In case you were wondering, the strawberry game is still going strong in my house. I am very lucky to have a farmers market happening every Thursday near my office. (more…)
Strawberry Rhubarb Fizz Cocktail
Patio season is officially in effect here in Canada. The only thing that trumps patio season is summer fruit season. (more…)
Mini Strawberry Key Lime Pies
The last time I posted a recipe I was celebrating Ukrainian Christmas, it was the dead of winter, I was in a different job, and I hadn’t yet travelled to New York City, Miami, Arizona, and Las Vegas. Wow, a lot sure has happened in 4 months! (more…)
Strawberries & Cream White Chocolate Scones
A word of advice, my friends: don’t ever schedule two workout sessions in one day after a weekend of consuming beer and rich food for your birthday. It won’t end well. At least that is what I have discovered today when I made my triumphant return to the gym this morning with a 1 hour weight class. I was so dehydrated, I got dizzy and thought “And I have to do this all over again at 6:30pm? No way!”. Even my lovely trainer who was teaching the class commented that I looked “off”. It was then and there that I regretted all my terrible (yet oh so delicious) food choices of the past weekend. Burgers, ice cream, chocolate and beer. I swore them off then and there. It wasn’t worth feeling so horrible while working out. But, after 2 hours of recovery and a nice relaxing bath, I am back to my old self and craving these decadent scones.
Besides our Pumpkin Scones, these are by far the best scones I have ever made. They are so soft and buttery. The strawberry glaze gives it a fruity sweetness. Not to mention the melted white chocolate and strawberries inside the scone – so amazing. The dough comes together really easy in a food processor and is very easy to roll out with your hands. A no-kneed dough is my kind of dough, people.
This recipe makes 6 very large scones, but you can also make smaller, mini scones as well. Just depends on how big of a cutter you have, or how big you want to cut the dough triangles. I highly recommend you give these a try soon! I know I will. Totally worth struggling in the gym for.
Strawberry Yogurt Cake
T-minus 1 day until I’m officially on vacation! I cannot wait. I am actually doing a stay-cation and spending time in the city and at home. The decision to take a week’s vacation was a last minute one, so I didn’t have time to put together travel plans. I’m also going to be a bridesmaid next weekend for the 5th time, so I figured I should stay put as there are many exciting events leading up to my friend’s big day.
Although my vacation will consist of attending some appointments and getting some much needed beauty sleep, I cannot wait to have more time to cook and bake. If you follow me on Facebook (and if you don’t – you totally should!), you will already know that I purchased Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest cookbook “It’s All Good“. I’m not a huge Gwyneth fan, but I must say, the recipes in this cookbook sound extremely delicious. Some ingredients may be a challenge to find, therefore I’m totally looking forward to having more time to shop around and to visit some local organic grocery stores. I will keep you posted on how the recipes turn out!
Now, onto this latest recipe I am featuring. It’s pretty much one of the best cakes I’ve ever made with fruit in it, hands down. I made it with freshly picked strawberries and I cannot say enough about how delicious it tasted. Claudia loved it as well and encouraged me to make it again. That is always the true test, if your mother approves. The Greek yogurt makes it sinfully moist, and the lemon icing gives it a nice sweetness.
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
I don’t think there is anything worse than the summer cold. I am suffering from a nasty one right now. Sore throat, congestion and fatigue. It’s a good thing the weather here has been rainy or else I would seriously be feeling ripped off. We only experience super warm weather here in Winnipeg approximately 3-4 months out of the year. The rest of the year the weather fluctuates between mediocre and freezing cold. You may recall that even when I tried to escape the freezing cold this past winter and escaped to Arizona to visit Claudia, I was hit by a nasty flu bug and was bedridden for the entire vacation. I guess I’m simply not meant to bask the the glorious sun while being poolside and healthy.
Speaking of Claudia, she’s back in town after a few weeks in Saskatchewan. Of course, she brought me back a plethora of freshly-picked berries – Strawberries and Saskatoon Berries to be exact (Saskatoon Berry recipe coming soon!). Since I have inherited my body weight in berries, I decided to get rid of the current ones in my fridge. Enter these delicious Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins. I absolutely love them. LOVE THEM. They are delicious! The perfect balance of juicy tart raspberries combined with the sweet/bitter dark chocolate and cinnamon baked goodness. They are a hit here in my house. The other bonus about this recipe is that you don’t need an electric mixer. It is highly recommended that you mix all the ingredients by hand to prevent over-mixing and, in turn, dry muffins.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bars
Claudia came home this week from a stint in Saskatchewan. Of course, she couldn’t come back without bringing me something delicious from the garden. Yes, I received a huge delivery of ripe rhubarb. I love early summer for this reason alone. Rhubarb is so versatile and yet I often make the same recipe over and over again – Claudia’s delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Cake. That recipe is often served as a cobbler, warmed up with ice cream. I wanted to do something a little different with my latest delivery of rhubarb so I searched the Internet for inspiration. I found this recipe from Pink Parsley and immediately fell in love with it. These pie bars are absolutely amazing! The fruit filling is sweet and the crust is buttery and crumbly. Like most recipes I feature on the blog, it’s also extremely simple! I can’t wait to make more of these pie bars, as I still have a ton of rhubarb left!
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Strawberry season has arrived here in Manitoba. I love picking strawberries. As a kid, Claudia and her Mom (my Baba) would often take us strawberry picking outside the city. I had so much fun. Mainly because I ate more than I placed in the basket! There is nothing better than the taste of fresh fruit straight off the vine. When Claudia told me she was returning from a trip to Saskatchewan and was going to pick up some baskets of strawberries, I knew we immediately needed to make her recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam that evening. This is by far my favourite jam on the planet. Friends who have tried it also agree. I actually learned while making this with Claudia last week that it’s no family secret – it’s literally the recipe from the Certo package! Regardless, it’s beyond delicious. I much prefer the freezer no-cook jam version as opposed to the cooked version. It’s also a lot easier to make.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cake
Like most people, summer is my favourite time of the year. The weather (for the most part) is warm and restaurant patios are a buzz with tons of people in great moods. I particularly love summer because of the selection of fruit in season. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are in abundance in grocery stores, farmers markets are open, and U-pick fruit farms are everywhere. Some of my favourite summer memories growing up were when Claudia would take me and my brother to U-pick farms outside the city and we’d pick pails and pails of strawberries (and fill our bellies just the same).
I also find baking to be much more enjoyable with fresh in-season fruit. One of my favourites to bake in the early summer is Strawberry Rhubarb Cake. This recipe is another gem of Claudia’s. There are a lot of strawberry rhubarb recipes out there. This one is more like a cake, but still has the same delicious flavour as a crisp.