Strawberry Spinach Salad

You know what's funny to me? You request a healthy recipe but what are the chances that you make one of my healthy dishes over one of my decadent desserts? Ha, not likely! You know that I'm right! Until now...because this colorful salad is bursting with flavor! It's sweet and salty. Creamy and Crunchy! This salad is super tasty! I really hope you do make it. I do almost once a week!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

6 cups baby spinach

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

2 handfuls walnut halves, chopped if you want

Dressing Suggestions: I just squeeze the juice of one fresh lemon on top and I'm happy. But for a more luxurious (but so not healthy) option, go for the poppy seed dressing. 

Divide the spinach into 4 salad bowls. Top each one evenly with the strawberries, feta cheese and walnuts. Drizzle on the lemon juice or dressing. 

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Strawberry Cheesecake with Golden Oreo Crust

These little tasty delights were an unexpected star at the Princess' Lady bug birthday party! Are you a cheesecake fan? I know some people that are absolutely in love with cheesecake. I enjoy it but it's not my go-to indulgence. Let me tell you though, these little baby's were good! 

I knew that I wanted a dessert in addition to the fabulous chocolate cake in case some people don't like chocolate, *gasp*, I know! But I do know people who can live without chocolate. But I wasn't going to do a simple, plain cheesecake.  I can never just let things be and leave them alone, I'm always trying to mix it up a little bit...I'm fun and complicated like that! Anyway, I wanted strawberry cheesecake, but wasn't sure how to go about it and I thought I'd start with some good old fashion strawberry preserves. Next time I'll try strawberry cream cheese too. Like I said, these were a hit, but I honestly think the winning ingredient of these little babies was the crust...you can never ever ever go wrong with baked crushed Oreos and butter. Never!

This is a super easy cheesecake recipe and everybody loved them. I had one little hang up...how do you keep the tops from falling? If you have advice for me, please do share.

Strawberry Cheesecake with Golden Oreo Crust

Ingredients

For the cheesecake filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz. sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar
1 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup strawberry  preserves

For the Golden Oreo Crust:

18 Golden Oreo Cookies

3 Tbl butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Set aside. 

If you have a food processor or a really good blender, add the cookies and pulse until you get tiny crumbs. This works beautifully, you get perfect little crumbs and the cookie filling gets incorporated with the cookie pieces. And there is no mess! If not, then just crush them anyway you can. Then add melted butter and mix well. 

I made 36 mini cheesecake bites, you could possibly make about 12 muffin size cheesecakes. I don't know. Anyway, line the mini muffin tins and measure 2 tsp of crust into each well (with paper cupcake liners, it's just easier to remove them from the tin). Press down lightly. Bake for 7 minutes. Spoon 1 Tbl of cheesecake filling over the crust. Bake for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it. If after 30 minutes you don't think it's done, turn the oven off and let the cheesecakes stay in the oven until you think they are done. 

I topped mine with a strawberry. Chill and enjoy (the cheesecake that is!)!

Warmly,
Mary

As American as Apple Pie...or Rhubard Strawberry Pie

Have you been out this week? It’s red, white and blue everywhere you go. To me Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have served our country, creating the history we have and making it the nation that it is today. America. And since this is a food blog, well then we will celebrate with food! I really think that the only suitable desserts for Memorial Day are…S’mores and Pie! Now that’s American! I know you’re thinking apple pie, right? Well, I will wait until late summer when apples are in season here to make apple pie. So let’s do strawberries…they are ripe for the pickn’ and the rhubarb is lookn’ good too. Both of them are screaming “Spring” and “America” to me! The tartness of the rhubarb, the sweetness of the berries, the brightness of the orange zest, all married and nestled into the savory flaky crust…oh ya…am I making your mouth salivate yet?

I am not lucky enough to have a garden this year…other than a few herbs. But you will see me at the Farmer’s Market every weekend to bring home the freshest picks! Thankfully I was able to find some rhubarb there this weekend and there is a local strawberry patch where the kids and I enjoy picking the berries.

I do a lattice crust on most of my fruit pies and maybe some day I’ll give instructions on how to do it when I have an extra set of hands for taking the pictures. My mom taught me how to make pie when I was 6 or 7 and when 7, I entered my first pie contest and won first prize! Anyway…years later…here’s a pie that will put a smile on your face!

Country Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

5 c chopped rhubarb, I peel the larger stalks

2 cups quartered strawberries

1 ¼ c sugar

¼ c corn starch

1 tsp orange zest

1 Tbl lemon juice

2 pie crusts (a top and a bottom), you can make your favorite or purchase one or use my current favorite crust http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/p-p-p-pie_crust_and_its_p-p-p-perfect/

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients together. Set aside while you prepare the crust. Pour into the bottom crust. Top with the 2^nd crust.

Egg Wash

1 Tbl milk

1 large egg yolk

2 – 4 Tbl sugar

Beat the milk and egg yolk well. Brush on the top of the pie crust. Sprinkle with the sugar.  Take a piece of foil a little larger than the pie and loosely fold the foil and set on top of the pie. Bake for 45 min, take the foil off and bake for another 45 min.

You will not be disappointed in this pie! 

S’mores

And for the s'mores...well this really shouldn't be your first time trying them because they are a classic! A family evening favorite of ours is to get the fire pit going and sit around it to just relax. We love the simple but quality time together. And if we’re lucky, Superman will let us make s’mores!

One thing I do have to say about s'mores...the marshmallows MUST be roasted over a fire. Not any of this microwave business. 

So get your graham cracker out. Break one in half. Smear one half with peanut butter and set your chocolate section on top of the PB and set aside. For a perfectly golden roasted s'more, hold your marshmallow on a stick just a few inches away from the fire, NOT touching the flame. Slowly rotate the marshmallow until it puffs and is golden brown. Set it on top of your chocolate and set into place the remaining Graham cracker. Gently push down and watch the gooey melted mallow ooze! Let it hang out for a minute so the chocolate can melt a tad. Finally...take a bite and lick yo lips! 

Today as I observe Memorial Day, I thank those who are serving and who have served this country. I am grateful! 

Warmly,

Mary