1Yes, I know these chairs are super trendy and will probably look uber silly in a few years but I got to tell you…they were made for families with kids. Bing has tried to personally destroy ours and much to my satisfaction has not even came close to success. We did have to use some Loctite in order to keep the screws from loosening but other than that these have been a dream to use and clean./2My absolute favorite vanilla is Nielsin Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste. The name of the product says it all in this case./3Dressing my man is quite possibly my favorite thing next to dressing my kids. About 6 months ago I purchased several items from River Island’s mens clearance and could not be happier with the clothing. I will be shopping there again, and for the whole family./4For Jettie’s 5th birthday celebration we are going all out with Mary Poppins. Oh the ideas are spreading like wildfire and I am almost overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Must be party season! Absolutely cannot wait for this one!/5While we are on the subject I came across this skirt from H&M and thought how perfect for a Mary Poppins soirée. The price has me thinking no, but my heart says LOOOOOVE! I mean, it sort of looks like a carper bag pattern. UGH!/6Okay you guys, I really love snapchat. Even though I feel way old hanging out on there I can’t help but enjoy the filters and the silliness. You can find me at ppj_brandyj. (Warning, I am so not cool or funny…lame city in fact.)/7These pancakes, which I didn’t post too long ago, are seriously THE BEST. We have made them 3 times since the post went live. Sort of embarrassing but really just a nod to the fact that we do indeed enjoy our breakfast food. Make them if you have an obsession for the first meal of the day like us!
Looking for a perfect throw together weekday meal option? Want something healthy but also very filling and of course delicious? This is the dish for you.
Very similar to enchilada soup except this one is thrown in a large skillet and finished off in the oven. The flavors are bold, the textures compliment each other perfectly and most importantly, it keeps everyone in my family happy. Score!
If you have yet to dive into quinoa please do so immediately. It’s full of protein, packed with all sorts of good for you nutrients and it’s absolutely delicious. You will find yourself using it in soups, salads, casseroles, even desserts.
If you are on a vegan diet simply omit the cheese. [And yes, I will still claim that this dish is healthy even with the cheese. It’s only a little guys!]
This is certainly a dish you can play around with..feel free to sauté some onions or peppers with the garlic and jalapeño. You could also try switching up your enchilada sauce by using red instead of green (we are a green enchilada sauce family). Do not skip the garnishes though. There’s something about that creamy avocado, cilantro and zap of lime that makes this dish absolutely amazing.
2 10oz cans enchilada sauce (or 1 can and one cups of water if you are watching salt intake)
1 10oz can Ro-Tel
1cup corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 corn tortillas, halved and cut into ¼" strips
½cup grated cheddar cheese
1 avocado halved, pitted, peeled and diced.
¼cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Place olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeño and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, just enough for the flavors to release.
Add quinoa, enchilada sauce, Ro-Tel, corn and black beans. Stir. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked.
Turn the broiler in the oven on. Place the tortillas strips and cheese evenly on top of the enchilada bake. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Keep your eye on it! (Omit this stipe if you want to keep dish vegan.)
Put avocado and cilantro on top of bake and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Pavlova…basically a giant meringue cookie. Or in this case 2 giant meringue cookies stuffed with light, decadent mascarpone whipped cream and topped with sweet yet tangy balsamic strawberry sauce. Believe it or not this is in fact as good as it looks and sounds.
Young MC said it best…”I ate so much I nearly split my pants.”
Every bite is a little crisp, airy like a cloud and that oh so creamy mascarpone….to. die. for. Let’s not forget about that sauce, it sort of looks like chocolate but instead is tangy, rich strawberry balsamic sauce. Cuts through all the sweetness of the meringue and cream layers like a dream.
You may be thinking “this look like a real pain in the booty to make Brandy.” Luckily you’re wrong, well sort of wrong at least.
It’s incredibly simple to prepare and assemble. The only part that is the pain in the booty is the amount of time it takes to bake. 2 1/2 hours in the oven with at least another half hour for cooling. So no last minuting pavlova-ing, but believe it’s worth all that bake time.
Typically I would only make half this recipe which would end up being a single layer of pavlova. I was in “go big or go home” mood though so 2 layers it is. I absolutely love how it looks like layer cake. Pancakes, cookies, cake, pavlova….they just look even more glorious stacked.
This would be a perfect dessert to impress at a dinner party, book club, brunch, shower…anywhere that calls for something different and beautiful. If making for your family I would suggest halving the recipe and making just one layer. Jettie loved it but wasn’t over the moon with the sauce. She thought maybe we should make a s’mores pavlova next time. The girl may be on to something…
Enjoy!
5.0 from 1 reviews
pavlova with mascarpone whipped cream & balsamic strawberry sauce
4cups plus 1cup hulled and diced strawberries, divided
¼cup brown sugar
1tsp kosher salt
¼tsp lemon zest
Instructions
Preheat the oven 350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl for a stand up mix fit with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 2 minutes at high and then add vinegar and corn starch, while still whisking. Keeping the machine on, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Once sugar is all in continue whisking until meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form. About 7 to 8 minutes.
Take half the meringue and place on a baking sheet. With the back of a large spoon, form into a 9" circle. Repeat with the remaining half on the other sheet. Place both in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 225ºF after you close the door. Bake for 90 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the oven off, leaving the pavlova in with the door closed for another hour. After that time is up remove pavlova and place on a baking sheet until completely cooled.
To make the cream place the mascarpone and whipped cream in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Slowly whisk at first, building up to full speed after a minute or two (this is to keep the cream from going all over). Whisk on high for a couple of minutes adding the almond extract, if using, towards the end. You should have soft peaks in your cream. Set aside until ready to use.
For the sauce place the balsamic in a medium sauce pan and place over medium high heat until it boils. Turn down to a simmer and allow to simmer until it's reduced to about ¼cup. Add the 4 cups of berries, brown sugar, salt and zest, stir and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and smash the strawberries with the back of wooden spoon. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then add the remaining cup of diced berries to brighten it up. Allow to cool completely before using.
To assemble the pavlova, place one pavlova on a cake stand and top with half of the cream. Top that with half of the strawberry sauce and then place the other pavlova on top of that. Repeat with the cream and sauce (allow the sauce to spill down the sides a bit). Slice like you would a cake and enjoy! Keep covered in the fridge, best if ate within 24 hours.
I absolutely love strawberries, but dislike pretty much every product I have ever smelled that claims it is “strawberry”. The smell is typically way too sweet and extremely artificial. That would be okay if I wanted to smell like Strawberry Shortcake..but I don’t.
So here is my version of smelling like a strawberry. It’s fresh, light and just little bit fruity. The coconut oil compliments it so well, while leaving the skin smooth of course.
Ingredients:
1/4c coconut oil
3 strawberries
1/3c sugar
Place coconut oil in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times. Add the strawberries and blend until well combined and as smooth as you can get it. (You may need to scrape the sides a few times.) Add the sugar and pulse twice to combine. Store in a jar fitted with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Once in the shower wet skin with warm water. Take a 1 to 2 tbsp of scrub and rub gently into the skin. Continue all over the body (avoiding open areas). Rinse in warm water (be so very careful, coconut oil can get slippery in the tub) and dab skin dry gently with towel afterwards. Apply coconut body lotion for a nice finish.
This recipe almost fits perfectly in a 4oz jar. (I used the excess for my hands. It’s a win-win.)
You could amp this up by adding sweet almond oil or vitamin E. You could also use a coarse sugar or even sea salt to really get the scrub on (although the salt would not taste as good). If wanting to make as a gift, simply replace the fresh berries with a couple tablespoons of ground freeze dried berries. This will allow the mixture to last much longer.
Give this mix a try the next time you pick up a pack of berries! You will love smelling like a strawberry!
xoxo,
***Always test a small patch of skin for allergies or reactions before doing any home treatments. Also avoid the eyes and other body openings. Use caution in tubs and on floors as coconut oil can be very slippery.***
We are a baseball family…sort of. Sticky, he will stay up till 2AM to watch the Reds lose in a 16 inning game. Me, I love going to the ballpark. Thankfully our kids seem to have the baseball bug too.
There’s just something about that first game. It feels so good to know that last minute dates with the ballpark are available again. Obviously we did not make it to Cincy today (we are Reds fans, in case that wasn’t clear) but I did zap some red into my casual Monday outfit. Complete with a little man and some Mickey Mouse. It doesn’t quite scream “Redlegs fans” but there were baseball hats involved so we looked the part.
There was some intense jumping happening in order to get that kid to smile and not scream about rather being on the ground, aka “on the loose”. At one point my foot slipped and I landed in a way that made my hip hurt. Just saying the words “oh, I did something to my hip” instantly made me feel ancient. Kids really do age a person…in the best way possible.
Obviously it was cold today, well chilly, but it felt cold because we have had such a mild winter. Jettie wanted no part of an outdoor photo shoot. Bing on the other hand grabbed his hat and vest while wearing just a diaper before the words “You want to go bye-bye?” could get completely out of my mouth.
Sticky used to always wear a baseball cap, and it was almost always backwards. I don’t know what it is about my boys in their backwards caps…all I know is it’s an instant swoon factor for me.
Look at those intense eyes and that wind up. Future Big Leaguer? Who knows. Future heartbreaker? Without a doubt.
