Is it really almost the end of summer??? I've been seeing lots of back to school pics on my Facebook feed so it must be that time again. But as usual I'm not ready. I've been crazy busy at my regular day job and feel like I haven't even started summer yet.
And on top of that my oldest kiddo just turned 12 this month. 12!!! And my twins (the babies) are now 9. 9!!!!! Nine is big kid territory so I'm trying to really just enjoy time with them as much as possible (which usually means trying to pry them away from their electronic devices - although its been so hot its really hard to do anything outside these days).
Anyhoo, I'm finally back into baking again. I took some time off this summer because I was just not into it, but I think I'm finally getting back into a groove.
Since it feels like summer just got here, I thought something watermelony was needed. This recipe is super simple and uses an angel food box cake to start it off. A little dark green icing gives great contrast and a watermelon like look!
It's a light and airy cake with watermelon flavor - perfect for these hot August days.
Hard to believe its mid July already! I feel like I haven't posted in ages, well maybe because I haven't. My regular day job is super busy these days so I've been wiped when I come home from work. And with 3 kids (an almost 12 year old and 9 year old twins) there is no down time anymore. And when there is down time, like once everyone is in bed (which is later now that school is out) or late on the weekends - I kinda just want to veg and check my social media or watch a random show.
Plus I haven't had any good food ideas in ages and baking/cooking is just not calling my name right now. I hear all bloggers go through phases like this and that it comes in waves. I was posting weekly for a long long time so I guess it caught up with me!
BUT I did make some treats around the 4th of July to bring to a parties including these fun little fruit cups. Awhile back I made this strawberry and kiwi fruit pizza by Hungry Happenings and loved the way it turned out.
It's a cookie crust with kiwi and strawberry cut up and arranged to look like watermelon! It was so simple and fun that I tried to make a mini version.
I always like to speed things up so I used store bought sugar cookie dough. Add a square to a mini bundt pan and spread to cover the bottom of each section.
(Be sure to spray your pan with non stick spray!)
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 mins or until edges just start to brown.
Frost cups with your favorite frosting. I used cream cheese frosting. Cut up strawberries and grapes into small pieces. I used grapes because I'm allergic to kiwi but you can use either.
Add grapes around edges and strawberries in the center.
I sprinkled with some black sesame seeds (to resemble watermelon seeds) but you could use mini chocolate chips too.
I'm not sure they look like watermelon but they definitely were tasty and a great refreshing dessert for a party!
What are you doing this summer? Have you caught the Pokemon Go craze? That's the app phenomena thats taking over the world! It combines augmented reality, gamification, and EXERCISE!! No for real exercise because you need to get outside and go find Pokemon characters! It's actually a fun activity that I can do with the kids - especially the older one. We go for walks with the dog, catch Pokemon and have some really great mom-son conversation. #winnerwinnerchickendinner!
Pic of our dog wondering what the heck we are doing! (Catching a Nidoran Pokemon of course!)
Mini Strawberry and Grape Fruit Cookie Cups
by Michelle Clausen July-13-2016
Ingredients
1 package of sugar cookie dough (ready to bake)
1 can cream cheese frosting
2 cup of cut green grapes
4 cups of cut strawberries (red parts only)
black sesame seeds (or mini chocolate chips)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Spray mini bundt pan with non stick spray. 3. Add ready to bake cookie to each section of a mini bundt pan and spread dough slightly to fill bundt section. 4. Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies just start to brown. Let cool. 5. Spread cookie with frosting. 6. Arrange green grapes slices around edge of cookies.
7. Add sliced strawberries in center of cookies. 8. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds (or mini chocolate chips)
Ok since I just did a Healthy Fruit Rainbow Cake, I had to go next with something totally opposite and off the charts sugary. Plus I couldn't go all summer without a couple watermelon treats. It just wouldn't be summer without watermelon. AND I also found some Peeps minis at a store the other day. Peeps that are mini chicks! You know my love of all things miniature as well as all things Peeps, so this was a total win-win for me.
Every time I see watermelon flavored gelatin in the store, I scoop some up because it's sometimes hard to find. This particular brand was by Jolly Rancher which makes a bunch of unique flavs - like green apple and blue raspberry.
To make the gelatin pink peptobismol colored, I added some condensed milk. Follow the directions on the gelatin box adding the gelatin powder to 1 cup of hot water. Then add 1/2 cup of the sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup of cold water. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a dish and let set in the refrigerator for a couple hours (preferably over night). To remove the gelatin, set the pan in a hot water bath for 1-2 minutes. Turn pan with gelatin over onto a cutting board and tap until it falls out. Then cut into squares.
Add your favorite sprinkles. Sprinkles make everything better.
Then top with a Peeps mini! These just happen to be sour watermelon flavored.
Then eat and wait for the sugary watermelon overload to hit you. Now you're totally jacked up and ready for your cross fit workout. You are very welcome.
Have you tried Peeps minis?? What's your favorite flavor? These sour watermelon ones definitely live up to their name.
Thanks for swinging by and have a totally awesome weekend. Enjoy the few left this summer.
Check out these other watermelon flavored treats too!
Is the 80+ degree weather on the East Coast making you think Summertime? Well it is right around the corner which also means everyone's fav summer fruit should be showing up in your local food stores and on farmer markets stands everywhere. Woohoo! Doesn't everyone love watermelon? Well if not they should!
Until it's officially in season, bake up some watermelon flavored and shaped blondie bars. I know right?? Super fun.
Check out more including the complete tutorial here at SheKnows.
So since it's officially summertime I figured a watermelon flavored sweet was definitely needed! I've been on a search for watermelon flavored jell-o for ages and can never ever find it in stores. When I saw both watermelon and melon flavored jell-o recently in my local food store I knew it was a sign.
Although I would have rather tried making the pudding from real watermelon, my past experience with cooking this fruit made me realize that its flavor is usually best fresh so all the watermelony flavor comes though. (Here is a recipe for watermelon pudding from real watermelon in case you are interested!) But since this pudding is essentially from a box, it's also really simple to put together.
To make this you need:
1 Box of vanilla pudding
1 Box of watermelon jell-o
1 Box of melon jell-o
Cool Whip
Black sesame seeds
Make 1 box of instant vanilla pudding as per the directions on the box
Separate vanilla pudding into 2 small bowls
Add 2 tablespoons of the melon flavored jell-o powder to one bowl and 2 tablespoons watermelon jell-o powder to the other. Mix up well. I also added a tiny bit of pink and green food gel, just to add a little more color.
Mix in some black sesame seeds into the watermelon pudding (to look like watermelon seeds - totally optional!)
Add the melon pudding to the bottom of a dish/cup
Add a layer of cool whip (if you like cool whip!)
Add a a layer of the watermelon pudding
Chill
Then eat!
It was really tasty! But not a subtle melon flavor. I actually liked the watermelon (pink) pudding better than the green melon pudding, but all together and with the Cool Whip the whole thing was nice and refreshing.
Alternatively you could just use vanilla pudding and tint with food colorings/gels if you don't want the melon flavor but still want the watermelon look.
I must have a thing for watermelon as it seems this is a recurring theme for me. See the other treats below!
....so i kinda have a thing for pink and green (as you can tell by the blog design)....so anything watermelon related works for me since that's all pretty pinks and greenie green...
for these doughnuts, the cake is not watermelon flavored....i did watermelon cupcakes awhile back so wanted to try something different and had some leftover green batter from these cupcakes....
...and they are baked doughnuts too (is it donut or doughnut?)....using one of those doughnut pans....before adding the batter, just added some green food gel in streaks to bottom of pan and to the actual batter on top (as in pic) since i wasn't sure what side of the doughnut would look best for this....
i actually used the side of the doughnut closest to the pan side as that looked more like the doughnut shape....then added some watermelon cream cheese icing (link to recipe in this post and is made with real watermelon juice)...and finished with some black sesame seeds on top....
...and you get some yummy little doughnut cakes with some really delish watermelon cream cheese icing....(btw it's pretty much impossible to pipe cream cheese icing unless you add like 2 bags of powdered sugar!)
i hope you like them and really hope you are enjoying the summer...hard to believe it's mid july already....i think we need to create an extra summer month because it goes by way to fast! thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic week!
...so when you think summer....don't you think watermelon???.....i've done watermelon cupcakes before, but was looking for some other fun "watermelon" treats....
...just use your favorite waffle batter or mix....and tint some pink and green...then throw in a few chocolate chips for "seeds" (although what watermelon these days has black seeds??)....
...or tint some red and leave some non-tinted....throw in a few chocolate chips for "seeds" and you have some "apple" waffles...
.....the kiddos loved these and didn't even ask for them to be drowned in syrup as they usually do...!
