vanilla raspberry rhubarb frozen yogurt

There's only a handful of things I can confidently say I'm obsessed with. Frozen yogurt might just be at the top of that list (if not first), and I'm completely okay with that. I would eat it every day if I could. Combine that with this sweltering 90 degree weather, my favorite berry, and an in-season gem, and enter: vanilla raspberry rhubarb frozen yogurt.

It's tart, sweet, creamy, and cool... what more could you want in a frozen treat? Chocolate, but that's for another post. I suppose you could drizzle some dark chocolate on top of a heaping scoop of this, though. Actually, that sounds pretty damn delicious.

I'm a little late on the rhubarb game. You see, in most regular towns, rhubarb is easily accessible, especially around this time. Here, some people don't even know what it is. I was able to find it at a grocery store, pre-packaged, and thankfully it was still quite tasty and fresh.

I'm pretty certain that this homemade fro-yo kick isn't going away anytime soon. I'm hoping to perfect the texture a bit better in my trials to come, as well as experimenting with some new flavors. Martha Stewart has a frozen yogurt recipe that definitely didn't remind me of your typical homemade recipe.

The addition of an egg and a couple of other ingredients has me convinced that the texture is more like an ice cream, and possibly easier to scoop straight out of the freezer? I'm not sure why I'm so set on that (I haven't tested it or read that it does), but it probably has to do with my love affair of TCBY's scoopable, ice cream-like fro yo. No homemade frozen yogurt has ever compared. Martha, I hope you can change that.

mixed berry protein smoothie

I've been making variations of this smoothie for quite some time, but I never really measured out ingredients or thought about how much protein it actually packs. Without counting the fruit, we're talking almost 15 grams of protein per serving! I was pretty impressed!

It's really delicious, and quite thick too. I prefer to use frozen fruit over fresh because it adds bulk and makes the smoothie super cold without having to add ice. Perfect for these hot January days. (Which P.S.- I am NOT happy about.)
Adding more fruit on the top is optional, but I use a few frozen berries to garnish and then I end up stirring them in. They slightly thaw as you're slurping this baby down, so once you reach them they are basically the perfect texture; still cold & slightly icy :))

I also like to sprinkle a bit of ground flaxseed on top, because, well, why not? It's a good source of omega 3's, packs some protein, and contains fiber. I'm obsessed with it! I add ground flaxseed to oatmeal, baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, granola, etc. For reference, I get the organic ground flaxseed by Bob's Red Mill :)

click on photo to enlarge

cucumber, raspberry, & spinach salad + rosemary balsamic vinaigrette

This concoction of ingredients was not planned one bit. You would never suspect that though, due to how well all of the flavors complement each other. To be honest, I can't remember that last time I made a salad before this one. My inner health freak feels slightly ashamed. In reality, it probably wasn't THAT long ago that I fashioned up a hefty bowl of leafy greens. My memory is just on a serious decline. It's kind of scaring me a bit, actually.

The raspberries were the first to come into the picture (no pun intended.) If they're on sale, they're in my grocery cart. Beautifully bright, loaded with nutrients, very juicy, and perfectly sweet are just a few reasons why raspberries always steal my heart (and make their way into my salads quite often.) The cucumber was definitely unexpected, as I never ever buy them. I'm always finding ways to surprise myself now-a-days, though.

I use baby spinach in almost all of my leafy green salads. Not so much because I favor the taste over other greens, but it is super nutrient dense, which you know I'm alllll about. And thanks to my Nutrition & Metabolism class (and of course my hilarious/very knowledgeable professor Dr. Shelnutt) I'm learning how our bodies utilize each of the vitamins and why they're so important for our bodies to function correctly. I won't get into it now, mainly because I want to finish up this post and figure out what my desperately hungry self wants for dinner (a girls gotta eat!), but you'll definitely be hearing about this class again in near-future posts.

Cucumber, Raspberry, & Spinach Salad
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

note: the amount of each ingredient is approximated. I just tossed in a little of each.

• baby spinach, a generous handful or so
• fresh raspberries, ~10
• peeled cucumber slices, ~5
• sliced almonds, 1/2 tablespoon
• reduced fat crumbled feta, 1/2 tablespoon

Steps:

Add the spinach, raspberries, cucumbers, almonds, and feta to your salad bowl. Top it off with rosemary balsamic vinaigrette- recipe below. Enjoy your new favorite salad ;)!

It's apparent that my speed of snapping food photos are not up to par, as the vinegar and oil separated before I could get the image I wanted. I even tried to prepare for this by having everything set up and ready to go as soon as I poured the vinaigrette into the funnel. I must've whisked it for at least a minute straight in the hopes that it would stay emulsified longer. My camera was good to go, the fresh rosemary was positioned perfectly (pretty, but not looking like it's trying too hard,) and the cats were no where close to this area to ensure that my rosemary would not be stolen off of the counter again. Yes, this happened. Betty White had herself a nice little snack right before this shoot. I should've known to keep an eye on the rosemary, as 5 minutes before I had realized that it had gone missing, B-dubs could not stop licking my aromatic fingers that perfumed of the fresh herb. When I was setting up and noticed that I only had two out of the three stalks of rosemary, I ran into the living room and found the third stalk between two kitty paws with a sandpaper-like tongue happily licking away at it. And even cuter, she was sharing it with her sister Cheeks! (These two are the cutest, most beautiful, most awesome litter mates ever! I truly feel bad for people who have never met my two furry nieces.)

But back to the vinaigrette! The ratio of vinegar to oil is not your typical amount. Reason being, I am totally in love with balsamic vinegar. I could eat it off of a spoon by itself. Well, I do eat it off of a spoon by itself. (Not all the time or anything, but it's been done, numerous times.) Therefore, my balsamic vinaigrettes are typically 1:1 ratios, rather than a 1:3. If this is too acidic for you, feel free to add more oil and adjust it to your liking.

 

If you can, try to use fresh rosemary. It's pretty much perfect in this dressing! However if you don't have it, you can substitute dried rosemary. If you use dried, rub it between your fingers before adding it to the vinegar. It releases the natural oils and really brings out the rosemary flavor :) This vinaigrette has quickly become a new favorite of mine, and the best part- it's so, so simple!

Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yield: ~4 servings

note: The yield for the salad is 1 serving, where the yield for this is 4 servings. I make extra dressing and store it in an airtight container in the pantry for future use. If you don't want to do that, just scale the recipe down by 4 (1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to 1 tablespoon of EVOO, + 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary)

Ingredients:

• balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons
• extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons
• fresh rosemary, minced, 2 teaspoons
• good pinch of kosher salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup (anything you can whisk in, really), add the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper. While whisking vigorously, add EVOO until an emulsion forms (15 seconds maybe.) Pour over salad for immediate use, or add to an air tight container and store at room temperature in your pantry.

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The Gators beat LSU today (hell yeahhhh!), so it's going to be a good night here in the swamp :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

banana-walnut yogurt quickbread {& overnight oats}

 Sometimes you have a long explanation on why you made a certain recipe, other times it's strictly due to the fact that you had bananas about to see their last days.

I. don't. like. to. waste. food. Ever.

I meant to bake this banana bread back when I made this beauty, so you can only imagine how much

more ripe (and mushy/brown) they have become since then.

It was now or never, and I wasn't settling for never.

P.S.- you should know that "now" was about 12:30 am. It's pretty much a given at this point that I will bake at all hours of the night. My family knows this all too well, especially around the holidays.

(to paint a picture; it's 4 am, Christmas Eve's Eve, I'm covered in flour wearing my Santa apron, all kinds of cookie doughs are making their rotations through the oven, to the cooling

racks, and on the platters, piping bags are multiplying by the minute, I start to talk to

myself, family agrees I am nuts, but commends me on my dedication

and yummy decorative treats.)

Any who, these bananas turned out to be the perfect ripeness for this banana bread.

And let me just tell warn you, this quickbread is addicting.

I initially had three very ripe bananas, but I used one to make overnight oats last night. In retrospect, that is the best decision I could've made within the last 24 hours (well that, and making the banana bread), because now I can crumble my banana bread over my overnight oats for a

 delish breakfast!

banana-walnut yogurt quickbread

I'm the kind of person that has to have chocolate on a daily basis, even if it's just one piece of dark chocolate. The fact that I can satisfy that craving in this moist, nutty, banana bread is a huge plus! With substitutes like unsweetened applesauce, agave nectar, and no butter, this is a healthier option for those who like to switch up their morning breakfasts.

Yield: 1 loaf

ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 cup of Sucanat, or brown sugar

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of plain low fat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (chop first, then measure)

1/2 cup mini dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips

steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Chop walnuts, mash bananas, measure out Greek yogurt, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients:
wwpf
baking powder
baking soda
kosher salt
and mix together well
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients:
eggs
Sucanat (or brown sugar)
agave nectar
vanilla extract
vegetable oil
unsweetened applesauce
and whisk together well
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), mix together until combined. The dough will be thick, but try not to over-work it.
Fold in the yogurt just until the dough becomes a bit looser. Again, try not to over-work it.
Lastly, fold in mashed banana, walnuts, and mini chocolate chips.
Pour into loaf pan, even out the top with the rubber spatula, and bake for 50 minutes on the middle rack, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

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quickbreads are too delicious for their own good!

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Rolled oats are always in my kitchen. I try to eat them once a week, but that doesn't always happen. It's a shame because they are so good for you. I like oatmeal, but I really have to be in the mood for it to enjoy it. And during the summer,
I'm more likely to go for cold cereal rather than warm oatmeal. For this reason,
I was pleasantly surprised when I learned about cold overnight oats. In addition to the health benefits of oats, you can add in ground flaxseeds or chia seeds to boost the nutritional value even further, which also help to thicken up your oats.
You start with ingredients that you mix together overnight, and let sit in the fridge to soak up and thicken. In the morning, you add your toppings and stir together.
It's great because you can adapt these to be vegan as well. Not to mention, your toppings and flavor combos are endless!
This morning I decided to add:
agave nectar
slice strawberries
raspberries
blueberries
the aforementioned banana bread, crumbled
Other options you could add:
honey
different fresh fruit
dried fruit
granola
your favorite smoothie stirred in
yogurt
nut butters
wheat germ
 cinnamon
maple syrup
healthy muffins, crumbled

cold overnight oats with fresh berries

Yield: 1 serving

ingredients + steps:

add to bowl at night & mix
1 ripe banana, peeled & mashed 1/3 cup of rolled oats
3/4 to 1 cup of the milk of your choice
1 to 2 tbsp of chia seeds or ground flaxseeds
1/4 tsp pure vanilla exract

in the morning add your toppings
drizzle of agave nectar
raspberries
blueberries
strawberries
crumbled banana bread

Enjoy with a cup of green tea (and re-use your green tea bags!!)
 *recipe lightly adapted from Oh She Glows

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What do you like to add to your cold overnight oats?

raspberry oat whole wheat pancakes

In my last post about Father's Day Idea #1, I promised I would come up with two more ideas to share with you all. We've covered dessert -- which by the way, my batch of Ooey Gooey & Chewy S'mores Cookies are ALL gone! -- so now we move onto breakfast in style :) Typical buttermilk pancakes are always yummy and a great treat to make breakfast, but for special days, I like to make special foods. Raspberry Oat Whole Wheat Pancakes are just that- fluffy, warm, comforting, and will definitely add a little something to amp up your breakfast table this Sunday!

Raspberry Oat Whole Wheat Pancakes, Father's Day Idea #2

Take your pancakes to the next level with these Raspberry Oat Whole Wheat Pancakes. Rich in soluble fiber from the oats and raspberries, and made with whole wheat, these are a healthy option without sacrificing flavor or texture. Put them on the menu this Sunday for Father's Day, or any Sunday for that matter.

Yield: 6-7 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, sliced in half
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp of distilled vinegar + enough fat-free milk to make 1 cup (to mimic buttermilk)
• 2 eggs whites
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ~1inch of a vanilla bean
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp butter (divided) or non-stick cooking spray, to prevent sticking
• extra oats & fresh raspberries to garnish (optional)
• Maple Syrup, as much as you like! 

Directions:

Make your buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp of distilled to vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add fat-free milk to the measuring cup until you reach the 1 cup mark. Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats into the buttermilk and let sit for 10-12 minutes.

In the meantime, mix together your dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla bean. If you're using vanilla extract (which I recommend), you can add it to the buttermilk/oat mixture once it has set for 10 minutes.

Using your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add two egg whites and whisk on medium-high speed. I think mine was on "6". Whisk until you achieve soft peeks and the egg whites become frothy and fluffy.

Rinse/pat-dry raspberries, and slice in half.

Heat a griddle or pan to medium and let it get nice and hot.

Your buttermilk/oat mixture should be ready by now. If you haven't added in your vanilla extract yet, do so now. Add your wet ingredients (buttermilk/oat/vanilla) to your dry ingredients, and whisk until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in raspberries. Then lastly, fold in the egg whites until just combined. Try not to over-fold the egg whites when adding them. You want them to keep their fluffiness so that your pancakes will also be fluffy!

Add a tiny bit of butter or nonstick cooking spray to your griddle or pan, then pour ~1/3 cup of the batter onto your griddle for each pancake. Once they start to bubble around the edges, you know they are ready to flip!

Plate and drizzle with maple syrup :)

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i'm in love with this ceramic berry basket. Anthropologie never does me wrong I tell ya

raspberries are my favorite berry. so bright, sweet, & healthy

eggs whites form soft peaks

fold in raspberries

lightly fold in egg whites

garnish with raspberries and oats

drizzle with maple syrup and indulge

****

Check back later for my last Father's Day Idea! It's a simple Italian dish with the best meat sauce you will ever taste. Trust me on this!

the perfect summer salad

In an attempt to get back to eating a little healthier, I decided that participating in The June Salad-A-Day Challenege would be a fun and creative way to add some more fruits and vegetables into my diet. I really do like salads, but I only have about two staples that I go to when I'm in the mood to make one. I think this will double as a creative outlet for me to come up with some different salad recipes, as well as give me an excuse to go to the Farmer's Market more often :D

The challenge is to eat one salad a day for the month of June, and as Barney from How I Met Your Mother would say, "Challenge Accepted" ;)

Day 1: Raspberry Mango Salad with a Lemon Olive Oil & Chia Seed Dressing

To me, this is the Perfect Summer Salad because it is light, super refreshing, and contains good fats to absorb all of those vitamins. Rich in protein, fiber, Vitamin A, and antioxidants such as Vitamins C & E, this salad is packed with nutritional value. Hints of lemon and olive oil create a waist-friendly dressing, while also complementing the flavors of mango & raspberry.

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of your favorite greens. I used spring mix and baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 cup of rinsed fresh raspberries, pat dry
• 1 ripe mango*
• 1/8 cup of raw almonds, roasted
• 1/2 teaspoon of chia seeds
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt & pepper

*Note: To see if your mango is ripe, gently squeeze the mango to see if it gives in a little. It will be soft to the touch.

Directions:

Roast almonds on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and aromatic, ~5 minutes. You can also do this in a toaster oven.

Rinse raspberries, salad greens, mango, and pat dry. Cut mango into slices, set aside. (For more directions on how to cut a mango, see the *Note at the end.)

To make the dressing, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a bowl. While whisking, add the tablespoon of olive oil to make an emulsion. Stir in chia seeds and a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.

To assemble the salad, simply add the salad greens, raspberries, mango slices, and toasted almonds to your salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!!

*Note: How to cut a mango into slices:

Mangoes contain a fairly large seed in the center of the fruit, so the object is to cut around it.
Stand mango upright on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make a vertical slice down each sides of the mango. The skin will still be intact. Using your sharp knife, make slices within the sides of the mango you just sliced off. Take a spoon and scoop out the slices.

I wish I would've taken step-by-step pictures of how to slice it. I didn't think about it until it was too late... :( Hopefully that how-to makes sense to you all, but if not, you may have better luck Googling it :P

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I will probably make a post on here about twice a week that will have the recipes I come up with for this June Salad Challenge. If you decide to participate in it too, share what you come up with! :)

summer thoughts + very berry whole wheat muffins

It's not possible to be the best at everything. That's understandable. It is possible, however, to take what you're good at, take what drives you forward, and work hard at it to do the best that you are capable of. To me, it doesn't matter if it doesn't come easily or if I make mistakes. Actually, I enjoy mistakes. The lesson at hand ends up sticking with me more than if I had nailed it on the first try. What does matter to me, though, is that I'm doing something I love. Something that makes me want to be the best. Something that gives me that push to always want to keep going and excel. So, don't worry if you're not the Albert Einstein of your particular passion. The more important thing to realize is that you've found that passion, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your personal best.

Usually I'm not one to write things like that (it just floats around in my head,) but I thought it'd be nice to share it with anyone who is kind of feeling like I am. When you set a goal, you will accomplish it if you really want to. You won't give up, you wont circumvent it, and as said earlier, you will do what it takes to get there.

My triple berry whole wheat muffins are sort of an example of this, although on a much smaller scale. It took me one night and three tries to achieve the results that I wanted, but after that first (& semi-failed attempt,) I still persevered. Because of that, my third attempt yielded the best whole wheat berry muffins I have ever tasted!

I am applying this thought process to all aspects in my life that I am passionate about. I want to bring out the best in myself and what I do. Hopefully this summer will grant me the time to achieve such things!

Okay, now that I'm done with my motivational speech (which I hope kinda/sorta motivated you in some way), let's get to talking about these aforementioned muffins!

I went to the market this past weekend and bought some fantastic (with some being organic & local) items that I will be using in upcoming recipes (get excited!!) Fresh berries, hazelnuts, almonds, whole wheat pastry flour, millet, whole grain quinoa, and a few other things too. The berries were calling out to me, similar to "Buy me! Bake with me!" How could I not listen to them? The raspberries were plump and showcased their beautiful, deep red color. The blueberries looked like they were on steroids (in a very good way), and the blackberries just seemed like a good match to mix in. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity. I love muffins, especially blueberry muffins. And while a warm blueberry or chocolate chip muffin from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks can be quite delicious, there is no denying that they are full of calories, fat, and sugar. I wanted to create a muffin that I wouldn't feel too guilty about eating in the morning... and maybe again in the afternoon.... and again at night. Did I really just admit that? Don't be too quick to judge, though! Once you try these you will understand the constant cravings!

P.S.- I'm just kidding. Do you really think I'd eat THREE muffins in one day? Of course I wouldn't... I only ate two ;)

Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins:

These triple berry whole wheat muffins are moist, soft, delicately sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With berries that are literally bursting when you bite into them, and ingredients that don't require you to work out twice as long- how could you go wrong?

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sifted whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1 cup all purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of organic Sucanat sugar*
• 1 cup of fat-free dairy milk (you can probably use almond or soy milk, though I haven't tried it)
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ~1/3 of a cup of raspberries
• ~1/3 of a cup of blackberries (sliced in half)
• ~1/3 of a cup of blueberries + another small handful (I looove blueberries!)
• A little bit of rolled old fashioned oats to sprinkle on top (optional)

The berries can be substituted out with just your favorite berry or more/less of the others.

*Note: Organic Sucanat is the least refined dry sweetener that I've found. It still retains some of it's natural molasses flavor and also retains nutrients as well, unlike refined white sugar. This is my first time using it, but I already LOVE it! The flavor is awesome, too. I bought it in bulk at the local market here (I think it's cheaper), but if you can't find it in any stores, you can purchase it online. I understand that some of you may be apprehensive to buy something that is relatively expensive and you haven't tried before. The good thing about Sucanat is that you can substitute 1:1 with other sugars. Therefore you can use brown sugar or regular, refined white sugar in replace of it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with baking cups. Rinse berries, pat dry, slice blackberries in half, and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, sift ~2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour. (You will be using the sifted flour to measure out your exact 2 cups.)

Now that you have sifted your flour, measure out exactly 2 cups of the flour and place it in a medium/large mixing bowl. Remember that baking is an exact science, so you want to be sure to level off your measuring cups.

Sift your baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl containing your flour. Add the Sucanat (or other sweetener of your choice). Mix together well. These are your dry ingredients.

In another mixing bowl, add milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Whisk together until the wet ingredients are homogenous.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add your berries and fold them in with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop batter into lined muffin tins. Sprinkle oats on top if desired. Bake for ~15-20 minutes. Mine took 17 minutes.

For best results, it is important to let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This is for a couple of reasons. First, if you bite into them right away, you will most likely burn your mouth on the hot berries. Second, the muffins will be very, very soft and will fall apart. When I take mine out of the oven, I don't place them directly on the stove top because as I'm sure you know, the stove is warm as well. Place the muffin tin on a trivet or cooling rack, instead.

Do you SEE that oozing berry right there??! So freaking yummy!!

*****

I wouldn't even think about buying berry muffins anymore, because to me, these are perfect!! And to make today even more exciting, my Cuisinart ice cream/frozen yogurt/sorbet maker arrived! I am going to have way too much fun with it. If you know me well, you know that I am basically obsessed with frozen yogurt. Expect some delicious frozen treats coming your way soon :).

As I must get off the computer now to do other things (like sleep), I leave you with this:

What are you most excited about this summer? And more importantly, what are your favorite kinds of muffins?

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