fruit

Feeling Grape!

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
Watercolor Grapes

Watercolor Grapes – 5×7 140lb Arches Cold Press

Happy Friday!

Are you feeling Grape?!

For my #WorldWatercolorMonth painting today, I’ve painted a loose, juicy bunch of grapes.

I love painting wet-in-wet and watching the colors flow.  It was fun to paint circles of water, drop paint in, and let the paint do its thing.  I toyed with adding some definition with a Micron pen or another wash of watercolor to the grapes, but then decided to just let them be loose and simple and be their own grape selves!

Hope you have a Grape Friday!  (maybe with a few fermented ones involved in your evening hours!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

P.S.   I had this post scheduled before hearing the horrific news last evening of yet another horrific, deadly terrorist attack in France.  Though my heart is heavy with grief for this kind of ugliness in our world, I also hope we can focus on the goodness… the beauty… the kindness… and the love that outweighs this ugliness a trillion-fold.

Cherish the moments friends.  Cherish the moments.

A Slice of Pineapple in Watercolor

/ Jodi / 69 Comments
pineapple slice

Watercolor Pineapple Slice 8 x 10 140# Hot Press Arches

I had so much fun painting my pineapple for my Be Like A Pineapple post about a week ago, that I wanted to do pineapple again.

This time I decided to do a juicy slice.

Pineapple is such a wonderful summertime fruit.   It is delicious to eat all by itself, but it also pairs well with so many things – like the Pineapple Blueberry Salsa recipe I shared last month that I made to go with Fish Tacos.  It’s delicious in rice and chicken dishes (like my Crock Pot Hawaiin BBQ Chicken Wraps with Pineapple Slaw), fruit salads, in upside down and Hummingbird Cake (oh do I love that!), and frozen in sorbet and sherbet.

What is your favorite way to eat pineapple?

I painted this pineapple slice on Arches Hot Press like I did the other as I love how fluid it allows the watercolor paint to flow when painting this luscious fruit.  The colors I used were Lemon Yellow, Azo Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, New Gamboge, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber, Green Gold and Sap Green.

Have a sweet day!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#WorldWatercolorMonth

Be Like a Pineapple

/ Jodi / 54 Comments
pineapple

9 x 12 watercolor pineapple loose arches 300# hot press


Oh if we could all be
more like a pineapple…

confident and proudly
wearing our crown

with a thick outer skin
that protects the sweetness inside.

Be like a pineapple!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#WordWatercolorMonth

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

Pineapply Blueberry Salsa

It was HOT here in Mars this past weekend, so Sunday supper called for something light and fresh.  I rarely make fish as Hubby is a bit skeptical about it, but I had some frozen Hake loin filets in the freezer that needed to be used.

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa on Whole GrainTostitos Scoop

I was still OOGLING the amazing Fish Tacos I had the night before at Breakneck Tavern – O M G – and thought I’d try some type of version at home.

Pineapply Blueberry Salsa 2

So I made this super yummy, bright, fresh, fruity and savory (with just a touch of heat) Pineapple Blueberry Salsa to accompany the fish, but it also tastes AMAZING on tortilla chips.  I had some Tostitos Wholegrain Scoops, and they were just the ticket to balance out the flavors and allow for a healthy scoop of fruit and veggies in every bite!

This salsa and chips would be a great company or party snack to go with white wine spritzers or some white sangria (and everything goes with Gin and Tonics in the summertime!).

Here is the recipe.  Hope you’ll give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa*

  • Servings: approx. 4 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:Pineapply Blueberry Salsa

  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup chopped sweet red and/or orange peppers
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh lime, juiced (or lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (for a bit of heat)
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips (especially yummy with Frito Lay Whole Grain Tostitos Scoops, or alongside chicken or fish for a fresh and light, summery accompaniment.

Tastes bests when chilled for several hours to allow flavors to fully blend.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*slightly adapted from Jen @ CarlsbadCravings

Old-Fashioned Dutch Apple Pie

/ Jodi / 57 Comments

dutch apple pie slice alamode

One of my favorite things to bake (besides cookies) is pie.  And what is more “all-American” for summer holidays and celebrations than apple pie?  Not sure why it is considered so “American” really – that is just what “they say.”  (Actually there are many theories…  which you can certainly feel free to Google, but let’s talk about baking and eating this amazingly yummy dessert!)

dutch apple pie cut

I made it this weekend to take to a party celebrating the Memorial Day holiday, family get-together, and birthday treat for my BFF, Jill.

When I make a pie to take somewhere, I almost always make a second one for home.  Hubby loves pie more than almost anything, and Grandma always taught me if you are going to go to the trouble and make the mess it takes to make one pie, you might as well make 2 or 3 or…. well – as many as you can!  🙂

So here is my recipe for old-fashioned, all-American Dutch Apple Pie.  I have tweaked it a bit from an old, worn-out cookbook I’ve had for about 30 years called , “Farm Journal’s Complete Home Baking Book.”  This is one of the very few cookbooks I’ve hung on to for it’s tried and true recipes.

I guarantee you will be a superstar if you bake and take or serve this all-star pie!

Dutch Apple Pie

Ingredients:dutch apple pie slice alamode

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare pie crust and place in bottom of fluted 9 inch pie stone or pan.

Mix apples, sugar, flour, and cinnamon thoroughly until juices begin to form.  Pour into pie crust.

In a bowl, combine flour and sugar.  Cut butter in small pieces and work into flour/sugar with a pastry blender until a nice crumbly mixture forms.  Sprinkle and mound all over top of apple filling.

Cover edges of pie crust with foil to prevent from over-browning and bake for one hour.  Remove foil for last 10 minutes.

Cool completely and serve with ice cream, cool white or even a slice of sharp cheddar cheese if you please.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Fresh Red Raspberry Puff Pastry Tart

/ Jodi / 52 Comments

red raspberry puff pastry tart 1

If you are looking for a fresh, light, simple, yet surprisingly impressive dessert to take to a holiday picnic or serve for a simple weekend dinner party, I’ve created this quick, but scrumptious and beautiful fresh red raspberry puff pastry tart using fresh fruit combined with the convenience of frozen puff pastry.

red raspberry puff pastry tart

For the Memorial Day holiday weekend (or Fourth of July or Labor Day), you could use some blueberries in this one too for a red, white, blue theme.

red raspberry puff pastry tart 2

Here’s my easy peasy recipe that is bound to to get rave reviews!

Fresh Red Raspberry Puff Pastry Tart

Ingredients:red raspberry puff pastry tart 1

  • I pint fresh red raspberries
  • 1/4 cup apricot or raspberry or your favorite jam (I used apricot, because it is what I had, and it made a nice combination of flavors)
  • 1 sheet Pepperidge Farms Frozen Puff Pastry (thawed 40 mins. at room temperature)
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • Powdered Sugar for Garnish

Directions:

Unfold and place sheet of puff pastry on baking stone or baking sheet and turn up edges on all sides to create a crust edge.  Poke center with fork 6-8 times to prevent center from raising up too high.  Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

While still warm, spread jam on bottom of baked puff pastry. Place half of fresh raspberries on top and mash with a fork.  Allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, place whole fresh red raspberries on top.  Drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

To serve, cut into 6 pieces and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Homemade & Healthy Blackberry Banana Oat Bars

/ Jodi / 56 Comments

Blackberry Banana Oat Bars

Are you looking for a really yummy treat to give to your sweet for Valentine’s Day that is not only super delish, but also healthy?

These amazing blackberry banana oat bars have NO sugar and NO flour!  How about that?

blackberry banana oat bar

They are packed full of wholesome, nutrient rich fruits and superfood ingredients, while tricking your brain and tummy into thinking you are eating something decadent.

Give them a try!  Heart healthy, hearty, and from the heart for your sweetheart!

Blackberry Banana Oat Bars

  • Servings: 12 squares
  • Print

(adapted from recipe found here)Blackberry Banana Oat Bars

Ingredients:

Blackberry Chia Jam Filling:

2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries
2 1/2 Tbsp. honey (local if possible)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Banana Oat Crust:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the jam fruit filling, add blackberries and honey to a saucepan and boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until fruit is mostly broken down and has released a lot of juice.  Add the other ingredients and boil for another 5 minutes until it thickens.   Allow to cool.

Next, make the crust. Blend up 1 cup of the oats into a fine powder (I used the Ninja).   Stir all ingredients together.

Spray an 8×8 baking stone or dish with Pam and then line with parchment paper.  Spread 2/3 of the oat crust mixture on the bottom of the pan. Spread jam fruit filling mixture evenly over crust. Use the rest of the oats to sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes until the oats are golden brown.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Peach and Red Raspberry Galette

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

peach raspberry galette

I’ve always wanted to make a galette.

I love the beauty of the free form, rustic French-inspired dessert that is like a simple version of a fruit pie.

peach raspberry galette slice

I had some peaches and raspberries hitting their peak of ripeness that were just screaming to be combined into a dessert fit for “company” dinner with our BFF Janet visiting one day this past week.

peach raspberry galette 2

Can you tell how well loved my baking stone is?

And Grandma always taught me a pie was done when the filling started bubbling and oozing out (usually onto the oven floor), so I figured the same holds true for a galette.

It turned out beautifully and was a fine tribute to end our dinner on the last day of summer!  The guys loved it, but Janet was too full of stuffed peppers and Yukon gold mashed potatoes to eat hers, so she took some home.   (Did you enjoy Jan?)

Here is my recipe derived from combining my pie crust recipe with several galette recipes found on the web.  You could make it with apple filling.  How yummy would it be with apples, golden raisins and walnuts??!!!  It would also be great with plums or apricots or cherries or blueberries.

Have you ever made a galette?  I’m feeling rather “French” as I write this.  Jouir!

Peach Raspberry Galette

Ingredients:peach raspberry galette

Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening
  • Dash of Salt
  • 2/3 cup cold water

Filling:

  • 5 large peaches
  • 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh red raspberries
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 2 Tbsp coarse sugar

Prepare dough by combining flour, Crisco, and salt with pastry blender until it forms a crumbly mixture.  Add water, and mix just until incorporated.  Form ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing filling.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut peaches in half, pit, and slice into 1/2 inch wedges (leaving skin on).

In a large bowl, combine peaches, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, sugar and flour.

Dust a large baking stone with flour.  Remove pastry dough from refrigerator, and roll out to 15″ circle.  Place on baking stone.  fill center with peach filling, leaving 2-3 inches of dough all around.  Gently add fresh raspberries.

Fold dough up and around edges.  Cut butter onto top of filling.  Brush pastry dough with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds and coarse sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake until pastry is golden and juices are bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Let cool completely, and serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, sweetened yogurt or all by itself.  Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

How I turned Peach Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Peach Glaze into the HEALTHIEST Fruit Dessert EVER!

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

peach coffee cake with brown butter glaze

First, I spent about an hour or so early in the morning blanching, dicing, mixing, melting, streuseling,  spreading, baking, glazing, and plating.

peach coffee cake with brown butter glaze 2

I then cut a slice,
took a photo of the whole cake,
plated a slice for a photo,
placed it on the edge of the deck railing with the cake where I was photographing for good lighting so I could share here,
considered how I should be careful balancing so much on the railing….

peach coffee cake disaster

Shrieked!
Cursed……
cleaned up the broken plate, ENTIRE cake AND plated slice out of the mulch 10 feet below the deck…

and cut up a ripe, juicy cantaloupe for dessert.

cantelope

I’ll have to try that one again another time…

or not….

The upside:

We saved hundreds of calories,
The cantaloupe was SUPER sweet,
and I allowed myself an extra glass of wine that evening.  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  If you would like the recipe for the Peach Coffee Cake (which I cannot tell you how it tasted), here is a link to The SeaSideBaker where I found the recipe.  If you would like the recipe for my Cantaloupe dessert: cut up one fresh, ripe, juicy delicious cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces, and enjoy.  🙂

Thank You Berry (Salsa) Much

/ Jodi / 9 Comments

thank you berry much

Thank you cards might be my favorite cards to make and send.  There is something so heartwarming about putting to art and words your feelings of gratitude and sharing it with the person you are thankful to.

So when one of my co-workers did something especially nice and helpful (which is a regular occurrence from her – lucky me – eh?!), I had this little card I had made a while back when I was practicing water color painting where I had laid out some fruit and mint leaves and tried to create it.  I was goofing around with making it a (not sure of the term?) combination of words and “art.”  (Anybody know the technical name for this or is there even such a thing?)  Need to work on my handwriting, but thought it was fun… or maybe I ruined it??

Nonetheless, I used this, along with a little batch of my Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies as a way to thank my friend and co-worker.  (Thank you Judy!!)

And while we are talking about the wonderful fruits of summer and berries, it brought to mind a favorite recipe I used to make and demonstrate from Pampered Chef years ago when I was a “Pampered Chef Lady” that I thought I’d share with you here today.  Only, I kicked it up a notch by adding fresh red raspberries too!  I’ve got to make this again soon!

Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Photo courtesy of myreciperoundup.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
2 Medium Granny Smith Apples, chopped
1 Cup Strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Red Raspberries
1 Medium Orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Apple Jelly
4 Large Tortillas
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Gently mix together first seven ingredients in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Brush tortillas with water using a pastry brush.  Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over tortillas.  Cut each tortilla into eight wedges, and place on a baking stone (or cookie sheet).  Bake 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crisp.  Remove to cooling rack, then place in a bowl or basket alongside the salsa, and ENJOY!

Recipe from The Pampered Chef (modified)

Cheers & Hugs & Thank You BERRY Much for Visiting LifeinBetween.me,
Jodi