The Kitchen Garten

Backyard Gardening and Garden Fresh Recipes

strawberries

by Leave a Comment

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie

This recipe was originally featured on Juggling Act Mama as a guest post.

Whether you’re anticipating the start of the new school year or just trying to make mornings more manageable, a quick and healthy breakfast is always a good thing. This quick strawberry smoothie takes just minutes to whip up in the blender, and it is a crowd pleaser for the whole family.

Frozen strawberries, banana, lemon, and yogurt combine to create a super quick and healthy breakfast that requires little prep and easy clean up. I used to dread being asked to make smoothies for breakfast, but this strawberry smoothie recipe has been a game changer!

greek yogurt strawberry smoothie in mason jar

Strawberries make their annual appearance in fields where I live in mid May, so I am always intentional to freeze several gallon bags full. Frozen strawberries aren’t great for eating plain, but they are perfect for smoothies and pies. (Try my sugar cookie crusted strawberry cobbler!) Freezing berries to use for smoothies is a breeze, and you can see how I do that here.

Most breakfast smoothies at our house come about as a result of what we have on hand. Have some blueberries? Great, throw them in! Banana? That, too! But for this strawberry smoothie, I wanted to grab onto the taste of strawberry lemonade. It’s a summertime favorite, and the taste of the sweet berries with the zesty lemon is the perfect combination.

And the addition of greek yogurt gives this strawberry smoothie a protein boost that fruit-only smoothies lack. So feel good about this well-balanced breakfast or snack!

Smoothies with no refined sugar

If your kids are like mine, then they love for their smoothies to be sweet. And while I also tend to lean toward the sweeter smoothie, I don’t like to add any kind of refined sugar to what I would consider a “healthy” breakfast or snack. So what sweetens a smoothie with out refined sugar?

In the case of this greek yogurt strawberry smoothie, the strawberries themselves add a touch of sweetness, but I also use a banana (the browner the better!) and a small amount of honey. This gives a nice mellow sweetness without being overpowering.

This strawberry smoothie recipe could certainly be adapted to whatever you happen to have in your fridge. By all means, toss in a handful of spinach, which will alter the color, but not greatly affect the taste.

One of my kids favorite smoothies, which we’ve been making for years, is our Leprechaun Milk. And while it clearly has a spring theme, it is delicious any time of year. Spinach, bananas, and peanut butter combine perfectly in Leprechaun Milk to create a fun and tasty green drink. That’s just another quick breakfast option for you busy folks out there!

strawberry smoothie ingredients on counter

Smoothie with Greek Yogurt Ingredients

  • 1 cup Almond Milk (or your favorite milk)
  • 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or vanilla yogurt) 
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 lemon 
  • 1 banana
  • 1-2 cups ice
  • 1-2 tbsp honey

Note: If you do happen to use sweetened yogurt in the recipe, that’s totally fine, but omit the honey. The banana and honey are what add the most sweetness to this smoothie recipe, so if you have more of a sweet tooth, feel free to add a bit more honey than what is called for. 

banana and strawberry in blender

How to Make a Greek Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie

  1. First. combine milk, yogurt, berries, lemon juice, and banana in the blender (I love my Ninja Blender!). Blend for 20 seconds or until the strawberries are no longer chunky. 
  2. Once your ingredients are smooth, add in honey and blend again for 10 seconds. 
  3. Finally add in ice. Begin with just a cup of ice and blend. If the smoothie’s consistency is thick enough, then don’t add any more. If you like your smoothies thicker, add another half cup of ice until the right thickness is reached. 
  4. Serve your smoothie in a tall glass with a thick straw and enjoy! 

Fruit Smoothie Variations

  • First, add in a handful of baby spinach for a vitamin c and calcium boost.
  • Then add a scoop of your favorite protein powder or collagen for a complete meal replacement.
  • After that, put int a tablespoon of cocoa powder and extra honey for a chocolate strawberry smoothie.
  • Swap out the strawberries for raspberries or blueberries for a fruity variation. 

How to Serve a Strawberry Smoothie

For less melting, place glass cups in the refrigerator before making the smoothies. This will help them maintain their cool temperature longer. One recipe will yield two medium sized smoothies, so be sure to have glasses on hand when the smoothies are ready! Use a thicker (milkshake) straw if possible, or give kids a spoon to eat the smoothie until it melts slightly. 

Used one of the variations or have an idea to share? Comment below and let us know!

Yield: 2 smoothies

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Smoothie

This greek yogurt strawberry smoothie is packed full with fresh fruit, protein-rich greek yogurt, and no refined sugar. It's a filling breakfast or snack!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Almond Milk (or your favorite milk)
  • 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or vanilla yogurt)
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 banana
  • 1-2 cups ice
  • 1-2 tbsp honey

Instructions

    1. First. combine milk, yogurt, berries, lemon juice, and banana in the blender. Blend for 20 seconds or until the strawberries are no longer chunky. 
    2. Once your ingredients are smooth, add in honey and blend again for 10 seconds. 
    3. Finally add in ice. Begin with just a cup of ice and blend. If the smoothie’s consistency is thick enough, then don’t add any more. If you like your smoothies thicker, add another half cup of ice until the right thickness is reached. 
    4. Serve your smoothie in a tall glass with a thick straw and enjoy! 

Notes

Variations:

  • Add in a handful of baby spinach for a vitamin c and calcium boost.
  • Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder or collagen for a complete meal replacement.
  • Put int a tablespoon of cocoa powder and extra honey for a chocolate strawberry smoothie.
  • Swap out the strawberries for raspberries or blueberries for a fruity variation.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases with no added cost to you. Thank you!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216 Total Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 3mg Sodium: 31mg Carbohydrates: 47g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 35g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
© Courtney
Cuisine: N/A / Category: Kid-Friendly Recipes

by 4 Comments

Easy Strawberry Nutella Tart

Strawberry season is in full swing here, and the pickings have been bountiful. In fact, there was so much rain in our area last week that one of our favorite strawberry farms ran a sale on their u-pick berries. All of the rain was ruining the ripe berries, so we went out and picked what we could to help out. We were clearly suffering through that… Once our sticky red faces came home, I wanted to use up the berries. They were on the brink of being over-ripe, so a quick dessert was needed. Enter this chocolate strawberry dessert! A pie crust, creamy nutella, and fresh strawberries are all that’s needed for this delicious strawberry nutella tart recipe!

strawberry nutella tart sliced on white plate

Easy Chocolate Strawberry Tart

The combination of crispy crust, smooth hazelnut chocolate nutella, and ripe berries makes for a fabulous and easy dessert. We were providing dinner for friends of ours, so my kids were a little bummed to see this strawberry nutella tart recipe walking out the door without any sampling. The prep is also super simple. While the crust is baking, slice strawberries and take the top off the nutella. Boom. Done.

affiliate link policy

And let’s not kid ourselves. Nutella has really branded itself as a breakfast food. And having grown up some in Germany, I grew up thinking this amazing chocolate spread on a brotchen roll was the closest thing to Heaven on any given morning. So if you’re so inspired, you can even serve this for breakfast. (I think it would be perfect for a post-slumber party breakfast.) Or simply surprise your kids one morning with this on the table, and you’ll get cheers and hoorays!

Strawberry Nutella Tart Ingredients

1 Pie Crust, unbaked (homemade or store bought)

1/2 cup Nutella hazelnut spread

1 cup sliced ripe strawberries

Strawberry Nutella Tart Recipe

While I make my tart with a whole wheat pie crust, you are welcome to use what you like here. Roll out a store bought crust, or whip one up in the food processor. Either way works. If I’m going for store bought, I prefer the Immaculate Baking Company’s crust. So tasty, and it isn’t full of junk.

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep your pie crust by rolling the chilled crust out onto a parchment lined baking sheet or stone. If you’re using a homemade crust, you can even get fancy by running a fluted pastry wheel around the edge. Place crust in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. While crust is baking, slice clean strawberries into 1/4 inch slices, or halve them for a different look. Set aside. Freshly baked pie crust with strawberries and nutella on white cutting board
  2. Once your crust is golden brown, remove from oven and slide crust and parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely. (No one wants melted Nutella running off the sides of a warm crust.) Once crust is cool, spread Nutella evenly over the surface. I usually leave a small edge. This makes it easier to serve. I love these plastic spreaders from Sweden; they are so great for anything that needs spreading!baked pie crust spread with nutella
  3. Take sliced or halved strawberries, and beginning at the edge of Nutella, place them tip pointed out along the outer edge. Then begin the next row and so on until you have covered the hazelnut spread in lovely red berries. In the center, you can place one whole strawberry that is sliced and fanned out slightly. pie crust spread with nutella and topped with red strawberries
  4. Serve immediately. If you want to make in advance, simply bake your pie crust ahead of time and have sliced berries waiting in the fridge. Assemble right before you’re planning to serve. Use a sharp knife or pie server to cut and garnish with whole strawberries or mint leaves. strawberry nutella tart slice on white plate

This time of year, I’m doing all I can to use up strawberries. Between jam, fresh salads, cobbler, or just plain berry eating, we’re certainly getting our fill and loving it. I’d love to know what your favorite strawberry recipe is because I’m always looking to try new things! Have a great week and happy berry eating!

Yield: 8

Strawberry Nutella Tart

Strawberry Nutella Tart

Create this beautiful dessert (or breakfast) with ripe strawberries, creamy Nutella, and one pie crust (store bought or homemade).

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Pie Crust, unbaked,
  • 1/2 cup Nutella
  • 1 cup Strawberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep your pie crust by rolling the chilled crust out onto a parchment lined baking sheet or stone. Place crust in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. While crust is baking, slice clean strawberries into 1/4 inch slices, or halve them for a different look. Set aside.
  2. Once crust is golden brown, remove from oven and slide crust and parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Once crust is cool, spread Nutella evenly over the surface. I usually leave a small edge. This makes it easier to serve.
  3. Take sliced or halved strawberries, and beginning at the edge of Nutella, place them tip pointed out along the outer edge. Then begin the next row and so on until you have covered the hazelnut spread in lovely red berries. In the center, you can place one whole strawberry that is sliced and fanned out slightly.
  4. Serve immediately. If you want to make in advance, simply bake your pie crust ahead of time and assemble right before you're planning to serve. Use a sharp knife or pie server to cut and garnish with whole strawberries or mint leaves.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases with no added cost to you. Thank you!

© Courtney
Category: Dessert Recipes
Shared at:

Moonlight and Mason Jars Link Party

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

by Leave a Comment

Strawberry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust

Cobbler, whether strawberry cobbler, peach, blueberry…it’s a southern tradition, like black eyed peas and greens on New Years Day or seersucker in the summer. Cobbler is also one tradition I happily indulge in whenever there’s fresh fruit in season. Traditional cobbler has a fruit base and usually a sticky cobbler dough that bakes into sweet and slightly crusty perfection. See my Skillet Peach Cobbler recipe for a classic. But one of our local restaurants The Chef and the Farmer created a new take on the classic with a sugar cookie crusted berry cobbler that is unbelievably delicious. If you haven’t had a chance to check out their show on PBS, A Chef’s Life, I highly recommend it. Chef Vivian’s recipes and excursions to local farms and businesses are both fun and educational.

Strawberry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust

Back to the cobbler, with our bounty of fresh strawberries last week, I set out to replicate the sugar cookie crusted cobbler that my husband and I both loved.  The crispy cookie crust with the bright berry pop within is the perfect way to end a meal, and this recipe is perfect to make ahead. So if you’re having family or friends over, prep the strawberry cobblers, place in the fridge, then slide them in the oven during dinner. These individual strawberry cobblers will be ready to go once dinner is over. Perfect!

Sugar Cookie Strawberry Cobbler Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Crust
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
Strawberry Filling
  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 3/4 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Strawberry Cobbler Recipe

The first thing I needed to do was put together the sugar cookie dough, because it would need to chill in the fridge for at least an hour. It’s a classic recipe, so you can use your favorite or the one I have posted below.

dry ingredients

Once your sugar cookie dough is chilling (or chillin’) in the fridge, get started on your cobbler filling. I tried this two ways, and both ways were delicious. First, slice the strawberries. Then combine your berries with sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) and either let sit on the counter for an hour or so, or gently heat in a sauce pan for 5 minutes or so if you’re in more of a time crunch. (FYI not heating the berries will give your cobbler a juicer base, which my husband preferred. He could then break off chunks of crust and soak up the juice.)

strawberry ramekin

Once your strawberries are ready, you can assemble the cobblers. I used shallow ramekins, and filled them about a half inch from the top with the strawberry filling. Then I rolled out a portion of cookie dough and covered the top, letting it drape over the side. There’s no need to make your dough a perfect circle; it’s looks (and tastes) great regardless.dough and berries

Place your ramekins on a baking sheet (trust me, you want to do this. I didn’t the first time and ended up with cookie dough baking on the bottom of the oven). Place in preheated oven and bake until tops are golden brown. cobbler wide

For your tongue’s sake, give it a few minutes to cool, then dig in! Another wonderful thing about this dessert is it can be made mostly in advance. The cookie dough will last in the fridge for days if it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and the strawberry filling will do the same. So when you’re ready to have dessert, simply assemble and bake!

You can definitely serve this with whipped cream or ice cream to make it more indulgent, but it’s wonderful plain as well. I’d love to know what your favorite strawberry desserts are or if you’ve seen A Chef’s Life on PBS. Enjoy!

Yield: 6

Strawberry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust

Strawberry Cobbler with Sugar Cookie Crust

Sweet and juicy strawberry cobbler topped with a crisp sugar cookie crust.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Crust

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Strawberry Filling

  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 3/4 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Instructions

  1. Cream butter and sugar in mixer until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.
  3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at listen hour.

Strawberry Cobbler

  1. To assemble cobblers, spoon strawberry filling into the bottom of ramekins, not quite to the top. Break of 1/4 cup size pieces of sugar cookie dough and roll out into a rough circle. Lay dough on top of ramekin and press around the edges, letting the dough overhang.
  2. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 613 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 15g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 123mg Sodium: 484mg Carbohydrates: 89g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 46g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
© Courtney
Category: Dessert Recipes

Other Fruit Dessert Recipes:

Skillet Peach Cobbler

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cream Pies

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

by Leave a Comment

Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans

Fresh strawberries are in season at farms all around our home, and after out strawberry picking adventure, I’ve been using strawberries in as many meals as possible. One of my favorite ways to use fruit, especially strawberries, is in salads. My husband likes his salads loaded with veggies, bacon, cheese, egg, croutons… the list goes on with no fruit in sight. I, on the other hand, like a simpler salad, and this strawberry spinach salad is one of the best.

 

spinach salad with fresh strawberries, cucumber, and feta on white plate

Strawberry Spinach Salad

First, spinach is such a powerhouse of nutrition, full of iron, vitamin C, calcium (for all of you dairy-free folks out there), and vitamin K. (And a great addition to the fall garden, no less.) Strawberries aren’t exactly a slouch when it comes to the nutritional value either; they’re a great source of vitamin C and manganese. There’s also fiber to be found in both of these tasty ingredients, so eat up and rest assured you’re doing your body a favor.

Now, everyone has preferences for what they like on salads, but the combination of juicy strawberries, leafy spinach, crisp and crunchy cucumbers, creamy goat cheese, and sweet spiced pecans in this salad are a winner, winner, chicken dinner. In fact, we had this salad along with our chicken for dinner last night, so the rhyme is not all fluff. The spiced pecans are my Granny’s recipe, and if you can wait until they cool to start eating them then I’ll give you a medal. It’s worth a little burn on the tongue to eat these fresh out of the oven. So, let’s get started on how to impress your friends and family by whipping this up to go with dinner.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans Ingredients

  • 1 cup spiced nuts (recipe below)
  • 8 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe below)

Spiced Pecans

  • 4 cups pecans
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 egg white

Poppyseed Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe

  1. Start with the pecans. Beat one egg white with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

egg whites

2. Add 4 cups of pecans to the egg whites and fold to coat the nuts. coated pecans3. Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and a few dashes of cayenne pepper in a bowl and pour over nuts. Mix until all nuts are coated and there is no sugar mix at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool on sheet, while you snack on them and assemble your salad. (Store extra nuts in an airtight container.)candied pecans

5. For the salad, wash and spin dry your spinach leaves, place in large bowl or platter. Peel a seedless cucumber, halve and then slice. Top strawberries, cut in half and slice. Spread cucumber and strawberry slices on top of spinach leaves. chopped ingredients

6. Using a fork or your fingers, break off small dollops of goat cheese and place over the salad. It’s a messy job but someone has to do it… strawberry salad

7. Combine all dressing ingredients in a pint mason jar and shake to mix. Pour over salad, toss, and top with spiced pecans. Serve immediately. 

I usually serve this salad with a poppyseed dressing that adds a nice sweetness to compliment the pecans and strawberries. Now, I have my full of oil and sugar recipe, but I’ve recently stumbled upon a lighter version from Love Grows Wild, made with greek yogurt and honey, and I just couldn’t NOT share it. Do yourself a favor and check out her recipe here. We used this dressing on our salad last night and it was delicious!

I’ll have more strawberry recipes coming this week, but I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell me how you like to use fresh strawberries in your cooking!

Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans

Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans

Nutritious spinach, sweet strawberries, and creamy goat cheese combine with sweet and crunchy pecans for this delicious and fresh salad. Topped with homemade poppyseed dressing, and you have a fantastic salad in no time.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup spiced nuts (recipe below)
  • 8 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe below)
  • Spiced Pecans
  • 4 cups pecans
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 egg white
  • Poppyseed Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

    1. Start with the pecans. Beat one egg white with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
    2. Add 4 cups of pecans to the egg whites and fold to coat the nuts. 
    3. Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and a few dashes of cayenne pepper in a bowl and pour over nuts. Mix until all nuts are coated and there is no sugar mix at the bottom of the bowl.
    4. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool on sheet, while you snack on them and assemble your salad. (Store extra nuts in an airtight container.)
    5. For the salad, wash and spin dry your spinach leaves, place in large bowl or platter. Peel a seedless cucumber, halve and then slice. Top strawberries, cut in half and slice. Spread cucumber and strawberry slices on top of spinach leaves. 
    6. Using a fork or your fingers, break off small dollops of goat cheese and place over the salad. It's a messy job but someone has to do it...
    7. Combine all dressing ingredients in a pint mason jar and shake to mix. Pour over salad, toss, and top with spiced pecans. Serve immediately. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 675 Total Fat: 53g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 44g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 358mg Carbohydrates: 46g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 8g Sugar: 34g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 13g
© Courtney
Category: Salad Recipes

Other Fresh Spinach Recipes to Enjoy:

Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Leprechaun Milk[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans – a bright and fresh salad with creamy goat cheese and crunchy spiced pecans – spiced nuts (recipe below), fresh baby spinach, seedless cucumber, sliced strawberries, goat cheese, Dressing of Choice, Spiced Pecans: pecans, brown sugar, Cinnamon, nutmeg, Cayenne Pepper, egg white, , Strawberry Spinach Salad: Place washed spinach in a bowl or on a platter. Chop strawberries and cucumbers and place on spinach. Add crumbled goat cheese and spiced pecans. Serve with dressing of choice or Poppyseed dressing. ; Spiced Pecans: Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper. ; Beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Add pecans and fold until nuts are coated. ; Mix brown sugar and spices until combined. Add to nuts and stir until nuts are coated and no sugar remains at the bottom of bowl. Spread onto cookie sheet. ; Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet and enjoy! Store in an airtight container for several weeks. ; ; – – side dish – Recipes – Salad Recipes – pecans – recipe – salad – strawberries[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

by 3 Comments

Tips for Growing Strawberries

strawberries

Sweet strawberry shortcake, crispy strawberry cobbler, ripe juicy berries with whipped cream just about any time of day…bright red strawberries officially usher in the spring season around here! These brilliant berries are a delight to the eye and the tongue! You could ask our littlest gardener– who ate his weight in berries when we had the opportunity to go and pick berries last week. He was so excited that the green tops were devoured along with the berries. I daresay he got his daily intake of fiber.

Our family recently planted our own strawberry plants, and a fun field trip last week to Putnam Farms gave us a great opportunity to see strawberry growing done well. In fact, our kids were so fascinated by the tour of the farm and picking strawberries that they came home asking if we could also be farmers. Afraid not kids. Our 3/4 of an acre in town probably won’t cut it… and your father won’t even let me have a few chickens. Dreams crushed, the kids carried on and consoled themselves with some Sweet Charlie strawberries. eating berries

This particular farm seeds and grows strawberries every year. And the big bonus is that they don’t use pesticides on any of their produce. The owner shared with us that he wanted his son to be able to go out into any field and eat whatever he picked…talk about fresh! We’re sold on getting as much produce as we can from this farm, and if you’ve seen the PBS series A Chef’s Life, then you may have also seen Chef Vivian out at this farm learning all about tomatoes. Back to the berries…Putnam Farms grows several varieties of strawberries including:

  • Sweet Charlie (heirloom)- these have a high sugar content and are softer, so not ideal for recipes, but perfect for eating. And isn’t it cool to know that this variety of strawberry has remained unchanged for generations?
  • Camarosa- Better suited for recipes, and when ripe, will be a deep red, almost burgundy.

So, we focused on picking more of the Camarosa variety, because I knew I’d want to use them in a few recipes. We did sample a few Sweet Charlies, and they were delicious! Perfect for strawberry shortcake or sliced on a salad. Along the way, I managed to pick up some tips on growing berries that will help us all have better yields, even if we’re not planning to host a U-Pick strawberry patch in our backyards.

Tips for Growing Strawberries

  1. Don’t pick the flowers- While this may seem like a no-brainer, the blooms on a strawberry plant are actually the strawberries themselves. So leave them be, and roughly 21 days later you’ll have a ripe berry.
  2. Mound it up- Growing berries in a raised bed is wonderful for drainage, but if you’re planting in a traditional row (or in a random bed like us) then be sure to create a mound for your plant. This helps keep the berries from sitting in water, which could lead to rotting. And if possible, use drip irrigation to keep from spraying down your strawberry plants with water.
  3. Cut off the runners- We’re not talking about those folks who jog past your house in short shorts, but rather those long shoots that come out of your strawberry plant looking to create a sister plant. Sister plants are great if you’re primarily looking to create more plants for next year, but if you want a higher yield, then cut those runners back so your plant focuses its energy on making berries.
  4. Watch out for visitors- These visitors can be of the weed variety or the bug variety. Strawberries do tend to be susceptible to weeds and pests, so be sure to keep your bed weeded and keep an eye out for ground-loving pests who love strawberries as much as you do.

berries

So tend those strawberry plants like a pro and see a higher yield this season. I’d love to know if you’ve had success growing strawberries in your own back yard, and what is your favorite thing to do with them? Happy Gardening!

by 1 Comment

Strawberry Planting with Little Gardeners

Kids…they grow like weeds, or in this case, strawberries. I’m certain that only yesterday I was pushing this chubby faced guy in our small blue swing in the backyard. He was, and is, sweetness through and through. Bec-toddler

He wasn’t an only child for very long before his very exuberant and delightful little sister came along. There’s no memory of life without her as far as he’s concerned. But my how they have grown! They (and now their little brother) are all my garden helpers, worm finders, and taste testers, and I’m hanging on to each memory we’re making, including planting these sweet little strawberry plants.

planting strawberries

A friend blessed with some strawberry plants that grew off of her’s from the year before (sister plants-bonus for us!). And as we searched for the perfect spot, and dug down deep to make sure those roots had plenty of room, I was overcome with how these strawberries would grow just as fast as my babies have. And how I pray that my kids’ roots will grow just as strong and steady as those here in the ground.

These strawberries will soon be sending out shoots and sister plants, blooming out sweet red berries along the way. And isn’t that what we do as parents? Send out those growing plants and hopefully give them what they need to grow and thrive? Strawberries, much like children, are pretty resilient, and if you plant them in a good spot, give them some love and care, they will grow, and grow, and grow.

Each year these bright green berry plants should come back, so we picked a place that would:

  1. Get plenty of sun!
  2. Give the plants room to spread without taking over.
  3. Not be overly wet if we get heavy rain.
  4. Not be mowed over when they start spreading out. (There was no place that they were safe from the littlest gardeners feet though.)
  5. Have a mulchy (is that even a word?) cover to help keep in moisture, and to also protect the plants in the winter months.

little gardener

 

We opted for a spot just beyond the lawn, and though there is a bit of tree cover, this place still gets plenty of sun during the day. While digging our holes, we saw quite a few worms, so we knew the soil was rich and ready to go! Blossoms had already started peeking through on the plants, and a tiny green berry or two were also making an appearance. We hope to have some sweet berries soon, and our local strawberry farms are opening up their fields for picking in about a week! I have some super tasty recipes coming up for you, from strawberry spinach salad to sweet strawberry buttercream frosting (which just happened to be on our girly gardener’s birthday cake)!

So, think about adding some sweet berries to your garden spot this year (or even to just a well lit bed in your yard) with the help of a mini-gardener or too. Who doesn’t love a little help in the garden, even if there is a squished plant or two along the way?

Latest from Instagram

thekitchengarten

Courtney Johnson
           

Copyright © 2020 · Theme by 17th Avenue

Copyright © 2020 · Eleanor on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

%d bloggers like this: