Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

Watermelon strawberry smoothie, it's my snack of choice today! Made with only three ingredients, it's really light on calories and so cool and refreshing! 

                      

There's no need for any juice or liquid in this smoothie as the watermelon juice serves as a sufficient amount to give this smoothie a nice consistency.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cut seedless watermelon
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 cups of frozen strawberries

Directions
Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until all ingredients are well blended. Enjoy! 

Makes four 8-oz servings.

Quick and Easy Peach Crisp

It's been a while since I've put out a new dessert and this is definitely one worth sharing. What a perfect day to enjoy it on! It's easy to prepare and cooks up in less than an hour. :)

Ingredients

• 2 (15) oz cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup (drained)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup of butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees and then spray a 13" x 9" pan lightly with cooking oil spray. Remove the peaches from the cans and then place the peaches in the pan. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon and water.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar and butter until well blended. Add the flour and mix until all ingredients come together (it should be a soft dough-like consistency). Top the apples with the flour mixture as shown. 

Cook for 45 - 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

Enjoy with your favorite whipped topping or ice cream!

Child of Mine Book Review

Child of Mine is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, spiritual growth, and second chances. It's a story about a mom's search for her daughter whom was kidnapped when she was still a baby. 

Eight years later, Kelly still finds herself in the search for her missing child. In the process, she finds so much more than she ever bargained for. 

Authors David and Beverly Lewis take the reader on a roller coaster ride into the lives of four people who are intertwined in ways that even they aren't immediately aware. 

You will not want to put this book down as you become part of the LIvingston family and their amazing ability to forgive and love. 

Thank you Bethany House Publishing for the opportunity to review a free copy of this book. 

Meant to Be Mine Book Review

Meant to Be Mine was a very compelling story from beginning to end and the title was aptly used. Ty Porter and Celia Park attended the same high school and when they just happened to be in Vegas at the same time, they got together and spent some of the most amazing days of their lives together, not knowing that what took place would change their lives forever. This was definitely a story of "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" as they got married and then lived apart as if it never happened.

Celia was so in love with Ty, however, after Ty realized that marrying Celia was a mistake, he broke her heart and sent her back home a married and lonely woman, claiiming that he was in love with someone else.

After a few years apart Ty revisits Vegas, and, old memories of what happened those many years ago, comes back to him. The memories were so strong that he set out to find Celia once again. After much searching, he finds her and pays her a visit, not accepting the fact that Celia has moved on with her life and is carrying around unforgiveness in her heart towards Ty.

This is a story of love, and in the greater sense, God's love. Both Celia and Ty have to go through a series of life lessons to realize that what God has for each of them is not necessarily what they want for themselves. Mean to be mine is a story filled with adventure, love, friendship, family, and forgiveness. Thank you Bethany House Publishers for allowing me to review this book.

Lemon Crisps

Lemon crisps anyone? A nice thin cookie that can be enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee, or a scoop of ice cream. They taste as good as they look!

This is my first time trying this recipe. I intended to make a thicker cookie, however, the cookies fell flat after I took them out of the oven. Everyone loved them as they were, so I decided not to modify the recipe. The dough is so good, I had to stop the kids from eating it all to make the cookies! They are also very quick to prepare and it only takes 6 minutes to bake them.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
• 1 (4) oz box of instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Using a hand blender mix  the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs and lemon extract. Mix until well blended.

Add the vanilla instant pudding mix and blend until all ingredients are combined.

Add the flour mixture and, using a spoon, stir until the flour is well blended.

Add the cookie dough to the prepared cookie sheet by measuring 1 teaspoonful of the dough and placing each teaspoonful 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 6 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for five minutes and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Makes 48 cookies

Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Pound cake is one of the most amazing cakes ever. I drizzled this one with a little bit of chocolate glaze for the chocolate lovers. Delish!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of 2% milk

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp of water

Tools

10-inch fluted cake pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a the 10 in fluted cak pan and set aside. 

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and granulated sugar and mix with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon extract to the mixture and mix until well blended. Stir in the milk. Add the flour mixture and stir until the mixture is well blended and smooth. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared fluted cake pan.

Cook for 1 hour or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be a golden brown color.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for approximately 30 minutes to an hour, and then transfer to a serving tray or dish. 

While the cake is cooling prepare the chocolate glaze by adding all the ingredients to a small pot. Heat the pot on medium-high heat while continuously stiriing the ingredients. Cook until the mixture is well blended.

When the cake is cool, lightly sprinkle the warm glaze over the top of the cake. Cool completely, and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, or with your favorite ice cream. 

Yields 10 - 12 servings.

The Last Bride Book Review

The Last Bride was a good read from beginning to end.

I enjoyed going on this wonderful and bumpy ride with Beverly Lewis, as she wove a tale of God's forgiveness, love, and second chances. Tessie is a yound woman in love and doesn't understand why her father won't allow her to marry her beloved. She does the unthinkable in the Amish community and lives to reap the consequences. 

Tessie quickly learns that even in the midst of trouble and adversity, God is not so far away that He cannot be reached. She experiences the profound gift of love from unexpected sources and soon grows to realize that she can still have a second chance at love. Thank you Bethany House Publishers for the chance to review this book!

Baked Seasoned Shrimp

I love shrimp! They can be enjoyed fried, steamed, grilled or cold. Today I'm enjoying my shrimp lightly seasoned and baked, with my favorite vegetables on the side. It's a nice change for this evening's meal, and most importantly, they are quick and easy to make. :)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of raw shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined (approximately 40 jumbo shrimp)
• 3 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce or more if desired
• 1 tsp of Emeril's Essence seasoning or your favorite seasoning

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet or a medium sized pan, or line the cookie sheet or pan with parchment paper. Add the raw shrimp. Sprinkle the shrimp with the Worcestershire sauce and then the Emeril's Essence seasoning.

Cook the shrimp for 15 minutes or until the shrimp are done. You will know this because they will be a white color. (Be careful not to overcook them.)

Remove the shrimp from the oven and enjoy with your favorite sides!

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

©Rolisweets

Apple Cinnamon Shortbread Bar

Shortbread is one of my favorite cookies, plain or with other ingredients added.  I love this blend of flavors with the apples and cinnamon.

This bar is delicious and there's nothing light about it. I'm in the process of losing weight but promised the family that I would make one dessert per week. I will try not to eat too much. I little bit won't hurt right? I hope you enjoy.  :)

Ingredients

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 1/2 cups of peeled sliced apples (2 large apples), I used gala

Cinnamon Crumb Topping

• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1Tbsp of sugar
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease an 9"x 9" square baking pan and set aside. (I line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to avoid sticking). 

Combine the butter and powdered sugar. Mix until it's a creamy consistency. Add the vanilla and mix until well blended and then add the flour. Combine all ingredients until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Add the dough to the prepared baking pan and spread the dough evenly by flattening it with your hands and placing the dough to cover the entire width of the pan. Pat the dough to distribute it evenly. Poke holes into the dough with a fork so that it cooks evenly.

Add the apples by layering them across the dough and then press the apples into the dough slightly.

Then top the dough with the prepared cinnamon crumb topping. 

Cook for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the dough is a light golden brown. Cool for about 30 minutes and enjoy with your favorite glass of milk or ice cream! 

Yields 9 servings. 

©Rolisweets

Spicy Seafood Stew

Dinner this evening. The broth in this stew is amazing!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of water
• 1 small peeled sweet potato, sliced 
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/4 tsp of black pepper
• A sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• 1 (14.5) oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of green beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup of sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup of chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup of sweet corn, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1 lb of fresh or frozen fish, sliced into small pieces, your choice (I used sole)

I added just a little pepper flakes, as they tend to be very spicy. You may add more or less, depending on your taste.

Directions
Heat a 4-quart pot on medium high heat. Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potato and cook for approximately twenty minutes or until the potato is soft enough to mash. Remove the potato slices and mash them in a bowl or puree them. Add them back to the heated water along with the chicken bouillon cubes, black pepper, red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, green beans, sliced carrots, and corn. Cook for twenty minutes. Add the fresh spinach and fish. Cook for fifteen minutes or until the fish is well done. 

Remove the soup from the heat and add the stew to bowls. Let cool for approximately 5 minutes. 

Enjoy with your favorite bread or salad. (We enjoyed ours with a slice or cornbread.) 

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

©Rolisweets

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I'm enjoying this strawberry spinach salad with a Homemade strawberry vinaigrette dressing! It is so fantastic and light.

Ingredients

• 1 (16) oz package of thinly sliced honey smoked turkey breast
• 5 cups of fresh spinach
• 2 cups of lettuce salad mix
• 1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese, chopped
• 1/4 cup of slithered almonds

Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing

• 8 sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbsp of vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
• 2 tsp of coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp of dried cilantro

Directions 
Began preparing the salad by adding the fresh spinach and lettuce mix to a 13" by 9" dish. Sprinkle the greens with the lemon juice. Top the greens with the chopped Swiss cheese. 

Top the cheese with the sliced turkey breast and add the sliced strawberries and almonds. Set the salad aside.

Add the salad dressing ingredients to food processor or blender and blend all ingredients until they are in liquid form. 

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Note: Refrigerate any remaining salad and dressing to enjoy later.

©Rolisweets

Tomato and Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken

Dinner this evening! This recipe is quick, delicious and not to heavy on the waistline.  Enjoy with your favorites veggies. 

Ingredients

• 10 - 12 skinless boneless chicken breast tenderloins or 6 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• 1 (14.5) oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.

Add the boneless chicken breast to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the 1/4 cup of water over the chicken, for moisture. Sprinkle the chicken with the black pepper. Cook 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove the pan from the oven. 

Top the chicken with the diced tomatoes and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese onto the tomatoes, making sure to cover each piece of chicken thoroughly.

Insert the chicken back in to the oven and cook for approximately 10 - 15 minutes, or until the parmesan is slightly browned. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy with your favorite vegetables or sides.

Makes 6 servings.

©Rolisweets

Pound Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Pound cake is one of the most amazing cakes ever. I drizzled this one with a little bit of chocolate glaze for the chocolate lovers. Delish!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of 2% milk

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp of water

Tools

10-inch fluted cake pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a the 10 in fluted cak pan and set aside. 

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and granulated sugar and mix with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon extract to the mixture and mix until well blended. Stir in the milk. Add the flour mixture and stir until the mixture is well blended and smooth. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared fluted cake pan.

Cook for 1 hour or until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be a golden brown color.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for approximately 30 minutes to an hour, and then transfer to a serving tray or dish. 

While the cake is cooling prepare the chocolate glaze by adding all the ingredients to a small pot. Heat the pot on medium-high heat while continuously stiriing the ingredients. Cook until the mixture is well blended.

When the cake is cool, lightly sprinkle the warm glaze over the top of the cake. Cool completely, and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, or with your favorite ice cream. 

Yields 10 - 12 servings.

©Rolisweets