Strawberry Pie

Last summer we went strawberry picking and I had a lot of fun making things with all of our strawberries.  I decided that I wanted to go again and make this a yearly activity.  We had a busy summer with the new little guy being born, but we squeezed it in right before Kevin went back to work.

When I asked Bug what he wanted to make with the strawberries, he said "Strawberry Pie!" Not really sure where he got the idea from because he's never had strawberry pie.  He's been really interested in helping me in the kitchen and baking, so I found a simple recipe that he could help me make.

I usually make my own crust for pies, but having a newborn and having a toddler help, I've had to simplify a few things in the kitchen.  For this, I used refrigerated pie crust.  It was fine and Bug was happy with his strawberry pie.

I also made more freezer jam and the same strawberry muffins that I made last year.  This is a family tradition that I hope continues for many years.

Baby, Baby, Baby!

A lot has changed since my last post.  Our little family has grown again...we had another baby boy!

This little guy was born July, 12.  

Before he was born I had a small list of things that I wanted to make for him. Being the second child he doesn't really need much, but I wanted him to have few things to call his own. 

The main project that I wanted to make was a quilt.  I made one for Bug and wanted the new little guy to have one too.  For Bug's, I bought fabric from different fabric shops I visited during my pregnancy.  I like to find fabric stores and buy fabric as souvenirs when we travel.  I did the same for this quilt.  I also used some of the fabric from Bug's so that they coordinate since they will eventually share a room.

I used this tutorial from Fat Quarter Shop that used a jelly roll.  Since I collected different fabrics, I had to cut my own strips.  This added an extra step, but it was still a pretty quick quilting project.  I love the way that it turned out and am excited to use it for his monthly photos.

I found some great muslin fabric while we were on Spring Break in Santa Barbara.  Muslin blankets weren't originally on my list, but I fell in love with it so I bought it knew I'd figure out what to do with it.  I made two different blankets and some burp cloths.

These burp cloths were different than what I usually make.  I decided to cover cloth diapers. These are a great size and very absorbent.  I'm glad I made them because this guy spits up way more than Bug did.  They definitely help keep my clothes spit up free.

I love the blankets too.  I did one with two layers and the other is a single layer. They have been great to keep the sun off of the little guy and are light weight so I don't have to worry about him getting too hot.

For all of them I made my own bias tape out of a super soft flannel.  It has added a nice touch to them.  I've made my own bias tape for a few different projects and love how it adds to the project. Dana at Made Everyday has a great tutorial on how to make it.

The last items on the list were some burp cloths. These are my go to baby item/gift. I love these and have made so many of them over the years. You can see few of them here, here, and here.  They are super soft and gentle on baby when wiping up their spit. At first I wasn't going to make new ones since I still have the ones I made Bug, but he actually still uses them. He calls them gentle cloths now and uses them to wipe his face after his toddler melt downs. He's pretty attached to them and always needs one in his bed. 

I love my little guy.  It's been a big adjustment having another baby, but I can't imagine life without him.  

Owie Owl and Boo Boo Bear

Bug is at that age where he falls multiple times a day.  All summer he had scraped knees.  He would always point out his boo boos.  He's bonked his head multiple times and has even had his first fat lip due to a mishap on his cousin's scooter.  It's a good thing he loves his helmet.

Whenever he falls its really hard to hold ice on the area.  It's too cold and he doesn't like it.

I started looking around Pinterest to find some type of "ice pack" that I could make.  I found a great tutorial for an Owie Owl and a Boo Boo Bear.

The directions were easy to follow and they were easy to make.  I made them both from fabric I already had, so it was an inexpensive project also.  

They are filled with rice, so they can also be heated for a warm compress if needed.  Now we are ready to go the next time Bug falls down.

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!

Mini Dark Chocoloate Salted Caramel Delight

A few weeks ago we were going to a friends house for dinner. I was thinking about what dessert I wanted to take with us.  The first thing I thought about was the dark chocolate salted caramel delight.  It was so yummy I couldn't wait to make it again.  The problem was, there was only going to be four of us for dinner.  Taking a whole cake wasn't necessary.  Then I had a great idea...individual cakes in mason jars. 

These were fabulous.  They were easy to take along and serve. They fit in with a couple of beers.

My mom had also mentioned that she kept seeing my post on the cheesecake and would love to try it too.  This made it super easy to send some home with her to try.  I also think that because they have an actual lid they might last a little longer in the refrigerator.  

I only made half of the recipe and it made eight individual servings. 

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Delight  

Adapted from: Little Sweet Baker and Kevin & Amanda

Ingredients:
Crust
1 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Cheesecake
1/4 cup cold whipping cream
225 grams of cream cheese
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Caramel
2 tbsp butter
1/6 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp cup whipping cream
Ganache
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 oz dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)

1/2 tbsp sea salt flakes

Directions :

1. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and press onto the bottom of mini mason jars. Chill in freezer.
2. Using a handheld mixer, whip the whipping cream till soft peaks form, set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whip together the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Add the whipped cream to the mixture and blend untill smooth. Pour over the chilled crust. Place back in freezer for at least 1 hour.
4.  Combine 2 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream until smooth. Cool caramel about 15 minutes.
5. While caramel is cooling make the ganache. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl.  In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Let cool to touch and pour over frozen tart.  Let it set for a few minutes, but don't let it harden too much.  Drizzle caramel over the ganache and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
6. Before serving sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!

Baby Shower Gift

I'm an auntie again!  My sister-in-law had a baby girl last week...3 weeks early.  I am so excited for our growing family and that The Bug has another cousin..

When I found out she was pregnant, I started a list of gift ideas.  As the due date got closer, the list got longer.  I decided to make a few of the them for the shower to make a cute little gift basket.

The divided basket is from a Noodlehead pattern.  I thought that it was going to be difficult, but it was pretty easy.  It was the last part of the project and I got it done in one night.

I put in a few of my favorite burp cloths that I give to everyone that I know.  I do not leave home without these.
 

The biggest project was the quilt.  It was the third quilt that I had made.  I wanted to try a new type of quilt and came across this tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew.  I thought that it would be perfect.  It looks complicated, but was actually pretty easy.

The Bug loves blankets.  When he saw this on the back of my sewing chair he grabbed it and decided he needed to test it out.

So it has been cousin tested....

and peek-a-boo approved.

Award Winning Dessert: Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Delight

Uncle Kevin and I went to an Iron Chef themed dinner party.  Everyone had to bring a dish to share using the secret ingredient that was revealed 2 days before the party. 

When the ingredient of cheese was revealed I went straight to Pinterest to find a dessert with cheese. I didn't want to go with an ordinary cheese cake.   I found this great recipe for a dark chocolate salted cheese cake using mascarpone instead of cream cheese.  As I was reading the recipe, it reminded me of a dessert I made at Christmas.  I decided to combine the two recipes to create my Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Delight.  It was a great combination.


At the party everyone created a card for their dish and the voting was done by secret ballot at the end of the night. It was a fun idea for a party.  We got to try so many different cheese dishes.  I won for best dessert and tied for best overall dish.  I was so excited. My prizes were a bottle of wine and a new colander...just what every kitchen needs.

I've already made this again for a work lunch.  I made a few changes the second time to make the process a little easier.  The great thing about no bake/frozen desserts is that they don't heat up your kitchen in the summer and can be made ahead of time if you're having a party to free up your kitchen the day of the party.    This is definitely going to become a go to dessert.  

 Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Delight  
Adapted from: Little Sweet Baker and Kevin & Amanda

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
6 tbsp unsalted butter
Cheesecake
½ cup cold whipping cream
275 grams softened mascarpone cheese (or 250 grams of cream cheese)
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Caramel
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup whipping cream
Ganache
1 cup whipping cream
8 oz dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)

1 tbsp sea salt flakes

Directions :

1. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and press onto the bottom and sides of a 9" tart pan. Chill in freezer.
2. Using a handheld mixer, whip the whipping cream till soft peaks form, set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whip together the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Add the whipped cream to the mixture and blend untill smooth. Pour over the chilled crust. Place back in freezer for at least 1 hour.
4.  Combine 4 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in 1/8 cup heavy whipping cream until smooth. Cool caramel about 15 minutes.
5. While caramel is cooling make the ganache. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl.  In a saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Let cool to touch and pour over frozen tart.  Let it set for a few minutes, but don't let it harden too much.  Drizzle caramel over the ganache and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
6. Before serving sprinkle with sea salt.