Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars

I am constantly juggling the daily tasks of growing a business and staying home with my growing boy. I love both, but it takes a lot of time, energy and patience to dedicate time to each every single day. I spend Cole's nap times working and his awake times playing, and I'm always looking for fun yet educational activities to do with my little guy. So, the ideal scenario is when my two worlds collide and I can gather inspiration for the blog while keeping Cole entertained.

It's rare to find opportunities that mesh well with both "jobs" {Cole isn't into extended dining experiences just yet!}, but every once in a while I discover events and adventures that lend themselves to the two perfectly.

A few weeks ago, I asked a girlfriend if she and her son would want to join us on a trip out to Swank Specialty Produce to try our hand at strawberry picking before the season came to a close. They were as excited about the prospect of fresh picked berries as we were, so we made a plan to meet bright and early "on the farm."

Except, if you know me, you know that my sense of direction is nothing to be envied. I rely HEAVILY on Google Maps, and I don't know what I did before GPS tracking came along. {Yes I do. I got lost a lot.} Armed with my phone and a robotic-sounding co-pilot leading the way, I figured I had nothing to worry about as the overview seemed pretty clear cut.

Down the back roads of Loxahatchee we drove, Cole and I, filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. We took our lefts and rights on streets like "Avocado" and "Persimmon", and it seemed to me we were on the right track to pick some produce.

When we got to the dirt roads with unclear signage, I let my phone do the navigating and listened carefully to her orders as she told me to veer right into an unmarked entrance. I drove in and found myself at what seemed more like an RV camping spot than a farm of any kind, so I pulled over to try to get my bearings and figure out where the GPS had lead me.

As I scanned the area from the driver's seat, I finally caught a glimpse of a cheerful looking sign that cleared up any confusion as to what I had wandered into: A Naturist Resort.

Since my mind was still fixated on strawberries, the word "naturist" didn't ring a bell until I noticed a smaller, more cautionary-looking sign stating that there was nudity on the property. Ah, yes... it all came together for me then. Naturist = Nudist. My trusted Google navigator had lead me to a NUDIST COLONY. My suspicions were confirmed seconds later, when I spied a nice looking older gentleman retrieving his mail wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a smile.

Now, I'm no prude, but I sat there stunned for a second before I burst into laughter. Cole, all the while, was observing his mother's manic behavior from the carseat, and probably wondering what in the world got into me. This will be a story to share in the future, for sure.

Anyway, we did eventually find our way to Swank which was just one dirt road entrance away, and I'm happy to report that strawberry picking was a success with both boys. {And that everyone at Swank was fully clothed.}

Gone pickin'. {Always attempting that perfect Instagram shot.}
Photos of me & the boys courtesy of Erica Dunhill.

We came home with a heaping pint of hand-picked strawberries, but we also found out that they sell jam and other produce as well. Though I didn't pick any up this time around, I hope to on our next visit. In the meantime, I was inspired to use up a jar of jam from Parksdale Farms that I've had for a while in these ridiculously easy Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars.

I love that the base and the crumble topping for these bars are made from the same mixture, meaning less work. A layer of sweet and gooey jam {really, any flavor will do} is sandwiched in the center of the bars, covered with a crisp oatmeal and hazelnut topping and then drizzled with chocolate hazelnut spread.

The result is truly irresistible.... and that's the naked truth!

Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars
Adapted from Food Network
Makes about 16 squares

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 {12 tablespoons} sticks butter, melted
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups strawberry jam or preserves
2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch pan with foil, overlapping on all sides. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Pour melted butter into dry mixture in a thin stream, mixing it into the dry ingredients until it has the look of wet sand.

3. Scoop out about half of the mixture and place it in the prepared baking pan. Press down with your fingers to pack it down into a sturdy base.

4. To the remaining mixture, add the rest of the oats and the hazelnuts, mixing to combine. Set aside.

5. Spread strawberry jam over the bottom layer in the pan, making sure to cover entirely.

6. Grab the remaining mixture by the handful, squishing it together to create a pebbly crumble and sprinkle it over the top of the jam. Cover completely.

7. Bake for about 40 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and the jam is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

8. Place the chocolate hazelnut spread into a zip-top bag and snip one corner. Drizzle the crumble top with the spread. {You can also warm it up a bit to loosen it and just drizzle with a spoon for a more rustic look.} Cut into bars and enjoy!

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.