Simply Made Recipes

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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles are made with fresh strawberries, plain Greek yogurt, honey and granola for the perfect summer breakfast or healthy treat on a hot day. 

Weather has been crazy this spring and Cincinnati has had one of the wettest years EVER so far so outside play and hot sunny days has been pretty minimal. I know those hot muggy days are coming though and these popsicles will be perfect! Honestly- the kids don’t even care what the weather is like though, they love these things. 

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles starts with a tangy Greek yogurt. Sweet strawberries and a touch of honey are added for great flavor. The tops have granola added for a play off a morning yogurt parfait but honestly, granola is optional. 



 Tips & Tricks

Yogurt

Not everyone is a fan of Greek yogurt. If you are one of those people, you can substitute for a yogurt you do like.  Mixing in some honey into the plain Greek yogurt is sometimes a good way to sweeten it to your liking. Greek yogurt does have a great texture is a bit thicker than other yogurts so keep that in mind when picking a yogurt.

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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles are made with fresh strawberries, plain Greek yogurt, honey and granola for the perfect summer breakfast or healthy treat on a hot day. 

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword popsicle
Prep Time 7 minutes
Freeze Time 3 hours
Servings 10 popsicles
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Popsicle Mold
  • Food Processor

Ingredients

Strawberry Layer

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and halved
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
  • honey

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

  • Greek yogurt plain
  • 5 fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
  • granola

Instructions

  • Wash and hull the strawberries. Slice 5 strawberries and cut another 2 cups worth into halves.

Strawberry Layer

  • Place the halved strawberries into food processor with 1/2 cup yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Blend until smooth.

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

  • Place a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt into the bottom of each popsicle mold.
  • Add 3 strawberry slices into each.
  • Fill each mold with the strawberry Layer mix.
  • Top each mold with another spoonful of plain Greek Yogurt and some granola.
  • Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

Sweet and Salty Cookies

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Sweet and Salty Cookies are made with dark chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, mini pretzels, sea salt and basic baking ingredients for a delicious combination of sweet and salty. 

Cookies are made A LOT in my house. There is just something so comforting about a warm cookie from the oven with the melty chocolate chips and gooey insides. Plus, baking cookies is just a fun activity to do with the kids while they learn about measuring and real life chemistry with how ingredients interact with each other. 


 

Sweet and Salty Cookies

Sweet and Salty Cookies taste just how you would think they would. You have nice big chunks of sweet chocolate, the caramel-like soft butterscotch surprise, salty pretzels that also give extra texture and a sprinkle of sea salt to finish. 

Tips & Tricks

Softened Butter

Give the butter time to soften before making a cookie batter. This will help it incorporate with the sugars just right and give the perfect consistency. 

Let it Chill

Put the prepared cookie batter into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking cookies. This helps solidify the fat in the cookies which helps keep the cookies from spreading out too much while baking. 

Baking Powder and Water

The combination of baking powder and water causes a chemical reaction. You can see the reaction with the bubbles that form and that combination is immediately put into the cookie batter where it inflates the cookies. 

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Sweet and Salty Cookies

Sweet and Salty Cookies are made with dark chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, mini pretzels, sea salt and basic baking ingredients for a delicious combination of sweet and salty. 

Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon hot water
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chunks can substitute chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup mini pretzels chopped
  • whole mini pretzels one per cookie
  • sea salt

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until creamy and smooth.
  • Add the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat again.
  • Add kosher salt.
  • Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to batter. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat while slowly adding in the flour.
  • Chop 1/2 cup pretzels and stir into batter along with butterscotch and chocolate chunks.
  • Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Use a cookie scoop to place batter onto baking sheet giving space between each cookie. Add a whole pretzel on top of each cookie and a sprinkle of sea salt.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  • Place on a cooling rack.

Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

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Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast is a family favorite dinner made with a roast, ranch seasoning, au jus gravy seasoning, butter and pepperoncinis that can easily be made in the pressure cooker or a crock-pot. 

The Mississippi Pot Roast is a recipe I came across many years ago on Pinterest. I don’t remember the original source I first saw the recipe from because it is ALL over the place! This recipe is not just a huge hit in my family but families everywhere. Typically, this roast is made in the crock-pot but today we are cutting back the cook time and cooking it in the pressure cooker. 

Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast is a bit salty with tender meat and a delicious gravy that is perfect over mashed potatoes. Pepperoncini’s add a little heat and more great flavor. 

Crock-Pot

Want to slow cook the roast? The crock-pot is probably my favorite way to make this meal. The pressure cooker is convenient and amazing in it’s own way but I am forever a crock-pot kind of girl. You want to start by seasoning the roast with salt and pepper, then searing each side on the stove top in some olive oil. Place the roast into a slow cooker and add a packet of Ranch, packet of au jus, 6-8 sliced pepperoncini’s, and a stick of butter. You will not need the beef broth this method. Cook on low for about 10 hours and then shred the meat. Serve over mashed potatoes. If you want it a little spicy, add in some of the pepperoncini juices straight from the jar while cooking. 

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Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Pressure Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast is a family favorite dinner made with a roast, ranch seasoning, au jus gravy seasoning, butter and pepperoncinis that can easily be made in the pressure cooker or a crock-pot. 

Course dinner
Keyword crockpot, Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 4 Servings
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 pound chuck roast rump can be used
  • 1 ounce au jus gravy packet
  • 1 ounce Ranch seasoning packet
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 6-8 pepperoncini sliced
  • 1 cup beef broth low sodium
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • parsley optional garnish

Instructions

  • Salt and pepper all sides of roast.
  • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker on a medium-high heat. Place roast inside and sear each side for about 3 minutes.
  • Remove roast. Deglaze the bottom of the pressure by adding 1 cup beef broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Place the roast back in.
  • Add packet of Ranch, packet of au jus and stick of butter.
  • Slice 6-8 pepperoncinis and place on top of roast.
  • Cook for 60 minutes.
  • Depressurize and release lid. Shred meat. If the meat does not shred easily, cook another 15 minutes.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, in a sandwich, on the side of roasted vegetables or however you please.

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad

This post is sponsored by Great Day Farms and Soapbox Influence. All opinions are mine alone.  #EggceptionallyGreat

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad is a delicious dinner salad made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, crispy bacon, chicken, Parmesan cheese, croutons and Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs with a creamy yogurt based dressing. 

One of my favorite items to make through the summer are salads. Salads are refreshing, quick and easy to make so they are perfect for those hot days. Little salads won’t keep my family full and happy so we like them loaded and pumped full of flavor. Bring on the layers of deliciousness! From crunchy bacon to buttery croutons and creamy dressing to perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs. You are going to love this salad!

Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs

A great way to add more flavor and protein to any meal is with hard-boiled eggs. You can find Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs at Walmart conveniently located in the deli section next to the pre-made sandwiches and salads. Available in 2 and 6 pack pouches that are not just convenient but also tasty and a great value. 

Try this Spicy Ramen Noodle Soup for another great dinner recipe with hard-boiled eggs!

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad is loaded with flavor! Beginning with the crispy bacon pieces and chicken cooked in some of the bacon grease. There are fresh tomatoes and crunchy croutons added over top a bed of Romaine lettuce. A nutty Parmesan cheese is sprinkled over top as well as in a creamy dressing of anchovies, Worcestershire and lemon juice blended with Greek yogurt and olive oil. The finishing touch are some Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs pre-cooked and ready to toss on the salad with their creamy centers. 

Yogurt Based Caesar Dressing

A classic Caesar dressing is made of anchovies, garlic, mustard and raw egg yolk. It is a simple dressing that is delicious and perfect but today I wanted to create an eggless Caesar dressing with the swap of Greek yogurt and it really works! The base is the same with anchovy and garlic. Salt, olive oil, Worcestershire, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and plain Greek yogurt is then added. This dressing is super flavorful, thick and creamy. 

Tips & Tricks

Save Time

This meal can be on the table in less than 25 minutes. You just need to multi-task and get the bacon cooking ASAP. Followed by the chicken. While the bacon and chicken cooks, wash the produce, dice what needs to be diced and prepare the dressing. The Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs also help save time without the need to boil and peel any eggs. 

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Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad is a delicious dinner salad made with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, crispy bacon, chicken, Parmesan cheese, croutons and Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs with a creamy yogurt based dressing. 

Course dinner, lunch
Keyword bacon, caesar, chicken, dressing, Eggs, salad
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing

  • 4 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire
  • 3 anchovy flat fillet
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad

  • 2 chicken breasts fillet for 4 pieces
  • 6 bacon slices crispy and chopped
  • 2 heads Romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup croutons
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese shaved or shredded
  • 1 cup petite medley or cherry tomatoes halved
  • ground pepper
  • 4 Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs halved

Instructions

Caesar Dressing

  • Place salt, anchovy fillets and garlic cloves into food processor and blend for 1 minute.
  • Add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.

Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad

  • Place bacon into a hot pan set on a medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 5 minutes) flipping often. Remove, let cool and then chop.
  • Drain most of the bacon grease from the pan leaving just a little to cook the chicken in.
  • Fillet 2 chicken breasts. Salt and pepper each side. Place into pan cooking 12-14 minutes on a medium-high flipping once. Remove from pan, cool and then slice.
  • Rinse and dry the tomatoes and lettuce.
  • Chop the Romaine lettuce and place into large bowl.
  • Add the sliced chicken and chopped crispy bacon.
  • Cut the tomatoes and Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs into halves. Add to salad.
  • Add Parmesan cheese, croutons and some fresh ground pepper.
  • Toss with desired amount of Caesar Dressing and serve.

Notes

Internal temperature of chicken needs to reach 165 degrees to consume. 

Have you tried Great Day Farms Hard-Boiled Eggs? Let me know how you enjoy eating them in the comments below!

 

 

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a refreshing smoothie made with pineapple, mango, banana, strawberries, dragon fruit and a pinch of honey. 

Since making that Dragon Fruit Sorbet a couple weeks ago, my mind has been set on creating some more amazing recipes with this tropical fruit. With summer vacation just beginning, smoothies are high on the to-do list for breakfast and snacks with the kids. This smoothie is a huge hot with the whole family. It’s colorful, sweet, refreshing and healthy! 

Nutrient Dense Smoothie

Each serving of this Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie contains about 4 servings of fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals! 

Dragon Fruit

A mild tasting fruit (much like a kiwi) rich in iron and calcium and loads of antioxidants. The outer layer is bright in color and the insides can either be white or bright pink/red. I used the bright pink/red so a white dragon fruit will result in a different color smoothie but taste just as fantastic! Dragon fruits are easy to prepare. Simply cut the fruit in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside to dice. 

Pineapple

Pineapple is a delicious fruit high in fiber and magnesium. 

Mango

Mango is a sweet fruit high in vitamin C with a fruity aroma. Picking a good mango from the store is much like picking a good avocado. Color isn’t a great indication of ripeness. Instead, you want to feel the fruit and give a gentle squeeze. Mango should have slight give to it but not be too soft or too firm. 

Banana

Bananas are a great source of potassium, manganese, vitamin B12 and more. Bananas are a food I feed my active family before workouts to aid in water balance. 

Strawberries

Strawberries contain high amounts of vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants. They add a natural sweetness to the smoothie and boost of color. 

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a combination of some of the healthiest and most flavorful tropical fruits readily available. My favorite thing about this particular smoothie is that you can taste each individual fruit. The mango comes through, the pineapple is subtle, banana thickens the smoothie and adds just enough flavor and the dragon fruit with strawberries make this smoothie beautiful. Add a pinch of honey for extra sweetness according to your personal taste. 

Tips & Tricks

Prepping Smoothies is easy and convenient. Just label each bag, add the contents you want frozen and toss in freezer. You can make 4 smoothie packs with two servings in each with this shopping list. 

  • 1 pineapple
  • 2 mangos
  • pint strawberries
  • 2 dragon fruit
  • 4 bananas (not frozen)
  • honey (not frozen)

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Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie is a refreshing smoothie made with pineapple, mango, banana, strawberries, dragon fruit and a pinch of honey. 

Course Breakfast, lunch
Keyword Banana, dragon fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Smoothies, strawberry
Servings 2 Servings
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup pineapple diced and frozen
  • 1 cup mango diced and frozen
  • 1 cup dragon fruit diced and frozen
  • 1 cup strawberries hulled and frozen
  • 1 banana
  • honey

Instructions

  • Wash and dice the pineapple, mango, strawberries and dragon fruit. Place into freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.
  • Place the frozen fruit into blender with 1 peeled banana and a a drizzle of honey. Blend until smooth.
  • Serve in 2 glasses.

Italian Meatballs with Zoodles

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Italian Meatballs with Zoodles is a delicious low gluten-free, low-carb dinner made with juicy cheese stuffed meatballs simmered in a simple marinara sauce served over zucchini noodles. 

My family has been cutting carbs lately. While we aren’t doing a strict keto diet, we are making carbohydrate replacements often for something healthier. Swapping pasta for zoodles has ended up being one of our favorites ways to do this.

You may also like these Taco Zucchini Boats as another great family dinner night idea for lower carbs and another way to use zucchini. 




 

Italian Meatballs with Zoodles

Italian Meatballs with Zoodles have a crunchy base of zucchini with plump, delicious sausage meatballs over top. The sauce is simple and adds just the right amount of flavor to complete the dish. 

Tips & Tricks

Zoodles

Zucchini noodles are commonly known as “zoodles”. Zoodles are a healthy alternative to pasta and a great to get more vegetables in your diet! The trick to making zoodles is a quick cook time. Just a few flips in a hot pan is all it takes to cook zoodles. Don’t add salt because the salt can pull moisture from the zucchini making the zoodles too wet. 

I use this Spiralizer. You can buy it from Amazon. It is affordable and easy to use. 

Keto

If you are on a keto diet, make sure to read labels for all the tomato products. Tomatoes have carbohydrates so to keep them low for the day, checking labels is important. Also, keep in mind the other carbohydrates you have consumed for the day to stay on track. 

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Italian Meatballs with Zoodles

Italian Meatballs with Zoodles is a delicious low gluten-free, low carb dinner made with juicy cheese stuffed meatballs simmered in a simple marinara sauce served over zucchini noodles. 

Course dinner
Keyword Gluten Free, Keto, Meatballs, Zoodles, Zucchini
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 5 people
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Spiralizer

Ingredients

Italian Meatballs with Zoodles

  • 5 zucchinis
  • olive oil
  • basil leaves chopped
  • Parmesan cheese shredded

Italian Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded
  • 1/2 cup parmesan shredded
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced

Sauce

  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces can tomato paste
  • 24 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 14 ounces can diced tomatoes

Instructions

Zoodles

  • Wash zucchinis.
  • Use your spiralizer according to its instructions to create zoodles from the zucchinis.
  • As the sauce finishes cooking in a separate pan, cook your zoodles. Place them into a hot pan for 3 minutes. Toss frequently. I like to do this in two batches to cook them evenly.

Italian Meatballs

  • Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl. Use wet hands to thoroughly mix the ingredients.
  • Form aprox 20 meatballs. I like to use a meatball press for even meatballs.
  • Drizzle some olive oil into a hot pan on the stove top. Add meatballs. Cook until browned and then flip to brown the other side. I like to do this in two batches and set the meatballs to the side for a moment.

Sauce

  • Add a tiny amount of olive and the diced onion to the hot pan. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic which is about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Add the remainder of the sauce ingredients and stir.
  • Add the meatballs back into pan. Lower temperature, cover pan with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Stir in some chopped fresh basil. 1 -2 Tablespoons should be good.
  • Serve over zoodles with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Notes

Also check food labels to ensure foods fit into a specific diet like keto or gluten-free. Most cheeses and tomato based sauces are gluten free but there are exceptions. 

Air Fryer Hot Dogs

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Air Fryer Hot Dogs are a simple kid friendly meal that can be on the table in 5 minutes! All you need is a air fryer, beef franks and hot dog buns. 

My daughter has recently decided that she is going to be a picky eater and living off mac ‘n’ cheese and hot dogs is totally doable. SOMEONE please tell me this phase will end soon in our lives! Needless to say, we have been eating hot dogs lately- lot’s of hot dogs so expect to some hot dog recipes in the future. 

Air Fryer Hot Dogs

Air Fryer Hot Dogs are so quick and easy! The hot dogs turn out plump and juicy and even get some nice marking on the outside like they have been grilled. I don’t think I will ever boil a hot dog again- only the air fryer or grill in this house now!

Air Fryer

You will find that each air fryer is a little different. They work off a different wattage and have different temperatures they can reach. All air fryer recipes may need tweaked just a little in temperature and time because of this. Find what works with your air fryer!



 

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Air Fryer Hot Dogs

Air Fryer Hot Dogs are a simple kid friendly meal that can be on the table in 5 minutes! All you need is a air fryer, beef franks and hot dog buns. 

Course dinner
Keyword air fryer, hot dogs
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 4 beef franks
  • 4 hot dog buns
  • condiments

Instructions

  • Place 4 beef franks into air fryer.
  • Cook 3-4 minutes on 390 degrees flipping half-way between cooking.
  • Remove franks and put hot dog buns into air fryer for 1 minute.
  • Build your hot dogs with whatever condiments you enjoy- ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish.

Root Beer Float Popsicles

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AWMemories

Root Beer Float Popsicles are made with A&W® Root Beer and vanilla ice cream packed into popsicle molds and frozen for a delicious treat made with only two ingredients.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest was amazing and full of adventure. I remember riding my bike down big hills, finding frogs in the creek, going blackberry picking at my grandparents, road trips with the family, baking strawberry pies, hiking the mountains one day while dipping my toes in the ocean the next and enjoying an old fashioned root beer float on a hot day made with vanilla ice cream and A&W Root Beer.

The beach may be far from where I am raising my own children here in the Midwest but the memories are just as fantastic.  Running through the sprinkler, spending long days at the amusement park, exploring every corner of the city and just like my own childhood, enjoying some A&W Root Beer. My root beer got fun twist today with these Root Beer Float Popsicles. Easy to make, creamy and refreshing on a hot day!

Walmart

My one stop shop for summer fun is Walmart! From outdoor toys and flowers for the front porch to adorable clothes and all sorts of snacks, like A&W Root Beer and vanilla ice cream. Walmart has a little bit of everything at great prices.

A&W is celebrating its 100th anniversary! Anything that has been around 100 years must be good, which is why it will be on my Walmart shopping list all summer long!

Find more ideas for celebrating memories inspired by A&W Root Beer by clicking HERE.

Root Beer Float Popsicles

Root Beer Float Popsicles are sweet with a strong note of delicious vanilla that lingers in your mouth. The taste is timeless and may just bring back some forgotten childhood memories.

Tips & Tricks

Let the ice cream sit out for 5 minutes or until it gets soft and slightly melted before placing into popsicle molds. This will make it easier to fill each mold and also allows that A&W Root Beer to mix in a bit to create a creamy popsicle.

#ad #AWMemories Root Beer Float Popsicles are made with A&W® Root Beer and vanilla ice cream packed into popsicle molds and frozen for a delicious treat made with only two ingredients | Summer dessert | 2 ingredient dessert | popsicles | root beer float
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Root Beer Float Popsicles

Root Beer Float Popsicles are made with A&W® Root Beer and vanilla ice cream packed into popsicle molds and frozen for a delicious treat made with only two ingredients. 
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 15 ounces A&W® Root Beer
  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  • Let the vanilla ice cream sit out for 5 minutes or until it becomes slightly melted. 
  • Fill each mold a third to half full of ice cream. 
  • Fill each mold with A&W Root Beer. Since the root beer will foam, let it sit for a minute until that foam goes down and fill some more until you have liquid to the top of each mold. 
  • Put the popsicle mold lid on and insert popsicle sticks. 
  • Let freeze overnight and serve. You can run the mold under lukewarm water for a minute to release the popsicles from the mold easier. 

Notes

Ingredient amounts may me different dependent on your popsicle molds. 

Is A&W Root Beer part of your childhood memories? Let me know how in the comments below. 

 

Dragon Fruit Sorbet

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TrainYourDragonAtWalmart http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is a healthier dessert made with frozen raspberries, fresh dragon fruit, orange, lime and sugar that is vibrant and refreshing. This is the perfect dessert for a fun family night to watch the newly released How to Train Your Dragon 3. 

The kids are on their first week of summer break and to kick it off we celebrated with a movie and fun dessert. The entire family has been eager for the release of How to Train Your Dragon 3 so it was an obvious choice for our special movie night. To keep with the dragon theme, I thought creating a recipe from dragon fruit would be exciting for the kids. Both the movie and the dragon fruit dessert ended up being a hit! 

How to Train Your Dragon 3

No spoilers! 

Our favorite characters are on a mission to free all the captured dragons and Hiccup is determined to find The Hidden World. A place free from humans and safe for the dragons. On their journey, our favorite dragon, Toothless, finds a love interest with a new female dragon character named Light Fury. Toothless attempting a mating dance with help from Hiccup will have your whole family laughing out loud! The movie explores friendships, new love and learning when to let go. 

Walmart is the place to go to pick up the How To Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set. The Walmart exclusive includes two Funko keychains of Toothless and Light Fury. Make sure to check out the fun How to Train Your Dragon apparel and toys on your Walmart shopping trip. We found a silky soft throw pillow featuring Hiccup and Toothless. My daughter also had to have the character toy Snotlout Jorgenson since he is one of the funniest characters on the series with the dragon Hookfang. 

Head to Walmart and purchase the new release of How to Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set today!

Click HERE to find it at a Walmart near you. 

Dragon Fruit Sorbet

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is sweet and flavorful with a nice punch of lime to balance all the sweetness. This sorbet is smooth and colorful and you can taste all the natural fruit inside. Perfect for a warm day. 

Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit comes from a flowering cactus species. You can find two common species of this tropical fruit in the grocery. You may find white flesh with pink skin or pink flesh with pink skin. The pink flesh with pink skin is what I used for the recipe today and it is usually labeled as a Red Dragon Fruit.  I love to use the pink fleshed dragon fruit because the color is so vibrant and beautiful. The white can also be used for this recipe and the color of your sorbet with will be a light pink.

Taste

Dragon fruit is sweet and mild. Tastes much like a kiwi but with a more subtle flavor. This fruit is delicious on its own or in a recipe. 

Nutrition

Dragon fruit is a low calorie fruit that is rich in antioxidants. Great addition to a healthy diet. 

How to Prep

Preparing the dragon to eat is simple. Just slice down the middle lengthwise and scoop out the inside flesh using a spoon. You can either dice and freeze the fruit or eat it as is. Try adding it to a fruit salad for an interesting twist. 

What is Sorbet?

Sorbet is a frozen fruit puree made with a sweetener.  Sorbet can easily be made without an ice cream maker. Just blend some frozen fruit, sugar and juice. Then, add it to a 1.5 quart insulated ice cream tub to store and freeze. The sugar to liquid ratio is how you get that great sorbet texture so any fruit can be used for sorbet. 

Icy Sorbet?

Left the sorbet in the freezer for a few weeks and it formed some ice? Don’t toss it! This mixture creates the perfect smoothie. Just add the sorbet to a blender with a banana and some water. Blend until smooth and serve. 

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Dragon Fruit Sorbet

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is a healthier dessert made with frozen raspberries, fresh dragon fruit, orange, lime and sugar that is vibrant and refreshing.
Course Dessert
Keyword dragon fruit, sorbet
Servings 6 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 3 dragon fruit fresh
  • 6 ounces raspberries frozen
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 1 orange juiced
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  • Juice the lime and orange.  Slice the dragon fruit and use a spoon to remove the flesh from the outside. 
  • Add ingredients to a blender or food processor. 
  • Blend until smooth. 
  • Place into a 1.5 quart ice cream container. 
  • Freeze for 2 hours+. Remove from freezer to thaw out 10 minutes before scooping. 

Notes

Sugar is what helps the sorbet keep its texture and from not turning into a giant pink ice cube. However, if you are consuming this sorbet immediately (within 2 hours of freezing), there is no need to add sugar so you can have an even healthier dessert by making more of a granita type dessert. **Images are without any added sugar. 

What is your favorite character from How to Train Your Dragon? Let me know in the comments below. Also, let me know how you are kicking off this summer vacation! 

 

 

Strawberry Lemonade

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Strawberry Lemonade is made with fresh strawberries, lemons, honey and a little sugar for a refreshing beverage this summer. 

The weather is heating up and summer is coming! I love summer. I love the sunshine, the heat, flip flops and swimming with the kids. Most of all though, I love lounging outside and enjoying time with friends and family. This beverage is the perfect lounging outside on a hot day kind of drink. 

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade is both sweet and tart with a strong flavor of strawberry that is just so delicious. This is a great non-alcoholic beverage for the family or you can add a shot of vodka to make it an adult beverage after a long, hot summer day. 

Tips & Tricks

Strain

You can use a sieve to strain the blended strawberries to remove the seeds and pulp. This is an optional step but I find when you are having a gathering, it is best to strain because not everyone likes pulp. Plus, the step is simple and only takes a minute. 

Sugar

You can make this lemonade as sweet as you like. You will need some sugar to cut back on the tartness of the lemons. Strawberries already have a lot of natural sugar and honey is also added so 1/4 cup to 1/2 extra sugar should be plenty. 



 

Strawberry Lemonade, summer beverage, strawberry drink, how to make lemonade, non alcoholic beverage
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Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade is made with fresh strawberries, lemons, honey and a little sugar for a refreshing beverage this summer. 
Servings 8 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries hulled
  • 1 1/2 cups lemon juice aprox 7 lemons
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 cups water
  • ice
  • lemon slices garnish
  • mint garnish

Instructions

  • Wash and hull the strawberries and  juice the lemons. 
  • Place strawberries, honey and lemon juice into blender. Blend well. 
  • Send mixture through a sieve to strain or add directly to a pitcher of ice. Add 6 cups water. 
  • Add sugar to taste. I like it with 1/2 cup but you can add less or more depending on your personal taste. 
  • Add lemon slices and mint to garnish. Stir well and serve. 

What is your favorite part about summer? Let me know in the comments below.