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Fruit

Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins

June 25, 2020 by Amy Leave a Comment

Since this pandemic became prevalent in this country, my husband and I tried our hardest to avoid going in stores. We were thankful for services like Walmart pick-up and Instacart – but as the state started opening up again, I have only gone into stores that require masks. One of those stores is Costco.

I can’t tell you how petrified and anxious I was to step foot in Costco for the first time in months. I went at 7:30 at night, about an hour before closing, just hoping that it wouldn’t be too crowded. There were maybe 30 cars in the parking lot, so it wasn’t bad. What used to be a fun weekend errand for my husband and I quickly felt like something out of a twilight zone. Shelves were nearly empty, everyone was in masks, and it was dead quiet. I filled up my cart as quickly as possible, and I got out of there.

On the way to the meat department was a familiar department – the bakery. I really wanted to get some of those crazy giant blueberry muffins, but at the time, I was too anxious to get prepared foods. Each time I’ve gone to Costco since, I have thought about those darn muffins – but I just never pick them up. I thought that it would be pretty cool to try to make them at home, and while these weren’t a spot-on replication of the Costco muffins – these were still really flavorful, had a tender crumb & were simple to make.

Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh preferred (I used frozen, thawed)
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin by either lightly greasing the insides of the tin or lining the tin with cupcake papers & grease the papers.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until well-combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the inside of the bowl & beating the mixture well after each egg is added.
  3. Mix in the baking powder, salt and vanilla extract.
  4. With the mixer on low, add in the 1/2 of the flour, and then 1/2 of the milk. Alternate adding in 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the milk one more time, until the mixture is just mixed.
  5. Using a fork, mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Add in the mashed and whole berries to the muffin mixture, folding in until just combined.
  6. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each muffin tin, and sprinkle about 1 tsp. of the granulated sugar topping on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until they start to turn a light golden brown color & a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out cleanly.
  7. Once they are taken out of the oven, allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes & then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Check out what other bloggers are sharing during Brunch Week this week:

Beverages Recipes

  • Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea by Love & Confections

Bread, Grains, and Cereal Recipes

  • Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins by The Nifty Foodie
  • Breakfast Gnocchi by Simply Healthyish Recipes
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola by The Spiffy Cookie
  • Pretzel Brat Buns by Making Miracles
  • Strawberry Overnight Oats by The Mandatory Mooch
  • Vegan Breakfast Toast Three Ways by Happily Curated Chaos

Egg Recipes

  • Sausage Egg and Cheese Grits by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Recipes

  • Mississippi Pot Roast with Veggies by Making Miracles

Dessert Recipes

  • DIY Crepe Bar by The Redhead Baker
  • Earl Grey Macaron by April Golightly
  • Keto Fudge by Keto Basic AF

Filed Under: Breads/Muffins, Fruit

Triple Berry Overnight French Toast #ad #backtoschooltreats

July 29, 2019 by Amy 1 Comment

Disclosure: I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BacktoSchoolTreats week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

This is one of my favorite times of the year – there’s so much anticipation for Fall! While we don’t have kids, I can think back to this time of the year as a kid – the school supply shopping (SO fun!), curiosity about new classes, and really – just the overall excitement of Fall that’s coming soon! My mom used to make it so special for us as kids – I remember picking out our own different color notebooks, zipper pouches, binders, etc. when we would go to the store. I’m sure it was chaotic for my mom – I was one of four kids, but she knew how to make it fun and something to look forward to!

If my husband and I ever get blessed with kids, I’d love to make it special for them like my mom did for me. 🙂 Heck, a recipe like this triple berry overnight french toast would be a delicious breakfast dish to enjoy the first week of school! I love the overnight aspect of it – prep it all the evening before, and bake the french toast the next morning! So awesome! I used Dixie Crystals granulated sugar in this recipe – I love their sugar products! You can typically find their products at Winn-Dixie stores in south Louisiana.

I’m sharing this recipe for #BacktoSchoolTreats week, which I’m super excited to be a part of! I, along with other bloggers, are sharing some amazing treats that are perfect to enjoy for back to school! Be sure to scroll down below to see what other bloggers are sharing this week, as well as some AMAZING giveaways from our generous sponsors!

Triple Berry Overnight French Toast
Source: adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
  • One loaf of french brioche bread
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
  • Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

  1. Spread the butter over bottom of heavy 13×9 inch baking pan with 1-inch-high sides.
  2. Arrange the bread slices in pan. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, salt, and orange zest in large bowl, and whisk until everything is well-combined. Pour mixture over bread. Turn bread slices to coat. Sprinkle the fresh berries over the bread mixture. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next morning, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the french toast mixture for 30 minutes with the foil on top, and then remove the foil, baking for another 10-15 minutes.
  4. Enjoy!

Summer is winding down, and we are celebrating with #BacktoSchoolTreats hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 30 bloggers will be sharing 100+ fantastic recipes for both parents and kids, with breakfasts, snacks, desserts, and drinks to get you back in the school routine. Thank you sponsors for providing the prize packages. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!

 

Dixie Crystals is giving away a Keurig for BrunchWeek 2019

PRIZE #1 DIXIE CRYSTALS

Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a Keurig K-Select Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker.

Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. For generations, Dixie Crystals has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations. Our pure cane, non-GMO sugar products guarantee that treasured family recipes will turn out right every time. Bake with love and Dixie Crystals.

 

Sweets & Treats prize package

PRIZE#2 SWEETS & TREATS

Sweets & Treats is giving one winner the Year of Sprinkles that contains holiday mixes, classic sprinkles, and some of their most popular sprinkles.
Sweets & Treats, a party and baking supplies manufacturer and wholesaler, started out of a baking industry need for truly grease-proof cupcake liners. From there, the company expanded into a handful of specialized categories including the latest, Sweet Sprinkles, their one of a kind sprinkles and sprinkle mix line. With hundreds of truly unique products, they are a one stop shop for your next party!
Torani Prize

PRIZE#3 TORANI

Torani is giving one winner a year supply of Torani: 12-750ml glass bottles, flavors will be winner’s choice, plus pumps for each bottle.

We believe in flavor for all and opportunity for all. In the beginning, Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre visited family in Lucca, Italy. They returned home to San Francisco with handwritten recipes, which they used to create authentic flavored syrups. Needless to say, the syrups we’re a hit. A lot has happened since then, but our belief has remained the same: Flavor for All, Opportunity for All. It means that not only are the products we make inclusive and approachable, but so is our success. We believe everything starts with people, and the only way to truly succeed is to succeed together. Today, you can use more than 100 of our naturally flavored syrups, sauces and beverage bases in coffees, sodas, teas, smoothies, cocktails and more.

 

Taylor & Colledge Prize Package

PRIZE#4 TAYLOR & COLLEDGE

Taylor & Colledge is giving one winner a selection of their gourmet extract pastes, including Organic Vanilla Bean Baking Paste, Lavender Baking Paste, Almond Baking Paste, Coconut Baking Paste, Lemon Baking Paste, and Peppermint Baking Paste.

Taylor & Colledge has been making award winning Vanilla products since 1897. As a family owned business, Taylor & Colledge has always been committed to the fair, ethical and sustainable sourcing of Vanilla. Over the years they have pioneered a number of country specific programs to support growers, their families and to make the vanilla industry more sustainable. They have also taken this knowledge and expertise and applied it to their full range of baking pastes. Whether it’s sourcing the finest peppermint (mentha piperita) to make the best Peppermint Oil, or using only real Almond Milk and Oil of Bitter Almond for their natural Almond Extract Paste, Taylor & Colledge is committed to transform your baking with premium quality pastes, made with only the finest ingredients from around the world.

 

Flahavan's Oats

PRIZE#5 FLAHAVAN’S

Flahavan’s is giving one winner an oat prize package including a jar for overnight oats and a selection of Rolled Oats, Quick to Cook Oats, and Steel Cut Oats.

Ireland’s oldest family-owned food business is situated at the family mill in the Southeast of Ireland. Flahavan’s can trace its oat milling history back to 1785 and its expertise in producing naturally creamy oatmeal back over 230 years. A seven-generation family business, Flahavan’s is the bestselling oatmeal brand in Ireland, where people eat more oatmeal per capita than anywhere else in the world. Flahavan’s is a founding member of Origin Green, the first-ever national initiative to mandate 100% sustainability for food exports.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to #BacktoSchoolTreats Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Sweets & Treats, Torani, Taylor & Colledge, and Flahavan’s for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BacktoSchoolTreats recipes. All opinions are my own. The #BacktoSchoolTreats giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning.

Five (5) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. Winners have 48 hours to respond once chosen, or they forfeit the prize and alternate winner(s) will be chosen. The #BacktoSchoolTreats Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #BacktoSchoolTreats posts or entry.

 

Check out these #BacktoSchoolTreats recipes from our Bloggers:

Back to School Breakfasts:
Baked Funfetti Doughnuts from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins from Comfortably Domestic
Breakfast Cookies from Home Sweet Homestead
Brioche Bread Pudding from Simply Healthyish
Chocolate Chip Maple Pecan Granola from Family Around the Table
Chocolate Malt Waffles from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Coconut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars from The Beard and The Baker
Homemade Honey Buns from The Domestic Kitchen
Nutella Waffles with Strawberry Syrup from The Redhead Baker
Oatmeal Pear Bars from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
PB&J Overnight Oats from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Peaches and Maple Crunch Breakfast Jars from My Sweet Zepol
Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins from The Spiffy Cookie
Triple Berry Overnight French Toast from The Nifty Foodie

Back to School Snacks:
Lavender Rice Krispie Treats from Nik Snacks
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars from Simple and Savory

Back to School Desserts:
‘Ah! Sunflower’ Cupcakes from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Almond Joy Cupcakes from Daily Dish Recipes
Back-to-School Sundae from Our Good Life
Caramel Apple Back to School Cupcakes from Big Bear’s Wife
Caramel Apple Dip from The Mandatory Mooch
Chocolate Cupcakes with PB Fluff Buttercream from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Easy Chocolate No Bake Cookies from Jen Around the World
Chocolate Pudding & Caramel Parfait from Girl Abroad
Oatmeal Cream Pie Layer Cake from Love and Confections
Vanilla Bean Pudding Pops from Hardly A Goddess

Back to School Drinks:
Caramel Apple Iced Tea from For the Love of Food
Dairy-Free Apple Pie Smoothie from Frugal & Fit
Iced Apple Ginger Ale from Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Iced Salted Caramel Latte from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Filed Under: Breakfast, Fruit

Easy Smoothie Shooters

April 22, 2019 by Amy Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

One of my favorite things about warmer weather is the ability to get fresh, local fruits this time of the year – I find that local produce is much more flavorful AND it’s a little easier on the wallet as well! I tend to make a good bit of smoothies this time of the year, because I can easily replenish my freezer supply. I wanted to share my super simple smoothie recipe with y’all today – it’s easy to remember and you can use whatever fruits you prefer! My favorite combinations are strawberry/banana, blueberry/banana and pineapple/mango!

I’m sharing this recipe with y’all as a part of #brunchweek, which I’m SUPER excited to be a part of! These smoothies are especially fun in these JoyJolt Carre Martini Glasses. These glasses are only 8 oz. so if you wanted to make multiple fruit combinations to share with a crowd, you easily can! A huge thanks to the folks at JoyJolt for being a sponsor for this year’s #brunchweek!

**Be sure to look below the recipe for more information about our #brunchweek sponsors, as well as the AMAZING giveaway that’s going on this week! Also, at the very bottom of the post are the other recipes that these talented food bloggers are sharing for #brunchweek! Feel free to check them out!**

Easy Smoothie Shooters
Source: A Nifty Foodie Original

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk (any type you prefer)
  • 4 oz. vanilla greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (any fruit combination you prefer)

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in the blender (the frozen fruit measurements vary based on how thick you would like your smoothie to be). Blend all ingredients together until well-blended. Serve these in small glasses (shot glasses or fun martini glasses) – Enjoy!

Welcome to #BrunchWeek 2019 hosted by Love and Confections and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! This is our 7th year of #BrunchWeek and we have 35 bloggers from around the country sharing over 140 of their best Brunch recipes. We have so many delicious recipes for you to enjoy throughout the week including cocktails, appetizers, casseroles, cinnamon rolls, breakfast pizzas, coffee cakes, plenty of desserts, and more! Our BrunchWeek Sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much, Sponsors, for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and we’d love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win!

 

PRIZE #1 DIXIE CRYSTALS

Dixie Crystals is giving one winner a Keurig K-Select Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker.

Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. For generations, Dixie Crystals has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations. Our pure cane, non-GMO sugar products guarantee that treasured family recipes will turn out right every time. Bake with love and Dixie Crystals.

Dixie Crystals is giving away a Keurig for BrunchWeek 2019

PRIZE #2 CABOT CREAMERY CO-OPERATIVE

Cabot is giving one winner a gift box of assorted Cabot cheeses.

The farm families that own Cabot Creamery Co-operative love what they do. And they’ve been doing it for a long time—every single day since 1919. Almost 100 years later, we’re proud of our thriving farms, strong communities, and happy, healthy cows that produce the rich, buttery milk that we use to make Cabot’s award-winning cheese and dairy products. We like to think those awards mean we’re doing something right. Of course, you’re a big part of this too. If you love eating our cheese as much as we love making it, then we’ll get to keep doing what we do for generations to come.

Cabot gift package of assorted cheddars

PRIZE#3 JOYJOLT

Joyjolt is giving one winner a Carre Crystal Glass Cake Holder. Limited edition of 500 in the exclusive series. Made out of 100% high quality crystal. DRINK WITH JOY. ENJOY THE JOURNEY.
Here at JoyJolt we believe that so many of the moments you enjoy most include raising a glass. From the jolt you get from that first sip of coffee in the morning to toasting a milestone with close friends. That’s why we have created glassware equally as special and unique as your happiest moments.

Joyjolt Carre Crystal Glass Cake Stand

PRIZE#4 SWEETS & TREATS

Sweets & Treats is giving one winner the Year of Sprinkles that contains holiday mixes, classic sprinkles, and some of their most popular sprinkles, assorted cupcake liners, and the My Little Pony Baking Book.
Sweets & Treats, a party and baking supplies manufacturer and wholesaler, started out of a baking industry need for truly grease-proof cupcake liners. From there, the company expanded into a handful of specialized categories including the latest, Sweet Sprinkles, their one of a kind sprinkles and sprinkle mix line. With hundreds of truly unique products, they are a one stop shop for your next party!

PRIZE#5 TORANI

Torani is giving one winner a year supply of Torani: 12-750ml glass bottles, flavors will be winner’s choice, plus pumps for each bottle.
Torani inspires you to taste life, one flavorful experience at a time. Even though people all over the world recognize our iconic Torani bottle, we’ve remained a family-owned company — adhering to the high quality standards that Rinaldo and Ezilda set over 90 years ago. Each and every syrup, sauce, and smoothie is created with care and pride. Way back we started with just five syrups. Today, you can use more than 100 of our naturally flavored syrups, sauces and beverage bases in coffees, sodas, teas, smoothies, cocktails and more. And we’re excited to bring you new taste traditions and flavors as we move forward.

PRIZE#6 COOKBOOK SET

Sarcastic Cooking is giving a copy of her book, Quick Prep Cooking with Your Instant Pot – 75 big-flavor dishes that require minimal work
Dessert for Two is giving a copy of her book, Dinner Just for Two – a cookbook that inspires couples to get into the kitchen together
Sweet Phi is giving a copy of her book, Baby Food Maker Cookbook – 125 Fresh, Wholesome, Organic Recipes for Your Baby Food Maker Device or Stovetop
The Little Ferraro Kitchen is giving a copy of her book, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen – 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick and Easy for Everyday Cooking
Cookbook set for BrunchWeek giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take a look at what the #BrunchWeek Bloggers are creating today!

BrunchWeek Beverages:
Blueberry Lemonade from Family Around The Table
Easy Smoothie Shooters from The Nifty Foodie
Fresh Squeeze Blackberry Lemonade from Cooking With Carlee
Guava Mimosas from Seduction in the Kitchen
Guava Moscow Mule from Love and Confections
Lightening Lavender Margarita from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Mango Mimosa from April Golightly
Rum Punch for Brunch! from Hardly A Goddess
Sparkling Lavender Lemonade from Snacks and Sips
Strawberry Lavender Smoothie from Eat Move Make



BrunchWeek Appetizers and Salads:
Keto Chicken Salad from Platter Talk
Pecan Grape Salad from For the Love of Food



BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
Baked Eggs with Mushroom and Asparagus from Caroline’s Cooking
Baked Hash Brown Egg Cups from Creative Southern Home
Breakfast Pizza from Kate’s Recipe Box
Cheesy Scrambled Egg Stuffed Popovers from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Fried Green Tomato BLT Benedicts from The Spiffy Cookie
Ham, Egg, & Spinach Breakfast Bites from Sweet Beginnings
Roasted Carrot and Beet Frittatas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Bake from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Sheet Pan Mexican Frittata from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Soy-Brined Hard-Boiled Eggs from Shockingly Delicious
The Best Avocado Toast from Simply Healthyish Recipes



BrunchWeek Breads, Grains, and Pastries:
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Stuffed Muffins from Big Bear’s Wife
Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls from Cookaholic Wife
How to Build A Crepe Bar from The Crumby Kitchen
Salted Caramel Peach Sweet Rolls from The Redhead Baker



BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
Cheesy Baked Breakfast Tacos from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen



BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:
Mashed Potato, Cheddar & Bacon Waffles from Tip Garden
Zucchini Cheese Pancakes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories



BrunchWeek Desserts:
Chocolate Banana Cookies with Sprinkles from Who Needs A Cape?
Cinnamon Roll Cake from Books n’ Cooks
Espresso Banana Bread from PasstheSushi
Spring Blooms Cake from The Mandatory Mooch
Vegan Coffee Cinnamon Rolls from The Baking Fairy

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Joyjolt, Sweets & Treats, Torani, Sarcastic Cooking, Dessert for Two, Sweet Phi, and The Little Ferraro Kitchen for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. Winners have 48 hours to respond once chosen, or they forfeit the prize and another winner(s) will be chosen. The #BrunchWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #Brunchweek posts or entry.

Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Fruit

Apple Berry Smoothie #brunchweek

May 9, 2017 by Amy 7 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Brunch Week

My husband and I have been on our weight loss journey for a few months now. While my weight has gone down 20ish lbs, I’m also excited to see the non-scale victories. I was having random aches/pains, my jeans were tight, none of my dresses fit and I just felt so blah. I also can’t eat nearly as much as I used to be able to. The portion control has been helping! I love being back on track again and enjoying healthier foods, like this great smoothie!

Since the weather is warming up, I just had to fork out the blender. I love the combination of apples with berries, so I had to make this into a smoothie! The wonderful thing about using frozen berries is that you don’t even need to use ice! So it’s chock-full of fruity flavors! After I drank this, I actually felt super full afterwards. This simple smoothie includes Rainier Fruit’s Lady Alice Apples, frozen berries, vanilla yogurt, milk & honey. It couldn’t be any easier to make, and it’s absolutely delicious!

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Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit

Strawberry Rolls with Orange Icing #brunchweek

May 8, 2017 by Amy 24 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Brunch Week

It has been a crazy year so far. I decided to let my blog sort of fall in the background of my life again, and I’m a bit bummed about it. So many things have been happening this year, which is a bit crazy for me. I’m used to me and my husband sort of having quiet evenings at home, and well…I kind of made myself SUPER busy the past few months.

To re-motivate myself back into blogging, I am joining up with some amazing bloggers for #brunchweek! The sponsors were ridiculously generous with us bloggers, and I’m excited to feature 3 recipes using products from the sponsors for #brunchweek!

This first one just screams spring/summer to me! Fluffy rolls with plenty of strawberry filling, topped with a sweet orange icing. It’s just SO good! I used Dixie Crystals Sugar, Red Star Platinum Yeast and Nielsen-Massey Almond Extract to make these rolls, and y’all..these rolls are just spectacular! If you want a fruity twist on the average cinnamon roll, give this a try! Another perk to this recipe is that the rolls come together fairly quickly, considering it’s a yeast-based roll recipe!

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins, Fruit

Summer Sangria Ice Pops

July 15, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Summer Sangria Pops
Please drink (or eat ice pops) responsibly!

Whew, y’all! It’s been a while since I posted on here!

We’re still working on making the new house pretty (we just bought curtains this month), and while I spend a good bit of time cooking, I just haven’t made the time to blog anything lately.

On Father’s Day, we made lunch for both families. We recently got a new grill, and what better way to break it in than to host a BBQ! We got steaks for our dads, and we grilled burgers/sausages/hot dogs for the families. For dessert, I made these summer sangria ice pops. 🙂

In hindsight, these ice pops sort of had a 4th of July theme going on, but really…with summer berries going strong, I couldn’t help myself! These are just so great for a summer-y dessert (for adults, of course)! The recipe is a few ingredients, and you could pretty much use any of your favorite fruits with the sangria base. 🙂

Summer Sangria Ice Pops
mildly adapted from The Brewer & The Baker

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 bottle of dry, white wine
  • 1/2 cup orange liqueur
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 orange
  • 2 cups chopped fruit (I used strawberries and blueberries)

Directions:

  1. Place the sugar and water in a small pot, and cook on medium, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  2. Add the wine, orange liqueur, juice of one lemon, juice of one orange and chopped fruit into a large pitcher. Once the syrup has cooled, add 1/2 cup of the simple syrup into the pitcher. Stir all ingredients together.
  3. Pour the sangria mixture (making sure to stuff it with the fruit) into an ice pop mold, filling just below the edge of the mold. (Side note: The mold I have has the molds with a cover that has slots cut into it for you to place the wooden sticks.) So, if you have a similar mold, after you pour in the sangria mixture, cover the pops, and place the wooden sticks in the slots, until it’s almost at the bottom of the pop mold.
  4. Freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight, until everything is solid.
  5. Enjoy!

 

 

Filed Under: Beverages, Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Fruit

Blueberry Margaritas + Blue Cheese Guacamole!

May 5, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, on behalf of Corralejo Tequila and Cheese of Europe. I was compensated for this post, and all opinions are 100% my own. Please drink responsibly.

IMG_9402

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y’all! I’m not sure how we got to May, but I’m not complaining! We’re so close to summer, and while I’m no longer in school, I’m looking forward to no more school traffic and a happy thing for food bloggers — more sunlight!

IMG_9417

When it comes to Cinco de Mayo, I have to have something tex-mex. It just feels right. So, I made some guacamole and not just any guacamole…I made blue cheese guacamole!

I just love a good, chunky guacamole. This recipe is a twist on a classic — just crumbling in some tangy, slightly-spicy Roquefort (blue) cheese brings this guacamole to a whole different level! It’s fantastic, and it couldn’t be easier to make.

IMG_9427

Blue Cheese Guacamole
Source: an original

Ingredients:

  • 2 large Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 1 medium roma tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

  1. Place the avocados in a medium-sized bowl and mash the avocados with a fork. Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl with the avocado, and mix until everything is well-combined.
  2. Enjoy!

Since it’s Cinco de Mayo, you know I was itching to make a margarita. Since I was already working with BLUE cheese, my silly self thought…why not make BLUEberry margaritas? (Get it? I crack myself up!) And to give it a little extra kick, I added in a little jalapeno. 🙂

This is the first time I’ve ever had Corralejo tequila, and their Reposado paired really well with blueberry. Confession time: I didn’t really know much about how tequilas were made until recently. Corralejo Reposado is aged four months in barrels, which are made from three types of wood including French, American and Mexican Oak. Corralejo Silver is bottled fresh from the distillery.

Now, as far as the margarita goes, this margarita didn’t have a jalapeno flavor…rather, it just gave the drink a slightly spicy kick. To make the drink, I made a blueberry simple syrup, and added that to the tequila/triple sec/lime/jalapeno. That way, you can easily control how sweet/blueberry-ish you want your margarita to be.

IMG_9408

Blueberry Jalapeno Margarita
Source: an original

Ingredients:

To make the blueberry simple syrup:

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

To make the margarita:

  • 4 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
  • 2 oz. Triple Sec
  • 1/4 to 1/3 sliced jalapeno (depending on how much of a kick you want)
  • juice of 3 limes
  • 2-3 oz. blueberry simple syrup (depending on how sweet you want the drink to be)
  • Optional: salt for the rim, fresh blueberries and lime slices for garnish

Directions:

  1. To make the simple syrup, heat the blueberries, sugar and water together in a medium saucepan, stirring and mashing the berries as the mixture cooks. Cook the simple syrup until the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat and set aside until fully cooled. Once the mixture has cooled, put the blueberry simple syrup through a strainer and into a large jar. Discard the blueberries that strain out.
  2. Place the tequila, triple sec, jalapeno slices, lime juice, and blueberry simple syrup into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover the shaker and shake the mixture well. Pour the margarita into glasses over ice and enjoy! (Please drink responsibly.)

Filed Under: Appetizers, Beverages, Entertaining/Parties, Fruit, Mexican, Nifty Foodie Original

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

December 4, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: OXO sent me an illuminating hand mixer, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Today, I went to our local party/baking supply store to stock up on holiday gift packaging. I honestly can’t believe it’s December. I know I say that a lot, but the whole house building process has just thrown me off, time-wise. My life is measured by the house countdown, because well…I’m pretty darn excited about it!

This year, I’m not going to do my usual bake-palooza. Since we live with relatives while the house is being built, I just don’t feel right taking over their entire kitchen for a full weekend (which is what I usually do). I’m going to scale back and make some candy (fudge, caramels), as well as these cookies.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie

I love the combination of dried cranberries with white chocolate. The chewy, tart berries, combined with sweet white chocolate works so well together, and to top these cookies off, I rolled part of the dough in a cinnamon/sugar combination to add a little crunchiness to the cookies. When I brought these to work, I kept getting compliments on how great they tasted, which made me think that I definitely have to make these again for holiday gifts. 🙂

To make these cookies, I put away the stand mixer and used OXO’s Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

While I love using my stand mixer for baking, this hand mixer is pretty awesome. It worked like a dream when I was mixing this cookie dough, and the illuminating feature is something I would have never thought was handy until I used it. I also love the digital control….it’s a simple up or down button to change the speed of the mixer. OXO also took care to make sure that storage was a cinch. The cord wraps around the unit, and there’s a special cap for you to snap the beaters into. It just goes neatly into the cabinet, which is a nice added touch (at least it is to me). I’m definitely going to use this hand mixer more often, especially for quicker baking recipes like this one!

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Source: an original

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

For rolling:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Using a mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until well-mixed. Beat in the egg/egg yolk and vanilla extract until well-mixed.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low until just combined. Using a spoon or spatula, mix in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
  5. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl for rolling. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tbsp. in size) and dip one half of each dough ball into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  6. Place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart, with the un-sugared side down. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown, being sure to turn the pans halfway through the baking process. After the cookies have cooled for about 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to fully cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Fruit, Review

Frozen Mango Margaritas

April 30, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Frozen Mango Margarita
Please drink responsibly. 🙂

The past couple of weeks have been full of April showers. I think we had 9 days of rain in a row…it was gloomy and all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa, eat ice cream and take a nap. I thought this week would be different, but Monday, nature threw a nasty storm our way. It was the first time I went through a tornado warning at work (thankfully, there was no tornado there.) However, most people in the area lost power, fences and trees fell down and there were apparently a few tornadoes in the southeast area of the state (which doesn’t happen very often).

A nice surprise after all of this bad weather is an unusual cool front. It feels like fall weather outside right now, which is a nice change away from 80 degrees and humid. So, to celebrate the lovely weather, I made this margarita. My usual favorite is strawberry margaritas, but since the grocery store near me had mangoes on sale, I had to make mango margaritas. I even bought extra mangoes to make some sorbet (SO good!).

The great thing about margaritas is that they really aren’t that complicated….your fruit of choice, tequila, orange liqueur, a bit of sugar or agave, lime juice and ice. Then, just blend it all. It takes minutes to make a pitcher full of these (for this recipe, you will want to double the recipe to make a pitcher full), and your guests will love you for it.

Frozen Mango Margarita
Source: Epicurious

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled ripe mango
  • 3 oz. white tequila
  • 1 oz orange liqueur
  • 2 oz. lime juice
  • 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 cups ice cubes

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend together until smooth. Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit

Chocolate Glazed Tart with Strawberries

February 10, 2015 by Amy 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received a gift card and coupons for ingredients used in this recipe, in exchange for this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Chocolate Tart with Strawberries

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s hard not to think of the classic chocolate covered strawberries. It’s just the perfect, simple treat to enjoy for the holiday. You simply clean/dry the berries, melt chocolate over a double boiler, dip, allow to dry (if you can wait) and enjoy! If you’d like to make things more festive and decorative, Driscoll’s has a few ideas here.

I wanted to make this treat even more indulgent, by placing chocolate covered strawberries on top of an indulgent, chocolate tart. While this may look intimidating, the recipe is fairly simple. With a chocolate sandwich cookie crust, truffle-like filling and a chocolate glaze, this heavenly dessert would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert! Topping this dessert with chocolate covered berries and white chocolate drizzle is just the cherry on top of the sundae. 🙂

Chocolate Tart with Strawberries

As much as I love chocolate, I have to confess something to y’all. My husband does not like chocolate. I know…I KNOW. I like to joke that while it’s a bummer, I absolutely know for a fact that no one else in our house is touching my chocolate stash haha!

Chocolate Glazed Tart with Strawberries
Source: slightly adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 25 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely ground in a food processor
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

For the glaze:

  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 3/4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. light corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp. warm water

For the topping:

  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. canola oil, divided
  • 12 medium to large sized Driscoll’s strawberries, cleaned and dried
  • 2 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

  1. To make the crust, adjust an oven rack to the middle rack, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Stir together the ground chocolate sandwich cookies and butter. Then press the mixture evenly into the bottom and 3/4″ up the side of a 9″ fluted tart pan. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until firm. Allow the crust to cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes.
  3. To make the filling, bring the heavy cream to a boil, and pour the hot cream over the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, allowing the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir the mixture until smooth. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and salt together in another bowl. Add 1 tbsp. of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, mixing well (this is to prevent the eggs from scrambling once the egg/chocolate mixtures come together), then add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture.
  4. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Place the tart pan in a baking sheet (just in case there’s leaks). Place the tart pan in the oven, baking for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set about 3 inches from the edge, but the center is still jiggly. Allow the tart to cool completely in the tart pan on the cooling rack, about 1 hour.
  5. To make the glaze, bring the heavy cream to a boil and remove the cream from heat. Stir in the chocolate, until the mixture is smooth. Then, stir in the corn syrup and warm water.
  6. Pour the glaze on top of the tart, and then gently tilt and rotate the tart to allow the glaze to coat the top evenly. Allow the glaze to stand until the glaze is set, about 1 hour.
  7. To make the berries, while the glaze is setting, place the bittersweet chocolate and 1/4 tsp. of the canola oil in a double boiler, stirring often until melted. Set a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking pan on the side. Dip each berry in the chocolate, up to about 1/4 from the top of the strawberry. Place the dipped berries on the parchment/wax paper lined baking sheet, about an inch from each other. If you’d like, you can add sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Allow the strawberries to set for about 10 minutes (they will still be slightly wet).
  8. Arrange the berries on top of the tart. If you’d like to stack the berries, they will still be slightly wet to allow them to stick to each other. Melt the white chocolate and 1/8 tsp. of canola oil in a double boiler, and then drizzle the white chocolate over the tart and berries. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Chocolate, Desserts, Fruit, Pies

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Image Credit: Leslie Pendleton Photography

 

Hey y’all!

Thanks so much for reading! I’m Amy, and I live in south Louisiana with my husband and our rescue dog. I enjoy sharing my love for cooking, baking, crafts & more! Follow my daily adventures on social media!

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