Category: Recipes

Fall is approaching but the weather may not be cooling off quite yet.

When asked to bring a simple side dish to any Summer gathering, I happily rely on two little words: Caprese salad. Those crisp sliced garden tomatoes, topped with mozzarella and fresh basil leaves equal a one-of-a-kind party pleaser. With four lovely ingredients that need no more than five minutes of prep– what could be more enjoyable?  I also happen to sneak a few bites in while I’m preparing my layered Caprese platter!

But Summer is coming to a close. Outdoor gatherings are still happening in the September months…so what to do?

We happily stumbled across this delicious recipe by “I Adore What I Love”- A Mom Blog, and really appreciated the additional ingredients including avocado, apple, and honey!  What a great way to transition our Summer favorite with some Fall flavors!

This original dish always gets devoured… and with this alternative twist, we are sure it will be a hit at your next gathering!

Pair with our dark green, olive green, red, or signature white dinner napkins!

Ingredients:

Iced coffee anyone?  We love our local coffee shops, but sometimes it’s nice to wake up and have iced coffee already brewed and waiting for us in the fridge. Simple treats at home can elevate our busy day.  We love The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for fresh iced coffee ready to serve the entire family!  Skip the line and check out the full recipe from The Pioneer Woman below!

Each Summer I plan ahead and make iced coffee (about one full 10-cup carafe). This lasts me about a week.  I can’t tell you how much my groggy morning self thanks my planning ahead self!

While my process was a bit lazy these last few years, this recipe by The Pioneer Woman knocked my socks off!  It truly tastes like I have walked out of Starbucks with a perfectly flavored rich cup of my favorite iced coffee.  The best part? I’m still in PJs and haven’t yet thrown on any makeup. The photo above also features one of our classic beverage napkins which are perfect for icy drinks that sweat!

My favorite flavor of iced coffee is peppermint mocha which most find unusual during the Summer months, but I refuse to be convinced it is only limited to the holiday season!

Here is the recipe we can’t get enough of!  It’s worth every sip (and you’re a coffee shop regular, your wallet will also thank you)!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground coffee (good, rich roast)

8 qt. cold water

Half-and-half (healthy splash per serving)

Sweetened condensed milk (2-3 tablespoons per serving)

Note: Can use skim milk, 2% milk, whole milk, sugar, artificial sweeteners, syrups…adapt to your liking!

Directions

1. In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature twelve hours or overnight. 

2. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour the coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds. 

3. Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed. 

4. To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add a healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

Here is the original recipe from The Pioneer Woman (with a video) below:

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11061/perfect-iced-coffee/

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about what to take to my in-laws’ annual Fourth of July Fireworks party. My in-laws are very easy-going and they keep telling me not to take anything. Being a Southern girl, it’s just not possible to go to a party and not take anything. Ya’ll know what I mean?

Since my favorite food group is dessert, it just seems an obvious choice. I want it to be festive so it needs to be red, white and blue, but it also needs to be easy to transport. What better dessert than a berry trifle?

This is probably one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I’ve ever made. So, if you need to take a dessert to your Independence Day celebration but are scared of the kitchen or don’t have any time, this will be a big win for everyone!

This recipe can be as pre-made or as home made as you want.

What you need:

• 1 trifle dish
• 3 cups of berries (I will use about 3 cups of blueberries and 3 cups of sliced strawberries, but raspberries would be great, too!)
• 6 cups of Whipped cream (I am trying to use fewer processed foods in my diet so I’m going to make my own whipped cream with just a tiny bit of powdered sugar, but you can definitely use Cool Whip or any other brand of whipped cream in a tub. Just don’t use whipped cream in a can; it doesn’t work as well.)
• 1 pan of brownies or cake (It doesn’t matter which you chose, either will taste amazing! Last time I made this using brownies. This year I’m going to use a gluten-free pound cake or gluten-free brownies. Angel food cake would be delish as well!)
• Friends to help you eat it (Or, you just might eat it all – it’s that good!)

What to do:

• Break up the cake/brownie into bite-sized pieces and put 1/3 of it in the bottom of the trifle dish
• Pour 1/3 of the blueberries on top of the brownie layer
• Add 1/3 of the strawberry slices on top of the blue berry layer
• Spread 2 cups of the whipped cream on top of the strawberries
• Repeat the above steps until you have 3 layers of each
• ENJOY!!!