Blueberry Rhubarb Shortbread Bars | KeepItsweetDesserts.com This was one of those weeks where I should be thankful I made it to Friday alive. 400 cookies for a local event, lots of packages, business development when I could fit it in and excitement over all that my friend Rachel has done for me (see here and here). And somehow, luckily, I was able to fit these beautiful bars into the mix! Rhubarb is such a wonderful summer fruit for baking but this was actually my first time using it. For some reason those stalks had intimidated me up until now. But don’t be afraid, all you have to do is chop them up, cook them down and you are on your way to something delicious. In this case, the rhubarb filling got a vibrant boost from some fresh blueberries I picked up the other day. I taste tested an entire edge of the pan and then quickly wrapped the rest of the bars and stuck them in the freezer for an upcoming party. You Might Also Like...
Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake Ice Cream Sundae Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake Ice Cream Sundae The only time I’ve lived away from my hometown was during my sophomore year in college when I moved to Beaufort, a small town on the coast of North Carolina. I lived there for a few months before traveling for a month down the Eastern seaboard to study marine zoogeography. That semester changed my life, and I’ve continued to process the memories over the years. Periodically I’ll share stories here on Willow Bird Baking from that time. In a week’s time we would be sitting in the hot black night, lit by a strand of round bulbs on a bustling restaurant patio in Key West. That was in a week’s time. I climbed in the canoe quickly, trying to look like I had an ounce of a clue. My eyes constantly skimmed the surface of the water, waiting to catch sight of the crocodile I felt sure must be following our canoe Tick-Tock style. Finally we arrived on the island — not that it was much of a relief. There wasn’t a comfortable spot on the entire island.
S'Mores Pudding Dessert Desserts in a Snap: Warm Chocolate Pudding For your after-dinner chocolate fix, whip up this fast pudding in a saucepan. Top it with cream, then serve! rachaelraymag.com Cream Puffs Vanilla pudding makes the easy creamy center for this impressive dessert. allrecipes.com Instant Pistachio Salad See how to make a simple dessert salad starring pistachio pudding. The Best Slow Cooker Cake: Mixed Berry Pudding Cake Thanks to frozen berries, you can enjoy a taste of summer all year long. bhg.com How to Make Healthified Banana Pudding This recipe has 32% less calories than the original version but still tastes just as great! recipe.com Quinoa Pudding This alternative to rice pudding is high in protein and so tasty. Rice Pudding with 20 Minutes Prep Enjoy creamy, rich vanilla rice pudding with 20 minutes of hands-on time. How to Make Bread Pudding When you want a dessert that's both homey and delicious, learn how to make bread pudding. Grandma's Corn Pudding Hot Cocoa Pudding Mugs
Broccoli and Mushroom Risotto I have to admit, I am pretty excited about our post today. In the 1 year + that we have been blogging many ideas have popped into my head. Some good, some bad. Growing up, broccoli rice casserole was a staple at family gatherings. This risotto tastes just like the casserole I grew up eating, only better. Here is what you'll need Prepare the veggies Saute the veggies with a little olive oil Chop up the shallot and garlic Add the shallots and garlic to the saucepan and heat until fragrant. Keep adding chicken broth 1/2 a cup at a time until the risotto is cooked. In another saucepan melt the butter Add the flour and whisk until smooth Add the milk and whisk some more Add the cheese Whisk until smooth Add the veggies and the cheese sauce to the risotto and stir well It is like the fancy version of Velveeta shells n' cheese! Directions Sauté 2 tablespoons olive oil, broccoli, and mushrooms over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes. Source: A Live Love Pasta Original
Salted Nut Squares This is one of those recipes that I’m almost embarrassed to share. Don’t get me wrong. These little squares are quite tasty. It’s just that they’re so easy to make that it seems almost wrong. There’s plenty to like about these salty treats. With only 5 ingredients and no baking involved, you can have these bars whipped up in short order. Ingredients 3 cups salted peanuts (no skins), divided 2 & 1/2 tablespoons butter 2 cups peanut butter chips 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 2 cups miniature marshmallows kosher salt or sea salt, optional Instructions Place 1 & 1/2 cups peanuts in the bottom of an ungreased 11″x 7″ pan. Melt butter and peanut butter chips in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Pour peanut butter mixture over peanuts in pan. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Notes These can be made in a 9″x 13″ pan. Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home.
Crash Hot Potatoes Man, do I love Australia. First, my oldest daughter was conceived there on our honeymoon…and while we’re on the subject, have I ever shared with you that we almost named her “Sydney” as a nod to her point of origin? In the end, I chickened out, though—I thought that might be a little corny, and truth be told, I think she was actually conceived in Brisbane. But I’ll stop there. This is a family-friendly website. Anyway, I just love Australia. They’re so simple, it’s terrifying. For now, though, let’s take a chill pill and make Crash Hot Potatoes! The Cast of Characters: New Potatoes (or other small, round potato), Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and whatever herb you like. Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. Oh! Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. This will mean the difference between the potatoes sticking and not sticking, so don’t be shy here. Or something. That’s it!
Fresh Apple Cake When the produce is so bountiful this time of year, I am always happy to find a tasty and easy recipe to add to our collection. This recipe is so darn simple, and you can sub in whatever type of fruit you have on hand. Fresh Apple Cake Ingredients:Fresh Fruit, sliced if large (I used two Rome apples)Package yellow cake mixStick of butter Layer your apple slices (or other fruit) at the bottom of a pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Sprinkle on boxed cake mix. I didn't even use the entire box -- save a little if you please, and then you can use it to make single-serving versions of this same recipe when you get a sweet tooth! Melt an entire stick of butter.Don't judge me. Pour butter over the fruit and dry cake mix. Edit: Usually, I've found that the butter and the moisture from the fruit is enough to soak into the dry mix and create a nice cooked crust. Bake at 350* for approximately 35-45 minutes -- it's done when it is nice and bubbly. Three ingredients, and a stellar recipe.
Baked Buttermilk Doughnuts with Lemon Glaze The last time I checked it was March…where is time going? Things have been busy…and I have been missing my weekend morning routine of healthifying carbalicious breakfasts and downing borderline unsafe amounts of coffee (kinda kidding). Things have been popping up right and left that are making life hectic and I promise that when the time is right, I’ll tell you all about it. Not only life is getting in my way, but injuries, too. I think the doughnuts cured my injury. Doughnuts cure other things, like Mr. He took one bite of these doughnuts and said, “Wow, these are sweet!” And of course I responded with, “For a mere 108 calories and 21 grams of carbohydrate…you’re welcome!” And then he ate another. Baked Buttermilk Doughnuts with Lemon Glaze adapted from The Imitation Chef and originally, Health.com Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine flour and next four ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl and whisk together. Spoon or pipe the batter into the pan until 1/2 full. Result: Mmmm!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Trader Joe's Mini Peanut Butter Cups I need to post a retraction. In my last post, the Valentine's Day Double Chocolate Pudding, I misspoke when I commented, "Mr. and Mrs. Romance we are not." That was only half true. You'll remember that my Valentine was some 2500 miles away on the shores of Waikiki on the 14th. The following afternoon after watching him gracefully land his enormous 767 at Lindbergh Field (San Diego) he popped into the car and we raced up the highway to hopefully make our 6PM date with my Dad for our monthly Wine Club pickup. Thinking he was rummaging through the pack for some work related item, I was surprised when produced a small, colorful bag with a little gold box inside. I hereby retract my comment above and proclaim: Mr. Making our date with Dad, we enjoyed our special monthly evening chatting while tasting our wine selections, then selected our favorites. Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats 6 cups Rice Krispies (or 3 cups Rice Krispies and 3 cups Chocolate Puffed Rice) Submitting to:
Creamy Stove Top Lemon Chicken Anytime there is lemon in a chicken recipe you know it is going to be good. The two ingredients were meant for each other! This creamy lemon infused dish, won’t disappoint. It is perfect for cool fall nights. You don’t have to heat your oven, but you still get a home style comfort food. Bone-in chicken thighs work great in this recipe, making it a very budget friendly and practical meal too! Ingredients: 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed 1/2 cup all purpose flour 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder 4 tbsp butter 1 cup chicken broth, I use a bullion cube and a cup of water 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup heavy cream 1 medium onion sliced in rings or 8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms (optional) Directions: In a large Ziploc bag, combine, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chicken a few pieces at a time. Recipe adapted from Taste of Homes, Lemon Cream Chicken Enjoy! Maria Tagged as: Chicken, Maria's Top Rated Recipes, Top Rated Recipes, Weeknight Meals
Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls Over Memorial Day weekend a couple weeks ago at my father’s house, I needed to make a quick, yummy and easy dessert for the entire family to enjoy. Well, I didn’t need to make one but I wanted to, and believe me, my family wanted me to as well. We are a big peanut butter and chocolate family so I thought I would whip up a quick batch of peanut butter balls to compliment the Raspberry Magic Balls that I already had made. I’m not a one dessert-making gal much to my sister’s chagrin. I like everyone to have a choice. So, I decided to make the peanut butter balls but quickly realized we were out of powdered sugar. Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls Makes: 20-24 balls Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy) 1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs ¾ cup mini chocolate chips or Heath bits 1 – 1 ¼ cup chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate) Directions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. *If you like this recipe, please PIN it to share it! Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls Author: Baby Gizmo Recipe type: dessert
Cinnamon Sugar-Stuffed Scones Happy Earth Day everyone!! Flip on some Animal Planet! Recycle your Sunday papers! And…don’t flush your toilet every time you go…unless.. you know, you uh…then please do… Today is all about celebrating our beautiful planet and remembering to love her back as much as she loves us! I was googling around the other day and found this awesome little awareness project. And more importantly, try making a difference every day :) Just because you buy someone a card on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you have to wait to say “I love you” until the next year! Ok so are you ready for this super smooth transition….. We’re going from loving Mother Earth to loving our Momma’s that put us on this planet. You know, the one’s that first taught (or scolded…) us to turn all the lights off because you go play outside, and that overflowing the bathtub is a horrible waste of water (I don’t know why, but for some reason as a kid I thought the absolute coolest thing ever would be to flood the bathroom. Yields 12 scones
cake batter rice crispy treats TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. I’m looking forward to some friend’s-birthday-celebrating, farmers-marketing, coffee-(friends)-dating, cake-baking, church-enjoying, and sleeping-inning here in my little corner of the world this weekend. OH, and the thing I’m perhaps most excited about — choir-directing. Did I mention on here that I’m leading an Easter choir at my church?! I’m kind of over the moon about it. Anyway, warm wishes coming your way for a good weekend ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. So of course, when I found myself in the fruit section at the market this week trying to decide what kind of sangria to make for our weekly neighbor night, I immediately thought of sangria. …oh good grief, why had I never thought of this before? Sangria with All The Colors. The only reasonable solution, of course. ;)