Florida Strawberry Pie

Where have I been.. It has been a crazy couple of weeks.. This blog should have been posted a few days ago. The days just seem to evaporate... On March 6th, I celebrated my 50th birthday. AUGH.. I was really dragging my feet about turning 50. My hip has been bothering me, I need readers all the time and winter just seems to be dragging on forever. WHINE..

So, my wonderful Husband and my fabulous sisters threw me a birthday party the week before my actual birthday. It was at a local bar. My Husband invited everyone, ordered the cake and paid the bill. He also flew my Florida sister in. She was glad she was here, but did not like the super cold weather. My sisters went WAY over the top. They decorated the place, made fabulous appetizers and really made me special. They are all a very special part of my whole life.  Sometime I will post my birthday pictures.

My birthday party started February 27th and finally ended on March 7th. Wow 10 days of lots of fun. If you are approaching a new decade, hit it up with a bang.

So off to Florida we went to celebrate my birthday. I was really missing my Mom. She was very glad to see us.. The first day we were there, we went to Bonefish Grill for are usual, Bang Bang Shrimp and Martini's. Well Martinis for me and beer for everyone else..

It is wrong to start a vacation with Bang bang shrimp

and a delicious martini.. well 2 martinis

MOM
Florida agrees with my Mom

My Husband and I after watching a beautiful sunset

Super long walk all the way to DOCS

Even the birds have fun on the beach

Going to celebrate my birthday some MORE with my family

My Florida sister and I after dinner

My handsome and TALL nephews

Another cocktail and another perfect beach day

My Mom made me a wonderful Florida dessert. Strawberries were in season their and just delicious in this birthday dessert. This recipe came out of either Cooks Illustrated or America's Test Kitchen. Make Ahead Dinners.. There recipes are always tested and come out perfectly. Time and time again. 

My Mom made this in a 9 x 13 pan and doubled the recipe. I am going to give you the recipe for a 9" pie pan. This dessert does go a long ways. This PIE could be made the day before. It could be covered with the topping even several hours before your event. The original recipe calls for a homemade pie dough. Mom likes to use a graham cracker crust. It does not break down so fast and is just perfect for Florida or anywhere you call home. It is up to you. Today I am posting a graham cracker crust recipe.

Icebox Strawberry Pie

original recipe for America's Test Kitchen

Adapted by my Mom

Ingredients

Crust

1 cellophane package of graham crackers, crushed

4 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Filling and Topping

2 pounds strawberries (7 cups)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1 cup granulated sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 pound strawberries (3 cups), hulled and sliced thin

4 ounces Cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

For the pie crust

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees. 

Crush the graham crackers. Add melted butter and mix completely. Pour into a 9 inch pie pan. Using your fingers and hands, press the graham cracker mixture into your pie plate until smooth. Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let complete cool.

For the filling and topping

Cook the 7 cups of strawberries in a large saucepan over medium low heat until they begin to release their juices. About 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and jamlike. It should measure 2 cups, this takes about 25 minutes

Combine lemon juice and water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice mixture and let sit for 5 minutes until the gelatin softens. Stir 1 cup of sugar, salt, gelatin mixture into cooked strawberry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 30 minutes.

Fold fresh strawberries into filling and spread evenly into cooled pie crust. Cover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix cream cheese, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of sugar on medium speed until smooth.  About 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Spread over the top of your set up strawberry pie. Decorate with additional strawberries if you want. 

My Mother did not want ANY one in Florida 

to not know it was my Birthday. 

The original pie was not photograph before cutting...

It was beautifully decorated and served perfectly

Additional strawberries fanned over the top.

AND Candles if you want

Is that just a perfect dessert.

Cut beautiful and easy to serve

I really liked how it set up. 

You could serve this at a casual gathering or

Pre-plate it for a more formal occasion

This is what the caught on the beach one day...

They call this a Lemon Shark...

I call it never going into the water again

My Mom and I in front of this large gardenia bush.

And this is how you end a wonderful vacation..

Strawberry Green Cleanse

I love green cleanse drinks. I drink them almost everyday. Definitely Monday - Friday. Weekends are always some kind of crazy for me. And this weekend will not be any different. I think the green thing is cleaning me out, and just giving me a great veggie - fruit kick. I feel full all day. My latest project is, I am making Kombucha. My Saturday morning yoga instructor gave me a starter with a Skoby. I am on my third batch. I have not quite perfected it yet. But, I am getting there. The MAJOR benefit to all of these drinks is, I am drinking more water type products. I feel fuller all day and I am helping my well being. The whole mental clarity thing is not happening, but some things just take longer..........

It is strawberry season around us. Or last week was Mother's day. Some dipped strawberries and and cool strawberry shortcake for customers. So what to do with all the left over strawberries. Let make a new drink.

This lovely tasting drink in a slightly pukey green color.

Strawberry Green Cleanse

designed by ME

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup cut strawberries

2 cups frisse, chou, kale mix (or Spinach)

1 green apple, cored and chopped

1 piece of fresh ginger

1 or 2 squirts of agave nectar

Directions

Place all ingredients in a high power blender in the order listed, blend until smooth. 2 minutes. Add ice if you want and refrigerate for the morning ride.

Just a couple of great ingredients
I like the Frisse, chou, kale mix. I cannot straight kale,
but this will work for me.

A couple of quick cuts and you are ready

Your piece of ginger can vary according to taste.
I LOVE Ginger

Lovely drink of nutritious goodness

No strawberry for decoration

Chocolate Waffles

On Tuesday, it was National Waffle Day.... No we did not have waffles. I had actually started a dinner of a Chili Soup with Sweet Potatoes in it. I could have punted and save it for Wednesday, but how often do I have dinner started..... RARELY..... The chili was very good. I really like the sweet potato in it.

SO.... on Wednesday, I made waffles for dinner. I know that in the past, I have featured a recipe for my sister's waffle/pancake recipe. Those are also quite delicious, but these chocolate waffles are just somewhat different. O my goodness. Delicious. And they could definitely be made into ice cream sandwiches with some sliced fruit and chocolate sauce on top. That would be out of this world. Breakfast for dinner, breakfast for dessert or just for breakfast. We had chocolate waffles, over easy eggs, turkey bacon and a fruit smoothie for dinner. My Husband said it was the best dinner of the week. He is really not a complicated eater and is totally spoiled. Was this a perfect low calorie dinner, NO, but is was not horrible. Moderation during the day, and a hard work out in the morning. All is good.

I did not have any whipped cream, or I would have thrown that on top.

The Smoothie was a fruit theme with Chocolate Almond milk.

Chocolate Waffles

adapted from several recipes

Ingredients

6 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, HEAPING

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk (I used Almond Milk)

Directions

Warm up waffle iron and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add melted butter and sugar. Mix together. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla extract. Add flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Start to mix gently, pour in the milk. Continue to mix until totally incorporated and few lumps appear. 

Pour into your waffle iron and cook until firm. I place the extra waffles in a low temperature (250 degree) oven while the other waffles cook. 

Eat up and enjoy with some good maple syrup and fruit.

Just a few basic ingredients

The batter will be thick. 

There are no pictures in the waffle iron. I forgot

Good to Target or Walmart, get an inexpensive waffle iron and MAKE your own Waffles

Forget -- Eggo waffles, those are not real. 

This was a complete meal that went together quickly. 

Your family will find it FUN to eat breakfast for dinner. 

LIVE OUTSIDE the BOX. 

Chocolate Fabulous Smoothie

I am still working on my green cleanse smoothies. My skin is breaking out, but I feel I am ridding myself of toxins. I have lost two pounds, but that is a combination of many  factors. But the biggest surprise is that I like them. They always taste fresh.

This smoothie was part of a treat at lunch. A clean healthy drink treat. Is there anything wrong with that??? My Husband thought it tasted fantastic. He has totally gotten past the weird colors. They are NO reflection on what the drink will taste like.

If you have never tasted Chia seeds, I recommend them. They are loaded with benefits to healthy eating. They also thicken this smoothie. If you do not want to use Protein powder, that would just fine. Greek yogurt has protein in it. Using the unsweetened chocolate powder, really sent this drink to a new level. That I would not skip. If you did not have strawberries, I would use raspberries. I always seem to have more strawberries on hand.

This was one of my favorite smoothies.

Funny shade of green - brown

Chocolate Fabulous Smoothie

designed by ME

Ingredients

1 cup Almond Milk

1 tablespoon Chia Seeds

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

10-15 Strawberries, tops cut off

1 cup fresh Spinach

4-6 Dates, pitted

ICE 

There are a lot of ingredients, but this smoothie tasted AMAZING

Directions

Place Almond Milk in the blender. Add Chia Seeds to Milk. Let sit for 5 minutes. (AT Least) Place the remaining ingredients in the blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth. ADD Ice to make frozen.

This is a load of Strawberries. I wanted to finish my container.
It did give it a more intense flavor. Up to YOU on how many you add

A very full Vitamix. This smoothie made 3 drinks.
Perfect for my Husband the next day

There is Love in drinking healthy smoothies together
The Dates added a natural sweetness to this drink

I always love my bursting bubbles on top. 

This drink was thick, but not heavy.

It was perfect compliment to our salads.

Spinach Fruit Smoothie

I am almost Green. I know, I know, I really need to conquer this. Have I told anyone that I LOVE my VITAMIX. My friend Mary is just such a wonderful person. LOVE her dearly. She is radiating with love and happiness. And her styling is always spark tacular. That may not be a word, but if you know her, you know that I am correct. Mary is "the Life of the Party" in a great way. One of these days, I am going to give Mary a Vitamix class. She has not used hers yet........

This "Green" Smoothie was just delicious. The large amount of fruit gave it such a wonderful flavor. The spinach added so many vitamins and nutrients and such a lovely color. It was perfect for another cold snowy winter day. One of these days, it will be so nice and I will be forever OUTSIDE.  With all the crappy weather we have had, I have completed loads of Spring cleaning chores. That is a good thing, but just ridiculous way to spend a weekend.

Is that not a BEAUTY Queen.

Spinach Fruit Smoothie

made by ME

Ingredients

1 cup Almond Milk

6 oz greek Yogurt

2 frozen Bananas

5-6 strawberries (can be frozen)

1/2 mango (can be frozen)

1-2 cups fresh Spinach

Directions

Place all ingredients in a high power blender and blend away. You can add ice if you want.

Basic ingredients you find in the Refrigerator

dripping with Delicious Flavors

I was totally digging the bubbles on top.

My own amusement

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Plain today. I wanted a Plain old smoothie. We are experiencing our second Polar Vortex. Does anyone remember a Year and a Half back. The Summer long heat wave. NO one would complain now. We have had a decent amount of snow, but it has been SO freaking cold. Even the people in FLA complain about the weather. This morning it was -13. It was like 30 in Anchorage Alaska. Crazy.

So baking is always allowed these days. Warm up the house. I have been baking cookies up a storm. I have four trays for this week. I believe with all of this cold, people have bailed on there New Years resolutions and quit exercising already. My Husband started his program last week. This past fall and into this year, he has had loads $$ of dental work done. So, consequently, due to not eating, and low snacking, he has only 10 pounds to lose. Which being a guy means he will lose it all in like two weeks. AUGH.....

Yesterday was my Husband's birthday. We had a small family party on Sunday. Chicken Enchiladas... and a Carrot Cake. I tried to make his carrot cake into the shape of a goose. It tasted fabulous, but looked like the Loch Ness monster. Everyone got a good chuckle. The lesson learned, there are still bombs, JUST make sure they taste great.

I made this smoothie for our Lunch. What I learned with this smoothie is that even if you add ice, with no frozen fruit in it, the smoothie will not be super cold. But on a -5 day, that is ok...

All the leafless plants, the snow, the grey skies and the VERY cold temperature

three simple ingredients. 

I went to Sams Club last Saturday. These strawberries were just delicious

My Husband and the youngest son at the birthday party

I was hoping to draw in a curious cat. No such luck.