Cooking

Berry Love

/ Jodi / 19 Comments

berry mint heart

I love berries!  Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries.  They are one of those foods that taste best to me in their purest form.    Sure – it’s hard to pass up a Blackberry or Red Raspberry Pie…  Homemade Strawberry Jam on fresh baked buttered bread……. Blueberries are devine on my breakfast cereal too…. But just popping berries in my mouth pretty much rocks my world.

If I want to make a nice fruit salad, I love berries the best.  Mix them together, then make a simple “dressing” from just a smidge of brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  I know it sounds strange, but it really makes the flavors burst!  Then top that with some fresh mint leaves and a sprinkling of lime zest – and ooooo laaa laaa!

berry salad

Sometimes adding a simple, beautiful homemade shortcake biscuit and some whipped cream make berries even that much more special!

Four Berry Cobbler

To make 8 shortcakes, I simply mix 2 cups flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 stick (8 Tbsp cold butter, cubed) with a pastry blender until crumbly.  I then add 2/3 cup half and half and form the dough (being careful not to overmix and make it tough).  I then cut the dough into 8 biscuits, brush with a little more half and half on top and sprinkle with some raw sugar before baking at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes.

So that’s what hubby got for dessert last night.

Which is your favorite berry?  What is your favorite way to eat them?

berries in bowl

And I thought you might get a kick out of seeing a “behind the scenes” shot of my berry professional photo shoot set up early morning on the side porch.

berry heart photo shoot

Yep – that’s how I roll…

at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

Strawberry Spinach Salad 1

Looking for a bright, light, fresh summertime salad?  How about fresh baby spinach leaves, slices of juicy ripe strawberries, chunks of creamy goat cheese, and crunchy candied walnuts all drizzled with a sweet and tangy poppy seed viniagrette?  It just screams summertime!

Strawberry Spinach Salad 2

Since we were talking about strawberries this week, I couldn’t resist making this when asked to bring a salad to Liz’s birthday party last evening.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Candying the walnuts is a cinch and homemade dressing makes it so much fresher.  This salad is super easy and bursting with flavor.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

  • Large bunch or bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese, broken into chunks
  • 1/2 cup candied walnuts
    • 1/8 cup powdered sugar
    • pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
    • pinch of salt
  • Poppy seed dressing
    • 1/8 cup white vinegar
    • 1/8 cup sugar
    • 1/4 tsp shallot or onion powder
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

  • Prepare candied walnuts:
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Mix dry ingredients in small bowl.  Set aside.
    • Blanch walnuts in a small saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes, and drain.
    • Mix sugar and walnuts together, and spread onto baking sheet.
    • Bake 10 minutes until golden.
  • Prepare dressing:
    • Whisk together vinegar and sugar until sugar is pretty much dissolved.  Add in shallot powder, salt, ground mustard.
    • Whisk in olive oil.
    • Stir in poppy seeds.
  • When ready to serve, toss spinach leaves with poppy seed dressing thoroughly.
  • Stir in sliced strawberries, goat cheese, and candied walnuts.
  • A protein can be added for a full meal (i.e. chicken breast slices, steak slices, salmon chunks

Happy Friday!  Enjoy the weekend, and have fun doing things at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Buttermints and Besties

/ Jodi / 22 Comments

buttermints

How to Identify a True “Bestie”

When you are in about the sixth hour of and on the twelfth pound of powdered sugar making a couple thousand homemade butter mints for a friend’s wedding, and you have sugar sticking to awkward parts of your body and every square inch of your kitchen…

a true “Bestie” (who you haven’t seen for three months) shows up, washes her hands, washes the dishes in the sink, cleans your Kitchen Aid Mixer cleaner than it has been in years, and then starts rolling butter and sugar with you…

even when you insist she just sits and keeps you company……

That, my friends, is what you call a “Bestie!”

janet and jodi feb 15

Jodi & Janet – Sanibel Island, FL – February, 2015

I am blessed with a few of the best besties ever, including my sweet Janet, who has put up with me since we were 12 years old.  Her parents have adopted me as their daughter, her sisters have made me their sister.  My hubby and boys love her as much as I do.

What more could I ask for?!

Yep – Buttermints and Besties – that sums up my Saturday – doesn’t get any better…

Love you, Janet!  Thank you!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Fresh Red Raspberry Pancakes

/ Jodi / 20 Comments

fresh red raspberry pancakes

You may have noticed I am on a bit of a red raspberry kick… fresh raspberry chocolate chip cookies…    fudgy fresh raspberry chocolate chip brownies…

Well – last weekend I made these homemade fresh red raspberry pancakes for breakfast.  They were quite the hit!  Maybe you are looking for something special and different for breakfast this long holiday weekend…

fresh red raspberry pancakes 3

These easy and yummy little hotcakes might be just the ticket.

fresh red raspberry pancakes 2

I served them with a side of thick-sliced peppered slab bacon.  The sweet and savory together totally rocked it!

Here’s the recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

Fresh Red Raspberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup plain or red raspberry or blackberry Greek yogurt
  • 1 large egg, beaten lightly
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 1 cup fresh red raspberries
  • Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

  • Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
  •  In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg, butter and milk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Fold in raspberries.
  • Heat a griddle over moderately high heat coated lightly with oil. Drop scant 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto griddle; cook for 1 minute or until bubbles form on top. Turn and cook 1 minute more. Serve with raspberry jam, syrup, powdered sugar, or just as is!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi