Strawberry Smoothies

Today's post isn't so much a recipe as it is a bunch of stuff you throw in a blender.  Every morning, recently, I've been having one of these for breakfast because I have this job where I have to go to class and take notes.  This is quick and it helps keep me full through the 3.5 hour class.  I kind of made this smoothie recipe up by looking at a mixture of other smoothie recipes online.  For this recipe, you can use any fruit you want and any juice you want.  The frozen fruit gives it a nice thick texture.  This is my favorite version, so far!

Strawberry Smoothie

• 1/2 of an avocado (I put the other half in the fridge with some lime juice spread on it.  That stops it from getting brown before the next day.)
• 5-7 frozen strawberries
• a few spoons full of plain low fat or fat free yogurt (maybe about a 1/2 cup)
• a few glugs Orange-pineapple juice (or whatever juice you like or milk)
• a palm full of fiber powder (this helps me stay full longer, but its totally not necessary)

1. Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend away!
2. If you find that your smoothie is too thick and your blender is struggling (as mine often does) then add more liquid.

That's all there is to it!  This is really yummy and you can make it your own.  If you need more sweetness, you can add sugar or honey, but I find the juice adds all the sweetness I need.   Enjoy :)

Scones

Three posts in three days?  That's gotta be a record or something!  Like I said in an earlier post, I've made some really good things lately and they are pretty easy too.  I think I have shared my love for King Arthur Flour before, but I don't know if I have told you how great their recipes are!  I have made a few things from them before, but their scones are real winners.

You can make these scones with anything you like.  I have used chocolate chips and another time I used craisins and a citrus-vanilla extract from King Arthur.  I have only made the drop version, which I will post here.  If you want to make pretty triangle ones, you should head over to their website.  Actually, you should probably go over to their website anyways, its pretty great.  On to the recipe...

Scones
from: King Arthur Flour

Dough

• 2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup to 2 cups chopped dried fruit, chocolate or other flavored chips, nuts, or a combination, optional
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice
• 3/4 cup half and half or milk (I use milk, it works fine)

Topping

• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar or cinnamon sugar, optional

 Instructions

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.(I use my stand mixer to make these)

2) Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

3) Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you're using them.

4) In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.

5) Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

6) Using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, dollop the scone dough in 1/3-cupfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight if you want to make hot fresh scones in the morning. 7) Bake the scones in a preheated 375°F oven for about 30 minutes (my oven usually cooks them faster, so watch them after 20 minutes). 8) Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.

*my notes are in italics

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Today's recipe is absolutely amazing.  Max said: a cookie that you turned into another cookie? That's weird.  It might seem weird, but these Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies are so delicious.  That's right, they are chocolate chip cookies with crushed up Oreos inside of them.  Sometimes you get a little bit of filling in your bite and it is delicious.  No pictures, sorry, but I promise you these cookies are worth it :)

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies
from: Lovin' From the Oven

• 1 stick softened butter
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 11 broken pieces Oreo Cookies (or more if you want!)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream butter, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients then stir in oreos and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Honey Beer Bread

Hello everyone, sorry I've been missing for a while.  Over the past few weeks I've had some exciting things happen.  Brian came to visit us for a whole week and we had a lot of fun, started partying around 1pm every day!  My parents came to visit last weekend for my graduation!!  After five years, I am finally done with my undergrad!  I have one semester left for student teaching and then I will finally be able to join the work force.

I have been baking a lot lately and I have some awesome recipes to share with you soon.  The one I'm going to share today is Honey Beer Bread.  This is one of my favorite quick breads to make because it is so delicious and sooooo fast!!  There is a Mulberry Tree growing in the garden so I picked some of those the other day and decided to add them to this recipe.  If you don't have mulberries, you could use any other type of berry or just leave them out, it is so good without anything added.

 I ate some before I remember to take a picture, oops!

Honey Beer Bread

adapted from: Gimme Some Oven 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I prefer Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier, it goes so well with the mulberries)
• 4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup of mulberries, or berry of your choice (optional)

Method:
(Makes 1 loaf)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, berries, and salt.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed.  (I like to spray my measuring spoon with Pam so that it comes out really easily)
3. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.  (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)
4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

*If you leave the berries out and use a less sweet beer this goes really well with dinner.

Garden

This post doesn't have any recipes (sorry), but I wanted to show off my garden a bit.  I planted things at the local community garden and things have been going pretty well so far.  We had a bit of a mishap the other day; someone moved my tomato plants for some unknown reason.  I'm sure they had good intentions, but I moved them back to where I had them.  I caged them too, maybe they'll get the message and not move them again.

What I'm growing:

• Box Car Willie Tomatoes (a heirloom variety)
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Acorn Squash
• Jalapenos
• Spaghetti Squash
• Sugar Pumpkins (to make pumpkin pie)
• Basil (Sweet and Piston varieties)

Acorn Squash, tomatoes, and jalapenos.  This was before I put my stolen tomato plants back.  See that little poof of green right before the hay ends?  That's piston basil.  It's tiny little basil leaves and I thought it was very cute so I had to buy it!!

Most of the garden, with Janine and her friend gardening.  In this picture you can see spinach, cucumbers, flowers, rosemary, sage, and lots of other things!  It was cloudy this day.

Okay, this doesn't look like much yet, but it's Janine's popcorn.  I really hope it grows, because I think it is really cool.

I'm really enjoying this adventure so far.  Sometimes I feel like a little kid, especially when the buds start coming up or I find something I didn't expect.  I'll keep you guys updated as things progress.  Cross your fingers that I have some veggies in a few months!