Simple Yet Gourmet

New recipe! Can you even believe it?! Kirsti and I decided we need to get back in the habit of sharing our favorite recipes by sharing at least one a month so here you go:   I’m starting off with these scrumptious strawberry muffins. Extra large and fluffy, these muffins are bursting with strawberry bits and topped with the most delicious strawberry glaze. If you end up with extra glaze, go ahead and drizzle some extra.  No judgement here :)   Even if you already love the previous strawberry muffins on our blog, you need to try these- they are the only ones I'll be making from here on out.  They're that good!

I have always loved Strawberry and Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, but was craving it in a big way after going to the BYU Creamery specifically for a scoop of that deliciousness only to have them not be serving it that day.  I decided to just make some of my own and started looking for a recipe.  This ice cream is smooth and creamy and so easy! And of course, super yummy :).  You don't even need an ice cream maker for this.  The original recipe called for graham cracker pieces, but I thought Golden Oreos would be even better!

I haven't made cupcakes in so long! When Valentine's Day was right around the corner I decided that I wanted to make some cupcakes to send into work with Aaron.  Just for fun! It seems like in the past I've always done some sort of chocolate so this year I decided to mix it up with a fruity frosting.  It ended up being amazing! I came across the idea of using Freeze Dried Strawberries for the flavor and it worked like a charm. The frosting is bursting with strawberry flavor, but without the moisture, and I even got this beautiful color to boot!  Although I made these for Valentine's Day, I'm thinking they would be perfect for Spring/Summer.  I paired these with some lemon cupcakes but they would be delicious with a variety of cakes.

School might be in session but temps are still in the 90's.  As much as I wish it was Fall, Summer is still here, and in that spirit here is a delightfully different type of homemade ice "cream".  This is made with coconut milk in place of milk and cream which might sound a little odd but it works! The base was still creamy and delicious but had a mild taste of coconut which went great with the strawberries.  It froze a little harder than traditional ice cream, but  I found a few seconds in the microwave helped it get to a nice consistency.

This is my favorite salad EVER!  It was actually the first recipe ever posted on this little old blog, but it was badly in need of of new picture.  I've also updated the recipe a little including the recipe I use for sugared almonds.  If you haven't tried this out yet, here's your chance.

Say hello to my new favorite breakfast!  Not only are these delicious and indulgent, they are so easy to make.  I actually think these are easier than regular pancakes.  They cook faster and since they are so thin you don't have to worry about the batter flying off when you flip them over.  Another bonus is that they are so versatile.  They were wonderful with the bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup but you could do any combo you like.  Caramel sauce was delicious with the bananas, and strawberries were perfect with the chocolate sauce.  You could even take it a step further and sprinkle it with mini-chocolate chips or chopped nuts.  

Who wants a cupcake?  I have been thinking about this combination for a while but wanted to find the perfect recipe.  I found the cupcake recipe on Martha Stewart.  Have you ever heard of Sprinkles Cupcakes?  They were kind enough to share their recipe for strawberry cupcakes with us.  The cupcakes are sturdy enough to hold up to frosting, deliciously moist, and just sweet enough.  They recommended topping these with a strawberry buttercream, but I thought a strawberry cream cheese frosting would be awesome, and I was right!  We all loved these!

With Valentine's Day this week I decided to post a yummy treat you could make your family for this special day. Strawberries are everywhere for the holiday so I decided to make a Strawberry Tart with them!  The strawberries I found were beautiful and super sweet.  The recipe called for a chocolate ganache on the bottom of the tart,

Please forgive my photography skills, or the lack thereof.  I wish I could have taken a picture that would have done this justice. That being said, this ice cream is AMAZING!  So much better than store-bought.  I'm normally a chocolate kind of girl, but this strawberry has taken the #1 spot in my heart.  I could eat it everyday, which is why I've had to exercise some serious self-control. Homemade ice cream may seem daunting but it is so simple!  Really!  Try it out sometime, if you haven't already, but be forewarned...you may never have a desire to buy store-bought ice cream again.

Who doesn't love a good scone?  What I love about these scones is they are a) easy to make, b) yummy, c) they have lots of delicious strawberry pieces throughout, and d) they are sprinkled with sugar for a little extra deliciousness.  They come together quickly and are pretty tasty as well.  Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning, or any morning!

The kids have figured out that their mom loves holidays!  We will decorate and celebrate any holiday, from Christmas to St. Patrick's Day (we drive Mike nuts!)!  On Valentine's Day I love to leave sweet notes and a little surprise telling the kids how much I love them.  This year, I cut out paper hearts and left a trail of them from each bedroom to the kitchen, they had a blast with that one.  In the kitchen I had set the table with cute plates and cups and made them each a goodie bag.  For breakfast,  I made crepes with fresh strawberries and homemade strawberry syrup, delicious.  The syrup was easy to make and just perfect for our Valentine breakfast!  It would be great on waffles, French toast, poppyseed cake or ice cream!  Have fun this this super easy treat!

Thanks to my good friend Katie, this has become one of our family's favorite desserts! When strawberries are on sale this is the recipe we turn to. It's a yummy twist to the ordinary strawberry shortcake. Don't let the idea of rolling a cake scare you. I was afraid to make this for a long time, but once I did, I never turned back. With summer just around the corner I hope this recipe will become a favorite of yours as well.