Whole Wheat Strawberry Shortcake

Now it's time for dessert!  Strawberry shortcake is always a special treat this time of year when the local strawberries are fresh.  This version features a whole wheat shortcake, a variation on a recipe from my mother-in-law.  The perfect ending to a meal on a warm summer evening.  Go find yourself some fresh local strawberries soon, and make some shortcake!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

It's finally here - strawberry season!  And with it comes strawberry shortcake and strawberry rhubarb pie.  There are many other wonderful uses for strawberries this time of the year, but those two are my favorite... those and eating the berries right out of the container fresh from the farm.  Here is a quick and delicious recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie from one of my favorite cooking friends, Betty Crocker.  And don't forget about Jane's Perfect Pie Crust (click here for the recipe).

 

Grammy's Banana Bars

Who doesn't like banana bread?  Okay, so maybe not everyone, but we all should agree that the best way to use up over-ripe bananas is to bake with them.  This recipe is a great alternative to regular banana bread, especially because it comes with a delicious cream cheese frosting.  Thanks to Grammy for sharing!

Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies… 30 minutes from start to finish, including cooking time.  It doesn’t include time for them to cool, but they taste better warm anyway.  They are perfect for a school bake sale, church event, or simply if you are in the mood for a chocolate chip cookie.  Make some soon – you’ll be glad you did!

The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford

Last weekend when our families were here to visit we celebrated Mr. Wonderful's birthday.  The cake his mom has made for years is also a favorite at my family's house... with a few differences.  Both are delicious.  This dish goes against my philosophy of all-natural, wholesome foods, but it is so tasty, I suppose that a little bit once in a while won't hurt.  I should probably also explain the name.  My family calls this tasty dessert "The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford" - where the name came from I can't be sure.  I do know that Robert Redford is pretty yummy, and so is this dessert.  You can decide which one is the best, and which one comes in second.

Brownies

Once I share this recipe with you, you will never buy boxed brownie mix again.  At least, I hope you don't.  This is a super quick and easy recipe for homemade brownies.  If we are going to have our sweet indulgences, we should control the ingredients that go into them.  Even if your argument is the convenience of the pre-measured box mixes, you can easily measure out the dry ingredients for several batches, and store in an air-tight container for a couple of weeks.  Then you only have to measure out one dry ingredient, add the wet, mix, pour and bake.  I haven't done the math myself, but I'm willing to be that the homemade variety is cheaper to make too.  So not only are you controlling the ingredients, you'll be saving some money too.

 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on a quest to find the perfect chocolate chip cookies.  These ones caught my eye when I was searching the internet last weekend.  Mr. Wonderful loves chewy cookies, so I decided I'd better try them.  His review: good, but a little too chewy. If you decided to bake them, make sure you cook them long enough, as long as 20 minutes depending on your oven.  Are these the perfect chocolate chip cookie?  Not yet.  Are they worth making?  Absolutely!

Texas Sheet Cake

A double treat for you today!  Recipes for both chocolate and peanut butter sheet cakes.  These are perfect for a big family gathering, a church potluck, or just because you're in the mood for cake.  The peanut butter recipe comes from the wife of one of my farmers, and is wonderful.  The chocolate cake recipe is from Pioneer Woman , and it melts in your mouth. Warning though, have a tall glass of milk close by - these cakes are rich!  Feel free to mix and match the cake and the icing.  I haven't tried it yet, but I bet the peanut butter icing on the chocolate cake would be divine.

Peanut Butter Pie

Here is a quick, delicious recipe for peanut butter pie.  With the help of my dear friend, Shallin, peanut butter pie was on the agenda for girl's night.  This recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman's chocolate pie recipe.  It is also super good - I would recommend making one peanut butter and one chocolate.  I do have to warn you that this recipe does contain raw eggs, so make sure you buy them from a source you trust... preferably from local, free-range chickens.

Jane's Perfect Pie Crust

I have to admit, I used to use the store bought pie crust.  Please don't hold it against me... they taste pretty good. However, several years ago I started paying closer attention to ingredient lists, and as a result I started taking the time to do more from scratch.  And that includes pie crust.  My dear friend Jane shared this recipe with me, and told me "You can't kill it."  I think she saw my fear in trying to make pie crust, and was being encouraging.  This pie crust is very forgiving - if I can make a good pie crust, so can you.  It will take a little practice to get it just right (at least for me it did), but don't give up, it's so worth it.

 

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Please stop whatever you are doing and go make these cookies right now.  I have had a lot of chocolate chip cookies in my life, and these are pretty close to number one.  I'll have to eat a few more before I can make a final decision.  One of my classic go-to chocolate chip cookie recipes is a bar cookie recipe, and is super quick to make.  (I will share the recipe some time soon.)  But it is well worth the extra time and effort to make these ones.