As I’ve mentioned before, I have a smoothie for breakfast every single day. I’ve been doing it for years, and in all honesty, I always make the exact same smoothie. I’ve got the portions figured out perfectly, and since I generally get up pretty early, it’s hard to try new things that early in the day. Because of this, I normally use frozen fruit and don’t take advantage of what is in season. On a recent weekend day when I had a bit more time to make my breakfast, I decided to add some of the peaches that we had around (side note- if you’re in the DC area and want to go pick your own peaches, go here, they are the best!). So if you’d like to start your morning with a healthy and sweet smoothie, try out this recipe.
Category Archives: Fruit
Infused Water
Drinking enough water during the day is not easy for me. I have to remind myself to do it, which when I’m busy and running around, is really hard to do. This is my new solution to the problem: herb and fruit infused water. And so far, it is working really well. I can’t stop drinking it when I’m home. I found this pitcher on Amazon, for only $20, and it was totally worth it. I’m trying new combinations every week. So far, I’ve done mint and watermelon, lemon and strawberry, and lime and cucumber. Also, sorry for the Sunday drink posts. Normally, my Sunday posts involve baked goods, but while we’re in the heat of summer, I thought I’d share some drink posts before getting back to the baked goods in September.
Blackberry Scones Drizzled with Honey
By now you know I love waking up on Sunday mornings and baking something on a whim. It’s the reason I keep our apartment stocked with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and milk. This was another one of my Sunday morning adventures. Scones are a great thing to make for a brunch for friends or to surprise your significant other or roommate with because they are really easy to make!! Very few ingredients involved and no complicated steps. So go to your nearby farmer’s market, buy some blackberries (or sub in another berry) and make some scones!
Baked Apples
So this post goes really well with my post from earlier this week – the roast chicken. Both these dishes are so easy and are perfect for late fall/early winter. They’re warm and make your kitchen smell delicious. We also used to have these all the time as kids so they remind me of fun filled childhood days spent playing games in front of a fire (not sure how often that happened, but I seem to remember it).
Angel Food Cake (GF and Regular)
I have very fond memories of angel food cake from my childhood. This cake is so light and fluffy, and goes so well with so many toppings, which is probably why we ate it at lots of family birthday celebrations. So in honor of my birthday tomorrow, my grandmother’s birthday on Wednesday, and my mom’s birthday next Sunday (yes Septembers were really crazy in our house), I wanted to share these recipes with you all.
While I was home in California this summer, I decided to do a taste test and bake a regular angel food cake, and a gluten free version (my mom has celiac disease). My awesome friend Jenny (who also has a birthday this coming week) helped, and I have to say they were both equally delicious. So if you’re entertaining anyone in the near future who has celiacs, I definitely recommend this cake. And if not, well go ahead and make it for yourself. Just be prepared to go through a carton of egg whites!
Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Once strawberries are in season, I usually buy several containers every week. I just can’t get enough. I saw this recipe and knew I had to partake. Buttermilk always does something so amazing to dough, it’s so light and airy. And the strawberries just make it even better. I’m dairy free so I didn’t serve it with anything else, but this would have been amazing with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
Peach Cake with Peach Cream Cheese Frosting and Burnt Sugar Shards
As you know by now, I recently threw a birthday party and went slightly overboard with dessert (think two cakes as well as cupcakes). This was one of the cakes that I made – and if I say so myself, by far the best one. Sometimes fruit cakes tend to lose the flavor of the fruit they’re supposed to embody, but this one absolutely does not. You can taste the peach in both the cake and the frosting, and the cake is even topped with a few peaches that you cook down. I highly recommend this cake for a summer birthday or party.
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad on a Stick
In the summers, I live for watermelon. When I can, I eat half a mini-watermelon every day. I literally cut it in half, and then sit with the half I’m going to eat, using a melon baller to scoop out bites (which immediately go into my mouth, no need to get a bowl dirty). It’s so refreshing and is the perfect palate cleanser after dinner. But sometimes, I need to class it up, and you know, serve it to people. Recently, I’ve started serving a watermelon, feta, and mint salad. The first time I did it as a traditional salad for a dinner party. The second time, I did mini ones on toothpicks for a birthday party. Both were delicious.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Last year I did a post on the basic pie and crumble/crisp/cobbler recipe. But I just realized, I never actually told you how to make my favorite – the strawberry rhubarb cobbler (not that there’s much to know, pretty simple). As you know, I love anything with strawberry and rhubarb (see here). And in the summer, when you can find rhubarb, I just can’t get enough of this cobbler. So, go buy some rhubarb today before the season ends (mid-spring through the end of July).
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Popsicle Edition
So I’ve been eyeing those Zoku quick pop makers for over a year, but had so far convinced myself that it was just an extra kitchen gadget that I didn’t need. Well that is until last week, when I found one at a small kitchen boutique store in DC and decided that I had to have one. And while I have to say it is totally unnecessary because there’s nothing wrong with the old school popsicle makers, it is kinda fun. Last night I decided to make some last minute popsicles for dessert and they were ready in 10 minutes. Pretty fantastic. I plan to try out lots of fun recipes over the course of the summer, so you’ll likely see some more posts like this. But here’s the first.
the petite croissant 