Easy Melon Sorbet and Watermelon-Strawberry Slush

I love summer. The heat doesn't bother me that much and I would definitely rather be hot than cold. I know there are many people out there who completely disagree with me and I happen to be married to one of them.
Anyway, the weather here in Georgia seems to have taken a turn for the hotter, which goes hand in hand with more humidity. The past week has been pretty sticky and hot.

This type of weather means that cold refreshment is absolutely necessary.

I saw this recipe/idea for Easy Melon Sorbet and the picture looked so refreshing that I went out and bought a canteloupe, a honeydew melon and a watermelon.

It turns out, it really was that easy. Not that making sorbet it difficult, but this one doesn't even include a simple syrup, so there are only a few steps.

I cut up my melons, froze them in a ziploc bag and then pureed them, the following day. I had to add a Tablespoon or 2 of water to each batch of melon, to help smooth it out, but my melons were so sweet and tasty that I didn't add any sugar to them.
We loved this easy frozen melon treat. I actually finished it of last night and it was so delicious.

The other little drink came about when I had some watermelon cubes and we wanted a frosty/slushy drink, so I decided to combine the watermelon with some frozen strawberries I had on hand and it turned out really delicious.

Easy and refreshing!



Easy Melon Sorbet from Martha Stewart Living
Enjoy this frozen fruit dessert without a lot of bother or even an ice-cream maker. All you need are a few fresh melons and a food processor.
First, cube a melon and freeze it in a food-storage bag.
When you're ready to make sorbet, place frozen melon in the food processor, and puree.
You may need to add water to smooth. Add sugar to taste, and puree again.
Serve immediately, or store in the freezer in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Watermelon-Strawberry Slush by Mary Ann
4-5 cups watermelon cubes
2 cups frozen strawberries (or more, until slushy consistency is achieved)

Place watermelon cubes and frozen strawberries in the food processor or blender and process until blended and slushy. Pour into glasses and serve.
(I guess you could add sugar, but it tasted great without any)

Tropical Fruit Salad with Mint and Spices

Who is excited for Spring? Raise your hand and shout!
I can't wait for spring to officially be here. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a fan of cold weather or snow. I love sunshine. I would rather be hot than cold. Sweat doesn't bother me at all. Chills and brrrrr- I am not a fan.
This recipe made me feel tropical. And since spring is soo close (2 days away), I decided it wouldn't be too horrible if I posted this recipe with all these delicious fruits.

The picture for this recipe in the New Mayo Clinic Cookbook just really made me want to make this fruit salad immediately. The little flecks of vanilla bean and all the bright colors of the fruits- It looked absolutely heavenly.
I noticed mangoes, papaya, raspberries, and kiwis at the grocery store and they were not too expensive, so I bought them. Throw in some canteloupe and banana and you are good to go.

My girls helped me cut up the fruit, make the divine syrup, and stir everything together. They are such good helpers.

The syrup that goes over the fruit calls for honey, lemon juice, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, a vanilla bean and coriander. What? coriander? That was my original thought when I saw coriander on the ingredient list, but I was brave and I added it and it really added a little extra something to the syrup. The syrup reminded me of mulling cider when it was bubbling away on the stove. I loved that it wasn't overly sweet, but very full of flavor. It was warm(not temperature, but ya know?) and soothing, yet cool and refreshing all at once.

It was unbelievable with the fruit and mint. I never would have thought to combine all these fruits, flavors and spices. It was amazing.

The recipe said that the syrup was really great over pancakes. I was really hoping we could try it that way. But it just disappeared too fast.

Recipe for Tropical Fruit Salad with Mint and Spices

Breakfast Banana Split

I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I did see it in a cookbook somewhere and I thought it was too cute to pass up.
I am always looking for new ways to make breakfast healthier and more exciting.

This breakfast takes the idea of a banana split and makes it breakfast worthy (although I am not against eating ice cream for breakfast :-)

I found these cute little banana split dishes at Publix and thought they really just added another element of fun to this whole idea. This is also a versatile breakfast idea- you can change up the fruits and toppings with whatever you like best.

Breakfast Banana Split
1 banana, split in half lengthwise
assorted melon balls- I used canteloupe and honeydew
yogurt
granola
berries- I used blueberries and raspberries

Place your sliced banana in a dish. Top with melon balls and yogurt. Sprinkle granola and berries on top. Eat
Ta-da!
Wasn't that easy?

P.S. if you look closely at the spoon, you can see my reflection- kinda made me laugh

and you still have time to enter my giveaway!

One Year Ago- Grandma Ruthardt's Sloppy Joes on Prudy's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Weekend Brunch- Monkey Bread Minis, Canteloupe-Peach Salad with Honey-Lime Drizzle, Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Thyme, and Berry Smoothie

One of my favorite things about the weekend is how things slow down a little bit in the morning. Unfortunately, my kids don't sleep in, they get up early, but I don't feel as rushed as I do during the week. I can send them downstairs to watch some cartoons and spend a little time on a great breakfast. Some prefer to stay in the kitchen and help me and that is fine too.

I saw these Monkey Bread Minis in the last issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray and knew they were a must try. I just had to fit them in somewhere. I thought maybe for an afterschool treat, but decided they would be better as a breakfast item. They were devoured. I almost didn't get to try one because they disappeared so fast. Yum-O, as she would say. Definitely worth the time, but if you want to make something similar without making the dough from scratch, check out Picky Palates recipe- I plan to make those on a weekday morning because these monkey bread minis are just too fun and cute, not to mention tasty, to make again!
The smoothie was thrown in because I had a bit of frozen yogurt and a small amount of frozen berries, so I blended them up.
Canteloupe is cheap right now and we have been eating it everyday. Plus there are all those fresh peaches from the tree outside, so I livened it up a little with a bit of honey and some lime.

Had to have some protein in there and ever since I made the Barefoot Contessa's Herbed Baked Eggs, I throw in fresh thyme everytime I make eggs for breakfast. It makes them so scrumptious!
So, if you have the time, have a nice laid back brunch. This one will fill you up for quite awhile and if you don't have time, make some, you won't be sorry!




Monkey Bread Mini's from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine
For muffins
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 buttermilk, chilled
For icing
1 cup powder sugar
2 tbsp whole milk

To make muffins—
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a small bowl microwave 4 tbsp butter and maple syrup at high power until melted, about 30 secs; stir. Set aside.
In another small bowl combine 1/3 granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, the remaining 2 tbsp granulated sugar and salt; pulse to combine. Cut the remaining 1 stick of butter into smaller pieces and pulse with flour mixture until course crumbs form. Pulse in the buttermilk until the dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; pat into a 10 inch square. Quarter the dough, then cut each quarter into 16 equal pieces; roll into balls. Dip each ball into the maple butter then dip in the sugar mixture. Place about 5 to 6 maple-sugar balls into the muffin cup and press to compact.Bake until cooked through and golden, about 15-17 minutes. (Tent with foil if the tops darken too quickly.) Transfer muffin pan to rack and cool for 10 minutes. Using a knife; loosen the sides of the monkey bread; invert and serve warm.
To make icing— Mix powder sugar and milk. Drizzle over the bread as it cools

Canteloupe-Peach Salad with Honey-Lime Drizzle by Mary Ann
1 canteloupe, cubed and refrigerated overnight
3 peaches, peeled or not, cut into bite size pieces
2-3 Tbls honey
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1/4 or 1/2 lime (as much as you like)

Combine refrigerated canteloupe and fresh cut peaches in a bowl.
In another small bowl, stir together honey and lime juice, until well mixed. Stir in zest.
Spoon canteloupe-peach mixture into bowls and drizzle honey-lime mixture over top.

Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Thyme by Mary Ann
8 eggs
splash of skim milk
salt and pepper
1/2 cup any shredded cheese
fresh thyme

Whisk together eggs and milk. Heat a skillet and spray with cooking spray. Pour in egg mixture and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top. Scramble, and just before they are cooked the way you prefer, sprinkle in some fresh thyme, or when you plate the eggs, sprinkle fresh thyme on top.

Berry Smoothie by Mary Ann
1 1/2 cups Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Yogurt Blends Berry Granola Crunch
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. This will be thick, so you might have to use a spoon!