Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Let me ask you a question: How do you use Facebook? {Because, I'm assuming that you have an account just like everyone and their grandma.}

Do you use it to connect with family and friends? Do you post sparingly... or are you an oversharer? Are you taking advantage of all that album space, or do you share a photo every now and again?

I'm trying to decide how I want to use my Facebook page for The Kitchen Prep because, frankly, it's been a while since I gave it any effort at all. You sort of lose your enthusiasm when you see that the post you've carefully crafted has only been seen by a handful of your supposed viewing audience. Whomp, whomp.

Meanwhile, everyone's all "Follow me on Snapchat!", "Check out my Periscope account!" "Have you seen what's happening on Meerkat?"... and I'm just over here trying to grow extra thumbs so I can keep up with the 3 billion {okay, 4} social media accounts I already have.

So I figured I should just come out and ask you what you think. I mean, if you're like me, you probably already have enough to juggle Facebook-wise: people who cannot stop taking quizzes to tell you which Disney princess they're most like, what their birth order means in the grand scheme of life or who is their true Facebook soulmate. People testing their IQ, grammatical abilities and historical knowledge. Folks who are so darn curious about their future that they have to summon the magical powers of the internet to tell them how many kids they'll have, who they will marry or when they will croak.

You may already have enough to look at between cat memes, inspirational quotes or clickbait articles that reveal what happens when "This girl makes herself a PB&J sandwich, but you won't believe what she discovers when she takes a bite!!!"

If you're a mom, you probably have your fair share of posts to scroll through including {but not limited to} the latest recalls and safety warnings, posts from the hundreds of mommy groups people have added you to, articles for/against/supporting/criticizing/condoning/condemning anything and everything related to child rearing, and of course, the latest piece of information to add to your mom-guilt inventory.

If you're a professional of any kind, you might be agonizing over that friend request from a client, coworker or competitor that will open the Pandora's box of information that you may not want to know about them -- or worse, letting them see things you may not necessarily want to share with folks you're not super close with. {Though I have nothing to hide, I'm still on the fence about accepting friend requests from people who know me only through my blog. Anyone with me on this?}

And then there are the invites from club promoters {no}, friends who want you to play mindless online games {double no}, sporting events {do I LOOK like I'm in shape to run a 5K??}, essential oil parties, jewelry trunk shows, multi-level marketing schemes.... agggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! It's enough to drive a person to hit "Delete Account" and forget about the whole thing!

Of course, some of this I say in jest {if you are my "friend" and you do any of the above things, please don't take this personally. If you bugged me that much I would've already "defriended" you.}, but some of this is too true.

Instagram has become my social media sweetheart, where I share a 50/50 mixture of business and personal photos. There's a different vibe over there and I like it. I've considered sharing the same type of stuff on my Facebook and seeing how that goes, but again, Facebook already seems a little "clogged" and I don't want to add to that mess.

So... what do you think? What types of things do you like to see from the blogs you follow on Facebook? Would you rather I keep it all "Here's the latest recipe!" or should I add in some daily activities, events and the occasional bit of my real life? Let me know!

While you mull that over, let me just share what really counts -- this ice cream. Because, you guys... holy moly. So good.

I have been on a serious homemade ice cream-making kick lately and not to toot my own horn, but every batch is better than the last. So far I've made Espresso Brownie Chunk, Cinnamon Dulce de Leche Snickerdoodle, and now this Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.

Hello lover.

Though I normally make ice cream with a traditional custard base {meaning eggs, a stovetop and the whole nine yards} this one actually doesn't require any cooking OR eggs, which basically means there's less time between the moment you decide to make it and the second you get to shovel it into your face. You will thank me.

I adapted this recipe from one I found in this No-Churn Ice Cream cookbook that was sent to me... except I churned it because I like to make things difficult. Ha. You can totally try to make it without churning as it is recommended in the cookbook, but if you have an ice cream maker let that puppy do all the work.

Then you can scoop yourself a giant bowl of ice cream and sit in front of Facebook to wonder why you're on there to begin with. ;)

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Adapted from No-Churn Ice Cream: Over 100 Simply Delicious No-Machine Frozen Treats

1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup half and half {or whole milk}
1/2 of a 13 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk {not evaporated milk}
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup strawberry jam
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
1 sleeve graham crackers {about 8 crackers}, crushed

1. In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, half and half {or milk}, condensed milk, vanilla and salt.

2. In another bowl, beat together strawberry jam and softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add a few tablespoons of the cream mixture and begin to beat and incorporate liquid a bit at a time {doing this slowly will help keep the mixture from becoming lumpy}; continue to add the liquid until fully incorporated.

3. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions. You'll want to get to a soft-serve consistency. Before finishing churning, toss in the diced strawberries to incorporate them into the mixture.

4. Scoop half of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Sprinkle about half of the crushed graham crackers over the ice cream. Scoop the rest of the ice cream into the container and top with the remainder of the crumbs.

Freeze for about 4-6 hours or until the desired scooping consistency is reached.

Disclosure: A copy of No-Churn Ice Cream was sent to me for review. As always, the opinions here are all my own!

Strawberry Basil Chicken

Upon returning from Food Blog Forum, I did some thinking about the blog. The phrase, "Find a need, fill a need." was tossed around a few times during the conference and it made me wonder if my recipes were filling YOUR needs as readers. As much as I write this blog for me, it's important to me to provide some useful stuff for you, too!

Since wondering only goes so far, I asked some of you on Facebook to tell me what kinds of recipes you're looking for when you sit down at the computer and browse your favorite blogs and sites. {Gah, I love social media.}You know... recipes that you won't just "pin and forget." Here's what you told me:

- Recipes with few/easy to find ingredients
- Quick recipes
- Family-friendly options
- Make ahead meals
- Healthy recipes
- Recipes that help you overcome your fears of multi-step/advanced cooking

You sound like my kind of people!

I admit that sometimes I get carried away with inspiration and creativity, and I might post things that are fun to look at but unrealistic to make on a typical day. Those kinds of recipes won't ever be eliminated from the blog because I'm sure there are at least a few of you out there who love those kooky projects as much as I do from time to time! {No? Just me? Oh, ok.}

But, as much as I want to live on cookie-crusted, ooey-gooey, boozy things... I know we need to throw some fruits, veggies and lean proteins in there, too. Ugh, darn the responsible, grown up side of my brain.

So... I'm putting on my thinking cap and coming up with some of the best easy, minimal ingredient recipes just for you. And for me, too, because -- I'm not gonna lie -- this was one tasty dish.

Just because you're short on time and don't have a ton of expensive ingredients doesn't mean you can't make something that tastes really good. This is proof.

Turn simple chicken breast into a gratifying {even fancy!} dish. Who woulda thunk strawberry jam and chicken would make such a lovely pair? Served with a salad or some sautéed veggies, this is a dinner you can make any night of the week.

I'm hoping you'll find that this recipe "fills a need"... and your belly! Thanks for interacting with me and letting me know what you're looking for, and for stopping by to check out what's going on in my kitchen -- you keep me on my toes. Stay tuned for more quick and easy recipes coming your way!

Strawberry Basil Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
About 7 or 8 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
{Optional} Goat cheese, for sprinkling

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Season chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt on both sides and place in pan. Cook for about 5-6 minutes on one side or until a nice golden crust forms. Flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together strawberry jam, balsamic vinegar and water in a small bowl. When chicken is just about finished cooking, pour mixture over the top, nestling the chicken breasts into the sauce and scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Reduce heat and bring sauce to a simmer, letting it bubble for 3 or 4 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened a bit. Stir in most of the basil {you may want to save a little for garnish}.

Remove chicken breasts from pan. Pour sauce over the top of each piece. Sprinkle with a little goat cheese if desired and garnish with remaining basil.

 

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Scones

My child has apparently inherited one of my worst characteristics: An inability to nap in the daytime hours. Poor baby. But mostly, poor mama.

Most days I can squeeze a few 30 minute snoozes out of him, which is nice and all... but how many tasks can you complete in 30 minute spurts? Give it a try if you're looking for a delightful challenge.

It is seriously by the grace of God that I accomplish anything at all during the day, because 3 month olds aren't able to entertain themselves just yet. So, I've discovered a talent for what I'll call "singing narration" in which I musically narrate just about everything I'm doing so that I can get something done and entertain this baby at the same time.

"Mama is washing her haiiiiiiir with cheeeeeap shampooooo!"

"Let me shaaaaaaaaaave my left leg now, babyyyyyy! Otherwise I will be forced to wear paaaants!"

"We're maaaaaking daddy dinner so he doesn't staaaaarve!"

It's a whole lot of fun, really. If "fun" is defined by the urge to gouge your eardrums out at the sound of your own voice.

My life has turned into the worst musical you've ever seen.

When I'm not at home singing myself into a frenzy and I actually have a few minutes to get out and do something alone, I sometimes notice that I'm starving on my way out the door. And, because my time is limited, sometimes I just need to grab something to hold myself over so I can run a few errands and get back to Life with An Infant: The Musical.

These Stonyfield Organic Protein Smoothies have been lifesavers more times than I care to admit! I can grab one from the fridge, drink it in the car and save myself from having a hunger-fueled meltdown in the middle of the grocery store. Because you know what happens when you don't? You buy anything on an endcap, in the checkout line or on a well-placed display. Or you almost cry when the 16 year old cashier asks you for your ID for the wine you're buying and you realize you don't have it with you. {Not that that happened to me last week or anything.} I'm way less emotionally stable when my stomach is growling.

Anyway, these little protein smoothies are quite handy. And they also make the perfect liquid component for scones. Because buttermilk, shmuttermilk! Who has time to run out for silly ingredients that can be easily substituted?? Not this singing nitwit.

It was purely by chance that I discovered that the same protein smoothies I love for a quick boost can be used for these tender treats. It was a good discovery.

My husband, who generally tries to maintain a gluten-free diet and is normally not interested by baked goods, pretty much polished off the entire tray of these by himself. They're that tasty.

So maaaaake these todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Oops, sorry. Force of habit. :P

Disclosure:  I have an ongoing partnership with Stonyfield as a member of their Clean Plate Club and received this product for review. As always, the opinions here are all my own!

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Scones

2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, diced into small pieces
1/2 cup Stonyfield Vanilla Protein Smoothie, plus extra for brushing
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a medium bowl {or in the bowl of a stand mixer or a blender}, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

3. Add cold butter to dry ingredients. The goal is to incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. There should be small pieces of butter distributed throughout the mixture. You can accomplish this by hand with a pastry cutter, by beating in the butter in your stand mixer, or by pulsing in the blender or food processor. It's up to you!

4. In a small bowl {or a measuring cup with a spout} stir together Vanilla Protein Smoothie and vanilla bean paste or extract. Pour into dry mixture and stir together just until a firm dough forms. Try not to overmix. Add strawberries and fold in gently.

5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat into a square, approximately 8 x 8 inches. {It doesn't have to be perfect!} Cut the square in half to form 2 long rectangles.

6. Beginning at the top of one rectangle, cut a diagonal slice to form a triangular scone. Continue to cut down the rectangle. You should be able to get about 8 scones from each rectangle. {16 total} You can also use a biscuit cutter or cut into whatever shape you'd like.

7. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and brush each one with yogurt, then sprinkle with granulated sugar or sanding sugar. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden on top.

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

Did you think I disappeared? Was abducted by aliens seeking Earthling recipes? Tried a new cooking technique and sent my kitchen up in flames? {Did you even notice I was gone??}

Nope. I'm still here! The truth is that a jam-packed schedule combined with some tummy troubles and a few big baking projects have contributed to the lull in posting and a very boring social media feed. I mean, who's up for pictures of a sickly, frazzled baker?

While some couch time and a break from posting was exactly what I needed, I figured I'd spare you and wait until I had something a bit more fun to share. You're welcome. :)

Grocery shopping after a bout of not feeling like eating anything is like walking through a candy store after a few weeks of sugar deprivation. Suddenly, everything calls out to you and beckons to be placed in your shopping cart. Shiny, colorful and particularly fragrant things stand out above all.

So, strawberries. Three for $5 strawberries, to be exact. Plump, vibrant red and as potent to the senses as those scratch-and-sniff stickers you couldn't resist as a kid. {Or, in my case, even as an adult. I'm not gonna lie. The teacher in me still lives when it comes to stickers & office supplies.}

In restocking my fridge after my trip to the store, I became sheepishly aware that I had *maybe* gone a little overboard with the strawberries. Especially because there are only two of us and strawberries are infamous for going all fuzzy before you can say "shortcake."

With strawberry season peaking in the springtime, this is the perfect time to stock up and use them in just about everything!

Sometimes I'll have an idea for a recipe and Google it to see if anyone else has come up with the same thing. Most of the time, it's been done in one way or another. Many times, I start off with someone else's recipe as a jumping off point, and heavily adapt it to suit my taste. But when I Googled "Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins" and came across this streuseled version from The Recipe Critic, I knew there wasn't much I would change {except for the streusel}.

Tender vanilla-scented muffins are speckled with bright bits of ripe strawberry, and a surprise layer of cheesecakey yumminess. Together, they make such a perfect, springy combo. I added an extra flourish of additional cheesecake batter at the top of the muffins, and finished them off with a little sparkling sugar.

Are there there any springtime fruits or veggies that make you fall all over yourself at the grocery store? {Or am I the only crazy chick with 10 pints of strawberries in her basket?} ;)

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins
Slightly adapted from The Recipe Critic

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup milk of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

For "cheesecake" filling:

4 oz. {half a block} of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
{Optional} Coarse or sanding sugar for topping

Beat together all ingredients until smooth. Set aside until ready to use or transfer to a zip top bag for easy pouring.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until just incorporated into a batter {try not to overstir}.

4.  Fill each muffin liner with about a tablespoon of batter. Sprinkle a few strawberry bits over top of the batter, then top with about a tablespoon of cheesecake mixture.* Top with another tablespoon of muffin batter & a few more strawberry bits. {At this point, I had cheesecake batter left over so I drizzled a tiny bit on top & swirled it in with a toothpick. This is optional. The cupcake liners will be pretty full, so just be careful not to add too much.}

5. Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and making sure it comes out clean or with moist crumbs.

6. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.

Coming Clean: Individual Strawberry Crisps

I've been on a strawberry kick lately. It could be because it's hard to pass by them without the sweet smell attacking your senses.

I literally came to screeching halt in front of the berries when I ran into the grocery store to pick up some eggs the other day. I stopped, inhaled deeply, and promptly deposited two pints into my basket. {They were 2 for $5. I couldn't just walk away with one.}

Sneaky little things.

{Side note: Is it even still berry season?? I have no concept of such things, though I feel I should probably know...}

The only problem with buying berries in bulk is that if you don't eat them pretty quickly, they start to go south rather fast. Nothing makes me more sad that a moldy strawberry. {Well, ok, that's not true. But moldy berries definitely make the list.}

I've been eating these strawberries just as they are, and have also taken to pouring a little of the Blackberry-Ginger Balsamic vinegar that I picked up at The Ancient Olive over them for a tangy treat. You haven't lived until you've eaten a balsamic berry. Delish.

When I was poking around the fridge yesterday, I noticed that the strawberries were already starting to look a little withered.

Unacceptable.

I put my thinking cap on {my mom used to say this phrase all the time when I was a kid... am I the only one who uses it??}, and quickly threw together a pair of mini Strawberry Crisps that take no time at all from start to finish.

Bonus: They're not terribly unhealthy!

I used gluten free oats, rice flour, honey and maple syrup in place of traditional crisp ingredients {regular oats, all-purpose flour, and sugar} to "healthify" this version, but the flavor didn't suffer at all from the substitutions.

This recipe makes just two, but you could certainly multiply the amounts to serve a crowd. I'm also pretty sure you could bake it up into one big crisp instead of a few small ones if you really wanted to. {But the minis are so cute!}

If you want to make these a little more decadent, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some freshly whipped cream on top for a taste of pure, summery bliss.

It's no berry left behind around here... and if this is the result of using up every last one, I say bring on the berries!

Individual Strawberry Crisps

10 strawberries {approximately}, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey {you may want to leave this out if your strawberries are super-sweet}
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rice flour {or all purpose flour}

For Topping:

1/3 cup gluten free {or regular} oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons rice flour {or regular all purpose flour}
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with a piece of foil. Place two ramekins on the foil.  Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, toss together berries, lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, and flour until all the berries are well-coated. Set aside.

3. In another small bowl, stir together oats, almonds, flour, and salt. Add maple syrup and coconut oil and mix until the oats are well combined.

4. Spoon berry mixture evenly into each ramekin. Top evenly with oat mixture.

5. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until the filling starts to become bubbly and the crisp topping starts to turn golden.

6. Serve warm. {Or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!}

Strawberry-Lime Mojitos & Cuban Black Bean Dip

Tell me you're not ready to muddle up one of these pretty cocktails...

{And guess what? I've healthied it up a little for you, too! Well... all except for the rum, of course. I'm making cocktails, not miracles.}

Strawberry Lime Mojitos & Cuban Black Bean Dip... a little taste of a sultry Havana night!

Hop on over to my guest post on Palm Beach Lately -- where fashion meets fabulous with a twist of Palm Beach style! -- for the recipes! And make sure to click around while you're there... you'll find tons of inspiration for your summer soiree. :)

A big thanks to the girls of Palm Beach Lately for inviting me over! xo

Coming Clean: Strawberry-Quinoa Salad

They say the truth hurts.

I can attest to that.

Sometimes it's a stinging feeling, like you fell and scraped your pride. Sometimes it's a dull ache. The kind that alarms you enough to go to a doctor and get it checked out.

At least that's the kind that I experienced recently. Nothing serious, just a little reminder that at 31, I need to be on top of things pertaining to reproduction and eventually attempting to create offspring.

NOTE: This post discusses things of a personal nature. If you feel uncomfortable reading the word "ovary" on a food blog {which, I wouldn't fault you for}, this would be your cue to scroll down to the recipe or click to another post. I won't be getting too graphic, but I thought I'd give you a heads up just to be fair.

Anyway, I recently went to my annual lady parts appointment {And OH MY GOSH, I am sort of in disbelief that I'm actually telling you this here. All of you. Wow.}, and had the same conversation that I have with my doctor every year. It went something like this:

Doctor: "So, how are you doing?"
Me: "Fine, thanks!"
Doctor: "Good. Any important changes to report? Or questions you might have?"
Me: "No. Well... actually, there's this one thing..."

And so, just to be certain that the "one thing" was, in fact, nothing new to report, my doctor set up a follow up appointment to check out a few more things and make sure all was well.

It's never a good thing when you overhear the doctor say, "No, I want to talk to her for a sec.", and then close the door behind her. It's the kind of thing that makes your stomach churn and your palms sweat. And in the few minutes leading up to that "talk", your imagination can seriously run wild.

Long story short {And saving you LOTS of unnecessary details. You're welcome.}, I was told that I have a cyst on one of my ovaries.

It's actually not a big deal. In fact, it wasn't "news", exactly. The first time I heard about it was a few years ago when my doctor initially discovered a few of them. Upon my most recent visit, they found that the original ones had disappeared.

But those aren't the current problem. The problem is this new addition which is larger than my doctor feels comfortable leaving to resolve on its own. Which means surgery. Which means I'm a basket case. Which means, I can't think about anything but this damn thing.

I can imagine that you're wondering, "And what exactly, Dianna, does this have to do with food?? You know that's why we come here, right?" {And yes, I do.}

But it has everything to do with food. Because food is the fuel that we run on. And I, my friends, have been doing a poor job of fueling myself properly.

Don't get me wrong... I'm careful about what I eat. I read labels. I eat my veggies. I cook { and bake} from scratch. I limit my bad fats. I don't even eat red meat. My husband is a super healthy eater, and by default, I don't get away with a whole lot.

That being said, I have a vice. A few of them, actually. Namely dairy {cheeeeese}. And sugar. And coffee {with sugar and dairy}. And wine. Mmm, wine.

These things that I love so much... they're {sadly} inflammatory. And I know that. I do. But this little thing called blogging has given me just enough reason to consume way more of them than I need to. Even though I give away the majority of the things I make. Even though I'm all about "moderation". I've eaten far more goodies than I should in the name of the blog.

It's what happens when you notice that your cupcake posts get about 10 times more views than your roasted vegetable posts, and as a natural result, you have cupcakes in your house 10 times more often than you normally would.

But that's not your fault. And it's not the blog's fault.

No excuses, no finger pointing... I'm coming clean.

Here's the thing: I cannot live a life without the aforementioned items. Well, ok. I can. I just don't want to. And I don't think anyone should have to if they don't want to. So, I don't plan on eliminating them completely, because quite frankly, that's just cruel.

But something's got to be done. And since there isn't much I can control in this situation, I figured the least I could do was try to aid my body in healing itself so that I can avoid surgery. Perhaps the food isn't the direct culprit, but it can't hurt to investigate.

So... I'll be writing some posts in a new series: Coming Clean.

I debated writing about this in such a public forum. It could make people uncomfortable. It could stir up controversy. I've already had these talks with friends {and family} who have different opinions about diet and medicine and holistic approaches. I respect all of them.

I'm just not a "Here, take a pill." kinda gal. And I feel like I need to take some responsibility for my own health. I'm not suggesting this is the only route, or the right route for you, but it's the route I'm taking.

So, since this is going to affect what you'll be reading, I decided to share. You might have suspected something was up anyway when you started seeing less frosting and more fruits & veggies. ;)

For your sake and mine, I'm going to to do my very best to share only the tastiest things I come up with. And don't worry... there will still be cheese. And sugar. And wine. Just not as much as before.

I've got six weeks before my next appointment... six weeks to shrink this little sucker and show it who's boss. And if eating stuff like this Strawberry Quinoa Salad is the solution, then I don't think I'll mind it one bit.

This dish is a perfect combination of flavors - savory, sweet, crunchy, refreshing. And yes, there's even a little cheese involved.

Strawberry Quinoa Salad
Adapted from PureWow via Mette Williams - Culina, L.A.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar {or champagne vinegar}
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
6-7 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted {or regular almonds, chopped}, plus extra for garnish
3 scallions, finely sliced
1/4-1/3 cup reduced fat crumbled feta cheese

1. Make Quinoa: In a medium pot, combine quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and cover. Simmer until most of the water is absorbed, 8-10 minutes. Stir once, then reduce heat to low and allow to sit and steam {covered} for about 6-8 minutes more. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. {You can speed this up by spreading it out on a cookie sheet.}

2. Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic, lemon juice, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Transfer cooled quinoa into bowl with whisked mixture. Add cucumber, strawberries, almonds, scallions, and feta. Gently toss to combine and coat the entire mixture with vinaigrette at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Garnish with extra toasted almonds if desired. Enjoy at room temperature or as a cold salad. Both are equally delicious!

Food Blog Forum Orlando Recap {Part 2}

{For Part 1 of my Food Blog Forum recap, click here.}

How do you deal with meeting new people for the first time? What's your reaction when you find yourself in interesting social situations? {i.e. Meeting people you've already read all about.}

Me? I'm a babbler.

{I know what you're thinking. Me? Babble? Never.} ;)

I start talking and then I can't shut myself up. I talk to fill the silence with timid people. I talk to "put it all out there" and be open. I talk because I want the other person to feel like they're not the only one sharing. Or oversharing as the case may be.

So, even though I consider myself quite social, I can also be quite socially awkward. At least, that's what it feels like when it's happening.

You can imagine how I felt going into Friday evening's welcome reception with 125+ of my closest "friends" that I've never met.

Disney did their best to make us all feel at ease... beautiful little bites of food circulated the room, an open bar served up some liquid encouragement for flowing conversation, and the surroundings weren't too shabby, either.

Within the first few minutes, I found myself chatting with Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes {one of the very first food blogs I ever stumbled upon}, Megan from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver {one of my more recent favorites! I totally hugged her. I'm a nerd.}, Julie from The Little Kitchen {whom I had the privilege of meeting last year at Central Florida BlogCon}, and Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil.

Can I tell you what I said to these lovely folks? Nope. Not a word of it.

I was tuned into the Babble Station. All babble, all the time. I proceeded to yammer on for the rest of the hour with various other bloggers.

Fun Fact: I spoke with Tina from My Life as a Mrs. and we discovered that we're practically next door neighbors. Like, we shop at the same grocery store and everything. I also got to meet 2 more local bloggers -- Denise from Creative Kitchen and Michelle from The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook . South Florida Bloggers represent! ;)

By the end of the reception {which, by the way, was signaled by a woman walking around the room playing a xylophone-type contraption... Oh, Disney.}, I had made my way around the room and spoken to quite a few people but still had so many more I wanted to chat with!

We quickly changed into comfier "play clothes", and made our way to the Magic Kingdom in hopes of getting to ride a few of the highlights and catch the fireworks display & the parade.

Did I tell you we recruited a new park-hopping friend to our group at this point? Erin from Eat Drink Bake Cook {For the life of me I cannot remember the order of these words. I say it differently every time.} ... she was a doll!

It was just a tad windy waiting for the boat on the dock.

So, the three of us took on the Magic Kingdom after dark. As we discovered, there were a lot of changes to the park since the last time I visited, which made it sort of difficult to navigate. {Read: We got lost. A lot.} But we still managed to get to ride a couple of the "Mountains", and even some of the attractions in the new and improved Fantasyland.

Over by the new Beauty & The Beast area in Fantasyland.

Most importantly? I got a Dole Whip.

That is one happy Dole Whip-eating girl. 

We called it a night after the parade since we knew we had to be at breakfast by 8:00 a.m. and before I knew it, my alarm was going off and it was time for the conference!

..................................................

I'm SO not a morning person. But I have to say, the whimsical breakfast spread presented by Disney definitely made losing some sleep a little less painful.

How often do you get to start your day with a light-up fruit salad?

As if glowing breakfast items weren't enough to wake us up, we also received our swag bags around this time... oh, the swag! Our sponsors and friends really spoiled us rotten. I'm pretty sure I've already gained a few LBs from exploring all the edible goodies we were given.

Swag, unloaded from the bag at home. I'm pretty sure some of the stuff isn't even pictured here.

Guess what I'll be talking about in the next post??

You guessed it: More FBF, and more FOOD! 

I'll be sharing some of the insights I gained from listening to the wonderful presenters, as well as our Disney-tastic lunch. Can you believe everything I've shared all happened within the first 24 hours of the conference weekend?? No wonder I'm still recovering!

Since I've been busy getting back into the groove this week, I haven't had too much time in the kitchen, so I'm sharing an older recipe that was popular at a 4th of July party last year that you can bust out at your Memorial Day gatherings. 

It's a Strawberry-Peanut Butter Tart, and I'm pretty sure there's no way to mess it up. Not even if you're tired from a weekend of Disney fun. It's pretty, can be made to look "patriotic", and basically tastes like a big PB&J flavored cookie. How All-American is that?

Click over to the recipe here. 

Strawberry Sherbet

Let me tell you a little story about how my husband, my friends, and I all became frozen yogurt addicts.

 

You know the kind - the shiny, modern little shops that have popped up all over the place in the last few years. They lure you in with their self-serve stations and their topping bars loaded with oodles of tempting bites, and before you know it, you've got yourself a problem. {And a $10 cup of yogurt.}

Anyway, it all started out quite innocently. A new fro-yo place opened up last year in our neighborhood, so we decided to check it out.

As much as I love food in general, I'm pretty boring when it comes to frozen treats - single flavor, no toppings, just plain ol' tart-yet-creamy frozen yogurt deliciousness. Steve, on the other hand, gets pretty interesting with his add-ons: Gummy Bears. Granola. Nuts. Sometimes independent of each other, and sometimes all in the same serving. {Shudder.}

But the beauty about this yogurt utopia was that there was something for everyone.

Soon, we discovered that our friends had stumbled upon the same shop and we all found that it was causing some strange new behaviors that we hadn't experienced before: Mid-week fro-yo runs, excuses to be in that area so we could stop in and see if there were any new flavors, signing up for annoying text messages just so we could receive 10% off. It was madness, I tell you.

To top it all off {ha! No pun intended.}, we were all developing signature approaches to designing our frozen creations. I started getting more adventurous and learned that by combining several flavor combos I could develop my very own "blend" - Vanilla, Pineapple, Coconut for a tropical treat. Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel for something that tasted like a liquid candy bar. Cookies & Cream, Mint, and Milk Chocolate for a faux Girl Scout Cookie. 

One friend would swirl the toppings into his yogurt for something similar to a Blizzard. Another would spend a good chunk of time determining the order, flavor combos, and proper yogurt-to-topping ratio for his own version of a parfait. We were all out of control.

Next thing I knew, we were self-proclaimed yogurt connoisseurs, scoffing at other shops we visited for their lack of toppings; acting like modern day Goldilocks with our, "This one's too tart/not creamy enough/too sweet/too icy/just right."

I knew enough was enough. I had to find something to replace the habit at home where we weren't paying nearly $5 a pop.

And then it happened -- Strawberry Sherbet. This is an easy {EASY} recipe that doesn't require cooking, includes fresh strawberries, and rounds out the sweetness with a nice tang from buttermilk. You can add your toppings in the comfort of your home however you like them without judgement from other fro-yo freaks.

We still love our frozen yogurt from time to time, but I had to stop the insanity. I'm still pretty sure that self-serve frozen yogurt is laced with addictive substances, but now that I've learned how to make this fresh Strawberry Sherbet, I can take the edge off when I need to.

Strawberry Sherbet
Adapted from Eating Well

2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle strawberries with sugar and let sit for 10-15 minutes until sugar starts to form a syrup.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and sugar and blend until smooth. {*I used frozen berries and I blended them with sugar to form an icy strawberry mixture, which I then allowed to sit at room temperature until it was a syrupy liquid.}

3. Using a fine mesh strainer,  strain strawberry mixture into a large bowl, pressing to retrieve juice, leaving pulp & seeds behind. Discard pulp.

3. Add buttermilk, half & half, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt to strawberry mixture, and whisk together to combine. {If the mixture is not cold, refrigerate for 2-3 hours until chilled. This will speed up the process once added to the ice cream maker.}

4. Pour the mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker, and use according to manufacturer's directions. {It took approximately 20-25 minutes to get a soft serve consistency.}

5. Scoop sherbet into a freezer-safe container and freeze until desired scooping consistency is achieved.

6. Top with your favorite add-ons! {Or not!}

*Note: This sherbet gets pretty hard to scoop once it's frozen. For easier scooping, leave on the countertop at room temp for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Strawberry-Peanut Butter Tart

I'm not gonna lie, folks, the recipe I'm sharing today is from the 4th of July. {Hence the stars.}

Why has it taken me so long, you ask? Well, things have been busy around here. Between opening the husband's new office, working there, working my old job, working for myself, and hardly ever being around during the weekends, there hasn't been a whole lot of extra time laying around.

I have also been eating nothing but leaves, seeds, vegetables, and fruits for the past week thanks to the silent threats of my {extremely} tight jeans... and while I thoroughly enjoy all of the above food categories, I will spare you from my self inflicted restrictions.

The irony here is that, during times when I'm on my best nutritional behavior, I tend to have the most creative, most decadent recipe ideas. {There are a handful I'm thinking of at this very moment that I can't wait to try out once my jeans and butt start to get along again}.

I liken it to roaming through the blazing desert and having hallucinations of an oasis. A body deprived of sugar will start to imagine all kinds of good stuff.

The mind is a funny thing.

Anyway, this Strawberry-Peanut Butter Tart is no hallucination. It's real, it's easy, and it's good.

Like a giant peanut butter cookie slathered with strawberry jam, this tart is just another {delicious} way to get a PB & J fix.

Sometimes simple really is best.

I'll be sure to write down all of my recipe fantasies this week so I'll have some fun stuff to share once I am out of the desert I allow myself to indulge a little again.

In the meantime, hold yourself over with this tart. :)

Strawberry-Peanut Butter Tart
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

1 1/2 sticks butter {12 tablespoons}, softened
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour {you may need a bit more if dough is not stiff enough}
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter {creamy or crunchy, whichever you prefer}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a fluted tart pan {with removal bottom} with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl ,whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, granulated and confectioners' sugars, beaing until well incorporated and smooth. Stir in egg and vanilla.

Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture a little at a time and combine until a soft dough forms. {If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. I had to, but it may have been because I forgot to leave my butter out to soften and it became slightly melted when I softened it in the microwave.}

Take half of the dough, and press into bottom of prepared tart pan and up the sides. Spoon strawberry jam in the center of the dough, and spread carefully, leaving a 1/2 inch border all the way around. With half of the remaining dough, create a rim around the tart, pressing carefully to adhere.

Using the other half of the dough, create shapes {if desired}, balls, or dollop by the spoonful over the top of the jam.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden around the edge of the crust.

Remove from oven and allow tart to cool for about 15-20 minute. Carefully remove ring and transfer to a serving plate.