Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

I found this recipe on a friends blog and couldn't wait to try it! I'm so glad I did.  Its super yummy.  I want to try it with a few different flavors.  I think it would make a super yummy crust for Cheese Cake too.  



Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Crust:

2 2/3 cups pretzel sticks, finely chopped (1 bag)

3 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

Cream sugar and butter together. Add pretzels. Mix well and Press into a 9X13 dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Middle Layer:

1 (8 oz.) container cool whip

1 cup sugar

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

Mix together and carefully spread on cooled crust. (don't lift spatula, or it will pull up the pretzel crust)

Top Layer:

1 (6 oz.) package strawberry jello

2 cups boiling water

1 pint frozen (or fresh) strawberries, thawed and chopped

Dissolve jello in water. Chill until partially set. Add strawberries. Pour on top and chill until firm

Easy Homemade Applesauce

When I started this blog, my goal was to share easy recipes that a mommy could make on a mommy schedule.  I'm a huge believer of taking one day out of the week/month/or year and stock up on a bunch of the same things.  Who has time to make applesauce from scratch every time your kids want it. 

Another goal of mine, is to make recipes dishes using tools that are usually found in a mommy's kitchen. When I think of making applesauce, I think of using that big machine and a sticky mess everywhere. I don't have one of those, nor do I know anyone that does.  So, here is a simple way to make it in your very own kitchen, and your kids can help! All you need is a pot and a blender.  If you have one of those apple peeler gadgets, those are wicked awesome and will speed up the process by leaps and bounds!

Easy Homemade Applesauce

15-20 Fuji Apples (or other sweet apple)

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 cup water

Peel, core and slice apples.  pour into a pot with one cup water.  Over medium heat, steam the apples until soft and tender.  Allow apples to cool so that you don't have This happen. Transfer apples, reserving the liquid, to a blender. Add in sugar, salt, lemon juice and cinnamon if desired. Blend until creamy, adding liquid to the desired consistency.  Eat right away or pour into a quart jar for preserving.

To preserve: pour applesauce into a quart jar. Wipe down rim and put on lids. Boil in a Water Bath for 20 minutes.  The time is the same for pints and quarts.  Remove the jars from the Water Bath and allow them to cool on a towel for up to 24 hours. 

Spinach Apple Salad

Have you ever seen an almost two year old scarf down spinach?  No lie, we ate this for dinner tonight... My little one ate two adult sized helpings of it.  She wanted this salad over the Pizza that we had.  I got this recipe from my aunt a couple of weeks ago.  I've made it at least 3 times a week since I got it.  I don't know what it is about the dressing, but its addictive. 

One confession... I don't spend the time to fry up the bacon. I just buy the already cooked and chopped stuff for this salad. It makes it quick and easy to throw together. 

If you use the honey roasted slivered almonds, it gives it an even better flavor!  I also make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in the fridge for a week or two. Depending on the color of your purple onion, some dressings will be really pink and others will be more white. 

Spinach Apple Salad 

1 (10-oz) bag fresh baby spinach

1 med. Granny Smith apple, cored, and diced

1/2 lb. crumbled, fried bacon

3/4 C toasted, slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/4 C granulated sugar

1/3 C oil

1/4 tsp. salt

3T. cider vinegar

1/8 small red onion

Toss salad ingredients together. For dressing, place ingredients in blender. Blend until onion is very fine and mixture is well blended. Dress salad and serve immediately. Garnish with apple slices.

Not sure how to measure 1/8 of an onion... easiest way... cut it in half, then that half in half, then that half in half. There you have it.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Hi Mommy's Kitchen Creations daily readers! I'm Megan, from Pickle Boat Recipes. I'm honored to be a guest blogger on my dear friend, Jennie's blog. It's so great to have a friend who shares the love of amazing foods! That way, every get together can center around what we get to eat! Or, if our husbands plan it, it centers around what they get to shoot... which I suppose relates to what we get to eat. Hopefully, right? Luckily for the Bambi lovers more faint of stomach, I will not be featuring anything related to hunting, shooting, or really anything man-related (although your man will definitely LOVE this dish!).

Instead, we will focus more on a sweet and flavorful breakfast dish: Gingerbread Pancakes! If you've ever had the chance to visit my blog, you know I am a lover of all things breakfast-y. This is a family favorite, usually made during the Holiday season, but we also make it many times throughout the year. There are three parts, but don't be intimidated. We take a few shortcuts and it ends up looking like you put a lot more work into it than you really did. Plus it tastes amazing!

Gingerbread Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups buttermilk pancake mix

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ginger

1/2 cup Molasses

1 1/2 cup water

3 cups unsweetened applesauce

1-2 peeled apples, cut into 1/2" chunks

1/4 cup red hots candies

1/4 cup water

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Pancakes:

Preheat griddle or skillet on medium heat.

Combine pancake mix, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Add Molasses and water. Stir together just until combined. Lightly grease griddle and pour 1/4 cupfuls of pancake batter onto the griddle. Cook until edges are slightly dry looking and top begins to bubble. Flip with a spatula and cook until other side is lightly browned and pancake is cooked through. Continue with remaining dough.

Applesauce Topping:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat (we're feeling rather medium today!) heat applesauce, apples, red hots, and water. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until apple chunks are soft; approximately 20 minutes. This step can be done ahead of time and reheated just before serving.

Maple Cream Topping:

In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in a regular bowl with a hand mixer) add heavy cream and syrup. Mix until slightly stiff - whipped cream texture.

Top warm pancakes with applesauce topping and then whipped cream. You can also garnish it with some leftover red hots for fun!



Strawberry Carrot Smoothie

Smoothie's have been a huge hit in our house lately.  It has been a great way to load up on fruits and veggies.  We also got a really awesome blender from Costco. It's the Ninja Professional one. It's the next step down from the Blend Tech and the Vita Mix, and way cheaper!

Turning raw fruits and veggies into smoothies is way better for you than just juicing.  When you juice, you lose the fiber. This way you are still getting the raw fruits and vegetables. If you have a rough time with the texture, you can always steam the fruits and veggies and it will help them to be less grainy and more creamy.  You can lose some nutrients that way, but it's better than most juices and smoothies.  Also, add in the leftover juices from steaming and that will add some flavor and nutrients back in. (substitute that for milk or other liquid)

Strawberry Carrot Smoothie

25 frozen Strawberries

2 carrots peeled and cubed

2 cups liquid (I used 1 cup milk and 1 cup water)

1/2 C sugar (or to taste)

Toss all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.

Tip: if you are steaming the strawberries and carrots... you may want to add in ice to thicken it up and get it cold again.  You may also need less liquid

Perfect Apple Pie

You can't have Thanksgiving without pie right?  This pie is a definite must!!

Perfect Apple Pie

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice.

1 Refrigerated pie crust

Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.

In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.

Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving

This recipe came from Pillsbury 

Lion House Banana Bread

I had some bananas that were starting to get too ripe, so I thought... hmmm banana bread it is.  This recipe comes from the Lion House cook book.  I have a go to recipe that I love but didn't have all of the ingredients for it and had already been to walmart about 3 times that week.  So I found this recipe and was impressed.

We are headed into baking season. What a better way to share how much you love someone than with home baked bread.  I'll be sharing a few bread recipes in the next few weeks. You could make up a goodie plate with all of the different flavors of bread for your friends and neighbors.  It would be a nice alternative to the major sweets that we get/give this time of year.

Lion House Banana Bread

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, mashed

1/4 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped nuts, optional (I didn't add this time)

Cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add bananas, milk, and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Add nuts. Grease 1 loaf pan. Pour mix into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Delicious Apple Crisp

If there is one treat that surpasses all for my husband, it's spiced apples.  Any way they come!  If it's got spiced apples in it, he is sold.   I've posted a few of our favorites so far. Cinnamon Apples Like Boston Market, Apple Dumplings, Cinnamon Apple Upside Down Cake but I must say, the Apple Crisp takes it all!  I found a recipe for apple crisp online but ended up changing a lot of it and creating my own.  I've made a few versions in the past and just couldn't get things right... This time.. I am happy to say, I have a DELICIOUS recipe for apple crisp! 

(Sorry for the pict) I scarfed it so quickly I forgot to take a nice picture of it portioned out on a plate!)

Delicious Apple Crisp

Apples

4 tart Apples (I used granny smith apples)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp flour

Crumble topping
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (not melted)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Peel apples and slice thin. Sprinkle lemon juice over the apples, to keep them from browning. stir in remaining ingredients (just ingredients for the apples). Coat the apples well and pour them into the bottom of a 9x9 pan.

To make the Crumble topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Stir well using a fork to create crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender.  Serve warm.

TIP: I'm going to make a few of these and freeze them ahead of time. Put apple mixture in the bottom of a foil pan.  Put crumble in a small freezer bag and place on top of apples.  Cover with aluminum foil and plastic wrap.  To cook:  Remove from freezer and uncover. Set crumble aside.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes to thaw.  Then top with the crumble and cook for 30 minutes

Cheesecake filled Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

I have to admit, I saw this recipe on pinterest and had to try it! My mom had a great idea to use our families cheesecake recipe as the filling instead of what the other person suggested.  Great idea mom!  These things are so heavenly!!! No kidding.  They are also addictive, I ate 6 just on the way to drop off a few to some friends. 

The first time I made them, I forgot the cool whip and so I made my own with whipping cream.  It didn't turn out too well.  The whipped cream was too heavy and I ended up adding too much of it.  Bummer!  They were still good. I took them to a family party and they were gone with in minutes.  I'm talking, an entire platter.  Granted we had about 30 people there!

So I made a second batch the next day and voila! They were perfect.  One other thing I learned as I made the different batches, is that it is SO much easier to dip the strawberries with the stems still on.  I tried to dip them last, the first time and in order to get a good enough grip I had to hold the strawberry low enough that I burnt my fingers on the chocolate multiple times.  So dip them before you core them!

You will also want to chill them in between each step.  If makes things so much easier to handle when the chocolate is solid and the cheesecake filling isn't too soft.  It's a little bit of a process, but super easy and super worth it!!!

Cheesecake filled Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

3-4 pints of large strawberries

1/2 brick of dipping chocolate (like almond bark, Or whichever you like)

One recipe of Cheese Cake  (just the filling)

Wipe strawberries clean with a damp paper towel.  Don't rinse them, because the water will make them sweat and go bad faster once the chocolate is on.  Make the Cheese Cake filling and chill it in the fridge while you are doing the other steps. 

Put a cookie sheet or a plate in the freezer to chill it for a few minutes. On low heat, slowly melt chocolate over the stove in a small pot.  Stir frequently.  If it starts to get clumpy, turn off heat and stir vigorously.  That sometimes helps.  It will burn if you have the stove on too high.

Pull out the cookie sheet.  Begin dipping the strawberries half way into the chocolate.  Lay them on the chilled cookie sheet to harden the chocolate. When done dipping, put the pan or plate back in the fridge or freezer to completely harden the chocolate.  (not necessary steps, just faster that way. ) You can also use wax paper on the cookie sheet to keep them from sticking.

When the chocolate is nice and solid, pull them out and gently core them with a small sharp knife.  Do this, by cutting around the stem area into the strawberry.  It should pull out in a cone shape. Discard stems.

Put the cheesecake filling into a pastry bag or plastic bag and cut the corner of the bag off (you don't need a big hole) Pipe the filling into the strawberry as full as possible.  Chill them again for a few minutes.  Then drizzle with more chocolate. Chill again. They are now ready to serve! Or eat yourself!!

Dulce De Leche

I like to call this one "heaven in a can"! This stuff is seriously dangerous if you are on a diet.  Wow it is so good!!! This is the easiest thing you will ever make. No lie!  It only takes one ingredient... a can of sweetened condensed milk. Yep that's it!

I remember years ago, going to Lake Powell with some friends of ours.  They made this for us.  Best trip ever!!!. The jet skiing was fun too :)

Dulce De Leche

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Get a large pot of water.  Do not open the can! Peel off the paper. Put the can in the pot of water. Make sure it is completely immersed in water. Boil the can for 1 1/2-4 hours.   1 1/2 hours makes it runny (for things like ice cream topping... 4 hours is really thick.  I did the apple dip for 2 hours.

Let can cool, open and scarf.   Use anywhere you would use caramel.

The great thing about this... I read online that people make a few cans at a time and store the extras on their pantry shelf up to a year.  I haven't tried this myself but love the idea! Instant caramel! (just make sure that the can is unopened.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I really enjoy a good Chicken Salad.  My mom made one growing up that I'll share in the future.  I have really enjoyed more fruit in mine lately. I've been playing around with a couple of recipes and my husband and I combined some and made this one.  It's super yummy!

Chicken Salad Sandwiches



2 ( 12.5 oz) cans of chicken (or 3 cups diced cooked chicken)

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 green onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1/2 cup diced apple

salt and pepper to taste

pecans or cashews, optional

¼ cup of sugar

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Stir well.

Serve on any type of bread (I like to put it on a bagel.  Using lettuce to cover the holes.)

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

We love ice cream in this house.  I have been wanting an ice cream maker for such a long time. We finally bought one from a friend, and really enjoyed our first batch.  The kids really enjoyed being able to help make it. 

We decided to make strawberry ice cream tonight. I found a recipe online but didn't have all of the extra stuff, so I created my own from it.  I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out.  I would add a little more sugar next time, but all in all... it was fabulous.  This one is a super creamy, delightful treat!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

2 ½ cups Heavy whipping cream 

½ cup milk

1 cup sugar (I would add about ¼ cup more next time)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped (fresh or frozen) strawberries

Pour ingredients (except strawberries) into a large bowl or into the ice cream canister.  Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Chop berries in a food processer  Freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions

PB&J for the Masses

Being a mom of 4 1/2 girls can be pretty busy. We just added packing lunches to our list of daily chores.  I started thinking about anything I could do ahead of time to make life a little easier when it comes to the last minute stuff.  I've really been on this freezer meal kick, since I've had such a big demand for my freezer meal classes.  It's turned my mind into  "hey can I double this batch and freeze some for later" mode.  It's actually been a really great mode to be in, because it saves so much time and energy in the long run. And I need all the energy I can get right now.  I'm in my 3 trimester and really starting to feel the burn so to speak.

I remembered my friend making TONS of PB&J's ahead of time and freezing them. We are talking, the same exact thing you buy for a buck a piece at the store!  These come out to probably 10 cents a piece instead.  I am normally a wheat bread fan and actually rarely give my kids white bread, but frozen white bread is really yummy for some reason.  So, that's why we got the cheap white bread.

I know these are the easiest thing in the world to make, but having them done and ready to go ahead of time, is a big load off.  And really it's no secret recipe... but more of just a quick meal idea for you today.

First you grab 2 loaves of bread and lay them out in rows. 

Spread half with peanut butter and half with jelly

Place the halves together and cut off the crust.  I found a crust cutter from "wonder" at Walmart that worked decently well.  Not fabulous like some other brands but it was still faster than cutting it all by hand.  And it sealed the edges too, to keep it more in tact.

Pack them all in freezer bags and toss it on into the freezer.  Just take out the desired amount, let them thaw (it only takes a few minutes.) And you are ready to go!

This lunch idea came from Recipes From the Pickle Boat



Blueberry Streusel Cake

Another sister in law of mine, sent this over to me.  I had to try it.  And let me tell you... I'm so glad I did!  I'm not sure where she found the recipe, I can't take any credit for it.  I loved how easy it was to make it too!  I did have to cook it a little longer than expected but just a couple of minutes.  It could totally be my oven, so start checking it on time... and hopefully you wont have the same problem.

I think I might get a little crazy and double the Streusel topping next time.  That was my favorite part!!

Give it a try, you'll love it!

 Blueberry Streusel Cake

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup (45 grams) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (56 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cake Batter:

1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (56 grams) (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup (80 ml) milk

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square pan or an 8 inch (20 cm) round

cake pan.

For streusel topping: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Set aside while you make the cake batter.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth.

Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk, and beat only until combined.

Spread the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Evenly arrange the blueberries on top of the cake batter and then sprinkle with the streusel topping.

Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.



Apple-Snickers Dessert

This dessert is a 5 minute wonder!  I'm not sure where I picked this one up, but really love it.  You can also make it as big or as small as you want. 

It's not the most elegant looking one, to photograph, but believe you me, it's super yummy!

Apple-Snickers Dessert

2-3 tart apples cubed ( I just use what I have but tart gives a better contrast)

2 snickers bars cubed

1 1/2- 2 cups cool whip

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Very Berry Blackberry Dump Cake

Here is a super yummy dessert for you.  My sister in law told me about it and we decided it was a must try.  It was so easy to make!  This could be a good thing or a bad thing!  The recipe comes from Mommy's Kitchen.

I think the only thing I would change next time is to try half the berries, but keep the same amount of topping and put it in a 9x9. That way I have a higher crust to berry ratio. Not sure if I will like it better, but I'd certainly like to try. The crust was delish! Well it all was. 

 We didn't have it with ice cream cause I didn't have any, but I think Ice cream is exactly what it needed. It needed just a tad amount of creamy/sweetness on top.  Next time, I am not going to forget the ice cream!  Whip cream would work too.  Don't get me wrong, it was still absolutely fabulous, just needed a tad more.

                                                 Very Berry Black Berry Dump Cake

4 - cups fresh blackberries, drained
1 - 3 oz box raspberry or blackberry jell-o
1/3 - cup sugar or splenda
1 - 18 oz box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 - cups water
1 - 2 - sticks butter, melted (I used 2)
1/2 - cup pecans pieces, optional ( I didn't use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread berries into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Mix jell-O powder and sugar together and sprinkle over the berries. Sprinkle the cake mix over the jell-o and berries. If using nuts add them now. Pour the melted butter over the cake mix and then slowly add the water.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Let cool before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cinnamon Apples (like Boston Market)

I finally got a cinnamon apple recipe that turned out pretty well!   Next time add half the amount of water that goes into it. Being in the crock pot keeps the moisture in a lot more than the oven.  I added more butter than it called for and ended up adding more corn starch half way through to thicken it up.  It was still runny.  So when you are making it, if you like it thick and more like a caramel type sauce, double the cornstarch and half the water. 


Either way, the flavor was fantastic.  It was light and satisfying.  Mmmm Mmmm Good! If you want the original recipe, you can find it here.  I just realized I forgot the salt.  So I bet if would taste even better with the salt added :)  Gotta love the pregnancy brain.  At least I remembered the apples!!!

Cinnamon Apples

3 Apples

1 teaspoon Cornstarch (I used 2 tsp)

2 teaspoons Butter (I used 3 Tbsp) Cut into small chunks

1/2 cup Brown sugar

2/3 cup Water (I would use 1/3 next time)

1/2 tablespoon Flour

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Peel and core the apples. Cut into thin slices.  (This is when one of those cool apple peeler/slicer gadgets really come in handy!) Lay them into the bottom of the crock pot.

In a small bowl combine the water with the flour, cornstarch, stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved and not lumpy.

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until smooth. Then Add butter

Pour the cinnamon mixture over the apple slices, Set on low for 3- 3 1/2 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Or until apples are tender.  Enjoy

Malibu Chicken Pizza

My husband has been saying for months now that we should find a way to make the ever delicious Malibu Chicken into a pizza.  We the other night, we did it! I was so impressed with the way it turned out.  I cooked the crust a little too long, so that was a bummer, but other than that... Delish!

If you like Hawaiian style pizza, then you'll love this!  PS. The recipe below was for 1 pizza. The dough recipe can make 2-12 inch pizzas.

Malibu Chicken Pizza

1 recipe for Perfect Pizza Dough

1 cup chicken (about 1 breast)

1-2 Cups Terryaki bast and glaze

Pineapple tidbits

ham

Mozzarella or provolone cheese (shredded)

Cube chicken and saute' in a pan until cooked through.   Add 1/2 cup terryaki sauce and stir.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  On your pizza dough, spread a desired amount of sauce. (remember your chicken will have a little sauce too) Top with desired amounts of pineapple, ham, chicken and cheese. 

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  You can also throw it on a hot grill for 5-15 min.

Tip: Before allowing the dough to rise, you may place it in a plastic zipper bag and freeze. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature, then proceed with instructions

Blueberry Blender Pancakes

In honor of the special holiday we have coming up on Monday, I've dedicated my posts to the red,  white and blue. On Tuesday we had a flag cake.  Yesterday was a Red post.  Lasagna.  Today is all about blue! I made one of our favorite breakfast dishes.  Blueberry pancakes.  A dear friend of mine shared this awesome recipe with me yesterday. We loved it!  The original recipe was just for plain pancakes, so you can change them up anyway you want.

I usually just use the "add water" mixes for pancakes, but this is so easy! And its so much healthier.  A huge bonus.  These are great with my super delicious Buttermilk Syrup.

Blueberry Blender Pancakes

1 C. Milk

3/4 C. Whole Wheat Kernels (I used hard white wheat)

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 C. oil

2 tsp baking powder

Blueberries (optional)

In a blender, add milk and wheat.  Blend on high for 4 minutes.  Blend in eggs, salt, soda, oil and baking powder.  Pour onto a hot griddle.  Makes about 8 pancakes.

American Flag Jello Cake

The day we celebrate our Nations independance is almost here!  I have such a special place in my heart for this holiday.  For our country period.  I'm very blessed to have had an eduacation that taught me the foundation of our contry and instilled in me a deep sense of patriotism.  I am very greatful for those that fight for our freedoms. I have friends and relatives who sacrifice and have sacrificed so much for our freedom and safety.  They each hold a special place in my heart.

For todays recipe, I decided to share a fun treat with you that will be a huge hit at your 4th of July party.  Its fun, festive and super easy to make!

American Flag Jello Cake

1 box white cake mix

ingredients called for on the package

3 oz package of red jello. (I used strawberry)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup ice cold water

8 oz cool whip

2 6 oz cartons of rasberries,

small carton of blueberries

Bake cake according to instructions on packaging. Let cool for 15 minutes.   Boil water and stir in jello mix.  Remove from heat and stir until disolved.  Stir in ice cold water.  Poke multiple holes into top of cake with a fork.    Pour a small amout of the liquid jello into holes by holding a fork in each hole pressing away from you gently, to open the holes up. Continue to allow cake to cool completely.  When cooled, top with whip cream.  Decorate by creating a flag out of blueberries and rasberries.