Strawberry Basil Scones

    I had some super ripe strawberries that were fading fast and just had to be used today. I found an awesome scone recipe and I added my own little twist. They are pretty easy to make but things could definitely get a little messy. There is a nice hint of basil that pairs really nicely with the strawberries. In less than an hour, you could have these decadent scones ready for afternoon tea.

Strawberry Basil Scones

Ingredients:
- 2 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries and for garnish
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1/4 tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of cold butter, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 and 1/4 cup of chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced basil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla, plus a few drops for glaze
- 1/2 cup of half and half or heavy cream, plus some for brushing and glaze
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop strawberries, toss in 1 teaspoon of sugar, and set aside. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork. I used my hands until mixture resembled course crumbles. Gently toss in the strawberries and basil. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, half and half, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Make a small indention in the middle of the flour mixture and then pour the egg mixture into it. Stir until just combined. It will seem like the dough is very wet. Generously sprinkle flour onto a clean surface and turn out dough. Flour your hands and sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Pull the dough together, shape, and cut into desired rectangle sizes. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Brush each scone with half and half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes. Bake time will vary by how large you make them,  they are ready when they are just golden. While baking, in a small bowl whisk together confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon of half and half, and a few drops of vanilla extract. Once scones have cooled, drizzle with glaze.

My dough, shaped and ready to be cut into scones!

Berry Banana Baked Oats

    I attempted lasagna last week! It came out pretty good. I used fresh basil to make my own sauce and everything! We had it for dinner on Friday night and I decided I'd throw my oatmeal bake in the oven while the lasagna was cooking! I've been trying to stick to counting my calories for the last two weeks. It's really hard when I love food! But besides my protein shakes in the morning, I've been trying to eat a little something too. This may not be the healthiest oatmeal recipe, but we'll say it's borderline healthy. It definitely tastes great and I decided to stick with my lasagna theme for the night and prepare it in layers! Oatmeal Lasagna anyone?

Berry Banana Baked Oats

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats

- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 2 eggs

- 2 and 1/2 cups of milk

- 3 tablespoons of melted butter or coconut oil

- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup

- 1 and 1/2 cup of fresh berries

- 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more!)

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, toss together the oats, baking powder, and salt until completely combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Then, slowly whisk in the melted butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and maple syrup until sugar has mostly dissolved. Next, pour half of the oat mixture into prepared baking dish and top with half of the berries, one of the sliced bananas, and half of the chocolate chips. Spread the rest of the oats over that layer and top with the milk mixture. Shake the baking dish a little bit to make sure all of the oats are moistened. Top with the rest of the berries, the other banana, and chocolate chips. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the oatmeal is tender and has set. Serve warm or chill and reheat for breakfast! 

Cheesecake Strawberries

    I can see it now. I see my family and friends splashing in the pool. I see the sun shining and beer flowing. It's the time of year to host barbecues! I am definitely going to be making these little strawberry bites all summer long, they are so good! This recipe makes about a dozen strawberries. You could easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd! Cheers to another Florida summer y'all!

Cheesecake Strawberries

Ingredients:

- 4 ounces (1/2 block) of cream cheese, softened

- 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 12 strawberries

- 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs

    With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a piping bag. With a paring knife, cut out the tops of the strawberries and the bottoms to make a flat surface so they will stand up. Pipe the cheesecake filling into each strawberry and roll in graham cracker crumbs. Chill until you are ready to serve.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Sanwiches

    These are actually pretty healthy for ice cream sandwiches! We had a little pool party with my cousin Mindy and her kids this week after Vacation Bible School! I froze the bananas the night before and then whipped these up in minutes the next morning. They'll need a few hours to freeze, and you may want to let them sit out for a few minutes before you serve them. Super yummy though and you'll get a serving of fruit!

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

- 4 or 5 large bananas

- 1 and 1/2 cups of strawberries, diced

- 1/2 of an 8 ounce tub of fat free cool whip

- graham crackers

    Slice up the bananas, place them in the freezer for a couple of hours (at least 2). Once frozen, add them to the food processor and blend them with the cool whip until smooth. Fold in the strawberries and spread into a parchment paper lined 8x8 baking dish. If you'd like thinner sandwiches, use a larger pan. These came out pretty thick. Place in the freezer for another few hours to let it set. Once frozen, remove from the freezer, slice and sandwich between the graham crackers, enjoy!

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

    What do I do when I can't sleep at night? Well, last night I whipped up a balsamic vinegar reduction and drizzled it over some fresh strawberries and thyme. It definitely made me feel a tiny bit better about my insomnia.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves

- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 1 pound of fresh strawberries, diced

- 1 (4 ounce)package of goat cheese

- 1 small loaf of french bread, sliced and toasted

    In a small sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil and reduce to about half. For about 8- 10 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, thyme, and cooled balsamic reduction. Spread the goat cheese on pieces of toasted bread, top with strawberry mixture, and top with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Easy Strawberry Brownies

    I'm crazy about all things strawberry! This is a super simple semi-homemade recipe. If you're looking for something easy and quick to make for dessert, look no further! I still like to call them brownies, even though they aren't brown. The sugar glaze on top just makes it.

Easy Strawberry Brownies

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Strawberry cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

- 1 cup of confectioners sugar

- 2 tablespoons of water or milk

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray. Mix together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Spread into prepared baking dish and bake for about 25-20 minutes. Next, mix together the confectioners sugar and water (or milk). Once the brownies have cooled a bit spread the sugar glaze on top. Let set, cut into bars, and serve.