I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

blueberries

Blueberry Buttermilk Zucchini Bread

This Blueberry Buttermilk Zucchini Bread screams “Best of Summer” with the fresh blueberries that dot through this moist zucchini bread.

Blueberry Buttermilk Zucchini Bread

Lately, I have been feeling like I am running in a million directions all at once.

But the thing is, I am not getting anywhere. I am especially not getting out and doing any running. Well, I have never liked running, but I miss the energy I felt spinning.

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Adventures in Blueberry Picking

Blueberry Picking 2016_Blue Gold Growers

We have really embracing the gorgeous weather here in Florida since moving.

It’s great to be active and outside, which is something that really drew us to moving.

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We went blueberry picking last weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day.  It was great to spend time with my family plus picking fresh, delicious fruits and veggies is just awesome.

Plant City, located a short 20 drive outside of Tampa, is filled with farm after farm of farms of various sizes producing all different kinds of fruits and veggies. A lot of the farms are commercial but there are several that are U-pick, or even both.

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Lemon Ricotta Waffles with a Fresh Blueberry Sauce

Lemon Ricotta Waffles Blueberry Sauce

We are in wedding crunch time. It is fast approaching with just 93 days between now and then. Gah!

One moment I feel great about it and then the next I think about the 80+ favors I need to make, the post-wedding breakfast that needs to be nailed down, flowers to order, gifts to pick out, shoes to pick and get dyed (do I want them dyed? I think I do?), and get a dress. Oh crap, the dress…

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Quick and Easy Cinnamon Roll Waffles

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So funny story…I wrote the whole post to the recipe that I was going to post today. And then I tossed it.

Yep. Yep, I just wiped it clean. Ugh!

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I had written about how I was dedicating the recipe to my blogging buddy Amanda and how she is so amazing and inspiring. We often make each other’s recipes, like how I recently made her Paleo Coconut Flour Waffles and she has made my Waffled Hashbrowns. In addition to Amanda trying them as directed, she also tried them with Sweet Potatoes and it was a bust! Twice!

I felt bad about that and wanted to figure it out so I go to work!

But I couldn’t consistently make them work well enough to share. I had amazing waffles and then ones that completely fell apart and stuck to the waffle iron. I just didn’t feel confident enough to share the recipe for the “Sweet Potato Waffles with a Triple Berry Sauce” that I had been working so hard on.

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So, I said, “EFF IT!!!! LET’S MAKE CINNAMON ROLL WAFFLES!!!”

Yep, I went from homemade Sweet Potato Waffles with warm sauce made of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries to these 1 ingredient Cinnamon Roll Waffles. Ha! It might be lazy but it’s damn delicious!

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It’s exactly what you think it is…
Open up the package> put cinnamon roll on waffle iron> close> cook> drizzle frosting

Thankfully, Amanda NAILED a waffle using sweet potatoes this week. I cracked up as soon as I saw the post because it felt like ‘great minds think alike’ moments. You seriously have to check out her Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles.

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Quick and Easy Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Makes 5-8 waffles, depending on the can of cinnamon rolls you purchase

Ingredients

  • 1 Can of cinnamon rolls ( I used the Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls)

Process

  1. Preheat your waffle iron.
  2. Spray with non stick cooking spray then put down 2-4 cinnamon rolls, depending on the size of your waffle iron.
  3. Cook for 2 to 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
  4. Remove from waffle iron and drizzle the icing immediately over the waffled cinnamon rolls.

Mixed Berry Rustic Pie

Mixed Berry Rustic Pie_01

While we were in Maine last weekend, Price made blueberry pancakes for breakfast one day. Of course they were Maine blueberries. On a whim we gave Autumn some. I say ‘on a whim’ because she is not a breakfast person baby. Her morning bottle is eaten in 2 parts and it’s the smallest bottle of the day. So I didn’t think she would be interested in it.

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Well, I was wrong. Really wrong. She gobbled it up. And then we made more and saved them for lunch for her and she ate them up too. (Just to clarify there was no syrup involved!)

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We had occasionally given her berries prior to this but this has definitely awakened something in her because since then she eaten a lot of blueberries and had some

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So I can see that she is going to L-O-V-E this Mixed Berry Rustic Pie when she is older.

There are 4 different kinds of berries in this pie- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. It’s loaded up with berry goodness. When Price had his slice (for breakfast- better lighting!) he said it was ‘berry good’. ba-dum-tss!

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Because there is not much too it I would really urge you to make homemade crust for it as it adds to much good texture and flavor. Plus, I think it would just look better with its handmade edges vs its factory cut circle-y edge. I am a big fan of store-bought crust, but I think this one needs a handmade one.

As well, I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to putting in cornstarch to thicken the filling.  I think it’s sooo much worse to have a soupy pie than one that is a bit too thick. It affects the bottom of the crust and how you get the slice out of the plate. So if you think you’ve used enough, add some more!

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Other than that… this recipe is a piece of cake! 🙂

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Mixed Berry Rustic Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

  • 1-1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup cold butter
  • 1/8-1/4 cup ice water

For the Filling

  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 6 oz raspberries
  • 6 oz blackberries
  • 12 oz strawberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending how juicy the fruit is)
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Process

For the Crust

  1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Cut the cold butter into very small pieces, put back into the refrigerator to keep extra cold.
  2. Using a food processor/pastry cutter, or your hands, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture crumbly and looks like sand.
  3. Slowly add in the water until the mixture holds together.
  4. Pat and form into a loose ball. If the mixture is too warm at this point then put it back into the refrigerator for a few.
  5. Flour work surface and roll out crust two inches larger than pie pan. Place crust in the pie pan.

To make the Pie:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in large bowl.
  3. Add berries to pie crust. Then fold edges of crust over filling, creasing as needed.
  4. Bake at 30-40 minutes or until filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
  5. Serve warm with ice cream!

Inspired from Tidy Mom

Blueberry Pudding Pie

blueberry pudding pie

I have been doing plenty of online window shopping recently.

I think that happens when you are dying to embrace a new season- the weather and the clothes! Spring = new Sperry’s!!

Plus, I think that having a baby and loosing a ton of weight helps. THE BEST!

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So, I’ve been window shopping the blazer right now. I want to buy all these blazers I see to jazz up outfits. I just said jazz. I’m such a lame mom. Sorry Autumn.

But I do, I want to wear blazers with jeans and dresses and skirts and such. Like I just bought this one in 2 colors. And I want this polka dot one. And this one is amazing but way, way too $$$.

Anyway, it’s Friday so I’m happy 1) it’s almost the weekend 2) Grimm is on tonight 3) it’s time for a new pie recipe!

I made this Blueberry Pudding Pie because I bought the largest container of ripe blueberries from Trader Joe’s (I drive much further to go to TJ’s because I don’t have to deal with morons like at the moron filled grocery store in my town) and while I love blueberries, (and so does Kemper and the rabbits) I couldn’t get through them fast enough. So after a bit of Pinteresting* I found this awesome Blueberry Pudding Pie.

This pie is crazy easy to whip up and is so good. The blueberries and the nutmeg andcinnamon flavors in the pudding are so good together. Honestly, I kinda had my doubts but it’s so good.

The one thing is that I really suggest that you use small blueberries in this pie. It will make cutting it so much easier as it will hold up a bit better. Trust me. Cool.

I’m looking forward to making this pie while we are up in Maine this summer. I can’t wait to get my hands on fresh Maine blueberries!!

*Pinteresting is my new Googling

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Blueberry Pudding Pie

Makes 1 9″ pie, 8 slices

Ingredients

  • 1- 9″ pie crust (if using a store bought crust, softened as directed on box)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen organic blueberries, thawed, well drained
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Process

  1. Heat oven to 425°F.
  2. Place the crust into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Prick the pie crust on the bottom of the pie plate  with a fork. Bake for 7 minutes.
  3. When you remove the pie crust from the oven, evenly place the blueberries into the pie plate.
  4. While the pie crust is blind baking,combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and thoroughly mix together until smooth. Pour over the blueberries.
  5. Return to the oven; bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; carefully cover edges of crust with foil. Bake 30 to 32 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store in refrigerator.

Sourced from Pilsbury

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

So I’m still addicted to peaches. I don’t know what I am going to do when they are out of season. I’ll be super sad and probably still buy them and pay too much for out peaches shipped half way around the world. All because I’m pregnant and must have peaches on the daily.

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When I recently checked the NASCAR schedule to see what recipes I would be making soon for the upcoming race for my Sprint Cup Snacks posts, I got really excited for the Atlanta race this weekend. Peaches just jumped out to me so I could not resist!

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Oh man, I had so many peach recipes dancing through my head! I toyed around with everything from muffins to a dessert pizza topped with a cream cheese drizzle. (Still thinking about that last one!) But in the end I found this Peach and Blueberry Cobbler that had my name all over it. Nice mash up of the North and South with the Blueberries and Peaches. Plus cobbler is just super simple to make so you really have no excuse not to make one. No excuse.

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I suggest you take a bit of time before dinner (or this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway) to make it so it is hot and ready for when you are looking for dessert! Doesn’t hurt to serve with some vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.

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Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 pounds peaches, halved lengthwise, pitted, and then cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges (about 8 cups)
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated, peeled fresh ginger or 1 generious pinch of ground ginger
  •  pinch of salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, (1 stick), cut into small pieces
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for brushing
  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place the racks in the in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
  2. Stir together the peaches, blueberries, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, cornstarch, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Transfer to a 12-by-8 1/2-inch (2-quart) baking dish; set aside.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or your hands to form clumps that are no larger than small peas. (If using your hands be sure to work quickly!)
  4. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into the cream; stir with a fork to combine. Discard pod. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture; stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.
  5. Drop small pieces evenly over the entire cobbler. Brush the top of the dough with cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
  6. Place a parchment-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any overflow juices. Bake the cobbler on the rack directly over the baking sheet until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 55 to 70 minutes. If the topping is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour before serving.

Sourced from Martha Stewart

Thirsty Thursday: Red, White, and Blue Sangria

red white and blue sangria

I can’t wait for Memorial Day.

Summer is my favorite time of year and Memorial Day weekend is the unoffical kickoff to summer. It’s going to be gloomy in Boston this weekend but I don’t care!  We are grilling no matter what!!! I just love this weekend and what it represents so I was excited when Amanda picked Memorial Day for our Thirsty Thursday theme this week.

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I know everyone thinks of flags for the Fourth of July but I think of the Red, White, and Blue just as much now. So that is why I made a Red, White, and Blue Sangria. Sure, sure the pineapple is actually yellow but let’s play along and say it represents the white. It’s a great summery drink to enjoy now or for the Fourth of July 🙂

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Amanda made Sarasota Lemonade. It’s perfectly refreshing and a great drink to cool off with while taking in some sun this summer! Sounds so good that I might have to sneak some to the beach… shh don’t tell!! 🙂

Red, White, and Blue Sangria

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle dry white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1/2 cup triple sec
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups hulled and sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1 pineapple chunks
  • 2 cups Sprite

Process

  1. Combine all of the ingredients, except the Sprite, in a large punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
  2. Serve well-chilled with a good scoop of fruit floating in each drink.

Inspired by Recipe Girl