A Change In The Weather

Hello Blogging friends! I know, I’ve been horrible about posting, but I’ve come up with a solution. You see, typing out recipes really trips me up. I so often throw ingredients in a pan (pot, bowl, whatever) and just make what I feel like eating. Because of that, I have a hard time being diligent posting recipes.

However, I still love food and I like taking pictures of it, so I’ve created an Instagram account. I’ll be posting food photos there and if you’d like a recipe for something, I’d be more than happy to type out a post for it! 🙂

So hop on over to Instagram and follow my feed. I’d love to follow your food blogs back, I’m always up for new food adventures. Happy blogging. 🙂

At Home Frappe

Yesterday was one of those super hot days where you just cannot escape the heat. In order to make up for it, I decided to make homemade frappes and thought I’d share my recipe with you here. 🙂

I’m not a big coffee drinker, but my husband loves the stuff (especially in frozen form). These are one of the few things we can actually agree on. When it comes to coffee, that is. It’s a perfect summer treat when you’re looking for something cold and refreshing with a little boost.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer.

At Home Frappe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup strong coffee, cooled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 largish ice cubes (one tray)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Chocolate or caramel sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Add in chocolate or caramel sauce if desired (I added it on top)
3. Enjoy!

What’s your favorite summer drink? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. 🙂

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Who wants to use a hot oven in the summer? Not me, that’s for sure! I love this quick and easy recipe for pulled pork, it requires a slow cooker, but even if only for this, the investment is well worth it.

As always, this recipe is completely gluten free. Another thing I love about this is that there’s plenty of meat to get several meals from it, thus saving time and money, and who doesn’t like that?

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 4.25 pound pork butt roast (bone out)
• 2 tsp pink salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbls water

Directions:

1. Mix spices together and rub on roast. Make sure to cut the strings off your roast if it has them.
2. Add water to bottom of slow cooker, place roast on top.
3. Close the lid and cook on high for 6 hours.
4. Take the roast out, cut fat off and discard, shred meat.
5. Cook another 1-2 hours on medium (or high first hour, low second hour).
6. Enjoy. 🙂

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August Goals

Here we are in August. I can’t believe how quickly this summer has flown by. So far it’s been filled with friends and smaller adventures and I look forward to what this coming month will bring. Here are some of my goals.

Go on mini/weekend vacation – I really want to go to the beach. Need I say more?

Get vacation photos printed – I’m absolutely terrible about printing photos. I know it’s an important thing to do, but I tend to just dump them all on my computer and forget about them. I want to start filling my home with the memories we’ve made.

Organize bookshelves – This summer I’ve done a lot of pulling books out, reading part of them, then shoving them back on a shelf, table, or any other surface I can find. I think it’s about time to go through my bookshelves and organize them a bit better.

Schedule my days before they come – This is a tough one for me. I always seem to have something popping up and I change my plans or make new ones, but I’d really like to be more organized with my time and how I spend it.

What are your goals for the final month of summer? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. 🙂

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Watermelon Slushie

There’s nothing quite like the summer joy of a fresh watermelon, except of course this watermelon slushie. It’s cool, it’s refreshing, and it has all that watermelon flavor you love packed in a convenient drink.

This was always one of my favorites growing up, and it’s quickly earning that status once again this summer. I hope you enjoy! Have a fantastic week!

Watermelon Slushie

• 2 cups frozen watermelon chunks
• 1 1/2- 2 cups watermelon juice

1. Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

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Gluten Free Pecan Pie Bars

Every now and then you just need pecan pie bars to brighten your life. I tried for something a little more solid with these, the crust is a bit like that of lemon squares, and the pecan part just melds into it in a perfectly seamless fusion.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! 🙂

Pecan Pie Bars

Crust

• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

Filling

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• 1 Tablespoon whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. For the crust, mix flour, butter and sugar, and press on bottom of 8×8 square baking pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool completely.
2. For the filling. Mix sugars, flour, whipping cream and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.
4. Add pecans and mix until combined.
5. Pour over cooled crust.
6. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until top is browned.
7. Let cool. Cut into squares.
8. Eat at room temperature or refrigerated. Enjoy!

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Pesto Pasta With Sundried Tomatoes

If you like pesto this pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes will quickly become one of your absolute favorites. It’s easy to throw together and tastes like you’ve been working on it all day. Definitely a favorite in our home, of course, I love anything with sundried tomatoes. I could eat this everyday if I were “allowed” to, though I know it’s probably not the healthiest to live on one thing (but hey, it has vegetables).

This is perfect for dinner or lunch, or even breakfast if you can’t resist. It doesn’t take long to prepare, which makes it a great summertime or weeknight meal. (It’s also delicious with some cubed cooked chicken if you want it some protein.) I hope you enjoy! 🙂

Pesto Pasta With Sundried Tomatoes

• 1 (12 oz) box of gluten free pasta
• 1 batch homemade pesto
• 1 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped (more or less depending on desired amount)

1. Cook and drain pasta as usual.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, toss the tomatoes and give a stir.
3. Add in pasta and pesto and heat until warmed.
4. Remove from heat and serve hot.
5. Enjoy! 🙂

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July Goals

Ahh, it’s July. I can’t believe how quickly June flew by! Thankfully we still have a couple more months of summer before we’re back into fall and winter. Okay, I won’t go there… Back to more summery things.

Do a juice fast – I’ve been interested in this idea for a while now, but it’s actually kind of a transition into my next goal, which is…

Eat Raw – I’ve wanted to try this ever since I heard about it. I’ve always had one excuse or another (a lot of which have to do with it being cold) and now that it’s summer I think it’s the perfect time to try it. 🙂

Make new curtains for our bedroom – This is something I’ve been putting off for far too long because I don’t have a sewing machine at the moment. I’m planning on buying one ASAP.

Hang art on the walls – Again something I’ve been putting off.

Have a day with friends I haven’t seen in a while – This depends on other people’s plans too. So we’ll see what happens with it this month.

Do you have any goals for this month? I’d love to hear about them in the comments. 🙂

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Red, White And Blue Shortcake

Nothing screams summer quite as much as strawberry shortcake. That’s why I’ve put a festive twist on this classic summer treat for our Fourth of July dessert. Use both strawberries and blueberries to make this shortcake red, white and blue. And it’s completely gluten free, so that means more people can enjoy it. 🙂

Strawberry Shortcake

Vanilla donuts (makes 9)

• 2 Tablespoons almonds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend almonds and water in a blender until no chunks remain.
3. Combine almond mixture, and apple sauce through milk in a medium sized bowl.
4. Mix flours and baking powder in small bowl.
5. Add dry to wet and mix until combined.
6. Pour into greased donut pan (could use mini pie pans too) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through (test with toothpick).
7. Let cool in pans for a couple minutes, turn out onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

 

Strawberries

• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup white sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
• Splash water (optional)

1. Place strawberries in medium saucepan and heat on medium until they begin to melt. At this point I sometimes add a bit of water if the juice evaporates too quickly.
2. Stir strawberries around and sprinkle with sugar, then mix it in.
3. Continue to cook until the strawberries have fully defrosted and are surrounded by a nice sauce.
4. Transfer to a bowl and the refrigerator until cold.

 

Blueberries

• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup or so white sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
• Splash water (optional)

1. Follow same directions as with the strawberries.

 

Whipped topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1. Beat sugar, cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
2. Add in whipping cream and vanilla and beat until peaks form.
3. Use immediately or store in refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight container.

 

Bringing it together

1. Assemble shortcake in layers. Cake, strawberries, cream, cake, blueberries, cream. Enjoy!

I’m sharing this with my friends at Fiesta Friday. I hope you all have a perfectly lovely Independence Day weekend! 🙂

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June Goal Grades

I’m going to just combine my goals into one this month, since they were all alone the same lines anyway. This month has been crazy and amazing, we’ve gotten out more, spent more time together, gotten out to the beach, and just really enjoyed being outside.

How did you do on your goals this month?

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