Upside Down Ice Cream Dessert With Strawberry Sauce

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. 

I know I've mentioned that since our girls are grown now, we really don't celebrate Valentine's Day here. I haven't even taken my decorations out of storage in a few years, so I think it's safe to say that minor holidays are pretty much retired around here. But, Galentine's Day though, sign me up! This past year has seen an influx of time spent with my girlfriends, from catching up with my grade school besties to sleepovers with long standing girlfriends to new ones as well. My neighbor is hosting a Galentine's Day brunch this Sunday, and while I'll only know two other ladies out of the 15 that are going, I'm super excited to meet new friends. The brunch is going to be a potluck where each lady brings either a beverage or food dish to share. I'll actually be providing materials for the craft portion of the event, so that gets me out of any cooking duties, but I did think about bringing a little dessert, like this Upside Down Ice Cream Dessert with Strawberry Sauce from Golden Blossom Honey, because it has been incredibly unseasonably warm here and who doesn't love ice cream when it feels like summer is on the horizon?

I've had this cake saved for a few years and have wanted to make it a few times, but honestly it seemed a little complicated to piece it all together. My daughter and I even looked at it earlier this week and both almost decided to skip it again in favor of something else. Mostly because I forgot to buy plastic wrap at the grocers, but finally thought that I could get it accomplished in the same manner by wrapping the bowl in a gallon sized zip top bag. We did have a few snafu's with the vanilla ice cream melting faster than the strawberry sorbet softened, but when all was said and done, it was actually a lot easier than I had anticipated and turned out really pretty. I did double the crust ingredients because I like a hearty crust on cakes like this, but it's not really necessary to do so if that's not your thing. The strawberry sauce was simply divine and tasted almost like the mixture my mom would make for her strawberry shortcakes we loved to devour in the summertime as kids (and still do!) This ice cream dessert would be so lovely for Valentine's dessert or a Galentine's brunch. Or who really needs a special occasion to make this beautiful dessert? There's absolutely nothing wrong with making it just because!

Ingredients

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1/2-1 pint strawberry sorbet

Crust:

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers

1 Tablespoon RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Mix crust ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Sauce:

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

1 Tablespoon RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

Puree in a blender. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Garnish:

fresh strawberries

mint leaves

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

Do you have plans for Valentine's Day?

 

 

Sweeten Summer with Stawberry-Pecan Coffee Cake

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


Allison wanted to start her own little mini garden last year, so I bought her a few strawberry plants to tend to. She opted to plant them in an over sized flower pot and did  pretty good with them, but for some reason they didn't grow again this year. The funny thing is, I think a chipmunk must have buried some of the strawberry seeds in other parts of MY garden because I have noticed several patches of strawberry plants popping up in a few different areas where I normally plant my tomatoes and peppers. No worries, since I can just dig them up and replant them, but if anyone has any ideas on how to keep those pesky chipmunks out of my garden, I'm all ears. I do have chicken wire around the perimeter, but so far it's proving not to be very helpful at keeping sly critters out.

Our berries aren't red and ripe yet, but we have been lucky at finding big, juicy berries on the cheap at the market this month. When they go for a little over a buck for a container, I load up. Some I'll pack in the girl's lunches, some we freeze for smoothies, and some we'll use for baking, like we did last week when we made this Strawberry-Pecan Coffee Cake.

This coffee cake is loaded with sweet strawberries and crunchy pecans, and topped with an oh, so sweet streusel crumble. It's so yummy, I bet it becomes your favorite summertime dessert after your first bite.

 

Author: Theresa Mprint recipe

Strawberry-Pecan Coffee Cake

INGREDIENTS:

Streusel Topping

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed

Cake

• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups strawberries, mashed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Use a fork or pasty cutter to cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a1 11 inch coffee cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Fold in the strawberries and pecans.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the top of the cake. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the the top of the cake.
5. Bake 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool. Top with halved strawberries if desired. Serve.

http://www.theresasmixednuts.com/2017/05/sweeten-summer-with-stawberry-pecan.html

Created using The Recipes Generator

Nothing says summer like a strawberry baked dessert. I love to cut myself a slice to pair with my morning cup of tea. It's such a sweet way to start the day!

And speaking of sweet, how sweet is this Puppy Hello Mug!? Since I am a huge tea drinker (I am a southern girl, after all) I am always on the prowl for fun mugs to brighten my day and I think this one fits the bill perfectly. You all know that in addition to my addiction to tea, I have an addiction to puppy dogs too. Combine the two, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

The Puppy Hello Mug comes from Papyrus, a premier stationery and greeting card retailer that offers artsy and whimsical products to its customers. Papyrus is known for their luxury paper products and greeting cards, but they also offer a wide variety of other treasures, such as candles, soaps, home decor, party supplies, bags & wallets, and drinkware. Since we are now in prime gift giving season, I highly recommend making a stop in Papyrus or visiting their online store for your gift giving needs. Not only are their product super adorable, they are gorgeously packaged and ready for gifting straightaway.

I think I love the colorful box that the mug is packaged in almost as much I love the mug itself!

Not only can you find this sweet puppy mug at Papyrus, they have a wide selection of other equally adorable mugs to choose from as well. Be sure to stop by your nearest Papyrus retail store or visit Papyrus online to choose your next favorite mug to pair with this scrumptious Strawberry Pecan Coffee Cake!

What are you baking with summer fruit this year?

Valentine's Breakfast Idea ~ Cream Cheese French Toast with Strawberries

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


It's been a long week, one that been full of lots of brain farts. I had today's post planned out so well in my head. I wanted to share a yummy recipe that would be perfect for Superbowl gatherings, but when I went to bake up my recipe, I found that I forgot to buy one important ingredient to put it all together. *pfffffft* <---my version of a brain fart noise. So, today I am jumping ahead to share a delicious Valentine's Day recipe instead. I always love this time of year because with the upcoming holiday, we get a month full of awesome sales on strawberries. I knew I wanted to make something with the sweet fruit for a Golden Blossom Honey post, but I'm still desserted out from all of the Christmas goodies I gorged on these past few months (spell check tells me desserted is not a word, but I say it is, so suck lemons spell check). After a quick browse of GBH's recipes, I found a Cream Cheese French Toast with Strawberries recipe that sounded too irresistible to pass up. 

I have always used Texas toast when making French toast, so the idea of using actual French bread left my brain going  *pfffffft* once again. It was like "Hey, dummy! Why haven't you ever made that connection before!?" Please, someone tell me I'm not the only one who has never made it this way. Dummy's unite! I liked the control I had on slicing each piece of the French bread to fit the size I needed to add in the cream cheese stuffing. The drizzled honey lemon sauce was a tasty change from regular maple syrup. This sweet dish will make your Valentine's heart go pitter-patter ♥ Add in a little more strawberry sweetness if you like by tossing some chopped strawberries to the cream cheese filling before toasting it up, then put a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Mmmmmm! Valentine's breakfast perfection! 

Ingredients

6 slices French bread, 1-inch thick, cut diagonally
1 pint strawberries, sliced, and drizzled with 1 teaspoon RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

Filling:
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
Mix filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Batter:
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 egg whites
Beat batter ingredients until well blended. Set aside.

Sauce:
1/4 cup RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Stir together sauce ingredients. Set aside.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey!

What's your favorite Valentine's Day treat?

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Honey Whipped Cream

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.


I decided I wanted to try growing strawberries in my garden this year. My mom didn't have much luck with hers last year, but I've been bound and determined to make mine work. So, I was really excited when I went out the other day and saw 4 berries already growing on my plants. Then, my heart broke the next day when I realized some woodland creature gobbled them all up! My fault for not putting the fencing up in time. Lesson learned. Thankfully, summertime brings fresh berries and fresh berry deals at our local markets. I just stocked up on 5 pounds of strawberries, and thought I'd try making a strawberry pie this week. With all the summer bbq's going on over the next few months, I think this Fresh Strawberry Pie with Honey Whipped Cream from Golden Blossom Honey would be an awesome addition to any bbq gathering!

I love that this pie is sweetened with just honey and lemon juice- not sugar! It's a delicious summertime treat! 

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate crumb piecrust found in baking aisle, or a pre-baked piecrust of your choice
Filling:
4 generous cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Topping:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE
 

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey!

What's your favorite summertime pie?

 

Strawberry Blueberry Crumble!

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Happy Spring, ya'll! Did you think this day would ever come? Me either! But it's here, and that means it's just a weee bit closer to summer. Now that the warmer seasons are upon us, we've had some good looking berries grace our store shelves recently, and I have been snapping them up every chance I get. I kind of went overboard on the strawberries last week, so I went to my trusty Golden Blossom Honey recipe page to see what I could make with them, and zeroed in on a Strawberry Blueberry Crumble recipe. 

 

This recipe had me dreaming of warm, sunny days, and sitting out in the yard with family and friends sharing a delicious dessert. I ate mine plain, but it would be perfect scooped over some vanilla ice cream, or even layer it with whipped topping for a scrumptious parfait!

Ingredients

Filling:
2 cups blueberries
2 cups strawberries
1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumble:
1/2 cup flour
2 cups granola
1/4 cup butter, chopped into small pieces

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey!

Would you eat the crumble as is, in a parfait, or over ice cream?

Strawberry Champagne Cooler

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.  
 

Now that the holidays are over, I can start planning out my New Year's festivities! I am not a big drinker, aside from a glass of wine on special occasions, but I insist on buying a bottle of champagne every New Year's Eve. It's more of a running joke though, because I always take a few sips, say yuck, then make my husband finish off the bottle. This year, though, I am serving up a new recipe that I found from Golden Blossom Honey. It combines the goodness of honey + strawberries mixed into champagne, making for one scrumptious cooler. I predict this will be the first year that I finish off an entire glass of champagne, and return for seconds!

Strawberry Champagne Cooler

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 bottle champagne
extra strawberries for ice cubes

Directions

Place sliced berries in a medium bowl. Drizzle with honey. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature. Place berries with their juices in a blender and process until smooth. Drain through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve mix strawberry puree with champagne in a large bowl. Ladle into glasses. Add a few ice cubes to keep chilled.

Yields: 4-5 glasses

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey! 

What are your New Year's Eve plans? 

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S GUESTPOST: CHRISTMAS MAGIC WITH DEZZY'S STRAWBERRY CAKE

Guys! I am so excited to have one of my most favorite people guest posting here today- my dear friend Dezzy! If you don't know him (and you really should!), head over to Hollywood Spy and say HI! Dez and I have been blogging friends for the past few years, and he has been my go to for all of my movie and t.v. news. While he is the king entertainment, he also has a talent for creating Ah-mazing cakes, and today he is going to share his scrumptious Strawberry Cake recipe with us all. Make sure you PIN IT, then hop over to Dezzy's for some more magic :)

DEZZY'S STRAWBERRY CAKE

Greetings, minions! The spy is taking over sweet sister Theresa's palace today, but do not despair, I do bring cakes with me :) And not any cake, but DEZZY'S STRAWBERRY CAKE to celebrate the upcoming holidays and also Theresa's birthday this week! So take a piece of cake and don't forget to visit HOLLYWOOD SPY's headquarters too for latest movie & TV news!

FOR THE SPONGE
3 cups of yoghurt (butter milk or sour cream work too)
2 cups sugar
2,5 cups flour
1 cup ground roasted hazelnuts
1 cup vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil)
vanilla, baking powder

HOW THE MAGIC WORKS:

 Mix sugar, vanilla with yoghurt and oil, then mix in flour, baking powder and hazelnuts. Pour the batter into a big baking pan and bake for about 12-15 minutes at 200*C. The sponge should be soft and moist, so do not overbake it, use the toothpick test. When the sponge cools down after baking, cut out a nice rectangular base for your cake. Finely crumble and mash the rest of the sponge left after cutting into a bowl and mix it with a few tbsp of strawberry jam to get a spreadable mixture.

FOR THE ICING
You can use just some whipped cream, or you can go Dezzy style and prepare some instant strawberry flavoured pudding (sweetened according to your taste with sugar) and mix it with the same amount of whipped cream after it cools down. 1 litre of pudding and 1/2 litre of whipped cream should be enough.

HOW THE MAGIC WORKS:

 Spread the jam mixture over the base sponge (it should be about finger thick), spread a bit of pudding cream over it and arrange fresh strawberries over that (I usually cut the strawberries into halves and when I feel a bit naughty (which is more often than not) I sprinkle them with some cherry brandy or strawberry liquor) and then spread the rest of the pudding cream over that layer. Decorate the cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

DEZZY'S EXTRA ADVICE  
If you want to, you can cut the sponge into two smaller rectangles and then you can have two sponge layers, two jam layers and two cream ones for a smaller cake.If you don't have strawberries you can use apricots and apricot jam, bananas (with mashed bananas in the jam part).

Independence Day Cheesecake Popsicles

To all who celebrate, I want to wish you a very Happy 4th of July! To those who don't, I still want to share my popsicles with you :)

Recipe adapted from This Little Piglet


Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh strawberries
1/2 pound fresh blueberries
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Wash berries thoroughly, pat dry, then puree (one fruit at a time) in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place both purees in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In blender or food processor, puree the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.

In paper cups, layer first the blueberry puree, then the cheesecake mixture, and top with the strawberry puree. Insert a popsicle stick into the center of each cup. Place in freezer for 3 hours, or until fully frozen.

Peel off the paper cups when ready to serve.


What are you serving at your 4th of July cookout today?

Mason Jar Salads and More + Strawberry Walnut Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

I mentioned earlier that my husband has been on a weight loss/healthy body mission. Going to the gym every day at lunch has helped him lose close to 30 pounds this year. Something new that he is doing is packing his lunch to take in every day also. I've had to get creative with dinners lately, learning how to make extra for left overs for him to take in the next day. Some days that just doesn't pan out, and he is left packing a boring sandwich to take in.

Most of you know that I am a cook book junkie, and when I was offered a copy of Mason Jar Salads and More: 50 Layered Lunches to Grab and Go, I knew this was a perfect solution for those days when my husband needs a tasty lunch when left overs aren't an option.

Imagine leaving the house each morning for work with a healthy and delicious lunch in tow—no morning prep required!

Introducing “Mason Jar Salads and More,” a new cookbook that will show you how to create fun and easy layered lunches, snacks and more. This book will inspire endless on-the-go meal possibilities with its 50 recipes and gorgeous full-color photos.

Thanks to the glorious Mason jar and smart layering techniques (dressing on the bottom!), you can make delicious dishes ahead of time and spend no more than 30 seconds grabbing them from the fridge on your way out the door.

Sip on a Mango Smoothie for breakfast, be the envy of your coworkers with Asparagus Risotto for lunch, and enjoy Spicy Hummus and veggies for an afternoon snack… You’ll never be disappointed with your weekday meals again!

My husband never thinks of a salad as filling, but looking over the recipes, I knew putting a few of them together for him to try would make him change his mind in a hurry! The Mixed Greens with White Beans sounded like a great way for him to add protein after his workouts. The BLT Panzanella looked like a great combination of flavors he loves. And the Guacamole salad was one I knew he would like because he really enjoys snacking on avocados.

There is a section in the front of the book that explains how to properly layer the salads to keep the ingredients tasting their best while they are being stored. Also, there are great tips on how to reheat your food in the jars. Even better, the book is filled with beautiful color photos of the salads.

Jason has also been waking up early to eat breakfast before leaving for work. Sometimes I don't wake up early enough to make him a hot meal, but there was a breakfast section in the book that gave me some great ideas for breakfast smoothies that he can make the night before, then grab on his way out the door in the morning. This basic oats and fruit almond milk smoothie was a great base for one of my new favorite breakfast smoothies. It combines 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 1/2 cups plain almond milk, honey, and berry or nuts for topping.

I have taken this recipe a step further and combined frozen strawberries and a handful of walnuts into the mix for a hearty breakfast smoothie to eat on the go.

Strawberry Walnut Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cup of plain almond milk (or any milk of your choosing)

2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup walnuts.

Directions:

Combine the rolled oats and milk into a mason jar. Seal, then refrigerate over night.

In the morning, pour contents of the mason jar into a blender. Add in the honey, berries and walnuts. Blend until combined.

Serve immediately.

Mason Jar Salads and More not only has some fabulous recipes to spice up lunch time, but it provides inspiration to create even more salads your family will enjoy!

More about the book:

Author- Julie Mirabella

144 pages

ISBN Number-  978-1-61243-289-2

Published by Ulysses Press, May 2014

Mason Jar Salads and More can be purchased at Amazon, as well as most major book sellers nationwide.

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Shake

Do I have a goodie for you today! This is another one of my magazine rip out recipes that I found in Better Homes & Gardens magazine a few years back. The original recipe was actually a raspberry shake, but I am more of a strawberry lover, so I ended up changing the recipe up a bit. How can you go wrong with a recipe called "strawberry cheesecake shake?" Mmmm, Mmmm!

Ingredients:

12 oz frozen strawberries, thawed
3 oz cram cheese, softened
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 12oz cans cream soda
Fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)


Directions:

In blender, combine the strawberries, cream cheese, almond extract, 1/2 the ice cream, and 1/2 cup of the cream soda.

Cover and blend until smooth.

Divide blended mixture among 6 tall 16oz glasses. Add a scoop of the remaining ice cream to each drink. Top each drink with the remaining cream soda. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Stuffed Strawberries

I know, I know, another strawberry recipe? I can't help it, I am on a strawberry kick lately! I really wanted to make these for Easter, but they weren't on sale that week. Go figure! I did make them for last years party and they were the first appetizer gone. They are super easy to make and deliciously sweet!

Ingredients:

1- 8oz pk Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
2/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

2 pints strawberries

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Rinse strawberries, then cut the green top off.

Flip strawberry over, and cut an X through the bottom, stopping about 3/4 of the way down.

Using a pastry bag, or a sandwich bag with the end snipped off, fill bag with filling, then poke through the X. Squeeze filling until strawberry is full.

Top with melted chocolate, if desired.

Serve.