Desserts – Page 4

Lemon Blueberry Tarts

June 25, 2015 by Danielle

These super easy lemon blueberry tarts are always welcome at parties and special occasions! Make the tart the day before and fill the morning of your party.

The flavors of summer are always welcomed in our home. Our lemon tree is surprising us with a few lemons and we’re in peak blueberry season. Or so it seems that way in the grocery store. The blueberries have been on sale and my kids can’t get enough.

With such an overabundence of blueberries and some juicy lemons ripe for the picking on our tree, these lemon blueberry tarts were the perfect dessert to make for a summer party we were invited to.

These super easy tarts are always welcome at parties and special occasions! Make the tart dough the day before and fill the morning of your party for a quick, make ahead treat that everyone will love.

Lemon Blueberry Tarts

Basic Tart Dough (baked and cooled)

Lemon Blueberry Filling:

8 ounces heavy whipping cream
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon curd
fresh blueberries (washed and drained)
mint leaves ((optional garnish))

In a large mixing bowl, add whipping cream and powdered sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form, scraping bowl a few times. Stir in lemon curd.
Spoon into prepared tart shells and top with fresh blueberries. Garnish with mint leaf if desired.

Hint: Look for lemon curd in the jam/jelly aisle at the store.

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: blueberries, Dessert, lemon, lemon blueberry tarts, lemon tarts, tarts

Summer Activities, Staycations and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops Recipe

June 17, 2015 by Danielle

The school year has come to an end and we are ready for summer! Warm weather, lazy days at the beach, and finding creative ways to cool off in our gorgeous city.

Living in a major tourist destination means that we’re lucky enough to staycation a few times through the year. And summertime is the perfect time to book a staycation and relax poolside at a local hotel or visit a local amusement park.

One thing I love about staycations is that we’re not far from home. And that means having fun and getting a little creative while out and about. That includes figuring out fun snacks to make when we’re away from home so we don’t have to spend to much extra on snacks and meals.

Most hotels we stay at when we’re on our staycations have a fridge and freezer. So we like to bring yogurts for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, and some fun treats for desserts.

When it gets really hot, a good frozen treat is perfect for cooling down. Especially one that includes all of the ingredients I already have in the mini-fridge.

We love creating creme pops at home, so why not re-create a simpler version on the road? And if you don’t have bowls all you need to do is grab your yogurt cup, mix in some chocolate spread and peanut butter, and freeze. Then eat up like ice cream instead of a pop!

These 3-ingredient chocolate peanut butter yogurt pops are the perfect way to enjoy our time in the sun but stay cool while participating in our favorite summer activities.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops

1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons chocolate spread
2 tablespoons peanut butter

In a small bowl, whisk together all three ingredients and combine well.
Pour into small cups and stick a paper straw or craft/popsicle stick into the center of the pops.
Place in freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
Pop out of the cups and enjoy!

If you’re looking for great outfits for the kids to show off on your next staycation, check out this coupon for OshKosh. Need to find a store near you? Try the OshKosh store locator.

How are you cooling down this summer?

For other fun ways to spend your summer when you return from your staycation, check out these fun Summer Activities for Kids or try making these Mandarin Orange Creme Pops with the kids.

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Snacks, Uncategorized Tagged With: chocolate, Dessert, desserts, easy kid friendly desserts, greek yogurt, healthy snacks, no bake, Peanut Butter, pops, popsicles, yogurt

Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores Mug Cake Recipe

May 29, 2015 by Danielle

This shop featuring a Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores Mug Cake recipe has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsMakeSmores #CollectiveBias #sponsored

With the unofficial start of summer here, there’s no better time to enjoy the tastes that remind us of summer. Barbecue, simple sweets, and having fun making it! For us that means making some tasty s’mores treats. But you don’t need a campfire, or even a stove, to make these delicious s’mores inspired mug cakes. All you need is a microwave.

This variation of our chocolate mug cake is one that came about after my daughter asked if we could roast marshmallows one night in our fire pit and we realized we had no idea where our roasting sticks were. Since moving to our new home last year we had somehow misplaced them. So I figured the microwave was as good as any place to make smores!

One thing I love to have on hand is a good dessert to go-to in case a need for sweets hits. We don’t like to keep cake or other sweets in the house because we know that they won’t be consumed in moderation. So I enjoy a few recipes that require little prep but still take care of the sweet tooth.

This s’mores mug cake takes less than 10 minutes, from start to finish, to prep and “bake” in the microwave. How’s that for instant gratification?

And the addition of peanut butter to the classic flavors of a s’more just takes it to another level. But I must warn you. Make sure you have a cup of milk next to you because this is one rich dessert.

Peanut Butter Fudge S'mores Mug Cake

3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 Hershey's chocolate bar
2 Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares (exclusively at Walmart, crumbled)
1/2 teaspoon butter (melted)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
Kraft's Jet Puffed Marshmallows

Combine 3 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 Hershey’s chocolate bar in a small bowl, then melt in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir until smooth and set aside.
In another bowl, combine melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and stir until moistened. Grab your mug and press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom to create a crust.
In a bowl. whisk egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, stir until a thick batter forms. Stream in melted peanut butter and chocolate mixture, mixing to combine. This will be very thick.
Add half of the mixture on top of the graham cracker mixture, then add a marshmallow or two. Add remaining batter on top. Cook in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes at 80% power.
Remove and top with 1-2 additional marshmallows and a few pieces of Hershey’s chocolate bar if desired. Microwave for 5-10 seconds to make them melty and slightly puffy, or put them directly under the broiler for about 10 seconds to toast if desired (I always burn stuff I broil so I went with the microwave).
If you used the microwave to melt the marshmallows, you can use an aim n’ flame or kitchen torch to char. Sprinkle with graham crumbs and grab a fork!

You can find all of the ingredients you need for the perfect s’mores dessert at your local Walmart. Look for the special s’mores display or head to the candy and cracker aisle to find everything.

How do you change up a classic s’mores dessert?

Have more time? Try my s’mores brownies! Or my healthy peanut butter s’mores. Both made in the oven!

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Cake, chocolate cake, mug cakes, smores

85 Ways to Use Yogurt

May 25, 2015 by Danielle

Are you a yogurt fan? We’re sharing 85 ways to use yogurt in your everyday recipes!

There’s one thing I can always count on to make me happy. Whether it’s morning, noon, or night. And that’s a delicious bowl of yogurt. It’s the one thing I reach for in the fridge when I need a snack or when I’m cooking up a meal or dessert.

I started turning to yogurt more and more as a staple in my home after going through Weight Watchers after having my oldest child. It is such a great substitute for other ingredients in recipes and is full of flavor. Plus… less calories!

And in it’s simplest form, with a sprinkle of granola and some sliced berries, it can make any day better. Plus, when you’re done eating the yogurt inside, you can make something fun out of the container!

Have some yogurt in the fridge like I do? Here are 101 ways to use yogurt!

85 Ways to Use Yogurt

Breakfast

1. In strawberry muffins

2. Sprinkled with homemade granola

3. In a breakfast cereal parfait

4. In brown sugar maple muffins

5. To make a strawberry shortcake parfait a little healthier

6. In banana blueberry muffins

7. Spruced up as pumpkin pie yogurt

8. In greek yogurt blueberry muffins

9. In apple carrot walnut muffins

10. In chocolate chip donuts

11. In a healthy blueberry parfait

12. In overnight oats

13. In a Pomegranate Parfait with Blueberries

14. In cinnamon streussel yogurt muffins

15. In baby bran muffins

16. In banana chocolate chip whole wheat pancakes

17. In these flavorful Pomegranate Pancakes

18. In a blackberry shortcake parfait

19. In these Red Currant and Rosemary Olive Oil Scones

20. In these Whole Wheat Cranberry Sauce Scones

21. Or these Whole Wheat Mango & Ginger Scones

22. And these Whole Wheat Orange Scones with Chia Seeds

23. Or change it up with these Whole Wheat Pomegranate Scones

24. And around Halloween, bake up these Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones

Lunch

25. To spruce up tropical chicken sliders

26. In a greek chicken wrap

27. In greek style gourmet burgers

Dinner

28. To lighten up Pomegranate and Lamb Moussaka with Cardamon

29. In a marinade for Chicken Skewers with Dipping Sauce

30. In a chicken tikka masala recipe

31. In the slow cooker with this butter chicken recipe

32. In a Boneless Chicken Breast Kabob (Joojeh Kabob)

33. With these Filet Mignon Kabobs (Kabob-eh Barg)

34. In this Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb

Side Dishes

35. Grilled Baby Artichokes with Balsamic Yogurt

36. In carrot raisin salad

37. Mixed with mint on top of a beet salad

Snacks

38. In vanilla chai banana bread

39. In an apple blossom parfait

40. In apple cobbler yogurt bites

41. In cranberry orange muffins

42. With a cup of coffee and this Nut Crusted Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Drinks

43. With a straw in a PB Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

44. In an orange creamsicle smoothie

45. Spiced up in a pumpkin pie smoothie

46. In a strawberry smoothie

47. In this Mango-Rum Smoothie

48. With avocados in a blueberry smoothie

49. In a cookies n cream smoothie

50. With papayas in a papaya smoothie

51. In Doogh (Persian Yogurt and Mint Drink)

52. In an Orange Cream Smoothie

53. After a workout in this Mango Protein Shake

54. In a Pomegranate Smoothie

Dessert

55. In mandarin orange cream pops

56. For a delicious addition to a Banana Smash Cake

57. In chocolate chip muffins perfect for dessert

58. In a Plum Yogurt Cake

59. To cool down in frozen greek yogurt pops

60. In an Orange Upside Down Cake

61. In churro cupcakes

62. In these root beer float pops

63. In chocolate covered strawberry frozen yogurt

64. In pumpkin spice yogurt

65. In a berry triffle

66. In strawberry frozen yogurt

67. In these Strawberry-Rhubarb Creamsicles

68. In a pomegranate sundae yogurt parfait

69. Frozen in pina colada popsicles

70. In berry cake with coconut rum

71. To moisten Carrot Cake with Walnuts & Raisins

72. With a glass of wine and this Grape Upside Down Cake

73. In a vibrant Lemon Basil Cake

74. In this Red, White & Blue Jello

75. In these mini Saffron & Raisin Pound Cakes

76. In this White Rose Cake

Dips and Appetizers

77. In a herbed yogurt cheese dip

78. In a refreshing homemade tzatziki dip

79. In Borani-e Esfenaj (Yogurt and Spinach)

80. In this Hatch Chile Dip

81. In Borani-e Bademjoon (Persian Yogurt and Eggplant)

82. With this Mast-o Khiar (Persian Yogurt with Cucumbers)

83. In chocolate caramel apple dip

84. With apples in this PB Yogurt Dip

85. In peanut butter cinnamon yogurt dip

What’s your favorite way to incorporate yogurt into your day?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Dinner, Drinks & Refreshments, In the Kitchen, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Uncategorized Tagged With: breakfast recipe, easy recipes, greek yogurt, Recipe, yogurt

Copy Cat Cosmic Brownies

May 18, 2015 by Danielle

I don’t know what it is about having a baby that makes me crave sweets but one of my biggest hurdles while nursing is saying no to too many sweets. However I still allow myself some decadent indulgence from time to time. As long as I make it from scratch.

Sure it sounds like more work, but I promise you, making these brownies from scratch is so worth it! Get ready to enjoy a small square of these brownies and be satisfied for the whole week.

Copy Cat Cosmic Brownies

1 ½ Sticks Butter (softened)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
2 teas. Vanilla Extract
¾ Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Flour
8 oz . Semisweet Chocolate
¼ – ½ Cup Mini M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350˚.
In a mixing bowl cream together the Butter, Sugar and Brown sugar.
Add in the Eggs, ¼ Cup Heavy cream and Vanilla, stir until combined.
Add in the Cocoa powder and stir until combined.
Add the flour 1/3 at a time stirring between each addition.
Put the batter in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan lined with lightly greased parchment paper and bake at 350˚
until a tooth pick comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Remove and let cool.
In a microwaveable bowl combine the Chocolate and ½ Cup Heavy cream. Microwave on high for 30
second intervals stirring after each until the Chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour over the brownie in
the pan and smooth to the edges.
Sprinkle with M&Ms and refrigerate until set.
Remove from the pan and cut into desired sizes.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What’s your favorite add-in to a brownie recipe?

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: brownies, chocolate, cosmic brownies, Dessert, M&M's

20 Smores Recipes

May 11, 2015 by Danielle

Summer is right around the corner (hello Memorial Day! I’m ready for you!) and the weather is getting warmer during the day but during the nice crisp evenings we like to sit around a fire pit and enjoy some family time. And that means 3 things: family, food, and fun.

What’s better than a delicious smore made over a roaring fire? All of these variations of smores that you can enjoy year round! Including my very delicious smores brownies. But I’m warning you, they’re addicting!

There’s no wrong way to make a smore and there’s no end to the possibilities of taking the classic flavors of smores and turning them into delicious smores recipes for every occasion.

5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

April 20, 2015 by Danielle

It’s a few weeks away from Cinco De Mayo and we’re planning our fiesta! I can’t resist celebrating a day that’s filled with good food, good friends, and fun drinks.

Now I know that this is one of those holidays that’s been taken over by Americans for the fun and excuse to party. But that doesn’t mean that we should skip it and NOT enjoy a fun party.

So grab a few friends and follow these 5 easy ways to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. You may just realize that you want to find more excuses to party!

1. Grab the tequila and make a skinny margarita!

2. Turn up the grill and make some tequila lime pork tacos, these easy tex mex cheese enchiladas and some beef and black bean enchiladas.

3. Mix some dips! This creamy tomatillo avocado sauce isn’t only good on my tequila lime pork tacos but it’s super tasty with chips too. And this simple 4 ingredient roasted corn and black beans dip is the perfect accompanyment.

Churro Cupcakes from My PB&J

4. Prepare some tasty desserts like these churro style tortillas or churro cupcakes. OMG – I can’ believe how delicious these both are!

DIY Festive Garland from Oh Happy Day!

5. Grab that margarita and delicious food, hang up some festive DIY garland, and turn on the mariachi music!

How do you celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Desserts, Dinner, Drinks & Refreshments, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Celebration, Cinco de Mayo, parties, party ideas

31 Pies for Pi Day

March 13, 2015 by Danielle

Pi Day is right around the corner and this year it’s a pretty exciting one and Pi enthusiests are prepping for their Pi celebrations due to the fact that not only is it 3/14 this year, it’s 3/14/15! That’s representing the first 5 digits of π: 3.1415.

But that’s not the most exciting part. In the year 2015, Pi Day will also have special significance on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of $π$ .

So whether you’re a mathmatician or simply a pie enthusiest, these Pi Day pie recipes are bound to make your celebration perfect. And while these are all dessert pies, don’t forget the savory pies as well! I even have a savory pie crust recipe that’ll be perfect to fill. We’ll be enjoying a french silk pie tomorrow. What flavor will you be enjoying? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: pie, pie recipe

Easy Homemade Gifts: Coffee Truffles

December 22, 2014 by Danielle

This time of year is filled with holiday baking in our home. And while cookies are usually center stage, I try and get in a few different goodies like these coffee truffles to balance out the dessert spread.

These truffles are also the perfect way to share your love of baking and making with friends and family! Simply grab a few tins and pack up some truffles to gift to those you love. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Desserts, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized

Oatmeal Recipes: Quick and Delicious Apple Crisp

December 7, 2014 by Danielle

This shop featuring a delicious apple crisp recipe made with rolled oats has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and Quaker. All opinions are mine alone. #QuakerUp #MyOatsCreation

One thing I love about this time of year is sharing holiday memories with my family. We baked a lot during the holidays and still continue that tradition today. That love of baking during the holidays has transpired from baking for the whole family to also baking for just my husband and me.

We try to do date night once every few weeks. With the busy holidays, we have to have a plan for a night at home every once in a while. Even if we aren’t going out I still want to make it a special evening for the both of us. I love to bring out our favorite holiday recipes to enjoy together as we snuggle on the couch and watch a movie together.

I always have apples and Quaker oatmeal on hand so individual apple crisp desserts were the perfect solution to our next date night in. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized

Lemon Blueberry Tarts

Lemon Blueberry Tarts

Lemon Blueberry Filling:

Summer Activities, Staycations and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops

How are you cooling down this summer?

Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores Mug Cake Recipe

Peanut Butter Fudge S'mores Mug Cake

How do you change up a classic s’mores dessert?

85 Ways to Use Yogurt

85 Ways to Use Yogurt

What’s your favorite way to incorporate yogurt into your day?

Copy Cat Cosmic Brownies

Copy Cat Cosmic Brownies

What’s your favorite add-in to a brownie recipe?

20 Smores Recipes

5 Easy Ways to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo

How do you celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

31 Pies for Pi Day

Easy Homemade Gifts: Coffee Truffles

Oatmeal Recipes: Quick and Delicious Apple Crisp

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