Makes these ice pops the night before to give them the time to freeze solid.
The best way to ensure that your baby is getting the best food possible is to make it yourself. Make sure to purchase organic and Non-GMO fruits and vegetables.
I love this dough because it’s very versatile. Roll it out and make holiday shapes or make gingerbread men. Decorate however you like.
Whether you’re going to a cookie exchange or just baking holiday cookies for your family, you’ll like this tried & true sugar cookie recipe. Make sure that you’re using natural ingredients, as the imitation stuff just isn’t the same.
Blueberry Cookies
If you’re tired of the same old chocolate chip cookie then give my scrumptious Blueberry Cookies a test run. I wouldn’t quite put them in the “healthy” category, but close enough.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Dried Blueberries
Preheat your oven to 375º F. In a small size bowl combine the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. In a large size bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after adding each egg. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the blueberries. Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment paper line baking sheets. Place into the oven and bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Remember every oven heats differently and if you like your cookies soft then you may want to take them out just a bit early as they will continue to cook for a bit after leaving the oven. Remove from the oven and let cool for 4 minutes on the baking sheet. Remove from the baking sheet and transfer them to wire racks and let cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
Over the weekend I was in the mood for oatmeal cookies. I looked all over my pantry for the box of raisins that I could have sworn was in there, but couldn’t locate them. BUT I did see a container filled with dried cherries. The jury is in and I must admit that I like oatmeal cookies better with cherries. Just sayin’.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Dried Cherries
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large size bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar on a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well. In a separate medium size bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and kosher salt. Mix well Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well. Add the oats and dried cherries and mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat until you have baked all of the cookies. Makes about 4 dozen.
Camille's Smoked Salmon Frittata
Victoria and Camille have been cooking together almost from the moment Camille was born. Camille’s tiny hands broke eggs for cakes, stirred frosting and of course licked the beaters. Victoria couldn’t keep Camille out of the kitchen so she purchased a little lightweight stool for her to stand on in order to reach the counters. Because Camille has been cooking for over 20 years she has become an expert in coming up with her own recipes and cooking ideas. She loves to cook for family and friends alike and I must admit her Banana Bread is out of this world. Here is Camille’s Smoked Salmon Frittata that she concocted last night. It was delicious and naturally there are no leftovers. Give her frittata a try for dinner, lunch or breakfast. It’s nice having a multi-meal dish at your fingertips.
INGREDIENTS
1 Diced Medium Onion
1 Tablespoon Butter
12 Fresh Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Cup Spinach
3/4 Cup Smoked Salmon
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a medium size ovenproof skillet sauté the onions and butter for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. You will want the onions to be translucent. Turn off the heat and let the onions rest. In a large size bowl add all of the eggs. Whisk until well combined. Add the milk, cheese, mushrooms, spinach, salmon and pepper. If you want to add salt you can, but I chose not to because the salmon is already salty. Mix everything together in the bowl and then pour everything over the onions that have been resting in the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until lightly browned and a knife comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Serve directly from the skillet and enjoy. If you’re serving this dish for dinner you could top with sliced avocado. Serves 8
White Chocolate & Pistachio Cookies
Unbelievably delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Room Temperature Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Cups Whole Pistachios
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large size bowl mix together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed until nice and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. In a separate large size bowl combine the flour, kosher salt and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on a low speed until all of the flour is combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and the pistachio nuts. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking. Remove from the fridge and drop by 1 teaspoonful onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remember that each oven heats differently so make sure to check at 10 minutes. I usually like to remove cookies a bit underdone because they will continue to cook for a bit after removing them from the oven. Let rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing. Remove from the baking sheet and place on wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen (depending on how large you make the cookies).
Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins
Sour cream, fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of Demerara sugar on top, before baking, make these blueberry muffins delectable. You may just end up having two with your morning coffee.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Butter
3 Room Temperature Eggs
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Pint Fresh Blueberries
5 Tablespoons Demerara Sugar (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Allow the butter, eggs and sour cream to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile line two baking tins with muffin paper. I like to use parchment muffin paper liners which are a bit larger than normal muffin paper liners. If you use the larger ones then you will get larger muffins and will have fewer muffins. Up to you. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture. Beat on low until all ingredients are combined. Stir in the blueberries. Pour into the paper liners and sprinkle the tops with the Demerara sugar. Place into the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to check at 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Remove from the muffin tins and serve. Makes 10 to 12.
Pecan Pancakes
Pecan Pancakes are super easy to make and a nice spin on the run of the mill pancake. Make mom happy this morning with this addition to your Mother’s Day Brunch menu.
INGREDIENTS
11/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Whole Milk
3 Beaten Eggs
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
In a large size bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate large size bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the chopped pecans and incorporate. Heat a griddle or a large frying pan over a medium heat. Get the griddle or frying pan hot and brush on melted butter to coat. Working in batches pour generous 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. You will want the pancakes to be golden brown on the bottom. Turn the pancakes over and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and transfer to a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil. Make sure not to stack the pancakes or they will steam and get flabby. Repeat until all of the batter has been used. Arrange three overlapping pancakes on each of the plates. Add butter to the pancakes and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve. Makes about 12 pancakes & serves 4
