Strawberries and Cream Pie

April 20, 2012 by

Alright kids, take a seat and get comfy. Today we are going to talk about what happens when you let your family try to style your photos. Let me just say, it’s not a good idea. Ever. It’s a bad idea for a few reasons:

1. They aren’t really there to help. They really just want you to hurry up and take the photos so they can eat the damn thing. Truth.
2. The pressure to hurry up will stress you out to the max, thus resulting in not your best photos.

and 3. They have no idea what they are doing. Case in point:

Strawberries and Cream Pie

And

Strawberries and Cream Pie

So, as you can see, family members + photo styling = bad idea. That concludes today’s lesson. I hope you took good notes.

Now, how ’bout this pie, eh? The day before Easter, I was in the kitchen at my mom’s house making 40 manicotti shells. One at a time. About halfway through the process, my mom who was at the store gave me a call and said that she didn’t think my brother’s key lime pie was going to be enough for 12 people for dessert. Earlier in the day, I was perusing some of my favorite blogs and I came across this Strawberries and Cream Pie from Lindsey of Gingerbread Bagels. Everything on Lindsey’s blog looks amaze-balls, but this pie really stuck in my mind that day, because, um, hello, it looks delicious! So, I told my mom to pick up some of the ingredients at the store so I could make it.

Strawberries and Cream Pie

You might remember my story from my post last week about Mikey’s Key Lime Pie. Apparently Mikey was feeling threatened about this pie, but like I said before, both pies were the bomb! This Strawberries and Cream Pie is pretty simple to make and is so SO yummy! I think my favorite part is the crumb topping! Aside from my pie almost being burned, it came out pretty good, but Lindsey’s was way better-looking. I followed Lindsey’s recipe almost exactly except I used a little less sugar and refrigerated crust since I was so dang tired from already standing in the kitchen for 3 hours. Your second lesson of the day?! Make this pie!

Print
Strawberries and Cream Pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients

  • 1 refrigerated pie crust
    • For the Filling
  • 2 pints strawberries, stems removed and sliced
  • 1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • For the Crumb Topping
  • 2 1/2 tbs. brown sugar
  • 2 tbs. sugar (I used 1 tbs.)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tbs. all purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Roll out the pie crust and press into a pie dish. Shape the edges in to desired shape. Set aside.
    3. For the Filling
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and sugar together.
  4. Add in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix for about 3 minutes.
  5. Place the strawberries into the pie crust. Pour the filling evenly over the strawberries.
    6. For the Crumb Topping
  6. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the melted butter.
  7. Add in the flour and use your hands or a spatula to combine until the mixture has a crumbly texture.
  8. Distribute the crumb topping evenly over the top of the pie.
  9. Bake the pie for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  10. Let pie cool for at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

Recipe from Gingerbread Bagels

http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/04/strawberries-and-cream-pie/
Filed Under: Desserts · Tagged With: , , 48 Comments

Peach Grapefruit Sangria

April 4, 2012 by

Sangria. I freaking love it. Sangria makes me think of warm weather and being outside. Sitting on the porch in a nice comfy chair, looking at some pretty scenery, a pool, kids playing. Surrounded by good friends and family. Ah, heaven.

Now, if only that was the actual situation at my apartment. Instead of seeing a beautifully landscaped backyard, I see another building, bugs, and the annoying kids in the complex who play on our back stairs and mess things up on our porch (“Damn you kids, get off my lawn!”). Sigh. At least I can pretend I’m sitting poolside sans tons of bugs and misbehaved children.

Oh, and quick side note. I just realized that the last three posts I have done all have booze in them. No, I do not have a drinking problem. I just like using booze in my cooking. Except for this sangria, I do love to drink this sangria. I love this sangria because the grapefruit gives it a nice tang and it’s not overly sweet.

Print
Peach Grapefruit Sangria

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 glasses

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle white wine (go for something light and fruity)
  • 2 cups peaches, diced
  • 1/2 grapefruit, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups peach soda or ginger ale
  • 1/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup water (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine the wine, peaches, grapefruit, and soda or ginger ale in a large pitcher.
  2. If you want the sangria to be sweeter, heat sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves to make a simple syrup. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir in the simple syrup to reach desired sweetness.
  3. Refrigerate the sangria for at least two hours before serving.

Notes

Want to make your sangria more fizzy? Swap out the wine for some champagne!

http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/04/peach-grapefruit-sangria/
Filed Under: Cocktails, Drinks · Tagged With: , , , , 29 Comments

Italian Biscuit Cookies

March 28, 2012 by

Alright, let’s talk childhood fashion for a minute. I’m sure we all have had crazy 80′s hair and ugly outfits, but my worst fashion memory was neither of those things. For me, it was glasses. But, not like, cute little kid glasses. I’m talkin’ HUGE glasses. Like the size of Russia big.

Bless my grandma’s heart. She took me to get glasses one day after a yearly eye exam. There was a glasses shop on the first floor of the medical building where my doctor was. And this old lady working there, who, by the way, had like zero fashion sense, told my grandma that even though I was a kid, my head was big enough to fit into adult glasses. So my grandma decided to get me adult glasses. But, let me tell you, my head was NOT big enough to fit into adult glasses. These glasses took up like 75% of my face. No joke. I didn’t really care at first and plus I was a kid, what did I know about what really looked good? I just wanted pink glasses.

I’m forever traumatized by my Russia-sized glasses. My family and friends still make fun of me for those glasses. I’ll never live it down. Luckily, my husband still wanted to marry me despite seeing pictures of said glasses. I think I will be okay. But, I will never buy Russia-sized glasses for my kid.

And as for Grandma, it’s okay, I still luh you, girl.

These cookies also remind me of my childhood, my grandma, and my momma. We have made these Italian biscuit cookies every Easter for as long as I can remember. Usually on Holy Saturday followed by coloring Easter eggs. They are so simple. And then comes the icing. To this day, I have yet to master the powdered sugar to milk ratio. And don’t even get me started on how much powdered sugar was all over my kitchen, my clothes, and even in my bra (TMI?). But, whatever, it’s totally worth it because these cookies are tradition.

Print
Italian Biscuit Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

    For the Cookies
  • 6 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract
  • 3 heaping teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • pinch of salt
    • For the Icing
  • approx. 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • approx. 8 tablespoons milk
  • food coloring
  • lemon extract (optional)

Instructions

    To make the Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.
  2. Beat the eggs until fluffy. Add the oil, vanilla or lemon extract, and sugar and mix until well-combined. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to mix. Dough should be sticky, but not so sticky that you can't shape it with your hands. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
  3. Rub some vegetable oil on your hands. Roll pieces of dough into a finger-shape and then shape into a circle, ribbon, or whatever shape you desire and place onto the pan.
  4. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Allow to cool completely before icing.
    5. To make the Icing
  5. I usually do four colors: pink, blue, green, and yellow. You will need a separate bowl for each color you want. Sift one cup of confectioners' sugar into each bowl. Add about 1 tablespoon of the milk at a time to each bowl and stir. The glaze should be thick enough that when you dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and put down, most of the glaze remains on the cookie, but not so thick that it clumps and doesn't drizzle down the sides. If the glaze runs off the cookie too quickly or only goes on in a really thin layer, then add additional confectioners' sugar to thicken.
  6. Add a small drop of food coloring to each bowl and stir.
  7. Line your counter with wax paper. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing and then place on the wax paper. Allow for the icing to dry completely before storing into a container. These cookies also freeze well if needed.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/03/italian-biscuit-cookies/
Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts · Tagged With: , , , 59 Comments

Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

March 19, 2012 by

Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

I have a new favorite pizza. If I could, I would change my facebook status to say that I am in a relationship with this pizza (sorry husband), that’s how much I love this pizza.

Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

It’s been in high 80′s here in sunny Florida. Spring has arrived. And while I despise the hot weather (mostly because of the humidity that comes with it here), I have been craving fruits, vegetables, and salads like it’s nobody’s business. We like to make homemade pizzas on the the weekend. I wanted some pizza, but I also wanted a big salad. I love to have salads with pizza. I love to dip the crust in dressing and I always find myself putting my salad on my pizza. So why not just make a salad pizza?! This Greek salad grilled pizza was the perfect choice. It has a nice thin, crispy crust and it’s piled high with a simple, but delicious, Greek salad! The vinaigrette is light, but adds great flavor to the salad. It just screams spring and summer!

Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

Print
Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. fresh pizza dough
  • 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups fresh arugula (or lettuce of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbs. chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
    • For the vinaigrette:
  • 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbs. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough until it is about 1/4" thick. Brush half of the olive oil on one side of the dough and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the oiled side down on the heated grill/pan and grill for about 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. While the first side is face down on the grill. Brush the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper on the other side. Turn the dough over and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes until browned.
  2. Remove the dough off the grill/pan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. It will melt as the dough is still warm.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside.
  4. Spread the arugula, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta evenly over the pizza. Drizzle as much of the vinaigrette as you desire over the pizza.

Notes

You can also mix all of the salad ingredients in a separate bowl and mix with the dressing and then you can add it to the pizza. Whatever works best for you! If you use an outdoor grill for your pizza dough, be careful! I recommend only lighting half the grill and cooking the dough on the side that is not lit to avoid burning. You may also want to flip your dough more frequently. If you don't want to make your own dressing, you can also use your favorite Greek-style dressing.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/03/greek-salad-grilled-pizza/

Greek Salad Grilled Pizza

Like this pizza? Then you must try my Cobb Salad Pizza!
Filed Under: Appetizers, Low-Fat, Pizzas, Sides, Snacks, Vegetarian/Vegan · Tagged With: , , , , , , , 77 Comments