Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

Spring is officially here, but at my house there's still snow on the ground. I wanted a warm cozy treat that would somehow seem more spring like, so I decided to try out a recipe I found for strawberry shortcake muffins. They turned out really well and made a perfect addition to a warm cup of herbal tea.

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins (original recipe here):

2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (I used gluten free of course!)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups strawberries diced and patted dry (I used frozen and they turned out great)
Optional: 1/2 cup diced strawberries to place on top of muffins
Optional: 1 tsp lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a food processor (except strawberries!) and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and gently blend in strawberries. Divide mixture into muffin tins, top with optional diced berries if desired (It looks really cute this way!).

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Learn how to make these pretty tissue paper spring blossoms HERE.

Tissue Paper Spring Blossoms

Spring is almost here! One of the things I love about spring are the flowers. There is nothing quite so amazing to me than driving past an orchard of cherry trees in bloom, or seeing the Forsythia in my yard covered in cheery yellow blossoms. Bringing flowers indoors is a great way to bring a fresh new look to your decor, but unfortunately fresh cut spring branches don't keep for long. Plus, they tend to drop petals all over... For a cute alternative, try this easy to make version using scraps of tissue paper and twigs.

What you'll need:
Tissue paper (crepe paper streamers work great too!)
Twigs
Glue (I used regular school glue)
Scissors

Using the scissors, cut the tissue paper into small squares (circles work great too!). Don't make them all the same size. It will look more natural if they gradually get smaller towards the top of the branch. Pinch the center of the tissue paper square and scrunch the edges together to form a gathered flower-like shape.

With a dab of glue at the base of each flower, attach them to the twig. Gradually decrease the size of the flower as you work your way to the top.

After the glue is dry and the flowers are secure, gently fluff the bottom flowers so they are opened up a little. Leave a few of the smallest flowers at the top scrunched closed to give the effect of buds that are not fully opened yet.

I got my twigs from my backyard, but you can commonly find twigs and branches at craft stores or florist shops. Tissue paper and crepe paper are easy to find in most stores with gift wrap or party supplies. Some of the tissue paper I used was left over from a party so it was a little crinkled, but it doesn't make any difference for this project. You'll be crinkling it anyway!

Find out how to make these delicious Strawberry Shortcake muffins HERE

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! I didn't know this day of celebration existed until this morning, but I'm all for celebrating and I love peanut butter! In honor of all peanut butter lovers, here is one of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes: Enjoy!

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies: (original recipe here)


1 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F.  for 10-12 minutes until they are lightly golden around the edges. Allow the cookies to rest on the counter for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. ...And if you're like me you'll risk the burns and immediately eat one or two!

My necklace is a hand-blown glass heart by artist, Robert Fox. I got it at a cute shop in Oregon called Incahoots.

This recipe is super easy. It contains only 4 simple ingredients (5 if you add chocolate) and is very quick to make. The cookies turn out melt-in-you-mouth delicious with an excellent flaky texture. Every time I make these they are gobbled up. My husband loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, so this time I added chocolate chips to some and dipped others in melted dark chocolate. I'm one of those odd people who doesn't like my chocolate and peanut butter to mix, so I made plenty cookies sans chocolate too.

P.s. If you've never played with a cookie press, you're missing out! They are a fun little gadget!  Mine makes me feel like a master baker even though I'm far from it.