Mini Strawberry Bread Loaves for Holiday Gifting

This post is in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions and text are my own.

I love surprising neighbors, friends, my favorite Sheetz Convenience Store girls and
our mailman with special treats from time to time. Baking is my love language and
there's nothing better than sharing that love with others. I've been known to leave treats
inside of our mailbox, at my neighbors front door and inside of their vehicles for them
to find the next morning. I'm sneaky like that!

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake and a prAna Giveaway!

This post is in partnership with prAna and Stonyfield.  
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.  

Ahh summer.  My favorite time of year!
I know summer doesn't technically arrive for a couple more weeks, but hey it's June,
so that's good enough for me!

These beautiful warm days have me craving light, refreshing treats and soft, comfortable
clothing.  As soon as I get home from work, I trade my dress clothes for t-shirts, shorts
and flip flops! They feel so much better!

A few months ago I shared my love of prAna, a stylish and sustainable line of clothing
and accessories you can wear every day.  I have partnered with Stonyfield and prAna
again to share my latest favorite top, a healthy sweet treat and a fabulous giveaway!

Strawberry Granola

This post in in partnership with Bob's Red Mill.  As always, all opinions are 100% my
own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that make Me and My Pink Mixer possible.

I recently finished off my favorite peanut butter granola and was rummaging through
the pantry for ingredients to make a new batch, when I found a bag of dehydrated
strawberries that I had purchased from Trader Joe's.  I usually keep my homemade
granola pretty basic, but thought the strawberries would add color and sweetness to
my favorite yogurt topping and evening snack. I was right!

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and Flaxseed Meal are always
the base of my homemade granola.  The taste and quality is top notch!  I also added
a little oat flour to the granola by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor.

Mini Yogurt Berry Parfaits

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

I'm celebrating the long weekend with mini yogurt berry parfaits for breakfast today.
I am also remembering all of the men and women who have died serving our great country.
God bless America!

Strawberry Spinach Salad Cups

I served these individual Strawberry Spinach Salad Cups at Madison's graduation party to
add a little green to the buffet and I loved them!  I'm a sucker for miniature desserts and
individual servings anyway, I just think they are adorable.

I thought about serving the salad in 4 oz. jelly jars, but opted for Chinet 9 oz. clear plastic
cups because they are wider and disposable for easy party clean up.  I placed the strawberry
spinach salad cups on a silver galvanized tray and they looked so pretty.  I served poppy
seed dressing on the side. They would be perfect for a Memorial Day cookout this weekend!

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Happy May!
I'm not sure what happened to April, but month of May brings us closer to warm,
sunny weather so I'm okay with that.

It's been raining off and on here in Virginia for days, but hopefully it will clear up by
the weekend because we have a lot of celebrating to do!  Our daughter, Madison is
graduating from James Madison University with a degree in Sports and Recreation
Management and we are so proud of her.  My mother-in-law is coming from Texas
and all of our family will be here for the graduation ceremony and party.  I can't wait!

Strawberry Overnight Oats

I go through cycles with my oatmeal.  When I have a lot of bananas on hand, I make my
Perfect Morning Oats.  Sometimes I'll be in a steel cut oats mood, so I'll make this or
this.  When we have guests over I'll make baked oatmeal, but lately I've been craving
overnight oats and now that strawberries are in season I decided to make strawberry
overnight oats.  I think in may be my new favorite!

Preparing overnight oats one or two evenings a week saves time, energy and money!
You can even hit that snooze button once or twice since your breakfast is already to go!

Mixed Berry Yogurt Smoothie

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield Organics.  As always, all
opinions are 100% my own.

Now that spring has finally arrived I am SO ready to get outside and enjoy the warmer
temperatures.  Sunny weather makes me crave fruit smoothies, so I thought I would
celebrate spring with a mixed berry yogurt smoothie.  This fresh sprig of mint makes
me want to go out and buy herbs for my little deck herb garden!

Berry Smoothie Bowl & A Giveaway

This post was created in partnership with Hamilton Beach.
As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Weekend mornings are a nice time to change things up from my daily breakfast
routine.  I have more time to relax and think about what I'm really in the mood for.


Last weekend was nice and warm here in Virginia so I thought a smoothie would be nice
and refreshing.
But if I made a smoothie I would miss my morning oats.
Yikes!
Decisions. Decisions.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake cream on top
Tell me the name of your sweetheart.

How many of you remember jumping rope to that song?
Any one, any one?
Do kid's even jump rope anymore?
Well they should.
Just sayin'.

Anyway, for some reason that song popped into my head as I was editing these photos
and now I can't quit singing it.
Don't you hate when that happens!

Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar

Sometimes the most simple ingredients make the best dessert.

I recently purchased my first quart of organic strawberries of the season and they were so sweet and tasty.  I could have just eaten the entire container by themselves, but I decided to make an angel food cake to go with them, which then lead to this cute little dessert :)

Besides the cake, you really don't even need a recipe to make these.
They're pretty self explanatory.
Heck, you can even use a box cake mix.
I won't judge :)

Angel Food Cake

1 1/4 cup egg whites (about 9)
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup cake flour
1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Place egg whites into a large mixing bowl, let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Sift 1/2 cup sugar and flour together twice; set aside.
                          

Move oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and entire top appears dry. Hang pan upside down onto a heat proof glass bottle until completely cooled.

Loosen edges by running a knife around side and center tube of pan.

Remove cake to a serving plate.                                    

To make Strawberry Shortcake in a jar, layer cubes of angel food cake, whipped cream and sliced strawberries in a jar. 

Strawberry Bars

Check out all of these cool fruit tools I received from OXO!
We eat a lot of fresh fruit around here, so I was super excited when this package arrived!
 


















I decided to try out the OXO Strawberry Huller for the strawberry bars I made for my girl's night.
I'll have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about how well this little tool would actually work, but it was amazing! See how well it removes the stem and leaves all at once!
I will definitely use this little gadget ALOT this summer!
Love OXO!!

Strawberry bars just scream summer.
Cookie crust, sweetened cream cheese and strawberries - yum!

Strawberry Bars

1 pouch Sugar Cookie Mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 lb. sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 bake dish with cooking spray.
Make sugar cookie dough according to package directions with 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 egg.
Press cookie dough into prepared pan evenly.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla extract, sugar and lemon juice.
Spread on cooled crust.  Place sliced strawberries over cream cheese.  Microwave strawberry jam for 20-30 seconds.  Brush melted jam onto strawberry slices.  Refrigerate until set, at least one hour.
Store leftovers in the fridge.

Strawberry Jell-O Pie

When we were kids my parents would take us on vacation to Virginia Beach.  We would go with my aunts, uncles and cousins and it was a blast.  Eight kids and 6 adults in two stationwagons. 
That was back in the day when we didn't wear seatbelts or have carseats, so us kids were stashed everywhere. 
It's a wonder we survived! 

Anyway, every year we always ate at Shoney's.  Always.
Do you remember Shoney's when they had the Big Boy statue out front? 
We would hang all over him and take our picture. 
We were from the country, so we didn't get out much :)

Well Shoney's was famous for their strawberry pie.  Maybe they still are, but I haven't eaten there in at least 15 years, so I wouldn't know. 

My Dad would always order the strawberry pie and if we were really good, we could order a slice too. 

This pie isn't exactly like Shoney's, but it's kind of close, so when I started making this pie all of those Virginia Beach trip memories started coming back to me and that's why you're reading them now.

I'm going to go dig through my old photo albums and see if I can find any of us with the Shoney's Big Boy.
You should go make this pie.
You'll be happy you did.

Strawberry Jell-O Pie

1 baked 9-inch deep dish pie shell
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup water
2 T cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1 small box strawberry jell-o (3 oz.)

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 T confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Bake your pie shell.  Set aside to cool.
Wash and hull strawberries.  Place berries cut side down in a baked pie shell and set aside.

In a small bowl , pour in water, cornstarch and sugar.  Stir until mostly dissolved.
Microwave about 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles up and thickens.
Stir in strawberry jell-o powder and pour mixture all over the strawberries. 
Refrigerate until set, at least 2-3 hours.
For whipped cream - whip cream, sugar and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.

Top with whipped cream and more fresh berries.
Serve cold.

Recipe from Lauren's Latest



Strawberry Punchbowl Cake

Strawberry Punchbowl Cake was one of the desserts we served at Madison's graduation party.
It's a fantastic dessert for a party or picnic because it serves alot of people and is tasty too!

You can make it a day in advance of your event, which is a big plus in my book, especially when you are making several different desserts or dishes.

I've owned this punchbowl forever.  I was a wedding gift given to us way back in 1986 :)
I've seen lots of them in thrift stores over the past couple of years, so if you don't have one I'm sure you can find one in no time. 

Now is the perfect time to make this dessert since strawberries are so cheap!
Enjoy!

Strawberry Punchbowl Cake

1 box French vanilla cake mix (bake as directed in a 9 x 11 inch pan)

24 oz. container frozen sliced strawberries with sugar added, thawed

5.1 oz. package of vanilla Jell-O instant pudding and pie filling

3 cups of milk for pudding 

16 oz. container of Cool Whip

Fresh strawberries for garnish

Bake cake as directed on box mix.  Cool on a wire rack.

Once cake has completely cooled, cut it in half.

Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk, as directed on the pudding box.  Set aside.

Begin layering by tearing or cubing half of the cake into the bottom of your punchbowl.

Follow with half of the container of thawed strawberries, then half of the pudding and half of the Cool Whip.

Repeat layers and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Linking to:
The 36th Avenue
Fireflies and Jellybeans

Strawberry Pineapple Pretzel Dessert

You will find this dish at pretty much every country church potluck or family reunion here in Virginia. 
It's been around forever!
Some people call it Strawberry Pretzel salad, but I have no idea why because it is definitely more of a dessert than a salad.  It's kind of like a no-bake cheesecake with jell-o, if that makes sense.

No matter what you call it - this sweet and salty combination is nothing but fantastic!
Give it a try :)

Strawberry Pineapple Pretzel Dessert

Crust:
2 cups crushed pretzels (I used pretzel snaps - the little waffle type squares)
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 T sugar

Filling:
8 ounce creme cheese, softened
8 ounce container of whipped topping
3/4 cup sugar

Topping:
2 (3 ounce) packages of strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
24 ounce container of frozen sliced strawberries (I let mine thaw in the fridge)
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
whipped topping or whipped cream to garnish if you like

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place your pretzels in a ziplock freezer bag and crush them with a tent mallet - that's what I did anyway.
Don't pulverize them -  you want there to be some larger pieces too.
In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels, sugar and butter.  Press them into a 9 x 13 inch pan and bake for 10 minutes.  No longer than that.  Let the crust completely cool before you add the next layer.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar.  Fold in the whipped topping.
Spread over the cooled crust. Make sure you spread the mixture to the edges of the pan. 
Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before adding the top layer.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, allowing it to cool slightly.
Add the strawberries (I drained some of the juice off first) and the pineapple to the gelatin.
Spoon over the cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate for several hours for the gelatin to set.
I made mine the night before and let the gelatin set overnight and it was perfect.

Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy!

Linking to:
Serenity Now
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Tatertots and Jello
30 Handmade Days
Positively Splendid
New Nostalgia
Chef in Training

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberries are so inexpensive right now, so why not make some jam so you can enjoy them all winter?

Freezer jam is easy, peasy to make and is delish over ice cream, pancakes or even pound cake.
Let's make some!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 cups crushed strawberries (2 lbs. before crushing)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1.59 oz. package Ball Instant Fruit Pectin (or 5 T if you have the 4.7 oz. jar)

5 -  8 oz. Jelly Jars (I used 10 - 4 oz. jars)

Wash and cut the stems off about 2 lbs. of strawberries.

In small batches, crush them in a bowl with a potato masher or fork until you have 4 cups of crushed berries.

Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl.

Add crushed fruit.  Stir 3 minutes.

Ladle jam into clean jars and twist on lids. Leave them on the counter 30 minutes to thicken.

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to one year.

I found the adorable labels here if you want to give jam as gifts to your friends or neighbors :)

Linking To:
Creation Corner
Thirty Handmade Days
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Simply Designing
Tatertots and Jello

Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, so I thought I would celebrate spring with some Strawberry Cupcakes.  These cupcakes are super easy to make and taste fantastic.  Garnish them with fresh fruit and a mint leaf to make them extra pretty!

Strawberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 16 oz. container frozen sliced strawberries in sugar, thawed

1 pkg. white cake mix plus eggs and oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 standard size muffin cups with cupcake liners; set aside.

Drain packaged strawberries, reserving syrup.  Set aside 6 tablespoons of the syrup for frosting.

Add enough water to the remaining syrup to measure 3/4 cup total liquid.  Prepare cake according to package instructions, substituting the water-syrup mixture for the liquid called for on the package.

Stir in the drained strawberries.  Your batter will be thick.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.  Bake about 18 minutes or until tops spring back.  Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from muffin cups.  Cool completely on wire racks.

Strawberry Frosting

8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

6 T strawberry syrup from packaged strawberries

strawberries and mint leaves for garnish

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and the reserved syrup on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Pipe or spread frosting over cooled cupcakes.  Before serving, top each cupcake with a slice of strawberry and a mint leaf.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

(Cupcake stand from Target)

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Linking Post to:
Made by You Mondays
This Weeks Cravings
New Nostalgia

Strawberry Golden Oreo Cupcakes

If I could eat any dessert I wanted and never gain any weight, I would have a Dairy Queen Blizzard every day.  I would.
I love them.
Seriously.
Reese Cup is my favorite, but Strawberry Golden Oreo comes in a close second. 
Ice Cream, Golden Oreos and Strawberries - so yummy. 
So yummy there should be a cupcake version too.

This is what is looks like on the inside. 
See the golden oreo half on the bottom? 

Strawberry Golden Oreo Cupcakes

adapted from BakingJunkie



Cupcakes:
1 Box strawberry cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Supreme)
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
24 Golden Oreos, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place half of a cookie, cream side up, in the bottom of your cupcake liner. Combine cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs. Gently fold in the oreos cookie pieces.
Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
Bake approximately 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool completely and then frost.

I frosted mine with vanilla buttercream, sprinkled them with crushed oreo cookie and a strawberry sliver on top.

Enjoy!

Linking To:
All Things Heart and Home
Serenity Now
Tatertots and Jello

Strawberries with Cream Cheese Filling

My friend Kristy showed me how to make these pretty strawberries.  They resemble flower petals and are piped with sweetened cream cheese.  They really brighten up a dessert table and taste delish!

Strawberries with Cream Cheese Filling

32 fresh whole strawberries

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

grated chocolate for garnish

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each strawberry so that they stand upright, then cut each berry carefully into four wedges, cutting almost to, but not through, the bottoms.  Fan the wedges just slightly, but be careful not to break them.  Set berries aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy.  Pipe filling into strawberries using a decorating bag with decorative tip.  Grate chocolate over top to garnish.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.