Happy Birthday, Mom!

It was just my moms birthday and I wanted to get her something special. There are just so many spa gift cards and sweaters I can purchase for her year after year.

I am lucky enough to go on family vacations each year. It's always a special time getting to spend it with my whole family; eating, drinking and catching up. Food is always a big part of our trips; whether it be us preparing lunches or going out to restaurants.

 I decided to compose a cookbook for her based on the dishes we have eaten.

I called it  "f.a.m.i.l.y, recipes based on vacation memories".

I created this book using a site called blurb

They have great templates and walk you through a step by step tutorial.

It came out really cute and my mom loved it!

Below are a few pictures.

the cover 

the inside flap

table of contents

the back cover

Pie Pops are the new Cake Pops

So if you haven't already heard "Pie Pops are the new Cake Pops". 

I decided to try this creation out for myself. 

Who doesn't like pie and it's just oh so cute when put on a lollipop stick.

This is a super easy recipe and would be great for all your upcoming Summer BBQ's; to either make as the host or bring as a hostess gift.

You can use whatever berries you desire. I used raspberries and blueberries. 

Ingredients

Pre bough pie dough (you can find this in the freezer section of your grocery)

Flour, for dusting

Berry Pie filling, recipe follows

1 egg, beaten

Sugar for dusting top of pops

Baking sheets

Lollipop sticks (can be purchased here)

Cookie cutter

Berry Filling

1 1/2 cups berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

To make the berry filling

Place the berries in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. (If you are using two different kinds of berries you can either mix them or use two different pans)

Stir in the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and cook until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until about 1/8" thick. 

Using a cookie cutter (you can use any shape you want. I used a circle but a heart could be super cute too!) cut out double the amount of pops you want to make. I made 12 pops so I cut out 24 circles.

Place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the rounds. Make sure to leave a little room at the edges, about 1/4".

Place the lollypop stick in the middle of the rounds through the filling. Take the remaining rounds and  brush the with the egg wash. Place the rounds on top of the filled rounds, egg wash side down. Press the edges together with your finger and then use one of the lollipop sticks to crimp the edges. 

Make sure they are completely sealed.

Brush the tops of each pie pop with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with the sugar.

Using a small knife cut a little vent in each pop.

Bake the pops until golden, about 20 minutes. Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

To make these even cuter then they already are, you can make a little flag bunting or use a ribbon to attach to the stick.

Birthday Brunch

It was just my mother-in-laws birthday so we had the whole family over for brunch.

It was such a nice day celebrating and hanging out all together. 

The weather was great so that was an extra plus that Harper and her little cousin Jake got to play in the backyard together. 

We told everyone to come at 1 so I wanted to make something brunchy. 

I put out a cheese plate to start. We got fresh smoked salmon and whitefish salad, served aside croissants and bagels. I made deviled eggs which is so simple and a great brunch side. I also picked up a spinach and mushroom quiche that went perfectly.

Fresh fruit and a raspberry birthday tart finished off the day!

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

a dozen eggs, hard boiled & peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

chives, for garnish

pimentos, for garnish

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove yolk and place in a small bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayo and mustard.

Add salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika to taste.

Fill egg white with the yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pimentos and chopped chives.