough to maintain it’s shape. You can add more sugar or water, as necessary, to achieve the desired consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookies. Allow the icing to harden at room temperature.

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Posted in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged baking, cookies, Cooking, Food, life, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Battlestar Ambrosia Salad

Posted on July 5, 2011 by amydeline

A few months ago, my husband and I embarked on a venture we hadn’t prepared for, a venture which will come to its inevitable end this evening. It began when we decided to watch the first two-part miniseries of Battlestar Galactica. We never really expected to like it. We thought we’d just give it a try and move on with our lives. Seventy-five episodes later, we will watch the final episode tonight.

On the surface, everything about Battlestar Galactica seems to go against my normal television preferences. A Sci-Fi show about a bunch of people living on a battlestar, jumping through space and fighting against cylons?? Yeah, I think I’ll skip that one.

But, we decided to watch that first two-part miniseries. It was just sitting there in our Netflix queue begging to be watched. Well, those two episodes were enough to get us to watch the third and then the fourth. Before we knew it, we were 50 episodes into the series and heavily invested in the fate of the characters. Somehow, the show managed to make us forget we were watching something set in a distant star system, where half of the main characters were machines. Or are they people? The story is engaging, gripping, and relatable.

We could have watched the final episode last night, but I wasn’t ready. I needed the day to prepare to say good-bye to the well-written and wonderfully acted characters we’ve come to love; so multi-dimensional and complex, so very real. At this moment, I’m sitting here with the mixed emotions of both eager anticipation and devastation that you feel as you approach the final chapter of a really good book. Do you plow ahead to find out what happens or close the book to delay the inevitable end; to hold onto the story and the characters for a little while longer?

Even if the total premise of Battlestar Galactica turns you off, I encourage you to give the show a chance. You may be as surprised as I was. It is not really a sci-fi story about outer space, battlestars and cylons. It is a story about people. It’s about relationships, love, and values. It’s about dreams, courage and hope. It’s about a will to thrive and the perseverance to build a better future when faced with the worst of conditions. It’s about life and the things that make life worth living. Tonight’s final episode of Battlestar will be bittersweet indeed.

This recipe, on the other hand, is nothing but sweet. Onboard the Battlestar Galactica one of the beverages of choice is known as ambrosia. Their ambrosia is a bright green liquor of sorts, reminiscent of absinthe. The ambrosia I know and love is a “salad” of marshmallows, pineapple, oranges, and coconut. For me, ambrosia brings back vivid memories of summer days spent running around my cousins’ backyard, culminating with a delicious meal cooked by my aunt, usually composed of kielbasa, rice pilaf, salad in a slightly sweet vinaigrette, and our favorite part; ambrosia salad. Such a treat! This super-simple, super-sweet salad makes a great summertime, grill-season side dish!

Ambrosia Salad

Ingredients

1 ( 10 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarin orange segments, drained
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sour cream
Marashino cherries, for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients (except cherries) in a large container. Stir. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with cherries. Serve cold.

3 Comments

Posted in Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes and tagged battlestar galactica, comfort food, Cooking, family, Food, marshmallows, Recipes, salad, side dish, summer, sweet treats. Bookmark the permalink.

Independence Day Menu Ideas

Posted on June 29, 2011 by amydeline

It’s almost time to celebrate America’s birthday; America’s number one holiday for backyard barbecues and launching brightly colored explosives into the sky.

Many of us will spend the day with friends and family, gathered around a hot grill, enjoying good summer food and cheering to independence. Check out these ideas for making your Independence Day menu extra delicious! (Click on the titles for a link to each recipe.)

And if you’re wondering how to make that tasty American flag cake pictured above, click here for a step-by-step guide.

Grilled Ribeye and Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter – Including lots of tips for grilling a delicious, juicy steak!

The Mona Lisa Burger – A juicy beef patty with gorgonzola, roasted garlic aioli, olives, prosciutto, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes

Grilled Honey-Garlic Baby Lamb Chops– A simple and elegant grilled alternative to burgers!

The Hangover Burger (aka The Heart Attack on a Bun) – Beef patty with bacon, chili, and spicy cheese sauce, topped with a slightly runny fried egg. Heavenly delicious!

Greek-style Lamb Burger with Tzatziki Sauce– My husband’s most favorite dish in the whole world, hands down.

Turkey Burger with Fresh Tomato Salsa– Slightly cheesy and perfectly delicious!

Barbecue Beef Chili – Pulled barbecue beef meets spicy chili in this super-satisfying dish. Totally worth the time it takes to put together. Make a huge batch and freeze the leftovers!

Baked Potato Salad – A flavorful potato salad alternative for those with an aversion to mayonnaise (like myself)!

Mediterranean Cous Cous – Simple and flavorful side dish which can be made ahead and served chilled.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad– Fresh summer tomatoes and crisp cucumber in a tangy vinaigrette.

Barley and Bean Salad – Bursting with nutrition and bright flavors!

Grilled Fingerling Potatoes– Throw them in a foil packet and pop them on the grill. Sprinkle with a bit of gorgonzola, if desired!

Dinosaur Barbecue Macaroni Salad – The only macaroni salad I’ve ever loved!

Orzo with Salmon and Cucumber – A fresh and satisfying side dish or main course on a hot summer day!

Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese – Classic and delicious!

Fresh Ginger Lemonade– A hint of infused ginger root with freshly squeezed lemons gives this lemonade that extra something special!

Mixed Berry Mousse– Pair it with a layer of vanilla bean panna cotta for an extra special treat!

7 Comments

Posted in Beef, Beverages, Burgers, Cakes, Desserts, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Potato, Poultry, Recipes, Sandwiches, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged 4th of july, bacon, baking, barbecue, beef, cheese, comfort food, Cooking, Eating, Food, grilling, holidays, independence day, july 4, Recipes, salad, sandwich, summer, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Posted on June 23, 2011 by amydeline

It takes a lot for a non-chocolate dessert to excite me. It’s got to be something pretty special. Even still, I usually feel chocolate’s absence. I must admit that when I put this recipe together, I tried to rationalize a place for chocolate. I almost threw in a handful of chocolate chips, for good measure.

But I would have been wrong to add the chocolate. This luscious ice cream, with the rich taste of a slice of strawberry cheesecake, does not need a stitch of chocolate. It’s true. It’s perfectly decadent as it is. So deliciously decadent that I’ve been battling with the little angel and devil on my shoulder about whether I should exercise a bit of self-control or simply surrender and finish every last bite for breakfast.

Is there any better way to welcome summer than with some homemade ice cream made with hand-picked berries?? I think not.

Go ahead. Indulge.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar*
1 cup sour cream
1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cup fresh strawberries, halved if large
1 cup graham crackers, broken into small pieces

*Use more or less sugar, as desired, depending on the sweetness of your berries.

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the sour cream, cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the strawberries and beat until the berries mostly break up, leaving a few delicious chunks. Refrigerate for about an hour. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to your machine’s directions. Add the graham crackers during the last 5-10 minutes of freezing.

Inspired by the Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe found here.

Strawberry Basil Smoothie

Posted on June 21, 2011 by amydeline

It takes a while for strawberry season to peak this far north. When it does, we like to take the little men out to the fields for some berry-picking family fun. Ideally, we would put all of their little hands to work at picking a bulk quantity of sweet, ripe berries. The reality was that my husband ended up picking 10 pounds of strawberries while the boys wandered the fields dining on an all-you-can-eat buffet of fresh-picked berries. It’s a good thing my husband enjoys picking berries!

I promptly washed and froze half of our berry loot for one of my sons’ favorite treats in whole world…smoothies! They go absolutely bonkers over smoothies. I’m thinking about sneaking some veggies in the next time; perhaps making a strawberry spinach smoothie. But, for today, we’re just going to accent our sweet berries with a touch of fresh, summery basil!

When it comes to making smoothies, I prefer to skip the ice. I don’t care for the texture or the watered-down taste. To achieve an equally thick, frosty smoothie without the ice, simply freeze your fruit. Combine your frozen fruit with a bit of creamy Greek yogurt, a touch of honey, and a few leaves of fresh basil for a delicious and nutritious treat!

Strawberry Basil Smoothies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, frozen
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
5-6 large basil leaves

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Easy as that.

2 Comments

Posted in Beverages, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged berries, Cooking, family, Food, fruit, kids, Recipes, smoothies, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Strawberrylicious Round-Up

Posted on June 17, 2011 by amydeline

Strawberry season has finally hit its stride in our neck of the woods. I foresee an afternoon of berry picking (and berry tasting) in our near future. I’m also predicting that the ice cream maker may find its way out of storage for this season’s inaugural batch of sweet, creamy goodness.

New strawberry recipes are forthcoming. In the mean time, here are a few previously posted Gourmand Mom strawberry recipes. Click on the titles for the recipes!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp