Cranberry-Citrus Bars

I have been preparing a goodie basket for the midwives who will help me deliver my baby boy in a few weeks as I have heard that bringing a few treats can help make everyone have a happier experience!  Today I tried an experiment to use up some old citrus I had laying around, and I was very happy with the outcome!  I wanted to do a spin on the classic lemon bar, which is always a crowd pleaser, but thought I could make it a little more interesting with the addition of cranberries (they go great with oranges in bread/muffins, so why not?).  Also, I used other citrus fruit juices since I had some that needed to be used, and I didn't have quite enough for solely lemon juice.  Here is the recipe which turned out fantastic!

Cranberry-Citrus Bars


1 1/2 cups and 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp flour
1/2 cup and 1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp and 1 Tbsp citrus zest, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into cubes at room temperature
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup fresh citrus juice (I used 3 small meyer lemons, 1 lime, and 1/2 grapefruit)
5 eggs
Powdered sugar as needed


-Preheat oven to 350 deg. F
-Pour 1/2 cup white sugar into a food processor, turn it on high for about 2 minutes until sugar becomes super fine.
-Add in 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and 1 tsp zest and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
-Drop in cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pie crust.
-Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" X 13" X 2" baking pan.
-Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the buttered pan and bake for about 20 minutes.
-While crust is baking, pulse cranberries, 1 Tbsp zest, and about half of the citrus juice in food processor until the mix almost becomes a paste.
-Heat remaining juice in microwave for about 30 seconds and pour over the cranberry paste.
-When crust is lightly golden brown, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on at 350 deg. F.
-Beat together eggs, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp flour, and cranberry paste/citrus juice in mixer until thoroughly combined.
-Pour mixture over warm crust, and spread evenly as necessary.
-Bake an additional 30 minutes or until filling is set in the middle.
-Allow bars to cool completely, then sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and cut into 24 squares.

Mint Chocolate Trifle

I know it has been months since my last blog, but with being in my third trimester, trying to hustle finishing this semester in half the time, and moving to a new house I just haven't made the time!  I will try to be more consistent as I have tried and manipulated a bunch of great recipes lately!

For St. Patrick's Day this year we were invited over to a friend's house and so I didn't go all out and make delicious corned beef, cabbage, soda bread, etc.  I did get to bring the dessert, however, and although not strictly traditional, came up with this beauty.

Trifles are a traditional dessert from England, Scotland, and of course Ireland.  They are great because they were made originally to use leftover cake and super simple ingredients layered together to look fabulous, taste delicious, all the while being incredibly simple to make!  

I made mine with a little twist because I enjoy doing things from scratch to give them a little extra flair, although this recipe could easily be adapted using boxed pudding mix, pre-made cakes, and pre-made whipped cream/topping.  However, I guarantee if you invest the time into doing them yourself, the overall quality and taste will be far superior!!!  Also I hate cool-whip, just throwing it out there that there is no substitute for real cream in our house, and especially not whipped oil... Gross.

Mint Chocolate Trifle

1 package prepared chocolate pudding*

1/2  9"X 5" pound cake loaf*

1 package prepared vanilla pudding*

1/2 prepared devil's food cake (I cheated and used one box mix)

1 cup Bailey's irish cream flavored coffee creamer (or use the real deal if you'd like)

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 white chocolate candy bar, frozen

1 dark chocolate candy bar, frozen

-Poke a bunch of holes in the devil's food cake with a fork and pour 1/2 cup of the creamer over it.

-Repeat with the pound cake and let both cakes sit for 30 min. in the fridge soaking up the goodness.

-Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract on high in a mixer (or using a whisk if you're old school and have strong forearms) until almost stiff peaks form, you don't want it to turn into butter, but it needs to have enough structure that heavy pudding and cake can sit on top of it without deflating the cream completely.  

-Shave the two chocolate bars using a vegetable peeler along the side of the bar and return the shavings to the freezer.

-Add green food coloring to the prepared vanilla pudding until it reaches the color you like.

-Pull out the cakes from the fridge and cut them into 1" cubes

-In a clean trifle bowl (or you could use a nice looking glass bowl, just something that will show off those pretty layers!) begin layering all the ingredients.

-Start with a layer of about an inch of chocolate pudding, spreading it out evenly and being careful not to  get any on the sides of the glass, if you do, just wipe it clean with a paper towel.

-Layer about half of the pound cake cubes evenly on top of the chocolate pudding, pressing down slightly.

-Create a layer of the vanilla pudding about an inch high, covering the pound cake as evenly as possible.

-Layer about half of the devil's food cake cubes evenly on top of the vanilla pudding, again pressing down slightly.

-Carefully make a 1" layer of the whipped cream on top of the devil's food cake and sprinkle with half of the chocolate shavings.

-Repeat with all of the layers so there are two of each ingredient and ending again with the chocolate shavings on top of the whipped cream.

Seriously, trifles are the best because they are so simple and lovely!  The only downside, there is no pretty way to serve this, oh and you will want to eat the whole thing by yourself!  Following are my recipes for the pound cake and puddings in case you decide to venture into the all scratch version!

Butter Pound Cake

3 eggs, room temperature

3 Tbsp milk, room temperature

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 sticks + 1 Tbsp butter, room temperature

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.

-Butter generously a 9"X 5"X 3" loaf pan and dust with flour.

-Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.

-Using a stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients on low using the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds.

-Mix in the butter and about 1/2 of the egg mixture until moistened, then increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional minute.

-Scrape the sides of the bowl and slowly mix in the remaining egg mixture, mixing an additional minute on medium speed to incorporate and aerate the batter.

-Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top using a buttered rubber/silicone spatula.

-Bake for 55-65 minutes until cake is golden brown on the outside and inserting a toothpick comes out clean.

The following pudding recipes make dry pudding mixes like you would buy in the store, so they can be kept in the pantry forever until you're ready to use them.

Vanilla Pudding 

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

-Mix all ingredients together and divide the powder into 5, 1/2 cup portions storing in ziplock baggies, this will translate as one box of pudding mix for other recipes.

To prepare pudding:

2 cups milk

3 Tbsp vanilla extract

-Heat the milk until just boiling.

-Add one portion of pudding mix.

-Turn down heat to medium and whisk until just thickened and coats the back of a spoon (nappe).

-Turn off heat and whisk in vanilla extract.

-Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

I promise you this is the best chocolate pudding that comes from a dry mix... Seriously delicious!

Double Chocolate Pudding

1 cup good quality cocoa powder

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1 tsp salt

-Mix all ingredients together and divide the powder into 7, 1/2 cup portions storing in ziplock baggies, this will translate as one box of pudding mix for other recipes.

To prepare pudding:

2 cups milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

-Heat the milk until just boiling.

-Whisk in the chocolate chips until completely melted.

-Add one portion of pudding mix.

-Turn down heat to medium and whisk until just thickened and coats the back of a spoon (nappe).

-Turn off heat and whisk in vanilla extract.

-Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Not Your Average Fruitcake

I guess this has become an annual tradition for my sister-in-law and me, mostly because our fruitcake is the most amazing any of us have ever had!  We found a recipe two years ago and were excited to try it out, because we wanted to make a fruitcake that actually tasted good.  Our goal was to not have any crazy colored fruit, and for the cake to be moist, sweet, tangy and great.  Well, we succeeded!  We have changed the original recipe we found a little each year, and I think this past time making it was the best so far, so I will share it with you!

Best Ever Fruitcake

1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)

1/2 cup dried currants

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup dried apricots, small diced (about 1/4" cubes)

2 lemons zested and juiced

2 medium oranges zested and juiced

1/2 cup candied ginger, small diced

2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed apple juice, divided

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 sticks butter, cut into cubes

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup powdered sugar

-Preheat oven to 325 deg. F

-Grease 1 loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray

-Mix together all of the dried fruits, ginger, and zest from the lemons and 1 orange in a small mixing bowl. 

- Pour 1 cup of the apple juice over the fruit and stir, cover and set in the fridge overnight (or if you don't have the time, microwave for 5 minutes) to allow the fruit to soften and fill up with the juice.  

-Transfer the fruit and liquid to a medium sized pot.

-Add the sugar, butter, spices, and another 1 cup of the apple juice.

-Bring the whole mixture to a boil, stirring regularly.

-Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

-Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.

-Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl, and add to the warm mixture.

-Stir well to form the batter.

-Add in the eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.

-Fold in the nut pieces.

-Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

-Cover the top of the batter with the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice.

-Bake the fruitcake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

-While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze.

-Pour the lemon and orange juices in a small pot (there should be 2 cups total, if there isn't enough, add more orange juice until it reaches 2 cups, if there is too much, that's fine) and add the remaining zest.

-Reduce the juice by 1/2, cooking on high until only 1 cup of juice remains in the pan.

-Whisk in the powdered sugar, stirring until completely incorporated.

-Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the syrupy mixture has thickened some.

-Turn out the fruitcake onto a serving plate, right side up and pour the glaze over the top of the cake, spreading it evenly over the top and sides.

-Serve warm and enjoy!

Like I said, we love this recipe and have converted many from despising, to enjoying fruitcake as a result of it's deliciousness!

Appetizer Meatballs

This New Year's Eve we had a great feast with lots of delicious appetizers to snack on throughout the night and festivities.  My contribution was making some super simple meatballs that have been a big hit in the past.  This recipe is great because it is so easy, requires only a few ingredients, and tastes like you slaved all day over it!


Cocktail Meatballs


3 lbs frozen pre-made meatballs 
3 bottles (16 oz.) smoky BBQ sauce
2 jars (18 oz.) apricot preserves
1 cup dried apricots, small diced (about 1/4" cubes)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper


-Pour the preserves into a large pot over medium-high heat on the stove.
-Add the apricots, lemon zest and juice, as well as the cayenne and stir frequently to melt the preserves.
-Cook the preserves for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the preserves don't burn.
-Add the BBQ sauce and stir to combine.
-Pour about half fo the sauce into the bottom of a large crock pot, then add the frozen meatballs, and pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the meatballs.
-Cook on high for about 3 hours, stirring once every hour or so.
-Turn down the crock pot's heat to low and serve with toothpicks.




The sauce has a nice sweet & spicy flavor, and the addition of the smokiness with the brightness from the lemon make this sauce a winner for me!  I just love that there is a depth of flavor, and it is so simple!

Homemade Bath Salts

I found instructions on how to make bath salts at home and thought it would be a fun gift to make and give to my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law while we are all together for the holidays.  It was certainly simple enough, the whole thing took me under 10 minutes, and will probably be even faster next time, and all of the necessary components were pretty easy to find (I had to go to a natural foods store, but it wasn't out of the way).  Here is what I did:


Bath Salts


1 large box (4 lbs) epsom salt
1 small box (1 lb) baking soda
60 drops (about 0.25 oz.) essential oil
desired amount of food coloring 


-Mix the epsom salt and baking soda together in a large bowl and stir to combine.
-Mix in the essential oil drop by drop, stirring until it reaches the fragrance level you like (I chose lavender because I like the smell and the soothing properties it has for a bath).
-Transfer about  1/2 cup of the mixture into a smaller bowl, and mix in the food coloring until the mix is a darker version of the color you would like.
-Mix the colored salt back into the rest of the salt and stir until well combined.
-Repeat the process with the food coloring until the whole mixture has turned the color you want.
-Divide into 4-5 batches and pour into individual glass jars with lids (these can be mason jars, or lidded jars found at a craft store, whatever is fun for you!).
-Use about 1-3 Tbsp per bath, or until desired fragrance is released into the water.


The best part about this was the price!  Compared to what I would have to pay to buy bath salts, this was a great deal.  Here is the breakdown as it pertains to me.

Epsom salt: $1.99
Baking soda: $0.69
Essential oil: $5.99
Food coloring: $2.99
Glass jars: $8.99/12

Pre-made lavender bath salt: $10/20 oz.

For this project I only used about half of the oil, maybe 1/8 of the food coloring, and 1/3 of the jars.  So my cost was: $1.99 + $0.69 + $3.00 (oil) + $0.37 (food coloring) + $3.00 (jars) = $9.05 for the whole project, or $2.26 per individual jar.  This is awesome because the retail of each jar is about $10!  That means for my entire project I saved about $30.95!  This was great too because I was able to customize it to the scent and color I wanted.

I really liked the way the salt turned out, however I haven't yet taken a bath with them, and there are still a few changes I will probably make for next time.  The first is that I would like a slightly chunkier salt texture, so I think if I used half epsom salt and half rock salt I would like that better, but I'm not sure that the rock salt would ever dissolve, so I will have to experiment and see how it goes.  The next thing is that the fragrance was really nice at first, but it became really overpowering by the time I was done mixing everything, so I'm not sure if I just used too much or if it will be great now that it is in a jar, just something to keep in mind.  The last was the coloring the mix was more laborious than I had anticipated.  I think it is because we only had some weird gel food colors, and the traditional liquid might work better, but I'm just not sure.  The end product for me had a very light purple color, but it was barely noticeable, however there were lots of flecks of blue and red, which was fun, just not quite what I had expected.  Then again, I didn't spend a whole lot of time coloring it, which I would do next time.  I'm super excited to see how they work out when I go home and take a nice relaxing bath however!

Produce Co-op

So I have been doing some research for about two months now, looking for a good co-op in my area to join.  For those who don't know, a produce co-op is a non-profit organization that purchases fresh produce, and sometimes local meats, breads, honeys, nuts, etc. all from wholesale farmers in the area at reduced prices than what would be found in the grocery stores.  The result is cheaper, higher quality, oftentimes organic products that are sold to members of the group at the discounted rate.  I love this idea because, well first it saves us money (usually 25% - 90% discounted) and we get better quality ingredients that help support local farmers which I think is great because I am all for supporting the community and small businesses as I can.

The only downside to this method of purchasing produce is that the selection is chosen for you, and you usually don't know what you will be getting before the time that you pick up your food.  This might result in extra trips to the grocery store to supplement the items that you don't get in your "basket" that you want for the week, and it makes meal planning for the upcoming week much more difficult if you have to wait until after you receive your basket to plan the upcoming meals for the rest of the week.

My solution to this problem was to just start my own co-op by talking to the suppliers myself, organizing the shipment when it arrives, and distributing the baskets to the people within the co-op.  By having my own, I would be able to talk to the suppliers personally and send out e-mails to everyone a week before the shipment arrives so that we can still plan our meals before picking up our baskets.  The other bonus is that I would be able to talk to the others involved and take a poll on specific produce that we all wanted, instead of simply whatever we got.

The problem is that in order to make it worth the cost, there needs to be at least 12 people involved in the co-op, otherwise the cost would actually become greater, and at that point we might as well just go to the grocery store.  Well I haven't been able to find enough of my neighbors that are interested in the idea to join, but I think they may just not understand the concept, so I'm going to keep trying.

Needless to say, I was still interested in doing the co-op, but I wanted to find the right one for us.  One that would have a reasonable price, and give us the right amount of produce as often as we needed it.  I searched out those available in our area, and decided to try two different ones for the month of January.  My first basket will be picked up the first Saturday in January, and the second will be picked up the third Saturday.  I'm hoping there will be enough produce for the two of us to last through two weeks, with minimal supplementation from the grocery store.

I'm excited to see how it all works out, and there is another co-op I think I will try in February if these two don't work out as I hope, but here's crossing my fingers!  I'll keep you guys posted on what I get and what I think of the different co-ops!

Friendship Bread, Part II

Yesterday was baking day for my Friendship Bread experiment, and I was quite pleased with the results, in fact I was even a little surprised!  The following is the recipe I used to make the completed loaves when already having access to a starter.  If you don't have any access to a starter, see my earlier post about how to make your own!  This will make the traditional Friendship Bread that I grew up making, no fancy additions, just a good cinnamon loaf!


Classic Friendship Bread


1 cup Friendship Bread starter
2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp butter or oil
cinnamon/sugar mixture for dusting (about 1/4-1/2 cup)


-Preheat oven to 325 deg. F
-Grease two loaf pans with the butter or oil making sure to cover the bottom and sides of the pans.
-Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture in each pan the way you would with flour when dusting before baking a cake.  Be sure the cinnamon/sugar covers the bottom and sides completely all the way up to the top.
-Sift all dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
-Stir in the starter, eggs, and vanilla blending well.  The result should be in between the consistency of dough and batter.
-Pour the batter evenly between the two loaf pans, it should be about halfway up the sides of the pan if you are using regular sized loaf pans, if it is much higher use an additional pan.
-Sprinkle the top of the dough/batter with some more cinnamon/sugar mixture coating the top well (this will result in the delicious crispy crust!)
-Bake the loaves for 45 minutes to an hour, until they are golden and set in the middles.
-Allow the loaves to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

This bread is great!  It made our whole house smell amazing and was such a nice dessert bread to have after dinner or for breakfast!  It is a simple bread, so some additions will be nice, but I am happy with this classic rendition.  I'm definitely going to try some fun variations as I will be baking this lovely bread every 10 days!  I'll keep you guys posted as I try new ideas!