summer

Mixed Summer Fruit Pavlova

July 24, 2016 by rachelle 21 Comments

Mixed Summer Fruit Pavlova

You’ve all been there. Admit it. You know, when you get a little too excited about all the summer fruit and berries and the farmer’s market and buy waaaaayyyyyy more that you and a family of 45.762 can possibly eat before it turns to a slimy mess in your fridge? Yep. I wouldn’t know anything about that.

I jest. Seriously, we went a little crazy between the Costco and the farmer’s market with our ambitions of smoothie making as part of our dreams of weight loss and my pants fitting again. As a side note to that, I can’t quite recall if I updated you on that front and told you I wore a suit to work last week I hadn’t been able to wear since last year. That, my friends, is what we call hopeful progress around these parts. Woot!

Any-hoo, I had an abundance of fruit and some leftover egg whites from a different recipe, so I decided a Mixed Summer Fruit Pavlova was on the agenda. And it has to be healthy and good for me because it has fruit, right? Thanks for humoring me. At least it’s high in fiber.

I’ve seen some summer fruit dessert pictures floating around the interwebs that look all pretty and fancy pants with fruit I imagine was painstakingly and perfectly arranged in organized patterns of beauty. Well, y’all know that just isn’t the way I roll. I do not have the time or the patience for such shenanigans. Don’t judge me. I just made the meringue, whipped up some heavy cream to slap on top, and piled it high with the surplus of fruit hanging out in my fridge. I put it in a deep dish pie plate in a rare moment of clarity, knowing that some of the fruit would roll off and would be better captured in the crevice around the edge than landing in an explosion on my hard tile floor.

I called that one right. It happens every now and again.

Mixed Summer Fruit Pavlova

Ingredients

For the Meringue

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

For the Topping

2 peaches sliced
2 kiwi peeled and sliced
1 1/2 or so cups mixed berries
1/2 cup fresh cherries pitted

For the Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180
Add egg whites to bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip on high for about 1 minute or until firm
While mixer is still running on high, slowly add sugar and continue whipping for another 2 minutes or until you see shiny peaks
Turn off mixer, sift in cornstarch, and fold in vanilla bean paste and vinegar
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
Turn out mixture onto parchment and spread into an even circular layer 9 - 10 inches wide
Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, then turn off oven and leave in there for another 1.5 hours, turn over to cool completely on a wire rack
Chill bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 20 - 30 minutes
Transfer heavy whipping cream, whisk on high, add sugar and vanilla bean paste
Whip until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes or so - careful not to over whip or you will have butter!
Transfer meringue to a platter
Spread whipped cream over the top
Arrange fruit and berries on top

S’mores Martini

July 20, 2016 by rachelle 11 Comments

Since we’ve already trashed this week by starting out with beer and donuts on Monday, let’s just keep going with some S’mores Martinis and just call it booze week. You dig?

I don’t know about y’all, and I know I always say this, but I sure am ready for the weekend! It’s been tough going over here with all this trying to eat healthy during the week ’cause I’ve been complaining that my pants don’t fit for approximately 9.467 months and haven’t done anything about it until now.

All I’ve been eating are salads and fish during the week and dreaming of the beautiful weekend of stuffing my face into donuts, boozy ice cream, and chocolate-y, sticky, gooey, marshmallow-y S’mores Martinis.

I gotta be honest here too. I don’t even really love marshmallows. It’s a texture thing. But I’m serious as a train wreck when I tell you that when that stuff gets all melted and toasty I don’t know what in tarnation comes over me, but that stuff is DELICIOUS! Combine it with some chocolate booze and I’m a goner. No self control. Zero.

If you’re not busting out of your pants and don’t have to wait until the weekend to have yourself some indulgent S’mores Martinis, I highly recommend you get your self to the booze store STAT then swing by your local Publix or Teeter for some fluff, marshmallows, and graham crackers or crumbs – I usually get those ’cause I’m totally lazy and usually in a hurry to get to the good stuff and not necessarily in the mood for graham smashing. Although it depends on the kind of day I’ve had. Or how fast I need that martini in hand and down the hatch. Sometimes a good graham smashing is good for the mental health.

Sigh…. Is it Friday yet?

S’mores Martini

Ingredients

1 marshmallow
1-2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1-2 tablespoons marshmallow cream
3 ounces Creme de Cocoa
3 ounces Bailey's Irish Creme
1.5 ounces vodka
1.5 ounces heavy cream

Instructions

Transfer marshmallow cream to a bowl and microwave 15-20 seconds, stir
Coat edge of martini glass with melted marshmallow cream
Coat the marshmallow cream edge of the glass with graham crumbs, set aside
Add marshmallow to a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Toast marshmallow under broiler 1-2 minutes, rotate and toast another 30 seconds to 1 minute, rotate again and toast another 30 seconds to 1 minute, remove from oven and let cool while mixing the martini
Add 5-6 ice cubes to a martini shaker
Combine Creme de Cocoa, Bailey's, vodka, and heavy cream to shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so
Pour into prepared martini glass
Garnish with toasted marshmallow

This recipe makes 1 martini with a small sidecar

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

July 6, 2016 by rachelle 19 Comments

The popsicle break was short-lived.

It’s just so dang hot, y’all! I can’t help mysel!. I actually made these during the Popsicle Week, but they didn’t make it to publication. Life, work, and all that jazz. Yada, yada, yada.

I had an abundance of kiwi in my fridge begging not to turn to slime and a honeydew melon that needed a purpose, so to borrow a phrase from Guy Fieri, they all went into the coconut water pool and became a green popsicle.

Speaking of pools, I’m on stay-cay from my real job this week, so we’re going to keep this short. I can’t leave you with images of steps like Jennifer demands, so I’ll just leave you with a bunch of photos of some green honeydew kiwi coconut popsicles.

I have the need to share my addiction.

There are worse things I could do. I borrowed that quote from Rizzo.

Have an awesome weekend, y’all!

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Ingredients

1/2 small honeydew melon peeled, seeded, cubed
4 kiwi peeled and halved
6 ounces coconut water divided

Instructions

Add honeydew and 1/2 the coconut water to a food processor or high speed blender and puree until smooth
Pour into popsicle molds 2/3 - 3/4 way full
Add kiwi and remaining coconut water to a food processor or high speed blender and puree to combine - careful not to over blend because the kiwi seeds will darken the mixture
Top remaining space of popsicle molds with kiwi mixture
Cover, insert sticks, and freeze overnight
If popsicles don't remove easily, run under warm water for 15 seconds and repeat as necessary - careful not to get inside the molds wet

Boozy Red White and Blueberry Limoncello Popsicles

June 30, 2016 by rachelle 8 Comments

I just can’t stop.

Somebody send help because I’m totally addicted to popsicles. It’s been so dang hot here and the berries are everywhere and all up in my face! Farmer’s Market. Publix. The Teeter. They beg me to buy them, throw them into my Vitamix, and make popsicle magic with the gallons of cans of coconut milk currently residing in my pantry.

Just add booze.

Trust me. I know that boozing up my popsicles must come as a terrible shock.

Even though I’m late to the party, I couldn’t forget to come on and ride this red white and blue train because it’s 4th of July already! Whaaaaaat?!?!?!

And I know everyone is lamenting about where in tarnation did the time go, but seriously, where in tarnation did the time go?

I don’t know about you, but I’m so not about dwelling on time passing because that’s totally not my jam. I’m going to keep making popsicles and stuffing them in my face for as long as it makes me happy – even if this sickness turns into peppermint popsicles in December. I’ll own it.

So, I had all kinds of berries in my fridge (see above berry buying problem) and a big bottle of limoncello on hand, so that was enough to make dangerous boozy popsicle magic. Can you seriously complain about a cocktail and a popsicle all in one? I can’t. Have you met me? I’ll own that too.

I’m so glad we had this little talk. I don’t know about you, but I sure do feel better.

Boozy Red White and Blueberry Limoncello Popsicles

Ingredients

1/2 cup limoncello divided
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 can coconut milk full fat and I had about 1/3 cup leftover that I used in smoothies

Instructions

Add blueberries and 1/4 cup limoncello to a high speed blender or food processor and puree until smooth
Pour into popsicle molds 1/3 full
Rinse blender and add strawberries and remaining 1/4 cup limoncello and puree until smooth
Slowly pour coconut milk on top of blueberry popsicle layer to 2/3 full
Slowly pour the strawberry limoncello puree on top of the coconut milk layer to fill the molds
Cover, insert sticks, and freeze overnight

Note: Add 1 -2 tablespoons of agave to each of the fruit layers while pureeing if you have a sweet tooth or your fruit is not as sweet as you want it.

Note: If your pops don’t come out easily run them under some warm water for 15 seconds. If they are still stuck, run them under warm water for another 10 seconds or so.

P.S. Don’t get too aggressive while trying to remove your pops from the molds or you could end up somewhat frustrated

Have a safe and happy 4th, y’all!

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

June 24, 2016 by rachelle 11 Comments

It’s Popsicle Week happy hour!

You didn’t think I would end Popsicle Week without giving you a boozy popsicle, did you? I realize that it may be early in the morning when this post hits the interwebs, but it is Friday and the last day of Popsicle Week. Billy at Wit & Vinegar has hosted this party and you should seriously check out his website because this post almost made me blow beer out my nose.

Speaking of beer, we used some boozy hard root beer in these popsicles. You could substitute some regular root beer, but I don’t know whyyyyyy in tarnation you would want to do that.

I know these boozy root beer popsicles aren’t quite as colorful as these or these, but I’m here to tell you that they’re just as delicious and totally festive for the popsicle party.

And they even get all kind of foamy on top (or bottom?) just they way a root beer float (boozy or otherwise) does!

I couldn’t think of a better way to say good-bye and see you next year Popsicle Week! Cheers, y’all! Have a fantastic weekend!

Oh hey! Wait! Wait! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! You could win a $100 Amazon gift card or a really cool baking collection!

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

Ingredients

2-3 cups your favorite vanilla ice cream softened
1 12 ounce bottle of your favorite hard root beer

Instructions

Scoop ice cream into molds about 1/2 - 3/4 full
Slowly pour root beer in over the ice cream, careful not to overflow
Let root beer settle for the foam to go down and slowly add more
Repeat until full - I had a little bit of root beer leftover, which I promptly drank
Cover and insert sticks
Freeze overnight

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

June 22, 2016 by rachelle 17 Comments

It’s Popsicle Week 2016, yo!

These Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Pops are my second contribution to this party! I’m having so much fun with Popsicle Week, I’m kind of out of control over here. I had to buy a second popsicle mold. Thank you Amazon Prime for always having my back and making packages magically land on my porch in two days.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Amazon is not sponsoring this post. They just hold the key to my heart.

I digress. As usual. Anyhoo – Popsicle Week is the brain child of Billy from Wit & Vinegar. This is my first year at the party, but it’s the fourth year of celebrating summer with a week totally full of amazing popsicle recipes.

There are a ton of bloggers playing and the list is updated daily here.

Don’t forget to check out the Pinterest board and follow along at #popsicleweek on social media.

Now, before I forget again, let’s talk about these popsicles. These are totally easy to make and require only four ingredients. Strawberries, kiwi, some coconut milk, and agave. That’s it. Done and done! After a night in the freezer the’re ready for the party.

That’s what I’m talking about.

You don’t have to share. I won’t tell anyone.

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Ingredients

16 ounces fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
5 kiwi pealed and quartered
2 - 4 tablespoons agave
2 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk

Instructions

Add strawberries and agave to food processor or blender and puree until smooth
Distribute strawberry puree evenly in popsicle mold
Transfer coconut milk to a pitcher or measuring cup and slowly pour ontop of strawberry puree
Rinse blender and puree kiwi - see notes
Spoon about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of kiwi puree into the coconut milk
Cover and insert sticks
Freeze overnight
To serve, fill sink with hot water and set popsicle mold into the water for 15 seconds - careful not to go above the top edge
If pops don't easily slide out, dunk in the water again for another 5-10 seconds
Serve immediately or refreeze on a plate

Note: If you use a Vitamix or other high speed blender, take it easy if you want to see the kiwi seeds.

Note: I had a bit of coconut milk leftover

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

June 20, 2016 by rachelle 32 Comments

Hi! Hi! I know it’s Monday and I’ve kind of been taking a break, but it’s a big fun party up in here this week!

We’re celebrating all kinds of fun things this week! And, normally when I say we, I really mean me, but this time I’m not alone. First of all, it’s POPSICLE WEEK! Billy at Wit & Vinegar is the genius behind Popsicle Week and I’m so excited to join in the summer fun!

A ton of bloggers will be posting crazy awesome popsicles all week long and the list will be updated daily. Be sure to check out the Pinterest board and follow along #popsicleweek on your social media for all the fun summer treats!

But WAIT! WAIT! There’s more! I know! I can’t take much more excitement either!

Are you ready? There is a GIVEAWAY too! OMG!

Megan from The Emotional Baker is celebrating her 100th recipe post, so I’ve ganged up with 15 other bloggers to party! We have two party favors for this soiree! Whaaaaaat?!?!?!

No joke! We’re giving away a $100 Amazon gift card for one lucky first place winner and a lucky second place winner will go home with The Emotional Baker’s Favorite Baking Tools Prize Pack! Scroll down below the recipe to see the prizes and use the Rafflecopter to see the rules and enter. Good luck!

OMG! Why in tarnation didn’t you keep me on track here? I got so worked up about Popsicle Week and the awesome giveaway, I totally forgot to tell you about my popsicles! I had so much fun making popsicles that I had to order another popsicle mold because my ideas were happening faster than they could freeze and be photographed! This 3 ingredient blueberry coconut milk combo is so super easy it’s not really fair to call it a recipe, but summer is about easy and who doesn’t love a simple and refreshing treat to beat the summer heat?!?!

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries
1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk divided
2 - 4 tablespoons agave depending on taste and sweetness of blueberries

Instructions

Add blueberries, agave, and 1 cup of the coconut milk to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth
Pour into popsicle molds, leaving an inch or so of space at the top
Transfer remaining coconut milk to a measuring cup and slowly pour on top of the blueberry mixture
Take a butter knife and slide into each mold and swirl a little bit
Cover with lid, insert sticks into each, leaving about an inch or so out
Freeze overnight
To remove the pops, fill sink with hot water and set into water for 15 seconds, careful not to go over the top
If the popsicles don't easily slide out, dunk the mold again for another 10 - 15 seconds
Serve immediately or refreeze on a plate

I’ve teamed up with 15 other bloggers to help celebrate The Emotional Baker’s 100th Recipe! We’re giving away two prizes.

Grand Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card.
2nd Place: TEB’s Favorite Baking Tools Prize Pack.

The prize pack includes:

One Camry High Accuracy Digital Kitchen Food Scale // $18.99 value
One iSi Basics Flex-It Measuring Cups // $24.99 value
One RSVP Endurance Spice Measuring Spoon Set // $13.95 value
One Wilton ColorSwirl 3-Color Coupler 9-Piece Decorating Kit // $7.90 value
One Chef’n Switchit Narrow Silicone Spatula // $9.99 value

Giveaway Made Possible By:

Giveaway Rules:

Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter widget below. Earn entries by following the host bloggers on social media. (If you’ve followed in the past, that counts! Just enter the information as prompted.) All entries will be verified. No purchase is necessary to win.
The giveaway is open until Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. EST. One Grand Prize winner and one Second Place winner will be chosen at random and e-mailed within 48 hours. Winners must claim prize within 48 hours of initial contact. The retail value of the prize is $75. Prizes listed above are the only ones available.
Grand Prize: Open to USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom.
Second Place: Open to U.S. residents with a valid shipping address only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Strawberry Key Lime Margarita Greek Yogurt Ice Pops + 50 Summer Cookout Recipes

May 25, 2016 by rachelle 21 Comments

Strawberry Key Lime Margarita Greek Yogurt Ice Pops + 50 Summer Cookout Recipes

Hi, y’all! I’ve missed you! My personal and professional lives got totally busy and complicated and I had to take some much needed time to make some decisions. While I love this here website and all you fine and wonderful friends, I’ve been thinking for some time about cutting back on my twice weekly posting. Seriously, I don’t know how some of you with full time jobs manage to keep up with posting multiple times a week. My hat is off to all of y’all.

So, I’m coming at you on a Wednesday with some boozy popsicles to announce that I’m going to be posting only one time a week at least for the duration of the summer. I may also boycott all social media, but that’s a radical decision that has yet to be made.

While I’ve said that I’ve been contemplating this decision for a while, it was this post from my friend, Annie that was really the turning point and helped me realize that I need to stop and smell the roses or take a moment to enjoy a sangria on the patio with my husband. Or pet a puppy. Or enjoy a boozy popsicle just because I happen to have an abundance of tequila and strawberries.

So let’s get this summer season kicked off right now with some Strawberry Key Lime Margarita Ice Pops! We combined some strawberries, key limes, Greek yogurt, and of course, tequila and poured it all into an ice pop mold for a tangy, boozy, tasty, treat to beat the summer heat. Not that we’ve had much of that around the Carolinas lately, but it’s on the way. Trust me.

Not only are we having some delicious boozy frozen treats on this fine Wednesday morning, I’ve got a bonus for you! The Memorial Day holiday is upon us and that means the unofficial start of summer is next week, so it’s officially barbecue season ’round these parts! In celebration, I’ve teamed up with several fellow bloggers to bring you 50+ recipe ideas for a smashing summer shindig. See all the recipes for our Great Blogger BBQ below!

Appetizers

Korean BBQ Tofu Sliders with Kimchi Slaw by Hello Little Home
Corn, Black Bean, and Feta Dip by Lizzy is Dizzy
Crab, Bacon & Guacamole Crostinis by That Square Plate

Cocktails and Drinks

Blackberry Gin Slush by The Speckled Palate
Homemade Lemonade by Winstead Wandering
Blood Orange Mocktail by Body Rebooted
Fleur Collins Cocktail by Hungry Girl por Vida
Fourth of July Sparkler by Mixplorology
Black Stripe Cold Rum Cocktail by Honey and Birch
Fresh Watermelon Mojito by Twin Stripe
Mint Hibiscus Lemonade by The Little Epicurean
Wine Slushy by Living Well Kitchen
Basil Gin Lemonade by Glisten and Grace

Strawberry Key Lime Margarita Greek Yogurt Ice Pops

Ingredients

1/2 pint fresh strawberries hulled and
2 key limes juice and zest, plus one sliced thin to add to ice pop mold, optional
1/4 cup tequila
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar according to taste and how sweet your strawberries are

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined
Pour into ice pop molds according to manufacturer's instructions (mine made 10)
I added a slice of key lime to each ice pop mold, but this is totally optional
Freeze overnight
Transfer frozen ice pops in mold to a bowl of 1 inch hot water for a few seconds to loosen up the pops for easy removal

Update: I updated the recipe to include sugar which was accidentally omitted.

Panzanella

September 17, 2015 by rachelle 18 Comments

Have you noticed that everything seems different? Does it feel like fall where you are?

I woke up Sunday morning and it just felt different. I mentioned to Chris that it feels like fall and he agreed. I don’t know if it’s this cold front that started moving in or if we reached a turning point. It feels like there is a chill and a crispness in the air. Even the sunlight is different and there are leaves falling in my yard.

But I still have tomatoes! And more are on the way! I don’t think I’m going to give up on summer until October. It’s official. Queen Rachelle has declared summer is extended. Who cares if school started and football kicked off last weekend? I am putting my foot down and stopping this gateway to winter and all things dark and cold and snowy and gloomy. Well, except for Christmas where everything is happy and sparkly and shiny. And I’m not really stopping it – it’s more of a denial and delay, but I’ll take it.

Because I’m lucky enough to live in the south where summer lasts almost until winter.

Panzanella

Ingredients

15 - 20 to matoes of combined variety chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 of a day old baguette sliced and torn into bite size pieces
4 garlic cloves pressed or minced
1 sweet onion thinly sliced
12 or so basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped tarragon leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar plus 2-3 tablespoons more for finishing
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2-3 tablespoons more for finishing
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Put the onion slices in a bowl, cover with water and soak for 10-15 minutes
Add tomatoes, garlic, bread, onions, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Use hands to toss and combine.
Set aside for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours at room temperature, tossing occasionally
Add the herbs 15-20 minutes before serving
Taste and adjust seasonings, finish with remaining red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper
This salad is best on the same day it's made

Note: The bread should be hard and dry. If it isn’t, you can dry it out in the oven on a baking sheet at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. You do not want it to be toasted or brown.

Note: This is more of a guideline for panzanella, rather than a recipe. You can use some or all of the herbs or add different ones. The longer the salad sits, the more liquid gets absorbed into the bread, so you will want to taste it and adjust the dressing and seasonings prior to serving. Also, keep kind of a rule of thumb that the bread should be 1/3 ratio to the rest of the salad. Feel free to use up any fruits and vegetables in your fridge, such as cucumbers and bell peppers.

summer

Mixed Summer Fruit Pavlova

Ingredients

For the Meringue

For the Topping

For the Whipped Cream

Instructions

S’mores Martini

Ingredients

Instructions

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Boozy Red White and Blueberry Limoncello Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Appetizers

Cocktails and Drinks

Entrées

Side Dishes

Desserts

Strawberry Key Lime Margarita Greek Yogurt Ice Pops

Ingredients

Instructions

Panzanella

Ingredients

Instructions

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