Blueberry+Lemon=Blemonberry Loaf.

Life is good. Life is really good. I'm working like crazy and loving my off time with my family and friends.  Yesterday (Saturday morning), we, as in my mom, sister, myself, my best friend Frannie and her family and some family friends, went blueberry picking up at Rouster's farm in Milford and it was a grand ole time.  Between my mom, Sam, and myself we picked about 15 POUNDS of blueberries!  So of course I had to bake something that day with blueberries in it.  I woke up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, was up in Milford by 8:00 a.m., picked blueberries til 9:30, came home, baked two different treats til 2:00 p.m., was exhausted so I got to lay in my bed from, literally, 2:13-2:15, got ready for work at 3:00, worked til 7:30 (long shift, lemme tell ya!), picked up Frannie after work, went to a pool party gathering, as I like to call it, at our friend Nolan's house, etc, etc, etc. NEEDLESS TO SAY I'M RUNNING ON EMPTY because I was back up this morning at 6:45 for church this morning. BUT HEY, what's summer without feeling like a zombie and your eyeballs are about to fall out of their sockets?!? Love every minute of it though! Anyways, I decided to bake this with the fresh blueberries I picked and took it to Nolan's house! It was all gone by the end of the night!

Ps. Literally, nothing tastes as good as a fresh blueberry. Holy cow.

 Best friend Frannie!

Ingredients:
For the Loaf:
-1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour - divided
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 cup plain yogurt
-1 cup sugar
-3 large eggs
-2 teaspoons lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 1/2 cups blueberries

For the Lemon Syrup:
-1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze: 

-1 cups confectioners’ sugar - sifted

-2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions: 

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour.

-In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt - set aside.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

-Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. ---Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

-While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat - set aside.

-Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

-To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of the loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Fruit Tart. Heyyy.

Let me just say Grandma said this fruit tart was "pure ecstasy"....I'm hoping she was just using that as an adjective and not comparing it to actual ecstasy. But then again, once Grandma closes her doors at night, we never know what she does in there... Also, I would just like to say that I finished my first term of pastry school this past week! So now it's finally summer, and I'll be starting back at the end of August!  While making this dessert, I had some team work thanks to my Momma and prego sister Sam, they cut the fruit.  Aren't they just the greatest?! We'd make such a splendid team.  Tonight we had such a summeresque dinner that consisted of grilled bbq pork chops, baked potatoes, corn, and cabbage, and in my case, instead of cabbage I had cottage cheese. Holla for cottage cheese! YUM!  Ps. I know you all were waiting for me to say this, sooooo my tanning this summer is going great! Thanks for the concern! America!

Ingredients:
Crust
-1/2 cup confectioners sugar
-1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-1 1/2 sticks butter - softened & sliced

Filling
-8 oz package cream cheese
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
-Strawberries
-Kiwi
-Blueberry
-Blackberries
-Raspberries

Glaze
-6 oz frozen limeade concentrate - thawed
-1 tablespoon cornstarch
-1 tablespoon lime juice
-1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioner's sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball.  With your fingers, press the dough in a 12 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Make sure to push the dough into the indentations in the sides.  Pat until even.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly brown.  Set aside to cool.
-For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Spread over the cooled crust.
-For the topping: Cut the strawberries into 1/4 inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust.  Next add the circle of kiwi.  Then a circle of blackberries.  Then cluster the center with the raspberries.  Fill any spaces with blueberries.
-For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick.  This takes about 2 minutes.  Let cool.  Brush with a pastry brush over the entire tart.  (You won't use all the glaze)
-Keep tart in the fridge with any leftovers!!

Aunt Barb's Eclair!

Hey there, how're things?  Today is Father's Day, and last night as I was going through recipes trying to think of something to make my dad, he walks in the kitchen, so I asked him what he wanted, and without hesitation he said, "ECLAIR!".....oh, was it that obvious?.....well shoot, easy enough! Everyyyy Father's Day my Aunt Barb made this eclair and it's inhaled by all within like .9 seconds. You can take that in a literal sense.  But hold up, if my dad even reads this he's probably hating me right now for even mentioning his name on the God forsaken world wide web, but I can't go without saying he's someone who taught me never to take life too seriously.  And I bet your dad can't stand on his head, either.  Or hold his breath underwater for 2 minutes.  Even though I KNOW for a fact he likes our dog, Chuck, more than he likes his own children, I still love my dad.  Even though he comes in my room and lays on my bed while I do homework and asks me irrelevant questions, I weirdly wouldn't change it for the world.  My dad's the best, and if you beg to differ, then me and my dad challenge you and your dad to a headstand competition. Bring it.

Ingredients:
-1 Box of Graham Crackers
-2 3.4 oz French Vanilla instant pudding
-8 oz Cool Whip
-12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
-1 stick butter

Directions:
-Beat the pudding and the milk with a whisk for 2 minutes until thick.
-Gently fold in the cool whip.
-Place 1 sleeve of graham crackers on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
-Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture on graham crackers.
-Place another sleeve of graham crackers on top of pudding.
-Pour the rest of the pudding mixture on top.
-Add the last sleeve of crackers on top.
-Melt the butter and the chocolate chips in microwave until melted. Stir occasionally, making sure that the chocolate doesn't burn. (bad news bears when that happens)
-When melted, spread/pour on top of graham crackers.
-Viola!....chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, and enjoy!