Apple Taffy Dip

Today I have something simple and quick to share with you which includes a Fall staple, the apple. Apple Taffy Dip is the perfect little mid-week treat. It has just the right amount of sweetness like a dessert and there are some healthy aspects to it too. I always like to have it as a treat with a nice Granny Smith apple with my lunch or after my workout. Just because it is called “Apple Dip” doesn’t mean you can’t have it with anything else. I like to dip strawberries, grapes, and melons in it as well.

Apple Taffy Dip

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1 tsp. of vanilla

½ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup of powdered sugar

Whip up the cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla.

I usually double the recipe and sometimes I put in less sugar as well so that it doesn’t get too sweet.

Slice up an apple and dip away. I like the Granny Smith apple because the sourness compliments the sweet dip.

Cool Lemonade

                                                           

Ah! It’s been two weeks again. I think the heat has gotten to me. We have had some very hot days and then it’s been busy with back to work as well. It’s important to be drinking lots of water in such heat but it is also nice to have a cool sweet drink every once in awhile as well. I’ve been loving Gerolsteiner. It’s not a sweet drink but a sparkling mineral water that has lots of magnesium in it for my sore and aching body at the end of the day. Plain, it’s kind of boring and like any bubbly water but if you add it to some juice it’s very refreshing on a hot Summer day. Try some of the combinations that I did and relax with the feet up.

I love lemonade on a hot day but it can be a little too sweet so I like to dilute it with the Gerolsteiner. If I don’t make my own I like the Simply Lemonade. I like to add different things to it. Try lemon, lime, or orange slices, sliced strawberries, and frozen or fresh mixed berries.  

I also love the Simple Raspberry Lemonade and adding Gerolsteiner to that is a delicious combination.

Try out this fresh lemonade recipe if you prefer to make your own. Adjust the sweetness accordingly.

                                                         

1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

8-10 cups of water

½ cups of sugar

In a large pot, combine the water and sugar. Stir and heat until the sugar just melts.

Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.

Mix well and then chill.

You can serve this with lemon, lime, or orange slices as a garnish.

Sweetheart Cheesecake

I can’t believe that another month has already flown by. It’s June in a few days! All the days have really been blending together and now with the kitchen being worked on, it seems like it has been a very long time since I last baked anything or had a kitchen to use.

A little while back, I think it was for Easter, I made my chocolate cheesecake, or Sweetheart cheesecake. I hadn’t made it in ages but I had a craving and I thought it might be a yummy dessert for an isolating Easter dinner and it definitely was. It was so good, yet another cake that I could eat for breakfast, haha. So take a look below and see how I made Sweetheart cheesecake and try one out while you isolate and to ring in the month of June!  

Sweetheart Cheesecake Recipe

Crust:

1 cup of graham wafers

3-3  ½ tsp. of cocoa powder

2 tbsp. of sugar

3-3 ½ tsp. of melted butter

Filling:

3 pkgs. (250g) of cream cheese

1 cup of sugar

3eggs

½ cup of cocoa powder

Whipping cream for the top

Combine the crumbs along with the sugar, butter, and cocoa. 

Mix well and press into 1.5 l spring form pan. I suggest lining the bottom with parchment paper first.

Now in your mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then beat in the sugar gradually.

Now add in the eggs one at a time at a low speed.

Add in cocoa and beat until smooth.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes. It usually take a few minutes longer. You want it to be moist-ish but not dry and cracked. Mine does always tend to crack but I hide it with whipped cream and it’s fine.

Allow it to cool. I like to make this the day before. This cake is best served nice and cold. You can top it with whipped cream and berries (strawberries and raspberries are the best). I also added on some white chocolate shavings for an extra added touch.

Mimosa Sunrise

A few weeks back we glass etched some champagne glasses and this week we are going to make something that can go in them...Mimosas. Our colour is called “Mimosa Sunrise” and it’s in one of the Fenty palettes and is described as a “tangerine metallic.”

Mimosas are great for so many occasions. You don’t just have to have them for breakfast! Plus there are so many varieties so you can experiment and try something a little different from your typical orange juice and champagne mix, you can add some other additions too.

Original Mimosa – Basically you need two ingredients...orange juice and champagne. Fill half your glasses with orange juice and the other half with champagne and you’re set! Here's ours in our etched glasses.

Pomegranate Mimosas – Fill your champagne flute ¼ of the way full of pomegranate juice and top it off with champagne. Then add some pomegranate seeds for a garnish on top.

Pineapple Mimosa Slushies – This one serves four but you can add more if you have more people to serve. In a blender, add 3 cups of Prosecco, 1 cup of frozen mango, 1 cup of pineapple, juice of half of a lemon, and 2 cups of ice. Then blend it all together. Fill your flutes and garnish with fresh pineapple.

Strawberry Mango Mimosa – You’ll need 1 diced mango, 1 cup of diced strawberries, 1 cup of orange juice, and 1 bottle of champagne. Blend the fruit together then add the fruit mix to each flute, fill them half way. Then add in the champagne and enjoy.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemon Mimosa – Pour chilled champagne into your flute (2/3s full is good). Then add some raspberry lemonade in so that it’s filled to the top. Top with fresh raspberries.

Cinnamon Pear Mimosa – Heat 2 cups of pear juice up on the stove. Add in 2 cinnamon sticks after the juice has boiled and cover with the heat turned off.  Let it steep in the pan for 30 minutes first then put into a sealed container and refrigerate overnight. Fill your flute half full of the pear juice and fill up the rest with champagne and top it off with a slice of fresh pear.

Sherbet Mimosa – Add four small scoops of your favourite sherbet to a champagne glass. Add a tablespoon of clementine vodka and top with champagne. Add some fresh fruit on top if you like.

Aquaholic-Infused Water

It’s all about water today! Infused water that is. The eyeshadow colour that we have chosen is called “Aquaholic” and it’s a sparkly teal shade.

We’ve got some good infused water ideas/ recipes that we are going to share with you today. They’ll be perfectly refreshing for the Summer months ahead.

Strawberry

4-6 strawberries hulled and quartered

½ lemon, sliced

Small handful of basil

Ice and cold filtered water

Fill a pitcher half way with ice and the strawberries and lemon slices. Scrunch a handful of basil in and then cover with water. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Strawberry Cucumber

Take ½ cup of strawberries along with ½ cup of cucumber slices and add to a pitcher and add water and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Watermelon

2 slices of watermelon cut into thirds

Small handful of basil

Fill a pitcher half way with ice and watermelon. Scrunch a handful of basil in and then cover with water. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Lemon Lime

Slice an entire lemon and a lime and place those slices in a pitcher and fill with water. Allow it to sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

Blueberry Orange

Slice one orange and add it to a pitcher along with ¼ cups of blueberries. Fill with water and refrigerate.

Blueberry Mint

In a pitcher add ¼ cup of blueberries and 2 small sprigs of fresh mint. Add water to fill and then place in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Raspberry Lime

Quarter two limes and squeeze the juice into a pitcher before throwing in the quarters. Add a small packet of raspberries, about a cup and mush them up a bit. Fill the pitcher with ice and cover with water. You can serve right away.

Pineapple Mint

Into a pitcher add a couple of sprigs of fresh mint. Then add a couple cups of fresh pineapple chunks and mush them up a bit before filling the pitcher with ice and water.  

Grape Orange

Add two cups of halved grapes into a pitcher and then add a thinly sliced orange. Fill with water and refrigerate overnight.

Cherry Lime

In a pitcher add 2 cups of fresh pitted and halved cherries. Then add in a thinly sliced lime (if it’s small, then you can add two). Add water to fill and put in the fridge until you’re ready to drink. 

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake

Usually January is a recovery month after eating and drinking too much over the holidays but we believe that a treat is needed every once in a while and this one includes wine and chocolate. Many people claim that red wine and dark chocolate in moderation are good for you and this sweet treat includes both.

Today we are trying out a red wine and chocolate Bundt cake. The picture in the local grocery add caught my eye and I knew I had to try it out. So we did and here is how it went.

To make this cake you will need...

1 ½ cups of flour

1 ¼ cup of sugar

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. of baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup of dry red wine

½ cup of olive oil

1 tsp. of vanilla

½ cup of whipping cream

½ cup of dark or semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate

1 tsp. of honey

Fresh berries of choice for topping

First off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in your mixer’s bowl. Add in the eggs, olive oil, wine and vanilla. Mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn your mixer on high and beat the batter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Pour into the greased pan and flatten the top.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. After cooling in the pan, invert on a plate until cooled completely.

While your cake is cooling, you can make the glaze. In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring  the cream to a simmer. Stir occasionally.

Pour the cream over the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Let it stand for 1 minute.

Stir in the honey and the salt.

Allow it to cool and to thicken a bit. Then pour over the cooled cake.

Let the drizzle to harden for at least 10 minutes.

Serve with fresh fruit, berries are best. You can also dust with icing sugar if you like or whip up some cream to put on it as well. I really liked this cake a lot. It was moist and chocolatey and thought the flavour was nice; I didn’t really taste wine, but some others noticed the wine flavour more. 

Enjoy.