Blueberry Lemon Bars

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again,
but I love pretty much anything with lemon in it.
Savory eats, sweet treats and drinks with lemon are all my jam.
So when I found this recipe, it quickly went on my list of things to make.

Not only did it sound amazing,
but it seemed like a cinch to make too.
I don't think a week went by before I whipped one up,
and it was completely devoured in just two days!!!

Keep reading to see how I made these yummy Blueberry Lemon Bars!

The Goods:

Graham Crackers

Butter

Granulated Sugar

Lemons

Eggs

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Blueberries

Put your graham crackers in a large zipper bag

and then begin to crush them to make crumbs.

I used an entire pack and had more than enough.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and lemon zest.

Mix with a fork until everything is combined and crumbs are moistened. 

Press the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

It make take a little longer depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

While the crust is cooling, it's time to make the filling!

In a large bowl, add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 egg yolks.

Whisk those together until combined. 

Next add the lemon zest and lemon juice.

Stir the mixture to incorporate the zest and juice.

Finally, add the blueberries to the lemon filling...

And gently fold in your fresh blueberries.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Filling should be set and not jiggle at all.  

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least an hour.

Do your best to be patient because this helps the bars set.

Finally, cut the bars into squares to be devoured by your friends!

You can tell I was a little inpatient and did cut the bars a bit too early.

Don't be like me and wait until the bars are fully set!

They still tasted absolutely amazing, 

but weren't as pretty as I'd like if I'm being honest.

Lemon Blueberry Bars

Inspired by Moms Need To Know

For the Crust:

1 1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

8 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Teaspoons Lemon Zest

For the Filling:

2 Egg Yolks

1 (14 Ounce) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

1. Put your graham crackers in a large zipper bag and begin to crush them to make crumbs.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and lemon zest. Mix with a fork until everything is combined and crumbs are moistened. 
3. Press the mixture into a greased 8X8 pan and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. It make take a little longer depending on your oven. Remove from oven and cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 egg yolks. Whisk until combined.
5. Next add the lemon zest and lemon juice and then stir to incorporate both.
6. Finally, add the blueberries to the lemon filling and gently fold them in.
7. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for about 15 minutes. The filling should be set and not giggle at all.  
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least an hour. Do your best to be patient because this helps the bars set.
9. Finally, cut the bars into squares to be devoured by your friends

Baked Donut Monday: Lemon Poppy Seed

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about some super tasty

LEMON POPPY SEED BAKED DONUTS!

I'm a HUGE fan of lemon desserts,

and had yet to make a lemon baked donut,

so when I found this recipe I had to add it to my list!

The Goods:

Flour

Baking Powder

Salt

Poppy Seeds

Sugar

Eggs

Milk

Butter

Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon Zest

Vanilla

Powdered Sugar

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds in a large bowl.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, butter, 

lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in another bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Then mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag.

Cut off the end of the zipper bag 

and fill your greased donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

You can test that they're done with a toothpick.

Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

While donuts are cooling, make your lemon glaze

by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.  

If glaze is too thick, add just a little more lemon juice to thin out.

Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and return to wire rack for glaze to set.

Finally taste test your donut!

Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts 

Adapted from Dessert Now Dinner Later

For the Donuts:

2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds

2/3 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

2/3 Cup Milk

4 Tablespoons Butter - melted and cooled

4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

4 Teaspoons Lemon Zest

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

For the Glaze:

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in another bowl.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
4. Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag. 
5. Cut off the end of the zipper bag and fill your greased donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can test that they're done with a toothpick.
7. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
8. While donuts are cooling, make your lemon glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.  If glaze is too thick, add just a little more lemon juice to thin out.
9. Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and return to wire rack for glaze to set.
10. Finally, taste test your donut!

Whiskey Wednesday: Irish Redhead

Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

In April, I started a fun new blog series - 

Whiskey Wednesday!!!

If you missed them, here are the last three:
Irish Mule, Mint Julep and Bourbon & Sparkling Lemonade.

And make sure to check back each month for a new recipe!

Whiskey Wednesday will happen every first Wednesday of the month.

When I started this blog series a few months ago,

I asked for input from friends, but also did some research myself.

While doing so, I found a recipe for an Irish Redhead.

Seeing that I am both Irish and a redhead,

add in the fact that I'm a whiskey fan,

 and this drink seemed PERFECT for me!

Now let me show you how it's made.

The Goods:

Irish Whiskey

Grenadine

Sprite

Lemon

Lime

Start with 3 ounces of Irish Whiskey...

Add 1 ounce of grenadine...

The juice from half a lemon...

And then the juice from half a lime.

Stir everything so it's combined...

And pour that mixture over ice.

Lastly, add 6 ounces of Sprite.

Garnish with more fresh lemon and lime.

And finally - drink on your balcony on a nice Summer evening!!!

Spring Quinoa Salad

I'm a BIG fan of quinoa and recipes that use the super grain.

By far, my favorite way to eat it is salad form.

You can see past recipes I've shared here, here and here!

Quite often I bring some version of quinoa salad to work for lunch.

In fact, my coworkers have caught on to my love of quinoa salad

and one even shared a link with me that she thought I'd like.

While browsing the link the next day,

I quickly realized I already had one of the links bookmarked!

I already had plans to make it and had forgotten!

Because of my awesome coworker, I was reminded of this recipe!

I found my Asian Quinoa Salad Recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod,

so I had a feeling I'd really enjoy another recipe from them too!

The Goods:

Cooked Quinoa

Asparagus

Peas

Avocado

Olive Oil

Honey

Lemon Juice

Basil

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

First step - make your lemon basil dressing.

In a deep bowl or jar, combine the following:

olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

Whisk or shake to combine.

Next wash and cut your asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Heat olive oil to medium, then add the asparagus and lemon juice.

Cook for about 5 minutes - until asparagus is tender.

Add your peas, stir and cook an additional 2 minutes.

While the asparagus and peas are cooking, chop up your basil.

Now the fun begins - adding and mixing everything together!

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, asparagus and peas, then toss.

Now add the dressing and basil, then mix again until well coated.

The original recipe called for adding the avocado before tossing,

but since I was going to be enjoying this for the next few days,

I decided to add diced avocado right before eating!

Now the only thing left is to dig in and enjoy!!!

Spring Quinoa Salad

Adapted from Two Peas & The Pod's Recipe!

For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Honey
1 Clove Garlic - Minced
1 Tablespoon Basil - Chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the salad:
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
15 Spears Asparagus - cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Cup Frozen Peas
1 to 2 Avocados
1/4 Cup Basil - Chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Cook your quinoa according to package directions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. In a deep bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to combine.
3. Heat olive oil to medium, then add the asparagus and lemon juice. Cook for about 5 minutes - until asparagus is tender.
4. Add your peas, stir and cook an additional 2 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, asparagus and peas, then toss.
6. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture, add the chopped basil and then mix again until well coated.
7. Right before serving/eating, add fresh chopped avocado.