Monthly Archives: May 2014

No-Bake Nutella Clusters

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 Six ingredients are all you need to create these scrumptious no-bake cookies. Crunchy, creamy, sweet. What’s not to love? 

No-BakeNutellaClusters

It’s hot, hot, hot out there. For MN standards at least. The past week has been filled with the most amazing weather anyone could ask for. Blue skies, incredible sunshine and temperatures in the lower 80’s. I feel so spoiled. And you bet I’ve been soaking up as many rays as time allows.

My goal is the same every summer. Try to get a tan on. Year after year, I am denying the fact that it’s basically impossible for me to get that beautiful sun-kissed color on my skin. I tend to burn rather quickly and usually return to my normal skin tone shortly after. By the end of summer, it’s basically impossible for anyone’s eyes but mine to detect an actual change in my skin color. Ivory for life, yo.

No-BakeNutellaClusters

What’s a girl to do but drown her tanning sorrows in a jar of Nutella? I have adored that silky chocolate spread the very first moment I tasted it. I am pretty sure sparks flew. And since it’s not always appropriate to eat that stuff straight of the jar by the spoonfuls (i.e. when there are other people in my house besides myself), I am forced to find new ways to still get my Nutella fix.

So No-bake Nutella Clusters, it is! Continue reading →

Dreamy Strawberry Coconut Bars

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A super Easy and Buttery Crust topped with Strawberry Jelly and finished with a Coconut Crumble.

dreamy-strawberry-coconut-bars

Happy Wednesday, you guys. How about some yummy bars today? Since I apparently can’t get enough of berries and coconut, I just had to combine the two into one tasty treat. That’s what summer will do to me :).

I hope you’re on board with my current obsession because I can’t see an end in sight. There’s something about the beautiful weather that makes me go crazy for anything containing the naturally sweet taste of berries.

dreamy-strawberry-coconut-bars

Not only do I love the combination going on here, but the fact that these are super light and therefore easy to devour, makes for one dreamy dessert.

My husband is the one who actually inspired these bars. Believe it or not, he isn’t the biggest chocolate fan and would go for anything containing fruit instead. I know – it’s pretty crazy, huh? And he loves my homemade jelly that I make and freeze every year for us to savor until strawberry season comes around again. And that’s exactly what I used for the middle layer in these – strawberry jelly. Mmmmm. You could totally swap out jam or any other fruit preserves you prefer, of course.

The important thing is that you give these a try :). Continue reading →

Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

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 Start your day off right with this healthy yet utterly delicious breakfast pudding. You will savor every single bite.

chia-seed-pudding

Hope everyone is enjoying another day off today. We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the amount of sunshine and warm temperatures we’ve been experiencing so far. It’s been in the mid 80’s every day and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Seriously so great. I will fill you in on more later.

Let’s move on to today’s recipe. I know. I know. You probably have anything besides health food on your mind right now. It’s the biggest BBQ day of the year, after all. And I am not planning on telling you not to indulge. Oh no. Have your way today :).

chia-seed-pudding

So just in case you’re looking for a healthy and extremely delicious option, you might want to give this pudding a try. It was my breakfast for the last 2 mornings before we left to go “up north”. And there was only so much I could do before sharing it with you today.

It was THAT good. Even though the weekend was wonderful, I couldn’t wait for Monday morning. Continue reading →

Pistachio, Chocolate Chip and Toffee Crunch Cookies

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 Pistachios, Chocolate Chips and Toffee give these cookies just the right amount of crunch. My go-to cookie recipe when I’m craving something salty & sweet!

Pistachio-Toffee-Crunch-Cookies

Hooray! Friday is finally here, the weekend is just a couple of hours away and we are more than ready to hit the road and enjoy a weekend filled with food, family, and fun.

Oh, and welcoming summer is not a bad deal either. Few things are worth heating the oven up for when the temperature seem to be climbing higher and higher. Cookies definitely fall into that category for me. Nothing will come in between me and a scrumptious cookie.

Pistachio-Toffee-Crunch-Cookies

Especially when it involves pistachios, toffee, and melty chocolate chips. These cookies are the ultimate of the ultimate when it comes to salty and sweet awesomeness.

I don’t know why I keep making irresistible cookies – can you say overeating problem? It turns our kitchen into a danger zone! Continue reading →

Best Ever Sweet Tea

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 Learn how to make perfect Sweet Tea every time. Summer just wouldn’t be summer without it.

best-ever-sweet-tea

Whew. Is it me or is this week flying by? Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled that we’re already in the middle of the week, especially since a three-day weekend is just around the corner – weeeee!

Before we’re celebrating the unofficial start of summer though, I thought it was about time that I’d share my very favorite summer drink with you all. It’s best when served ice cold and with a spritz of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Now I know what you might be thinking. How does a girl from the north have any clue when it comes to the sweet tea department?! After falling in love with that delectable drink during a trip to Texas a couple of years ago, I was determined to serve Perfect Sweet Tea in our MN home as well.

best-ever-sweet-tea

I remember going on YouTube and watching video after video of true Southerners showing me how to make this concoction. After carefully following their instructions, I quickly figured out how to get the ratios just right and tweaked them a bit until I was sipping on a tall glass of iced tea that brought me right back to Texas. Continue reading →