I'm still here.
I'm still cooking, mostly relying on the convienience of my slow cooker.
I'm still trying to make our everyday lives a bit whimsical and less mundane.
And, I've started my own Etsy shop to help with a variety of things for my Baby Di.



So, before I get back to posting some helpful and delicious recipes, I'd like to let you know about a giveaway I am hosting from my Etsy shop, An Extra Blessing. THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN. Check in with my Facebook page for future giveaways.

Would you like to have an adorable owl print, all cotton, extra large, crib blanket for your own little bebe or to give as a gift to someone you know?  If so, follow this link to enter the giveaway.  It's that easy.  You just have to hurry {it's over on Wednesday}.  And, there are more ways than one to earn entries!

Here's a look at the cuddly, soft blanket~

Owls on an aqua background and a gray flannel backing,

a band of ribbon on one corner to attach toys, 

a generous size of approximately 51"x33" to cover the entire crib mattress

and it's made from 100% cotton, preshrunk fabric with subtle round corners!

What are you waiting for?  Scoot on over to An Extra Blessing on Facebook and enter to win!

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting~ Purely From Scratch

When visiting cupcake shops, I almost always opt for a strawberry cupcake if one is on the menu {not that I stop at just one cupcake}.  Ever since a friend made me a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting for my birthday when I was in sixth grade, strawberry has been my favorite.  Funny thing is, I'm absolutely certain she used a boxed mixed and canned frosting.  And for years I have been on a mission to make a purely from scratch strawberry cake recipe~ no boxed mixes, no strawberry jello, just old~fashioned, homemade strawberry cake.  Sadly, success has not come quickly.


Fresh, ripe, huge strawberries and a little helper are key to making your own strawberry cupcakes.

This past winter I treated myself to the Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook purely to try the cupcake recipes.  I made the birthday ones and my husband raved about them.  I have yet to make their strawberry ones.  I'm acting like my two year old and being quite stubborn, insisting that I know what I want in a strawberry cupcake.



I looked over some recipes for other cupcakes and cakes that I really like that involve fruit, trying to mimic some of them.  After a few trials {deflated cupcakes, lack of strawberry taste, too dense, etc.}, I decided to keep this recipe.  It is does not have a fine cupcake crumb, but it is moist and strawberryful and a pretty, all natural pink.  Oh, I forgot to say they are quite tasty, too.

Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup pureed, strawberry puree

Strawberry Frosting {recipe follows}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend cream cheese on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the eggs and mix until just blended.

Add half of the flour mixture to cream cheese blend and fold in til lightly combined; add half of the puree and fold in lightly.  Continue with the remaining flour mixture and puree, just to combine all ingredients.  Scrape bottom and sides of bowl and incorporate into batter.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20~25 minutes, until tops spring back when touched. Cool completely before frosting.  Makes 24~28 cupcakes.

Strawberry Frosting
8 oz butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 tbsp strawberry preserves
6~8 c powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Add one tablespoon of preserves and two cups of powdered sugar.  Blend to combine well.  Continue adding preserves, one tablespoon at a time, and sugar, two cups at a time, blending between each addition until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  Refrigerate cupcakes until serving.  Allow cupcakes to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.

Tips and Tricks~
*Use an ice cream scoop to quickly, neatly and accurately fill cupcake tins.
*Fold in flour and puree by hand, not with a mixer.  Over mixing will ruin your cupcakes.
*To make strawberry puree, use fresh sliced strawberries with no added water.  I like my Kitchenaid hand held blender for this job.  It has a handy measuring cup to mix it in so measuring is simple.
*I found that 3 cups of sliced strawberries equaled 1 1/2 cups of puree each time I made these.
*These are an excellent choice for spring and summertime parties~ not to sweet and so pretty.

Tomato and Avocado Dip with Pepper Chips

I have a new obsession with bell peppers.  Sweet peppers are full of fiber and vitamin C; green peppers have twice the amount of vitamin C than oranges, and orange and red varieties have even more.



I've been using them as chips for dip.  They satisfy my need for something crunchy without the carbs and calories from corn or potato chips.  They are also the perfect chips for my new favorite dip made from tomatoes and avocados with feta cheese.  This dip was introduced to me by a friend last summer.  I've been eating it non-stop since then, even through the winter months.

The key to making this dip outstanding is using ripe vegetables {or fruits for the scientists out there}.  I like to go to our local Asian market to get produce.  It's always fresh and flavorful.  But knowing what to look for is helpful.



Tomatoes~ Choose ones that are big and firm but not hard.  Avoid squishy ones.  Just hold a tomato in your hand and gently squeeze with your palm, not finger tips.  You should notice just a slight give.  I don't buy the ones that are still on the vine, even though they are a beautiful red.  They just don't have the flavor that the beefsteak tomatoes do.  Also, the plum tomatoes don't provide enough meat. 

Avocados~ My preference is Haas or California avocados.  They actually have fewer calories than Florida avocados.  You want ones that are not bright green, and if you are planning to use them the same day, you should choose ones that look almost black.  Again, pick it up in your hand and gently squeeze with the palm.  You want avocados that are not firm but do not get indentations.  If indentations are made, the fruit is over ripe.

Bell Peppers~ I've seen a tip on Pinterest regarding choosing bell peppers based on the bumps on the bottom of the pepper.  There is actually no difference between 3 and 4 lobed {bumps on bottom} green peppers.  They are from the same plant and are the same ripeness.  There are differences in variety of bell peppers that effect sweetness.  If you want a sweeter pepper, choose a different variety or color.  Orange are the sweetest in my taste buds' opinion.

How to Cut Bell Peppers~ Place top down on cutting surface. Using a sharp knife, slice down, along the valleys between the lobes of the pepper.



  By doing this, you will save time and have pepper pieces that are completely pith and seed free!

Avocado Dip with Green Pepper Chips

1 ripe avocado
1 lg beef steak tomato
1/2 c crumbled feta
1/4 c chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp white vinegar
juice of one lime
1 green onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 bell peppers, cut into chips

Cut avocado into small chunks and dice tomato.  Combine avocado, tomato, feta, red onion, garlic, vinegar and lime juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and place in refrigerator until serving.  Just before serving, top with green onion slices.  Serve with bell pepper slices.

Tips and Tricks ~

*  To remove the flesh of a ripe avocado from its skin, use a spoon to scoop it out.  It should slide right out.
*After working with garlic and onions, rub your hands against a stainless steel sink or bowl.  I don't know why, but it removes the smell from your skin.
* Keep pits of avocados to place in dip to keep from browning {this works great for guacamole}.
* Use scissors to cut the green stems on f the green onion directly over the surface of the food you are garnishing.  I find it saves time, especially when I go to pick up the sliced onions from the cutting board.
*  Avocados ripen after they are picked from the tree.  This makes them a great choice of fruit to buy and ripen at home.  Here is a terrific link to choosing and using avocados.
*  Keep sliced bell peppers fresh in a mason jar in the fridge; they will keep just as fresh and crispy as when cut for up to a week.

I like to make the dip and keep it in the fridge {in a jar} as a snack or lunch that I can grab and go.  The entire recipe as given above has about 780 calories; divide it by 4 or 6 servings {either lunch or snack} and each serving has 200 calories {or less} along with a bell pepper cut into chips.