Breakfast quinoa with blueberries

Nice weather is (mostly) here, and that makes me one happy girl. At this very moment I am working outside while my little boys run around and play "castle" in our bushes. I have longed for this moment for seven months and it is finally here! Pinch me! Dan and I both make most of our money in the summers, so it is a very busy but good and productive season for us. Welcome, summer!

I have had this lonely box of quinoa sitting in my pantry for a while now. The other night Dan and I had fed the boys since they adore eating at their little table outside when the weather is nice. We were feeling lazy and didn't know what to make for ourselves. I remembered the box of quinoa and thought about transforming it into a breakfast! For dinner! Scandalous!  

In a medium saucepan, combine:

1 cup quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup almond milk

Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from the heat and add:

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well and divide between 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle with blueberries, or fresh fruit of your choice, and serve!

Enjoy!

Printable recipe: Breakfast quinoa with blueberries

Blueberry zucchini bread

From what I hear, those of you with gardens have zucchini coming out of your ears! I wouldn't know, since I live in a townhome with about ten square feet of grass and no room for gardening. I am here to help those of you with a plentiful crop! Make a few loaves of this bread and your friends and family will love you. This bread is moist and filled with flavor, and I can tell you from experience that it is impossible to eat just one slice. If you have children, you will have to lock this stuff up!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.

Shred 1 large zucchini and set aside.

I think it is so cool how zucchinis sweat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Mix with a spoon until the mixture is smooth.

Add the shredded zucchini. When measured, it should equal approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Fold in the shredded zucchini.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix well.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, stirring after each addition.

Rinse 1 pint of fresh blueberries.

Add the blueberries to the bowl, reserving a handful. 

Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the mixture between the prepared loaf pans.

Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of brown sugar over the tops, along with the reserved blueberries.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Here's hoping this recipe helps those of you with a zucchini situation. Enjoy!

Printable recipe: Blueberry zucchini bread

Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars

If everything falls into place this weekend, it will be a momentus one. I will wait until it is over to share! I have butterflies in my tummy about every part of it. It has been a long time since I have felt like this!

I haven't been thinking about food too much this week, but I did manage to pull these tasty little treats together (inspired by Epicurean Mom). I loved them. They were summery and fresh, which are two of my favorite words to describe food lately with all of this warm (and wonderful) weather.

Blueberries + lemons = summery and fresh!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a food processor, combine:

10 graham crackers, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pulse until fine crumbs form.

Add 5 tablespoons of melted butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened.

Press crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine:

Two 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Using a hand-held mixer, mix on medium speed until smooth.

While you are doing that, have a cute kitchen helper start juicing a few lemons for you. :)

Add to the bowl:

Zest from 2 lemons

Juice from 2 lemons

Mix with hand-held mixer until combined.

Remove a handful of blueberries from a 1-pint package and set aside. Pour the rest of them into the bowl.

Gently stir with a spoon until combined.

Pour the cream-cheese-blueberry mixture over the crust. 

Drop the reserved blueberries evenly over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

Here's to summery, fresh, butterflies-in-tummy days ahead! Enjoy your weekend!

Printable recipe: Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars

Chocolate chip blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Did you know that it is Pancake Week? I didn't. I rarely to never make pancakes, and I happened to do so on Pancake Week. How odd! I wanted to make a special breakfast-y meal for Elijah on his birthday, so I figured I couldn't go wrong combining chocolate, blueberries and pancakes. They were super tasty! This recipe made a huge batch, so we have been eating pancakes for breakfast all week. On Pancake Week! Again, odd.

In a medium bowl, combine:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine:

3 cups buttermilk

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix!

Add:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir carefully, just until combined.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and spray it with cooking spray. Use a 3/4-cup measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter onto the hot skillet. The batter will be very thick, so use the back of a spoon to shape each pancake into a circle (or whichever shape you wish).

When bubbles begin to form, flip the pancake with a spatula and cook until the batter is no longer runny. I actually had to perform the toothpick test on a few of these due to major fluffiness.

Serve warm, with butter and syrup!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add and subtract filler ingredients to tailor to your liking. Omit the chocolate chips and blueberries for a fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe. Or replace the chips and berries with apple slices or raisins or another type of fruit.

Happy Pancake Week! 

I can't go without sharing the photo of me eating my "staging" plate. :)

Printable recipe: Chocolate chip blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Mixed-berry jam

This is Week #49 of my 2011 cooking challenge! Click on the above graphic to view all P&TC recipes. All recipes created for this challenge come from the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2010: An Entire Year of Recipes.

Well well well. I am weeks behind in this challenge. The one that was supposed to end back in 2011. Please forgive me. I have been a bit preoccupied with sweets! But I'm back on track. In fact, I hope to post the last of the recipes for this challenge this week!

This is the first time I have attempted jam, so I didn't know what to expect. Well guess what. I am head-over-heels in love, and I'm not the only person in this house who fell hard. My four-year-old ate every single bite of his pb&j for the first time ever! 

In a large saucepan, toss 1 pound of hulled and quartered strawberries with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This takes about 1 hour.

Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon (seeded) over the strawberries and add it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the strawberries are just softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 pound of mixed blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

Cook over moderate heat until the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 25 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.

Discard the lemon.

Spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

This stuff is seriously delicious, you guys. I hope you enjoy!

Click here for a printable recipe!