summer

Peaches & Cream Pretzel Pie

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

Peaches & Cream Pretzel Pie.

Oh My Goodness Friends!  This Pie!!!

I think it might be my favorite thing I’ve made in a long time!

As many of you know, I love to bake.  It brings me such joy to see the people I share with enjoying the “fruits” of my labor of love.  But, I can usually pass on dessert.  I am more of a salty, savory girl than a sweet one.

But this pie!!!!!!!  I cut a piece to photograph and was only going to take a bite to taste it.  Thirty seconds later, it was somehow all gone as I literally moaned and squealed with delight eating it!

The cream filling is lusciously light and fluffy and so perfect…..  especially on top of the salty, crunchy, buttery pretzel crust with a hint of cinnamon………. and then the glorious topping of sweet juicy honeyed peaches….   It’s just so divine!

I couldn’t wait to share it!  Hubby loved it, and I shared it with a sweet friend and her family for the recent holiday.

I originally saw this recipe at Half Baked Harvest and tweaked it up ever so slightly.

I cannot wait for you all to try this!  Please do while peaches are so perfect right now and let me know what you think.

Thank you Tieghan for such a great recipe!

Peaches & Cream Pretzel Pie

Ingredients:

Pretzel Crust:

  • 2 cups finely ground salted pretzel crumbs
  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) + 3 Tbsp salted butter, melted
  • 3 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Filling/Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. raspberry preserves
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 4 ripe, but firm peaches, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make pretzel crumbs using food processor.  Add crumbs to medium bowl and combine with melted butter, honey, and cinnamon.  Reserve 2-3 Tbsp. of crumb mixture (for topping) and place in small baking dish.  Press remaining into 8-9 inch pie plate.  Put both in oven for 8 minutes and bake until toasted.  Cool completely before filling.

Beat heavy cream and vanilla on medium high with electric mixer until soft peaks form (about 2-3 minutes).  Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat until incorporated (about another minute).  Place in refrigerator to chill until ready to use.

Bring 1/2 cup honey to a low boil in a medium saucepan, and simmer for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in sliced peaches (I did not remove skin).  Let sit for at least 10 minutes to cool.

Spread red raspberry preserves into bottom and up sides of cooled pretzel crust.  Fill crust with cream.  Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, top with honeyed peaches and sprinkle with additional pretzel crumb mixture.  You could also top with fresh red raspberries for an extra treat!

This pie can also be frozen for up to two weeks.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Marinara

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Marinara.

It’s Zucchini time of year!

Though this is one vegetable folks usually get an abundance of when they plant it, we have had a little “challenge” in our garden this year…

His name starts with a “C” and ends with an “E.”   He has stubby eyebrows, floppy ears, and a white-tipped brown tail….

Have you guessed yet?

None other than the infamous Charlie, who has figured out a way to wiggle through the locked gate of our fenced-in garden during the day while we are at work!

We have barely been able to harvest a handful of cucumbers and tomatoes from our tiny little garden this year.  As soon as I see a blossom, then the fruit/vegetable begins to ripen, and I anticipate a few more days until it is ready to pick, it is gone!

Charlie sure has been enjoying some healthy treats this summer!

I did manage to grab two zucchini so far, so was very excited to be able to enjoy one the other evening for dinner.

I simply cut it into spears, drizzled with some olive oil, sprinkled with some Parmesan cheese, seasonings, and my new go-to secret ingredient – Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning.  I baked them until tender-crisp, then dunked/smothered them in marinara sauce.

Not the prettiest dish to photograph, but it was a super simple, delicious, healthy, light, filling vegetarian dinner for a hot, summer evening.  I loved it!

Here is how I made it.

How do you like to prepare your zucchini?

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Marinara

  • Servings: 1 as main course, 2-4 as side
  • Print

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine Parmesan and seasonings in a small bowl.

Cut zucchini in half, then each half into 6-8 wedges, depending on size of zucchini.  Place on stoneware baking sheet or cookie sheet.  (I always using baking stones!)  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and seasoning blend.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until tender.

Raise heat in oven to 450 and bake for 5-10 more minutes until crisp and brown.

Dunk or smother in marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Marinated Cauliflower Salad

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

Marinated Cauliflower Salad.

Looking for a unique healthy, yummy, fresh, light summer salad?

Especially after all those cookies recipes last week! 

This one was a crowd pleaser with my family at the function I recently made it for.  It’s a great different way to serve cauliflower, which we eat at least once a week in our house.

Hope you will give it a try and let me know.  Here is how I made it.

Marinated Cauliflower Salad*

Ingredients:

Marinade

  • 6 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. olive oil

Salad

  • 4-5 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets (approx. 2 small heads cauliflower)
  • 2 cups diced red bell pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.  Add to cauliflower in a large glass or plastic bowl and marinade in refrigerator for 4-8 hours or overnight.

Stir bell pepper and parsley into marinated cauliflower when ready to serve.  Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.  

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Original recipe from Vegetarian Times powered by Clean Eating

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

Black Bean & Corn Salsa.

One of my favorite new healthy snacks is black bean and corn salsa.

It makes a wonderful “scoop” with tortilla chips.

It is also great all by itself as a salad or piled on top of a grilled chicken breast or fish.

It is light, healthy, crunchy, tangy, low-calorie, high-fiber, and absolutely DELISH too!

Here is how I make it, but you can surely tweak to your liking.  It would be great with a bit of fresh cilantro, which I didn’t have on hand when I made this batch on Sunday.  You could also switch it up with any other kind of bean you like or other veggies like cherry tomatoes or cucumbers.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

  • Servings: approx. 3 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen or canned corn*
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/3 cup diced onion
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Balsamic vinegar to taste (approx. 2 Tbsp)

Directions:

Combine all  vegetables in a bowl.  Stir to combine.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar to taste.

Serve as a salsa for tortilla chips, as a salad, or as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.

Store well in airtight refrigerator container for several days.

*TIP:  When we buy fresh corn on the cob in the summer, we always buy a full dozen, though we never eat all of that for the two of us.  We cut the leftover off the cob, throw it in a Ziploc freezer bag, and toss it in the freezer for the winter months or times when fresh corn is not available.  It is so much better than canned corn.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Lightened Up Vinaigrette Broccoli Salad

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Lightened Up Vinaigrette Broccoli Salad.

I love broccoli  – cooked or raw.
And I love broccoli salad.

The traditional version has a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, and it is delicious!

But I was looking for a way to “lighten it up” a bit when making dinner one day this week, so I tried it with a vinaigrette dressing instead.

And it is DELISH too!

It is lighter and fresher tasting, and it is about half the calories of the traditional version!

This really is a nice twist on a classic that is healthier and just as yummy.

Here is how I made it.

Lightened Up Vinaigrette Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fresh fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 thinly sliced, chopped sweet onion
  • 1/2 large sweet red pepper, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 slices bacon, diced and cooked
  • Vinaigrette:
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider (or your favorite – red wine, white, etc.) vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp sugar
    • 2 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:  Combine first seven ingredients in large bowl.  Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour over salad and toss to coat well.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Four Seasons with Jodi – Exploring Color

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

With Jodi’s kind permission I’m sharing some of my favourite posts from her fantastic blog, of which you could say that I’m a devoted follower. If you enjoy beauty, art and inspiration (not to mention mouth-watering food recipes) then Jodi’s blog simply has it all! I feel honoured that Jodi so generously allows me to […]

I was so honored by this beautiful post created by Liz at Exploring Color, I had to share.  Thank you my sweet friend Liz from the other side of the world in New Zealand!

I hope you enjoy this beautiful post she created about the Four Seasons from my blog.   My heart is so touched.  I hope you will check out her lovely blog.

Four Seasons with Jodi

Autumn

I’m starting with Autumn because this recent post of Jodi’s prompted me to do ‘Four Seasons with Jodi’. It touched my heart…

Let the Rain Fall

goldfinch-in-the-rain
Goldfinch in the Rain – Autumn, Mars, PA

I watched you as you sat proud and beautiful
while the rain fell on and around you.

You didn’t need
the sun to make you shine.

In fact,
you stood out even brighter in the cloudy drizzle.

And I was reminded
true beauty comes from within.

It can’t be soaked or drenched
or washed off.

It can’t be dampened or doused
by the storms of life.

Let the rain fall.
Let the storms crash.

And continue to shine
your authentic beautiful self.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Link for original post:  Let the Rain Fall

Winter

Snowy Pines Watercolor

winter-landscape-snowy-reflections-11x14-400-lb-cold-press
Winter Snowy Pine Reflections Watercolor – 11×14 140lb cold press

Is anything crazier or more unpredictable than the weather?!

Where I live, we went from record highs one week
to record lows the next.

From open windows and shorts and bare feet –
to snow flurries and wool socks and sweaters.

And one cold day I painted this winter scene
(inspired by a photo I saw that I cannot find credit for).

It’s funny how the cold scene
gives me a warm feeling.

Almost as crazy as the weather!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Link for original post:  Snowy Pines Watercolor

Spring

A Brief Visit

dogwood-tree-blossoms
The Old Dogwood Trees’ Blossoms

Your visit is so brief….
but your memory lingers,

and it is ceremoniously revived
each Spring when you surprise me yet again.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Link for original post:  A Brief Visit

Summer

A Bumble Bee Named Buzz

bumble-bee-buzz-watercolor-8x10-140lb-saunders-cold-press
Buzz the Bumble Bee 8×10 Watercolor 140lb Saunders Cold Press

On the edge of a meadow lives a bumble bee named Buzz.
He lives near his aunt and his uncle and his cuz.

Aunt Sally, Uncle Sam, and Sherman they was.
They love Buzz more than any other in Americas.

Sherman and Buzz love to play and dance because
It is what all the bumble bees in the meadow does.

So if you see dancing bees and think your eyes are a fuzz,
don’t be surprised if it’s Sherman and Buzz.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Link for original post:  A Bumble Bee Named Buzz

One of Jodi’s friends left a wonderful quote in the ‘comments’ on this post:

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden”

– Elizabeth Lawrence

Buzz the bumble bee is one of many cute animal characters in Jodi’s newly published children’s book Klaus The Mouse

Klaus The Mouse

Klaus the Mouse by Jodi McKinney – Amazon

Available for order HERE.

Jodi contributed a guest post in my Where and What is Beauty? series.

 

 Please visit Liz’s beautiful blog – Exploring Colour.

via Four Seasons with Jodi — Exploring Colour

I hope you are enjoying whatever season of weather and of life you are in!
Cherish the Moments!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi