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The Easiest Strawberry Milkshake Recipe Turns Out to be the Best Strawberry Milkshake Recipe

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Strawberry Milkshake v

Quick & Easy Strawberry Milkshake

Some of my favorite things in live involve fruit.. so much so that I’ve always said if there ever were a fruit shortage, I’d be in a world of hurt…

I live for:

Strawberry Sundaes

Blueberries in Oatmeal

Blackberries on Pancakes

Strawberry Sundaes

Banana Smoothies

Strawberry Smoothies

.. and, last but not least, the obsession that brings us here today – Strawberry Milkshakes. I have been tinkering over the years with them for several reasons. I love them and couldn’t possibly survive a week without one. Have I ever tried? Heck no… who’d want to tempt that kind of fate?! I don’t order Strawberry milkshakes from restaurants because some milkshakes have gluten in them and I’m afraid of cross-contamination. Soooo, that has left me to my own devices – well the devices of me and my blender (Hamilton Beach Power Elite on Amazon).

I’ve tried milkshakes with vanilla, without vanilla, with added sugar, without added sugar, with all forms of vanilla and/or strawberry ice cream, with frozen strawberries, with fresh strawberries… oh, you name it, I’ve experimented with it. And loved every strawberrylicious sip!

The one I made recently was at the end of a very, very, very busy day (and, given that it’s 2020, it was of course a very emotionally charged and stressful day… 2020’s aesthetic). All I wanted was a basic glassful of strawberry comfort.

I  took 12 large strawberries, washed them and chopped them into chunks. I threw them into my blender and added 2-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream and 2 cups whole milk. The blender did its magic and the result was a knock out milkshake. As you can see, I didn’t even add whipped topping to the top followed by the obligatory “food blogger’s slice of strawberry on top.” Heck, I’m lucky my tired self even remembered to take a picture at all!

Who knows, maybe next time I’ll top it all off with a little whipped cream and position a big beautiful strawberry wedge on top. Maybe I’ll order special “milkshake glasses” by then. We’ll see. If 2020 gets its act together, I’ll do the same!


Healthy Ginger-Cantaloupe Popsicles

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Ginger-Cantaloupe Popsicles
I recently got a fun new kitchen “toy” to enjoy and I’ve been doing just that. It’s a popsicle molds set and, trust me, you don’t want to muddle through the rest of the summer without your own.

I’ve made quite a few varieties but have to confess that it’s hard to beat iced coffee, almond milk, and a splash of vanilla syrup. It makes a Heavenly latte popsicle.

I’ll add more recipes in the coming days, but here’s one you’re sure to love. It’s from Terra’s Kitchen (Fresh Meal Delivery Service) and the popsicles are almost too beautiful to eat.

Almost.

Healthy Ginger-Cantaloupe Popsicles

3 slices of fresh ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1 ripe cantaloupe
Sliced strawberries (optional)
Popsicle forms and popsicle sticks

In a small sauce pan, add the sugar and 1/2 cup water over medium heat. Cook just until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and drop in ginger. Set aside until cooled. (Remove ginger when ready to use!)
Slice cantaloupe in half and scoop out seeds. Spoon cantaloupe flesh into a blender. Blend until smooth.
Add just enough of the cooled ginger syrup to sweeten as desired. Save the remaining syrup for another use.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. For a variation, push a few sliced strawberries down into the popsicle molds before freezing.


What Do You Get When You Combine SkinnyPop Popcorn and Melted Pink Himalayan Salt Ghee?

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SkinnyPop Popcorn with Melted Pink Himalayan Salt Ghee
SkinnyPop Popcorn with Melted Pink Himalayan Salt Ghee

A while back, a super friendly woman contacted me about doing a post on my food blog highlighting SkinnyPop Popcorn. Since it was a brand I already bought regularly, I was more than glad to help spread the word.  This isn’t a sponsored post – nor did I receive any popcorn to sample. I bought my own, as I regularly do.

Let me tell you a little secret about us food bloggers… we are regularly sent food products to review (whether we’re sent the product or a voucher, we’re compensated for the time we spend telling our readers about the food). If you see one of my kind (food bloggers) giving a “shout out” to a product for which we didn’t even receive a coupon for… mark it down… it’s one we’re already buying and loving.

There are just certain “staples” you grab each week at the grocery store, right? SkinnyPop popcorn is one of my favorite staples.  I regularly grab bags of their Original as well as their Sea Salt and Pepper. The Sea Salt and Pepper is actually my favorite – guess it’s because I’m a pepper fanatic, huh?

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, period. It’s delicious, fun to eat, doesn’t make a mess (unless you cover it with caramel or chocolate… then it’s shall we say a mess that’s worth it!), and nutritionally sound.

I almost always have a huge bowl of SkinnyPop popcorn on the table or counter – so anyone who passes by can grab a handful and crunch their little hearts out. It’s a great way to hold off the hungries until mealtime and I’d much rather my loved ones grab popcorn than greasy chips or sugar-coated snacks.

My husband and I often invite popcorn into the den when watching television in the evening or on weekends. A baseball game without popcorn? I don’t think so!

SkinnyPop Popcorn with Melted Ghee… HOLY CATS!!

I recently happened upon what is now one of my favorite things in the world: SkinnyPop popcorn with melted Pink Himalayan Salt Ghee – naturally, you can just use regular ghee and add a little Himalayan Salt at some point in the melting or drizzling process, but I’d HIGHLY recommend the ghee pictured above – 4th & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee with Himalayan Pink Salt. It’s on Amazon (what isn’t, right??) but I’ve also found it easily in Meijer’s and Kroger.

Again, any melted ghee would be fantastic, but this one is my “go to” for many things in life.

Since I first melted ghee and used it on popcorn, I’ve never used traditional butter…. and I LOVE traditional butter as much as anyone. Ghee is just perfectly perfect for drizzling on popcorn and I could go on and on about how delicious it is.   That, however, wouldn’t get the point across nearly as well as if you simply try it for yourself.

You’ll be as blown away as me and, yes, you may even exclaim HOLY CATS too.

SkinnyPop Popcorn with Grated Dark Chocolate
SkinnyPop Popcorn with Grated Dark Chocolate and Almonds

One of the things I like about SkinnyPop so much is the fact that it’s….

  1. … not Microwave Popcorn. Studies have shown that the majority of microwave popcorn is horrible for you.
  2. ….. doesn’t mess up dishes or call for vegetable oil.
  3. …. doesn’t mess up my hot air popcorn popper.

It’s healthier than most snacks, healthier than all microwavable popcorn, and it doesn’t mess up a single thing. I also love that they print Gluten Free in huge letters on the front. They’re proud to be gluten-free and that makes me smile.

While my absolute favorite way to eat SkinnyPop Popcorn is straight outta the bag (or bowl, if that’s where it’s hanging out at the time), I do like to get a little jazzy from time to time.

Keep reading for a few ways to have fun with popcorn.

SkinnyPop Popcorn with Dried Cranberries and Almonds
SkinnyPop Popcorn with Dried Cranberries and Almonds
 

In addition to melted ghee (please, please try this – trust me it’s too good for its own good), below are some of my favorite ways to have fun with popcorn.

  • I first fell in love with pouring M&Ms into popcorn at the theater many, many, many moons ago. I was trying to hold onto a huge bucket of popcorn (I go all out with theater popcorn, guys) and a box of plain M&Ms, while freeing up a hand to control my Diet Coke – yes, I’m that girl who has buttery popcorn, candy, and drinks a Diet Coke to wash it all down. At least I used to, that is. I gave up Diet Coke but candy and popcorn? NEVER. I decided that I either had to get creative or grow a third hand. I got creative. I poured the M&Ms into the bucket of popcorn and something legendary was born. Since that day (seriously, it must have been at least 25 years ago), I always have M&Ms in my popcorn at the theater. I often do the same at home. If you buy the “Baking M&Ms” bag, you’ll get more candies for your buck – plus they’re smaller, so you get more with each handful.
  • Lawry’s Seasoned salt is great on popcorn – plus it gives it a funky cool color.
  • Grating dark chocolate or white chocolate onto popcorn is also a darn tasty way to go.
  • Nuts are incredibly good for you, so I like to sneak them into our meals and snacks any way that I can. Tossing pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or pistachios into popcorn just ups the nutritional boost. Smart and delicious.  I also like to toss in fried fruit sometimes. Experiment with the combinations of dried fruit and nuts for something extra special. One of my personal favorite combos is dried cranberries, almonds, and macadamia nuts.  If I have any on hand, I’ll throw in some white chocolate morsels too.
  • Cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat) and grated lime are a great combo for popcorn. The flavors go together perfectly.

SkinnyPop Popcorn with Dried Cranberries and Almonds SkinnyPop Popcorn with Dried Cranberries, Almonds, and White Chocolate Morsels

You can find SkinnyPop in your grocery store or your favorite super store. I just noticed on their website that they’ve added to their line of popcorn – I’ll have to keep my eyes out for these new varieties in my store. You can also find SkinnyPop on Amazon.  I’ve kind of fallen in love with ordering food along with whatever I’m ordering on Amazon.  Makes delivery day even sweeter.

You can also find the 4th & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee with Himalayan Pink Salt on Amazon.  It’s EXCELLENT on toast and chocolate as well as popcorn. Think I need a little popcorn with melted ghee right about now…


Applesauce Raspberry Parfait: Crazy Quick & Embarassingly Easy Breakfast, Brunch, or Snack Recipe

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Raspberries, Applesauce and Chia Seeds
We all have certain foods and ingredients that we’re kind of famous for – culinary obsessions that everyone in our family (and sometimes perfect strangers) know about.  As is the case with most foodies and food bloggers, I have more than a few. But, make no mistake about it, three are as synonymous with me as spinach is Popeye:

  • raspberries
  • chia seeds
  • applesauce

I have no idea where these particular obsessions came from, but there you have it.

I recently incorporated each one into a delicious (and I do mean delicious) snack. However, if you double up on the ingredients, it makes a perfectly healthy, filling, and… let’s face it.. gorgeous breakfast or brunch.

Raspberries, Applesauce and Chia Seeds
This is one of those “recipes” that isn’t even a recipe. It’s more of a “Take this… then, take that… then add this….” and, you know what, busy lives need more of these non-recipe recipes.

  1. Grab a bowl or even a jar – I love jars because they’re so darn cute. Plus, when the ingredients are pretty, I kind of dig being able to see them.
  2. Place a layer of frozen raspberries in the bottom. Don’t thaw them, they’ll be perfectly fine. They aren’t “ice hard” and pose no danger to your teeth.
  3. Add some applesauce – either chunky or regular. I’ve used both and don’t prefer one to the other.
  4. Add a few more raspberries on top along with a healthy sprinkling of chia seeds.

Other Combinations:

  • If you prefer blackberries or blueberries, by all means, experiment with those. I would imagine either would be delicious! Given the fact that I’m utterly obsessed with raspberries, I haven’t tried either of these berries. I’m not a hater, I simply have priorities.
  • Something I’m wanting to experiment with is another fruit I am crazy about – peaches. I’m thinking that if I chopped up frozen peaches and used them along with Cinnamon Applesauce (with, of course, chia seeds), the result would be worth writing home about – make that, the result would be worth blogging about. When I try it, if it IS worth writing about, I’ll come back here and tell you all about it. If it’s a bomb… this never happened.
  • This is completely off the “healthy” track, here, but you know something else that’s delectable?! Frozen raspberries with heavy whipping cream. Trust me on this one. It’s crazy good.  So are un-frozen peaches and heavy whipping cream. Now my mouth is watering…

Raspberries, Applesauce and Chia Seeds
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Favorite Uses for a Favorite Obsession: Limoneira Lemons!

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Limoneira Lemons

Limoneira Lemons

Whenever I’m asked what my favorite ingredients are to cook with, lemons are always among the first “secret cooking weapons” out of my mouth. They simply make anything and everything fresher and more delicious.  There are certain things my kitchen NEVER runs out of and lemons are high on the list – right up there with Kosher salt, black peppercorns, and sweet tea (I’m Southern, after all).

I was recently received a beautiful box of big, gorgeous, fragrant lemons from Limoneira and I’m still flying high over the beauties.

My Personal Favorite Ways to Use Lemons

Tossed Green Salad with Lemon EVOO Dressing

Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

Lemon Olive Oil Salad Dressing

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – there’s really no good reason to buy salad dressing. Not only is it easy to make, yourself, it’s healthier and much more delicious. One of my favorite salad dressings is so simple I refuse to even call it a recipe. It’s more like steps… baby steps at that.

  1. Put your tossed green salad in a single-serving bowl or a large bowl. My favorite cast of characters include baby spinach, romaine, radishes, carrots, black olives, celery, and red onion.
  2. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a good quality of EVOO, of course.
  3. Squeeze fresh lemon over the top.
  4. Sprinkle some Kosher salt over the juice.

This makes such a wonderful salad, you’ll swear off mass-produced dressings forever and ever, amen. Wholesome, healthy, easy, and crazy good.

Lemons
Clean and Freshen Wooden Cutting Boards with Lemons

Lemon and Sea Salt: Perfect for Cleaning Wooden Cutting Boards

Whenever I use lemons for recipes or tea, I always hang onto what remains of the lemon for a perfect “scrubber” for my wooden cutting board.  Simply lay out your cutting board, sprinkle it with some sea salt, and have at it with the inside of your beautiful yellow natural scrubber.

Each time I do this, I  have to admit, I’m a little jealous of the cutting board. It —- looks—– so—– relaxing.

Iced Tea with Lemon
Iced Sweet Tea with Lemon

Lemon in Green Tea and Black Tea

Given the fact that I’m the Crazy Tea Chick, it comes as no surprise that I’m constantly in a state of drinking tea – whether iced, hot, or somewhere in between. Lemon, added to ANY tea makes the experience all the better, but it’s ideal if you aren’t fond of the taste of green tea. The lemon perks it up and takes away the flavor that turns some people off.

Before plopping a wedge or two or thirteen into your tea, sprinkle a little sugar on the lemon for a little extra decadence.

It’s great with black tea, of course, but – again – if you’re trying to drink more green tea for its amazing health benefits, sugared lemons may be your secret weapon.

Fresh lemon juice may also be the thing to help you fall in love with Matcha – one of the healthiest drinks you can enjoy. I LOVE a combination of lime juice and lemon juice in Matcha, with a little honey. Perfection.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemons
Roasted Asparagus with Lemons

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

My husband’s favorite vegetable is asparagus, so you’d be absolutely correct if you said it was the first vegetable I obsessed over perfecting. Over the years, I’ve done just about every conceivable culinary thing with asparagus but his favorite (as well as my own) is roasted asparagus – either in an iron skillet or in the oven.

Roasted Asparagus in the Oven

  • Pre-Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • “Trim” the asparagus by taking each one and finding the “magic spot.” The magic spot is where the asparagus naturally wants to bend and snap. Snap it off, with your hands. Discard the tough end and put the the rest of the asparagus into a bowl
  • Drizzle with three tablespoons olive oil (per bunch). Don’t go with more because it’ll just make the asparagus soggy and that’s pretty gross. Sprinkle with salt (about a teaspoon) and black pepper (around 1/2 teaspoon). Optional: Add a minced clove of garlic (I almost always do so – unless the main course is garlicky, then I leave it out).
  • Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
  • Bake until it is JUST tender – usually around the 12 minute mark, but start checking at the 8 minute mark. This is really a matter of personal preference. Just be sure not to let it go too far – you want the asparagus to have some snap and personality left, after all.
  • Sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon just before serving and arrange a few extra slices around the plate or platter.

Asparagus in an Iron Skillet

If you’ve never made asparagus in an iron skillet, you have to give it a go. It’s phenomenal.

  • “Trim” the asparagus as described above.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in an iron skillet on the stove.
  • Place the asparagus in the butter and toss the spears around a little with a spatula – making sure each one is covered in butter all the way around.
  • Cover and cook between 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Check at 3 to see if they’re how you like them – if they aren’t quite “there,” go a few minute more.
  • Season with salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon.

Limoneira Lemons
Limoneira Lemons
About Limoneira Company
Limoneira Company, a 124-year-old international agribusiness headquartered in Santa Paula, California, has grown to become one of the premier integrated agribusinesses in the world. Limoneira (pronounced lē mon΄âra) is a dedicated sustainability company with approximately 10,700 acres of rich agricultural lands, real estate properties and water rights in California and Arizona. The Company is a leading producer of lemons, avocados, oranges, specialty citrus and other crops that are enjoyed throughout the world.

Every day is lemon day at Limoneira Ranch, but for everyone else who doesn’t live on a citrus farm, there are several lemon dessert days throughout the year to look forward to celebrating!

Lemon Chiffon Cake Day – March 29
Delicious, classic, light and airy, a lemon chiffon cake is a perfect way to welcome spring time and Easter. A Limoneira favorite recipe features a creamy lemon curd filling and a balanced whipped cream frosting.

Lemon Meringue Day – August 15
Both sweet and tart, there are many ways to interpret lemon meringue. It can be a pie, cookies, tarts, cheesecakes and more, but one of Limoneira’s favorite ways to enjoy lemon meringue is in the form of homemade ice cream!

Lemonade Day – August 20
Lemonade day is a great way to get creative with kids! This cool, refreshing summer treat is easy to make and remake with different combinations of fruit. Create your own recipe or find some inspiration online!

Lemon Crème Pie Day – November 29
Rich, smooth and bursting with lemony goodness, lemon crème pies are easy to make and can be prepared with just a few, simple ingredients.

Lemon Cupcake Day – December 15
On lemon cupcake day, create and enjoy as many varieties of delightful, beautiful and bright lemon cupcakes as you care for! A few of Limoneira’s favorite cupcakes include limoncello cupcakes, honey lemon cupcakes, and the classic lemon cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting.

To view a great collection of Limoneira’s favorite lemony dessert recipes, visit their Pinterest page!

For more about Limoneira Company, visit www.limoneira.com.


Mary McCartney’s Plum and Pear Crumble Recipe

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The beautiful recipe below is from Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney. It appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and is reprinted here (with permission).  In the Health and Family section of the Post’s website, you’ll find more recipes. Be sure to check out the Granola Fruit Squares recipe – it looks delicious!

I love recipes that call for ingredients that are easily accessible and this one certainly fits that description.  I’m also wild about it for another reason – it’s a perfect Autumn dessert and Autumn and I have a thing going… we have for some time. Like forever.  I’m crazy about everything that has to do with autumn – the sights, scents, sounds, and especially the food.  Recipes like this Crumble make autumn EVEN more beautiful.  It’d be as ideal for Christmas Eve or Christmas as it would Thanksgiving or… I dunno… tonight?!

You can serve this crumble with ice cream, whipped topping, or simply by its glorious self.

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients  Plum and Pear Crumble Recipe

For the filling:

  • 8 ripe plums, cut in half and pitted
  • 4 ripe but firm pears, cored and cut lengthwise into quarters
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the crumble:

  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup ground almonds
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 7 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Cut sliced plums and pears into bite-sized pieces and put them into a medium baking dish (about 10 inches).
  3. Sprinkle the brown sugar and the cinnamon evenly over fruit and stir together well.
  4. To make the crumble, put flour, oats, ground almonds, and brown sugar into medium mixing bowl. Then add butter and gently rub these ingredients together using your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Scatter crumble evenly over prepared fruit in baking dish.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, until topping is golden and crisp, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Many thanks to the Saturday Evening Post for sharing this recipe and photo with our readers!

Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads: You Won’t Believe How Delicious These Are

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Smucker's Natural Fruit Spread

All you taste is the fruit in Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads, and that’s the whole(some) idea!

First of all, I apologize for the sparse updates lately. My garden has been particularly needy the past few weeks. If I stood in place for any length of time, I’m certain I could watch weeds grow right in front of me. Why is it THEY grow so incredibly fast and everything else takes so long?! I think I’ve gained on the bothersome little suckers, though, so it’s back to business as usual.

I told you not long ago (before my garden kidnapped me) that I’ve fallen in love with quite a few healthy foods lately.  One of the ones I’m most infatuated with – and wondering how I ever lived without it – is Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads.  Whether it’s toast, Sourdough Bread, cornbread muffins, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, or Thumbprint Cookies, Smucker’s Natural fruit spreads make everything twice as good as it normally would be. Heck, maybe three times as good.

The Spreads are available in the following flavors:

Which one’s my favorite? The one I happen to have in front of me!  Seriously, these are unlike any jam, jelly, or preserves you’ve ever had. All you taste is the glorious fruit.

I bought my first jar (Red Raspberry) a few months ago. I had made a few loaves of Sourdough Bread and wanted a spread worthy of the time that goes into Sourdough bread. When I saw the “Natural” line, I new I had to give it a try. Raspberry is a favorite flavor, so I grabbed a jar.  When I tried it, I was floored. It tasted just like I’d taken raspberries fresh from the vine, lightly sweetened them to bring out the flavor, and then spread them right onto the bread.

The flavor is absolutely fresh and absolutely beautiful. I ran for the other flavors the next day.  My store didn’t have the Orange Marmalade, but I’m dying to try it. I grabbed the strawberry and grape – PLUS another jar of the Raspberry (you can never be too safe).

I was the most shocked by the Concord Grape, simply because most grape jellies, jams, and preserves don’t have that unmistakable, amazing flavor of concord grapes.  We all just kind of get used to the attempts made in our jams and jellies and go on about our business.  In a delicious turn of events, however, Smucker’s Natural Concord Grape Fruit Spread reminds us how anything carrying the name “Concord Grape” should taste.  In a word: Amazing.

The Strawberry (like the raspberry) tasted like I’d spread fresh fruit across the bread. Ridiculously delicious.

I’m going to make a special trip to the store today to see if they have the Orange Marmalade yet.  If they do, I’ll let you know about it.  I can only imagine how amazing it’ll be!

Click through any of the flavors above for nutritional information and, whatever you do, grab a few jars on your next trip to the store. You’re going to LOVE these fruit spreads.

Also See: Great Smucker’s Recipes (chicken, desserts, salads….). I CANNOT wait to try the Grilled Huli Huli Chicken.

Lady Alice Apples (Review of a New Favorite Apple)

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Lady Alice Apples

I’ve loved apples with wild and reckless abandonment since I had enough teeth to bite them. Actually, I must have been an apple fanatic when even before my teeth came in. My mom once told me that my favorite baby food was applesauce. Somehow I’m not surprised. Apples simply do it for me, and apparently they always have.

When I was contacted with an opportunity to sample a new apple (Lady Alice – is that a beautiful name or what?) for a review on my food blog, I jumped at the chance. Then I watched for the delivery with the same level of intensity of a hawk.

Lady Alice apples are, if we’re being completely honest, the best apples I’ve ever had. They are everything you want from an apple, and then some. My husband also declared it the best apple he’s ever had and, trust me, we have both had our fair share of apples.

History of Lady Alice

The Lady Alice brand apple was discovered as a chance seedling near Gleed, Washington. While cultivating the neglected orchard soil in 1979, a plow disc hit the base of a Red Delicious tree injuring its trunk. The damaged tree sent out a new shoot. The new shoot had a decidedly different appearance from the rest of the tree so it was allowed to grow and bear fruit. Since the new tree was discovered in an orchard with many different varieties of fruit trees scattered throughout, its parentage is unknown.

Over the next 25 years steps were taken to preserve and propagate the new variety. As with the first generation, all subsequent generations exhibited the same characteristics observed in the original tree. Rainier Fruit is the exclusive marketer of Lady Alice apples from Washington State.

Exclusively offered by Rainier Fruit Company, this new and distinct apple possesses unique and desirable characteristics:

  • Lady Alice has a bright pink stripe over a creamy-yellow background that deepens to a banana-yellow after harvest.
  • Lady Alice holds its texture when baking.  It is slow to brown after cutting which makes it excellent for eating fresh, cutting into salads or serving on fruit trays. This is an excellent all-purpose apple.
  • Its heirloom dense flesh is sweet with a hint of tartness that lingers on the palate.

I’ve used Lady Alice in a lot of smoothies. I’ve made green smoothies with it as well as good old fashioned, delicious fruit smoothies.  Bananas are a mainstay in the green smoothies and fruit smoothies I make because it provides a great creamy consistency. I found that Lady Alice apples can be substituted for bananas to change things up.  They also compliment bananas beautifully.

I also added a cut up Lady Alice apple to my chocolate Slim Fast shake for extra creaminess, flavor, and nutritional punch.

Homemade Applesauce with Lady Alice Apples

Lady Alice apples are also PERFECT for making homemade applesauce (pictured above). I left the skins on because I wanted the reddish tinge.  If you peel them, you’d have the more traditional applesauce look.  They made amazing applesauce. I used the applesauce recipe found on the Nutri-Bullet blog.

These sweet apples have the perfect amount of crunch – they’re far from mushy but biting into them requires zero effort.

I’ve also found other ways to work Lady Alice apples into our day for healthy and delicious snacks.  In the picture below, you’ll see a few of my favorite co-stars for Lady Alice Apples.  I slice up a Lady Alice apple and add other healthy choices such as (from left to right):  Chia Seeds, Peanut Butter, and Jif Hazelnut Spread (similar to Nutella but with even more of an amazing Hazelnut flavor).

The Chia seeds cling beautifully and, in my opinion anyway, make a darn cute snack.

Lady Alice Apple Slices with Chia Seeds Peanut Butter and Jif Hazelnut Spread

Lady Alice apples can be found in grocery stores around the country. Visit the Rainier Fruit website for more information on Lady Alice apples as well as a variety of other fruits.

Lady Alice Apples

Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

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Orange Salad

The Mandarin Orange Salad shown above is everything you could ask for in a side dish:

  • Easy to make
  • Inexpensive ingredients
  • Delicious
  • Perfect for holidays AND everyday

I love to embrace whatever season we happen to be in the middle of with colors and flavors. I always have seasonally-appropriate napkins, decorations, candles, etc.  Sort of a “don’t just live in the moment, embrace the moment” type thing. I also like for my food and drinks to reflect the colors and scheme of things.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do think too much, how could you tell?

The Mandarin Orange Salad recipe here is a favorite for several times of year.  I love it in Autumn because of the gorgeous orange color (you could even add a few drops of orange food coloring to make it even more orange for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Syracuse football games…). It’s also great in Summer because it’s obviously quick and easy to make and cool and refreshing to eat.

Around Christmas, you can replace the mandarin oranges with a drained jar of cherries and replace the orange jello with cherry.  Gorgeous!

Mandarin Orange Salad

This beautiful salad is as delicious as it looks!
  • 16 oz small curd Cottage Cheese
  • 1 small box orange Jello
  • 9 oz. Whipped Topping, thawed
  • 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
Instructions
  1. Simply mix the ingredients together and chill.

 

Sour Cream Sauce for Fruit Recipe

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As you well know, I collect cookbooks with a crazy passion often reserved for chocolate cheesecake.   I take a great deal of pride in my hundreds of cookbooks.  While a lot of time and money has gone into collecting them, the main thing I love about them is the fact that so many are family heirlooms. Some are probably worth money right now (not that I’d ever part with a cookbook my grandmother wrote “yummy!” in) –  and others are simple little cookbooks that were used to raise money for churches or schools.  It would appear that my mom bought any and every cookbook anyone tried to sell her!

One of the cookbooks I use most often, actually, came from my mom’s collection. It’s the Newman’s Own Cookbook. It’s not as old as a lot of the cookbooks in my collection, obviously – so it’s not an oldie, but it is a goldie.

A favorite recipe from this cookbook is Fresh Fruits with Sour Cream Sauce. This Heavenly creamy sauce will have your family fighting over fruit instead of potato chips and chocolate chip cookies for a change. You’re going to love it.

Fresh Fruits with Sour Cream Sauce

3-1/2 cups sliced fresh fruit
1/1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint plus mint sprigs for garnish (optional… I personally never bother with it)

Keep the fruit chilled until ready to use.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream, brown sugar, lemon juice and mint, and stir together until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and chill until serving time.

Serve the fruit garnished with the mint sprigs and pass the sour cream sauce as a topping. Serve with crisp cookies.

My preferences:
The book recommends banana, mango, papaya, kiwi. I prefer berries, melons, apples, and grapes, however, so I throw together varying combinations of apples, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and grapes. Naturally, you can just use whatever fruit your family prefers.

I’ve never used mint in this recipe, even though we always have mint in our herb garden. Go figure. I’m sure it’d look gorgeous, though! My main thing with mint is that, typically, if it’s present, it’s often the only thing my taste buds concentrate on. I take one bite and my brain says, “Mint!” I love the flavor, almost as much as the smell, I just don’t want it to steal the show all the time.

This fruit salad is fantastic served with almonds crushed on top – or even with nuts served nearby. I’m nuts for nuts, though, so I serve them with as many things as possible. They’re SO healthy!

A few other recipes from Newman’s Own Cookbook:

  • Potato Salad with Two Mustards Dressing
  • Roasted Herbed New Potatoes with Spinach
  • Whoopi Goldberg’s Big Bad Ass Beef Ribs
  • Julia Robert’s Fresh Peach Crisp
  • Gene Shalit’s Spaghetti Carbonora
  • Incredible Cobb Salad
  • Herbed Samon Fillets in Foil
  • Mediterranean Fish Fillets
  • Joanne Woodward’s Cioppino
  • Blaze’s Shrimp and Sausage Creole
  • Twice-Baked Potato over Spinach, Broccoli, and Peppers
  • Tom Cruise’s Linguine with Zesty Red Clam Sauce

Throughout the book are quotes from Paul Newman and pictures from his personal life and career.  Great, great cookbook.