A delicious homemade creamy strawberry pie
Perfect for a pretty spring or summer day
Or any day at all....

When strawberry season comes on I get so excited.  I LOVE strawberries!!
Most of the time, we just eat them as is:  you know, like and apple or an orange: 
Just a handful of fresh strawberries to munch on...  YUM!

But a few times a year I have to make my favorite strawberry recipe
because it is so delicious:  
Strawberry Cream Pie

1 graham cracker crust
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash nutmeg
1 lb strawberries
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

• Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg.  Mix until well blended.
• Go through your strawberries:  reserve the prettiest ones for garnishing at the end:  take the rest, and chop into tiny pieces. (about 3/4 - 1 cup of chopped strawberries)
• Stir chopped berries into cream cheese mixture
• Whip cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.  Fold into cream cheese mixture.
• Spoon into crust
• Chill several hours
• Garnish with reserved strawberries

Enjoy!!

It's a recipe I have kind-of tweaked myself using a few recipes I had in my collection.
Guaranteed to be yummy...  :)

{...we think so anyway, in our family....}

hugs x
Crystelle

Partying with these fabulous bloggy friends.... & the Charm of Home, Coastal Charm, Savvy Southern Style, Today’s Creative Blog, Home Stories A 2 Z, The Shabby Nest, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Between Naps on the Porch

Moist soft chewy chocolate chip / oatmeal cookies.
~~~~~~~~~
These yummy cookies are a family favorite:
the kids get to make and consume them at Grandma's house.
(She is an amazing cook!) 
And then she gives us plenty of them to take home!!  We are very lucky....  :)

My mother-in-law has had this recipe (see her recipe-card below) in her collection
for years and years and no longer remembers where she got it,
so we will just give her the credit for it, OK?
OK.

Now while we can claim that these cookies are super delicious,
we will not make any claims that they are healthy. 
Soooooooo..... 
She actually makes them with coconut oil instead of shortening,
hoping that helps a little bit on the health scale....
I will add those instructions at the bottom.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening*
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
2 eggs
3/4 cups chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together (except chocolate chips) till creamy.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Shape into balls.  Place on cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly.

Bake 10 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit

* Instead of 1 cup shortening she will often use one of the following:

• 3/4 cup coconut oil

or

• 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup oil
  

Enjoy...!!   :)

Partying with these bloggy friends.... & the Charm of Home, Coastal Charm, Savvy Southern Style, Today’s Creative Blog, Home Stories A 2 Z, The Shabby Nest, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chick, Between Naps on the Porch

Have you ever wanted to make your own taco seasoning mix?
Have you ever wondered: How do I make taco seasoning myself?
Well, it's not hard at all, you just mix together some of the ingredients that are already in your spice cabinet!

There are so many advantages to making your own taco seasoning mix:

• Better flavor
• Save money
• Adjust the salt level you want
• Avoid MSG
• etc.

2 teaspoons minced onion
2 teaspoons salt*
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine ingredients, mix.  When ready to serve add to cooked meat (1 - 1.5 pounds) with 3/4 cup water.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

*Omit/reduce salt if you are trying to limit your salt-intake,
or use sea-salt for a sodium-free version.

You can mix your seasoning in a bowl (quick method),
in a zip-lock baggie (great for travel),
or a jar (close the lid ~ shake it up!)


Eet Smakelijk!
(that is Dutch for bon appétit)

Crystelle

Linking to a number of these bloggy friends.... as well as to the Charm of Home, Coastal Charm, Savvy Southern Style, Today’s Creative Blog, Home Stories A 2 Z, The Shabby Nest, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chick, Between Naps on the Porch

 This hot chocolate is so delicious{!} that you may want to
drink it more than just once a year on Christmas eve

It's hard to fall asleep on Christmas eve, but we want to so desperately,
so we can WAKE UP in the morning! 
What to do.....?
.................
Introducing: 
"Hot Cocoa *with sleepy potion*"
Super yummy hot cocoa that guarantees a nice deep sleep: perfect for Christmas eve!

3 cups milk
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk {half a can}
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

Optional toppings:

• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings

In a saucepan combine the three milks.  Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Whisk in cocoa powder until well-combined.
Remove from heat, add vanilla.
Serve topped with optional whipped cream and/or chocolate shavings.

My kids love this stuff, and the "sleepy potion" really works, they say...
{The adults REALLY like it to.... ! }

Recipe by Aubrey Shaner as featured in Better Homes and Gardens

Here is the recipe I use every Thanksgiving to make a little tasty Cranberry Sauce out of real fresh cranberries....
It tastes delicious on the turkey, and also on rolls.

It has the consistency of jam, but if you want it to be more like a jello, just add an additional package of unflavored gelatin...


It makes quite a bit.  I usually give at least half of it away, and we still have leftovers....
(will keep well in the freezer also)

Happy Feasting!

Ingredients:

1 pkg fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled & cored & diced
1 orange
2 cups sugar
1 small box raspberry jello
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

_Directions:

Grind cranberries in blender or food processor, add apples.  Grind orange peel (about 2 Tbs) and add also.
Squeeze juice out of the orange into mixture as well.  Add 2 cups sugar and mix well.
Dissolve jello in 1 cup boiling water and let cool (not until firm --just until cool!) 
Mix jello and gelatin into cranberry mixture and refrigerate.

I just use the Vitamix for the whole procedure and instead of squeezing the juice out of the orange, I just throw the whole orange in....



Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Do you have  favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

My linking party friends are right here...

We absolutely LOVE these no-bakes….
YUMMY!!!!!!!

Measure 7 cups oatmeal into a large bowl (with 2 cups coconut --opt.). Set aside.

Put the following four ingredients into a medium sized pan

·         4 cups sugar
·         ½ cup cocoa
·         1 cup milk
·         2 cubes butter (1/2 lb)

Stir until it comes to rolling boil.  Boil for three minutes. 
Remove from heat.  Wait 30 seconds.

Add
·         2 tsp vanilla
·         2 pinches salt
·         1 cup peanut butter

Put in bowl with oatmeal mix mixture.  Mix together.
Place by heaping tablespoons (or bigger!) onto waxed paper.
Cool (we like to cool ours in the freezer to speed things up)

Eet Smakelijk!  {that's Dutch for Bon Appétit} :-)