Berry Crumble

A berry crumble is my go to summer dessert (even in the fall too) because it combines some of the best things around–summer fruits and lots of sugar–plus, it's super simple! 

Gather your assortment of berries. I like to use fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, but some recipes call for cherries or currants; just cater to your liking.

The recipe is quite simple and only uses a few ingredients (and one bowl for easy cleanup!): 

for the crumb topping, combine:

1/2 cup of butter (chopped into small cubes)

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar 

for the filling:

add the pound of fresh berries to your dish

 then cover all the berries with 3/4 cup sugar 

then add crumb topping to this, covering everything evenly. bake at 425º for 30-35 minutes, until you have a crisp & crumbly looking top

my favorite part about this recipe is knowing how good this is leftover, either warmed up with some vanilla bean ice cream, or cold and on its own. 

Enjoy! 

xx

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

gather fresh strawberries 

cut strawberries into small dice 

you'll need two cups of strawberries

combine 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar with the strawberries

set this mixture aside– in a new mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 7 tablespoons of sugar. Cut in the butter (6 tablespoons) so your mixture looks like crumbs, then add 2/3 cup of heavy cream. 

Once you have your dough, add the strawberries to the party! Once all combined, drop the dough in tablespoons onto parchment paper. 

I like to add sanding sugar to some of the cookies but not all. Bake on 375º for 25 minutes.

voila! 

xx

Six Snaps

catching up on some reading 

A Giants game on a sunny day clearly calls for ice cream in a hat

beautiful jars hanging out in my neighborhood 

love this car!

one of the best parts of summer: fruit! 

fresh trout salad from La Boulange! YUM! 

xx

Monday's

The first day of the week tends to be the worst day of the week for most of us since who ever wants their weekend to end? Starting off the week can be stressful, especially after a previously stressful week, but I have some routines that help me maintain some stability for the coming week and not dread Monday's as much as I used to. I try to read as much as I can, from books to newspapers, but in this weeks case, magazines. I had a stack of Spring fashion to soak up! I also like mapping out my week, seeing what I have planned socially (Sushi making class tonight & Cubs game Thursday!) and big deadlines I have to meet. Normally, a large latte accompanies these organizing tasks, but this week was my latest obsession: grapefruit juice. Speaking of fruit, grocery shopping is also normally on my Monday to do list. This week, I stocked up on fresh fruit + produce. What's on your to do list or grocery list?

 

new iPhone case + delicious fresh squeezed grapefruit juice 

Kelsey surprised me with homemade cakepops! 

I've truly never been a huge fan of this trend, but these were irresistible!

S'mores flavored, served frozen: yum!

stocking up on fresh produce for the week

All attempts to be healthy went flying out the window when we decided to make stacks of pancakes for dinner last night. Oops! 

At least we had lots of fresh strawberries?

What's your favorite breakfast to make for dinner?

Off to a sushi making class tonight! Post to come.

xx

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Got any gross overly ripe bananas? Use them for some banana nut bread or this yummy breakfast treat! 

Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. In a bigger bowl, beat 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, then add 2/3 cup sugar, then 2 eggs, and 2 tsp. vanilla. 

 Strain the strawberries to ensure all the water is out. I know this seems silly, but the muffins won't turn out right if you bake them with too much water. Combine the berries with your mushy bananas & then with your wet butter & egg mixture. Gradually add this to the bowl of dry mixture and then to your muffin liners! 

Bake at 350° F for about 15 minutes. Recipe makes about a dozen muffins. 

Our delicious muffins went perfectly with a ton of scrambled eggs & veggies

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

xx