Strawberry Yumminess: Freezer Jam, Yogurt Muffins, Shortcake

At the beginning of the summer I made a to-do list.  Items on the list were things around the house, things I wanted to sew/make, and things I wanted to do with Bug.  I knew that my list was too long and that I probably wouldn't get everything on my list (as usual), but berry picking was one of the things that I really wanted to make sure that we did.  I thought it would be fun for the little guy and I could use the berries for different baking projects.

Summer felt like it was coming to an end and we still hadn't gone berry picking.  A lot of places in the area were starting to shut down for the season.  I thought that were not going to get to go.  Kevin knew that  I would be really bummed if we didn't go.  He scouted out a strawberry farm and planned it for our last weekend before going back to work (and our anniversary).

It was a great way to spend a morning.  Bug had fun eating more strawberries than he put in the buckets and I got 5 pounds of strawberries for some baking projects.

First on the list, was freezer jam.  I remember a post from Dana at Made a few years ago when she made freezer jam.  For some reason this post has been in the back of my mind ever since and I wanted to try it out.  Canning has always intimidated me, but freezer jam seemed something I could handle.

It was really easy and pretty quick.  I followed the recipe that came with my pectin.  The jam turned out great and I love that I have a supply in my freezer that will last us a while.

Next on the list was strawberry shortcake.  We had my family over for a BBQ and after a busy weekend Kevin said I had to keep it simple.  He wanted me to buy some pre-made angel food cake so that I could relax.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find any at the grocery story.  I decided that Bisquick would be a good option.  I've only ever used it for pancakes and waffles.  I also thought that making homemade whipped cream would add a special touch.

It was a hit.  Everyone enjoyed theirs.  It was a quick and simple

I wanted to try something a little on healthier side as my last project.  I found this great recipe for Strawberry Greek Yogurt Muffins.  I thought they would be an easy go to breakfast option our first week back at work.

They were delicious.  The yogurt made them super moist.  They only used 3/4 a cup of sugar and had a little brown sugar on top, so I didn't feel guilty giving them to Bug either.

The strawberries were so fresh and sweet they were also a yummy part of our breakfast and lunch for a few days.

I loved having the strawberries as a reason to bake.  I'm looking forward to fall and hopefully some apple picking.  I love apple recipes too!

Individual Baked Oatmeal

A few weeks ago my sister asked me if I could find her a recipe for an oatmeal bar.  I went to Pinterest and found this recipe for individual baked oatmeal.  They looked really good and I'm always looking for easy things to eat for breakfast, so I decided to make some for myself.

The recipe that I used is from The Kitchen is Calling.  She modified a recipe from Money Saving Mom.  They turned out great and I will definitely make them again.

Individual Baked Oatmeal

3 eggs
1 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 banana, sliced
1 cup fruit of your choice — I used raisins.  I think that blueberries would be good also
5 cup old fashioned oats 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cup skim milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla and sugar, then stir in all the fruit.
In another bowl, combine the oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; stir to mix well.
Pour in the milk and stir until combined.  The mixture will be pretty soupy.
Scoop mixture into paper-lined muffin cups (I sprayed mine with cooking spray too just to make sure they would come out easily) – scoop with a measuring cup and make sure they have an even amount of liquid in each cup.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

They probably aren't quite as healthy as the original recipe because I used brown sugar instead of the Stevia and didn't use applesauce, but they have to better than other options out there. Both sites also recommended freezing them.  I thought this was a great idea because they wouldn't go bad and last me a while.  I put one in the microwave for 35 seconds and have a yummy, mostly healthy breakfast that I can eat in the car.