Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Frosting

I still have my maiden name even though my husband and I have been married over 10 years. The thought of changing to my husband's name was never something that I ever really though about. My husband and I were both working on our master's degrees when we got married and professionally it made more sense to keep my maiden name. Plus I joked with my husband that I wasn't property and there was no reason I needed a new identity just because we got married. Oftentimes I have to explain to people that yes my husband and I are married, no I did not change my name. Honestly, I find the whole thing a big hassle and not something that makes my marriage any stronger. A commitment is a commitment whether I took his name or not. I'm no more likely to get divorced due to a different last name than if we shared the same. My oldest uses my different last name as a source of pride, he tells people that his mommy is strong enough to be different. I love his saying and it's the perfect description of how I run my life and the values that I want my kids to understand. A unifying bond has nothing to do with a shared last name, it has to do with the love that connects the people within it.

One thing that brings my family together is dessert. We all love dessert. My husband is picky about the kind of dessert, but my kids and I will pretty much eat anything with sugar. Since sugar should be eaten in moderation, we don't enjoy dessert all the time. When I do make sweet goods I also try to modify the ingredients to be healthier by using alternative flours and natural sugars. Recently I tried a new recipe for Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Frosting. The recipe is as follows.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Frosting

Recipe Type: Dessert

Preparation Time: 0h, 15m

Cooking Time: 0h, 20m

Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grate lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
4. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Add in lemon juice, vanilla, and egg.
6. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients.
7. Add yogurt just until the batter comes together.
8. In a paper lined or greased muffin tin add the batter to each cup 3/4 of the way full.
9. Bake 18-20 minutes.
10. Let cool before frosting.

Fresh Raspberry Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Place berries and sugar in a food processor and puree.
2. Using a sieve or cheesecloth pass mixture through pressing out solids.
3. Beat butter until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
4. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time.
5. Add berries until frosting is light and fluffy.
6. Store in the fridge for up to two days.

Tips: 

• Paper liners make it much easier to take the cupcakes out of the muffin tin. 
• I have used both Greek yogurt and regular and they both worked well, plus the Greek yogurt has added protein. 
• Don't worry if a few seeds get into the frosting, after they are pureed in the food processor they really aren't noticeable. 
• I tried the frosting with a small amount of almond extract and it was delicious. A small amount of vanilla extract would also work. 

Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

For the longest amount of time I loved flavored coffee. I would buy it whole bean and grind it every morning. Then I got tired of the extra work and started buying ground. This week I realized I now hate flavored coffee. I sat down with my morning cup and thought yuck, I really just wanted a cup of dark roast. It's funny how as we get older foods and drinks that we used to love just don't hold the same appeal. I hated beets growing up. However, a couple of years back I discovered roasted beets and I absolutely love them. I have converted pretty much everyone who has tried them, even the massive skeptics. Beets are also delicious hidden in baked goods, you can make a beet cake that is simply delicious. The flip side is also true. The foods that I loved in my 20's I really don't enjoy in my 30's. I used to love breakfast pastries, now I either can't have them or simply don't like sweets that early in the morning. There are still a few foods that have held on for the long haul, mostly peanut butter and popcorn. They are still the comfort foods that I turn to. However, this weekend I will be buying dark roast coffee, the flavored coffee is just not going to be a part of my late 30's. Apparently my food tastes have outgrown the need for sweet coffee in the morning.

My youngest is in a massive growth spurt. He has been eating everything in sight, especially strawberries and blueberries. When we where at the store this last weekend he wanted me to buy a pancake syrup with corn syrup and fake berries. Instead I agreed to make homemade berry sauce for breakfast. So this week I tried a new recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes from Allrecipes.com and made a homemade Strawberry Syrup.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 12 pancakes . I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First, I used coconut flour to replace the all-purpose flour used in the original recipe. I also replaced the butter with coconut oil. I bought a huge container of coconut oil and I have been trying to use it in recipes since I already have it in the cupboard. I found that the pancakes browned a little quickly on my griddle, so you might want to set the heat on a lower setting. Finally, I added 1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract before adding the waffle iron. I love adding vanilla or almond extract to pancakes and waffles, they provide a great taste.

These pancakes turned out really well. They were sweet, without being overly so and rose nicely for gluten free pancakes. My youngest was a huge fan of the homemade strawberry syrup I made. It was easy, just 1 cup of sugar, 2 cups of frozen strawberries and 1 cup of water. I allowed the mixture to cook until thickened and then added a small amount of cornstarch to make it a little thicker. It was great on the waffles and would also be delicious in Greek yogurt for breakfast. If you aren't a fan of traditional sugar coconut or date sugar or sugar substitute should also work.

For the recipe go to Buttermilk Pancakes.

Bake Fresh From the Garden: Strawberry Sage Muffins

Gluten Free Strawberry Sage Muffins

With my oldest home for the summer I have been baking and cooking up a storm. They are able to eat more food than I would think possible for two little children. They are always able to surprise me, especially when it comes to food. As I have posted before I have a new herb garden after my last one left my porch (with help). I try to use everything that I grow in my garden, with little waste. The herb garden that my mother in law purchased at the farmer's market had approximately 15 different types of herbs making for a lot of new recipes. In particular I had 4 large sage plants which I searched for new recipes to try. My two boys love berries in baked goods, so I searched for recipes that combined berries and fresh herbs. I decided on a new recipe for Strawberry-Sage Muffins.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 18 servings. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First since I eat gluten free I used a combination of brown rice flour and gluten free all purpose flour as a substitute for the all purpose flour. I love sage, so I used 8 large sage leaves in total. One thing that I did slightly differently than the original recipe is that I tossed my strawberries with the sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter. This helped to sweeten the berries and made for a nice flavor in the finished muffins. Gluten free baked goods tend to take a little more batter so I ended up with a total of 14 muffins. I always fill my gluten free muffins to the top of the muffin liners since they don't rise as much as regular muffins.

The strawberries in these muffins had a nice sweet taste which worked perfectly with the mild taste of the sage. The sage works as a nice compliment to the berries without being overpowering. My boys actually thought that these were strawberry muffins and had no idea that they contained herbs from my garden. These muffins were a great way to use fresh sage.

For the recipe go to Strawberry Sage Muffins. 

A Great Way to Celebrate Summer Berries: Dark Chocolate and Fresh Raspberry Mix-It-Up Muffins

Gluten-Free Fresh Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fresh berries never last long in my household. Between my two boys and I we are able to eat almost our weight in blueberries, blackberries and raspberries during the summer months. Growing up there was a large patch of wild blackberries that we would go every summer to pick. We would collect as many fresh berries as we could carry home and my mother would bake pies and desserts for weeks. I remember being covered head to toe in berry juice and being as happy as can be. My two boys seemed to have inherited my love of all things berries, they will go into the fridge and sneak as many as they can get their hands on. Luckily berries have been inexpensive recently so I have been baking and cooking with them frequently and allowing my boys as many bowls as they can handle (within reason). This week I tried a new recipe for Mix-It-Up Muffins from the June 2013 issue of Parents Magazine.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 35 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 10 muffins. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First, I made two batches of muffins, one gluten-free and one regular. I made half the muffins with carrots and raisins (not pictured) and half dark chocolate-raspberry. As I always do when making muffins I used foil liners. They are so much easier to unstick the muffins from, especially when using gluten-free flours. One step that the recipe leaves out is to roll the berries in a small amount of flour before adding them to the batter. This allows the berries to not 'bleed' into the rest of the muffin batter.

My youngest son was a larger fan of these muffins than my oldest. I would suggest a few changes to the original recipe. First the raspberries ended up a little soggy in the recipe. I would cut the overall amount used or switch to using blueberries and roasted cut-up almonds instead. The recipe would also work well with the dark chocolate chips and dried blueberries, cherries or cranberries. This would also keep the berries from making the muffins soggy. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be modified very easily to suit your tastes and what you have in your pantry. White chocolate chips, nuts, raisins and dried coconut would all work very well with the original recipe.

For the recipe go to Dark Chocolate and Fresh Raspberry Muffins.  (registration required)

Recipe for Fresh Oregano and Chive Crusted Chicken with Fresh Strawberry Relish

Fresh Oregano and Chive Crusted Chicken with Fresh Strawberry Relish

I love strawberries. Berries in general are high on my list of favorite foods, but strawberries are at the top. Since they are now available frozen year round I am able to enjoy my strawberry smoothies even in the dead of winter. However, there is something so quintessentially summer about eating fresh strawberries. I love using them in desserts, but they are equally great for adding a hint of sweetness to savory dishes. Whatever the preparation method, any dish with strawberries rarely lasts more than a few hours. Last night I tried a new recipe for Herb Crusted Chicken with Fresh Strawberry Relish from the June 2013 issue of Eating Well magazine.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 1 1/4 hours of total time, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I only made a few changes to the original recipe. Since my herb garden is finally thriving I was able to use fresh oregano from my garden. My 4 thighs weighed exactly 2 pounds and I served the dish over white rice. I added 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar since it has great flavor and I love using it with strawberries. Make sure to buy a high quality balsamic vinegar, there really is a difference between the cheap low-quality brands and the top-shelf varieties.

The relish in this recipe was delicious. It had even better flavor after sitting in the fridge overnight. Combined with the herb crusted chicken the flavors made a nice sweet-savory taste. My kids loved the relish, so the recipe is a nice option to get kids to eat fruit in a new way.

For the recipe go to Herb Crusted Chicken with Fresh Strawberry Relish.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

 I have been a little lax on my cooking everything from scratch goal in the last couple of months. The holidays happened and my motivation seemed to go out the window. Now with the year changing and my cupboards full of food I am making a concerted effort to make as many things as I can with the ingredients I already have. Normally I am great about this goal, but with a 4 and 6-year-old, my days are exhausting and honestly I just haven't had the energy. However, I also know that budgeting and cooking as many things as I can are major ways that I am able to be a stay at home mom. I love staying at home with my kids, so it's back to the kitchen I go this week. So today I spent the day making homemade turkey sausage, grilled chicken, and snacks for lunches for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday for New Years I made a great breakfast and dinner for very little money. For breakfast I tried a new recipe for Blueberry Coffee Cake from the January 2013 issue of Southern Living magazine.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes a total of 1 hour, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 10 servings. Since I now eat gluten free I substituted gluten free all-purpose flour for the wheat all-purpose flour used in the recipe. Since I didn't have turbinado sugar, I substituted regular granulated sugar and it worked fine. My total baking time was slightly longer than the recipe, approximately 35 minutes total. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

If you like not overly sweet coffee cake than this recipe is perfect. It is light on the sugar, which my family liked, but is still full of fruit. I really enjoy blueberry coffee cake and this recipe was easy to make gluten free, which I appreciated. It doesn't bake-up very high, it is more of a dense cake, than a high and light coffee cake. Either way it was great with a cup of coffee in the morning.

For the recipe go to Blueberry Coffee Cake. 

Blueberry Cream Biscuits

I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, yum! My two kids love berries even more than I do and can eat a pint of blueberries in one sitting. It would be great if the price of berries was low all year, but they aren't so during the summer when the prices are low I bake and cook with them as much as I can. Baking has been one of my greatest stress relievers as far back as I can remember and during stressful times in my life I bake a lot. The beginning of the school year is always stressful and I try to calm my sons down as much as possible by baking things that they love. One of their favorite things to eat are biscuits and I bake them frequently. Last week I tried a new recipe for Blueberry Cream Biscuits from the April issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, which looked full of berries and delicious.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 20 minutes of prep and 17 minutes of baking time and makes 12 biscuits. All the ingredients are basic and I either already had them in my pantry or I was easily able to find them at my local grocery store. Make sure not to overwork the dough. I did have to add slightly more whipping cream than the recipe suggested in order for the mixture to come together without over touching the dough. I ended up with 12 biscuits total. My biscuits took slightly longer than the suggested time in the recipe. It's always hard to tell with my oven how long recipes will take. The oven was built in the disco-era and it doesn't always heat evenly. I did rotate my pan halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These biscuits turned out delicious. I originally was going to make the blueberry sauce that was included with these biscuits, but my boys ate all the blueberries before I had time to make it. So instead I made the recipe without the sauce. They were delicious hot with butter and I didn't feel that I was missing anything by not including the blueberry sauce. My two boys ate most of these biscuits all by themselves. They are a nice combination of sweet from the blueberries while still having a nice biscuit flavor. I would definitely make these again and they could easily be modified to use other berries or leave out the blueberries completely for a savory side.

For the recipe go to Blueberry Cream Biscuits.

Lemon Raspberry Coffeecake

Don't you love how school starts and then everyone in the house gets sick? Well, that has been my week so far. My oldest started school last Monday and this morning we all woke-up sick. Love how that works. In order to make myself feel better I baked blueberry biscuits for dinner. They did make me feel better, so I say my cooking medicine must work. Growing up whenever I got sick my mom would cook and bake whatever I wanted. This was especially great when I started to feel better and I was allowed to eat brownies for breakfast to get me to eat. Granted most of the time I hadn't eaten for days and my mom was just trying to get me to eat something regardless of if it was healthy. I just remember lots of ice cream breakfasts, which were pretty great. Today my son ate nothing all day until I baked blueberry biscuits. I sat there watching him eat and thought of my mom and ice cream for breakfast. I love how food can evoke such powerful memories. Before I got sick last week I made another recipe which I think of in relation to my mom, coffeecake. She loved baking and eating pretty much any variety of coffeecake, so I was interested when Better Homes and Gardens had a recipe for Lemon-Raspberry Coffeecake in the April issue.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 60 minutes of total time (plus cooling), 15 minutes of which is active and makes 10 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients, most of them I already had in my pantry cupboard. For the raspberries I used fresh since they were easy to find and I prefer them to frozen when they are in season. I am horrible about remembering to set out my cream cheese to soften so I take the easy way out and zap it in the microwave for a couple of seconds. I did not put parchment on the bottom of my pan like the recipe suggested. I know every baker but me swears by this method. I prefer to just use baking spray and I have never had a problem with any baked goods not coming out of the pan. My total baking time was slightly longer than the 30 minutes suggested by the recipe. I also turned my pan halfway through the baking time. Finally, I chose not to top the cake with powdered sugar, I thought it was great the way that it was. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I was very pleased by how great this coffeecake came out looking. It was beautiful and it tasted just as great. Even my husband who doesn't like cake had a slice, which is saying a lot. I really like that the coffeecake has a nice taste from the cream cheese without being too rich or sweet. The raspberries are sweet and provide a nice taste and texture to the recipe. Overall, a recipe that I would definitely make again.

For the recipe go to Lemon-Raspberry Coffeecake.

Alpine Muesli

As I've stated in a few of my previous posts I am determined to be better about eating breakfast. My son starts school in two weeks and with the start of school my eating habits go quickly down-hill. I am great about making my two sons eat a healthy breakfast, I just don't follow my own advice. Honestly, I have never been great about eating breakfast. Growing up my dad worked nights and my mom left for work before I went to school. So when it was time for me to eat breakfast my dad was getting ready to bed for the day and I would literally eat peanut butter out of the jar. My mom tried really hard to get me to eat, she even left pre-made breakfasts for me. It never worked. I preferred the peanut butter on a spoon. If given the choice now and if my metabolism was the same as when I was younger I would still be eating jars of peanut butter a week. I love peanut butter. I know better now, but it is still a daily struggle with myself. Last week I tried a new recipe for Alpine Muesli from Martha Stewart Living magazine, which I was hoping would help to encourage me to eat breakfast.

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 3 hours and 50 minutes of total time, 20 minutes of which is active and makes 8 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients for this recipe at my local grocery store and I made no modifications to the ingredients. For the chopped fruit I used plums and for the sliced fruit topping I used strawberries. I had planned on also using raspberries, however, my two children ate almost all of the fruit out of the fridge before I had the change to make this recipe. Luckily I had just enough fruit. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

As written this recipe needs some work. First, I was not a fan of the fresh orange juice. My two boys refused to eat their servings due to the overly citrus taste. If I was to make this again I would make the following changes. I am not a huge fan of citrus, but if you like the taste of fresh oranges, then I would use vanilla almond milk instead of cows milk. The low-fat cows milk and the orange juice did not work well together. Almond milk would solve this problem. Personally, I think the recipe would be better without the orange juice entirely. I liked the whole recipe, except the citrus taste. So leave out the citrus and add a little more honey and this recipe will be a great way to start the day.

For the recipe go to Alpine Muesli.

The Best Blueberry Muffins with Applesauce

I love fresh fruit. This is my favorite time of the year when there is a large variety of fresh fruit both at the grocery store and local farmer's markets. Of all the fruit available my favorite by far is blueberries. I love blueberries by themselves, with cereal, in baked goods, pretty much anyway they can be used in relation to food. My two boys have also fallen in love with all types of berries and will literally eat pounds every week. I have to hide berries that I buy for baking or they will be eaten within a day. This week I was pleased to find a great batch of blueberries at my local store and was excited to find a recipe for The Best Blueberry Muffins in the July issue of Parents magazine.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 12 muffins. I did make a few modifications. First and most importantly I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Since I used applesauce my cooking time was increased by approximately 8 minutes. I also turned my muffin pan 90 degrees halfway through the baking time to promote even browning. Instead of using a ice-cream scoop to fill the muffins I just poured it straight into the pan. I don't have a dishwasher so I try to save time on dishes as much as I can and the ice-cream scoop seemed more work than it was worth. Finally, I chose not to use paper liners. I know a lot of people love them and they look great on a plate. However, I prefer to just put the muffins straight into the pan. My two boys eat the majority of the muffins that I make and would just rip the liners into shreds. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My two boys loved this recipe. They didn't notice that I used applesauce instead of oil and the taste of the fresh blueberries was delicious. These were great for breakfast for my kids and I. By cutting down on the oil they make a great way to get more fresh fruit into my family's diet without being overly high in fat. Overall a delicious way to use fresh berries.

For the recipe go to The Best Blueberry Muffins.

Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

I am horrible about breakfast foods. I have tried unsuccessfully over the years to encourage myself to like breakfast and all my attempts have failed. Really I can look all the way back to my childhood and see the basis for my breakfast issues. When I was a senior in high-school my idea of a healthy breakfast entailed a cup of coffee and a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar. This wasn't the best beginning to my day which started with working two hours before I went to a full day of classes, then hours of swimming and dance classes in the evenings. College was even worse, I moved from a scoop of peanut butter to chocolate chip scones or giant cookies (and still lots of coffee). After having kids I started to try to change my habits. I was successful at getting my kids to eat healthy every morning, as for me I'm still a work in progress. Some days I do great, others I have a large cup of coffee and a scoop of peanut butter. Oh well. One breakfast food that I have found that my whole family enjoys is muffins. Last week I tried a new recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins which looked very easy and a great way to start the day.

This recipe has 14 ingredients. It takes a total of an hour and 25 minutes and makes 12 servings. I did make a few modifications based on ingredients that I already had in my pantry. I did not have dark chocolate chips so instead I used semi-sweet. For the raspberries I used frozen since the raspberries available locally lately have been pretty mediocre. Instead of a 1/2 cup of butter I substituted unsweetened applesauce. I have discussed before how I prefer to substitute applesauce for butter or oil in a large number of baked goods. It keeps the baked goods moist while greatly reducing the fat. Finally, instead of adding vinegar to milk I used the low-fat buttermilk I already had in the fridge. Since my muffins had applesauce instead of butter my overall cooking time was much longer, approximately an additional 10 minutes. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My two boys loved these muffins and didn't notice the substitution of applesauce for butter. I liked how they were great for breakfast or a snack and had a taste that was appealing to both my kids and my husband and I. These muffins could be modified to use a variety of fillings. They would be delicious with chopped apples and nuts, especially with the applesauce modification. Overall a very easy breakfast muffin recipe.

For the recipe go to Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins.

Buttermilk Waffles

I love breakfast foods. Growing up Sundays always meant a huge breakfast spread. My dad would wake up and fry the bacon and potatoes while my mom made waffles and eggs. I loved it! In college when I went home to visit my dad would still never let me touch the potatoes (apparently I've been told I'm too impatient and they don't brown properly) and my mom would still wake up to make fresh coffee. I cherish these memories of my parents and I still love breakfast foods in large part due to the great emotions they stir-up. Of all the breakfast foods waffles are my favorite. My husband prefers pancakes, but he is always out voted since my two boys love waffles as much as I do. This past week I was in a baking mood and hadn't made waffles in a few months, so out came the waffle maker and I made one of my favorite recipes for Buttermilk Waffles from Saveur magazine.

This recipe has 8 ingredients. It takes 10 minutes of prep and cook time and makes 4 servings. Making only 4 servings of waffles would be no where near enough for my boys and I so I always double the recipe. One of the major changes I make to the original recipe is that I love to add mix-ins to my waffles. For my waffles I love fresh fruit, blueberries and raspberries. The waffles for my boys I add dark chocolate chips since they aren't overly sweet, but still have a great chocolate flavor. I also add approximately a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter, I feel that it makes the taste more rounded. Top with pure maple syrup and real butter and breakfast is served!

My two boys love this recipe. They get very excited when I tell them that I am making waffles for their breakfast. Their favorite topping is fresh or frozen fruit, they love it! I like that the waffles always turn out light and fluffy and it works with a variety of mix-ins and toppings. These are definitely a stable for quick, easy breakfasts in my house!

For the recipe go to Buttermilk Waffles.

Everyday Food Fast Raspberry Scones

Thanks to my two growing boys, berries don't last very long in my house. I tend to only buy them when the prices are low in the summer and a wide variety of berries are available. Blueberries are the most popular fruit in our house, but I have been trying to introduce a larger variety of fruits and berries to my family. Recently, Everyday Food magazine had a recipe for Fast Raspberry Scones, which looked like a great breakfast option.

Apparently I picked the wrong berry to want to find this week. The raspberry stock at all the stores in my area was either non-existent or the ones that I could find were moldy. I know that a lot of people in other areas have great farmers markets, but the closest decent one to us is an hour each direction. Due to the berry shortage I made  a major modification to this recipe and used blackberries (hence the blue color in the photo). It seemed not to be my week on food ingredients in general,  I had to go to multiple stores to find whole fat buttermilk, I do not like the taste of low-fat buttermilk in baking recipes. Due to the change in berries, my scones were a little harder to fold together and my berries became more mangled than if I had used raspberries (the shape of the scones in the photo is due to the recipe calling for the scones to be pulled apart, rather than cut).

I appreciated that the dough for this recipe is done mainly in the food processor. During the day I am always short on time and using the food precessor greatly reduces the amount of prep time. My two boys really liked this recipe. The taste of these scones is more similar to a buttermilk biscuit with jam baked in, than a true scone. My husband liked the taste of this recipe since it was less sweet than a traditional scone. This would be a great recipe for a brunch get-together or a weekend breakfast at home.

For the recipe go to Everyday Food Fast Raspberry Scones.

All You Tres Leches Cake

As I've stated before, with two growing boys in our house, we go through a large amount of food. My sweet tooth ensures that sweets are also eaten quickly after they are made. Since I normally bake about twice a week, I'm always on the lookout for new dessert recipes to change up my family's routine. The June issue of All You magazine had a recipe for Tres Leches Cake that looked delicious and outside of my normal recipe routine.

This cake is very easy to put together. The majority of the prep time is done in the fridge, with minimal mixing and only 30 minutes of baking. I topped the cake with fresh blackberries and raspberries which were on sale at my local supermarket. I waited overnight after adding the milks to make sure that they were completely absorbed. I would recommend doing this, because it allows the cake to be completely moistened.

This is one of the most popular desserts that I have made recently. My husband is not a big cake eater, but he liked this cake. I like that this it is easy to put together and makes a great way to use fresh berries when they are in season. My two boys, normally only eat the frosting off any cake that I make, but with this cake they ate their whole piece. This is definitely a dessert option that I will be using again in the future.

For the recipe go to All You Tres Leches Cake.

Better Homes and Gardens Fresh Raspberry Bars

I have a major sweet tooth; I can't go a day without eating something sweet. My two boys seem to have inherited my love of sweets, while me husband craves saltier snacks. Since I eat sweets so frequently I tend to tire of sweet recipes relatively quickly. I'm always scouring cookbooks and magazines for new recipes to bake and I was intrigued when I saw a recipe for fresh raspberry bars in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

The ingredients used in this recipe are very easy to find---there were even five different brands of goat cheese available at my local grocery store! I followed the recipe and used 4 oz of goat cheese and 8 oz of cream cheese, instead of using all cream cheese, which was also an option in the recipe. I finally bought a new citrus grater, making shredding the lemon peel a much more enjoyable experience. I wish that I had bought a new one years ago. I followed everything in the recipe as written. I found that my prep took less than the stated 20 minutes and the recipe is very easy to follow. I did not sprinkle the finished bars with powdered sugar, since I forgot to purchase it at the grocery store during my weekly trip.

I really like these bars, they remind me of mini cheesecakes. My two year old loved them also and ate 3 as soon as they had chilled. My husband thinks that the bars might as well be made with only cream cheese. He doesn't like that the bars lack a goat cheese flavor and would rather enjoy the goat cheese with crackers. The two people that had these bars who like sweets appreciated these and I would definitely make them again, possibly using all cream cheese to see if the flavor is any different (and to save some money).

For the recipe go to Fresh Raspberry Bars.