Berry Bruschetta

August 21, 2018

I admit, summer has made me berry obsessed. With farmer’s markets and grocery stores overflowing with seasonal produce, I’ve been tempted to try new recipes and incorporate berries into as many things as I can. While berry bruschetta is not new to the foodie scene, this was my first taste of a nontraditional bruschetta!

On their own, I like everything in this recipe. Therefore, I was surprised that I was hesitant to take the first bite. Any doubt I had quickly vanished once I tried the berry bruschetta and I soon was reaching for another piece. The flavors are light and fresh, perfect for a summer picnic or backyard BBQ. If you are looking for something to satisfy your chocolate cravings, this recipe can easily be modified by swapping out the Greek yogurt spread with Nutella!

Berry Bruschetta

Ingredients:

French baguette
1 C. plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbs. honey
2 C. fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚
Slice baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices and lay onto a backing sheet
Place in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5 minutes then remove and let cool
Mix the Greek yogurt with honey and spread a thin layer on top of each piece of toast
Top with berries and add a drizzle of honey before serving

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

August 15, 2018August 14, 2018

Farmer’s market season is in full swing and there is nothing I love more than to wake up early on a Saturday to wander through stalls of fresh produce. My market basket never comes home with the same items each week as I’m slowly eating my way through each vendor’s delicious goods. A few weeks back it was Greek pastries, followed by spring salad mix and then this week’s find – blueberries!

While I could have happily eaten my way through the pint, I set a handful aside to bake a batch of blueberry crumble coffee cake muffins. I’m not usually a huge muffin fan, but I had a craving hit me recently and this recipe hit the spot! Paired with a cup of tea, this breakfast almost was enough to make me want to jump out of bed in the morning instead of hitting the snooze button.

Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

2 C. flour
1 ¼ Tbs. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C. honey
1 eggs
1 ½ C. plain yogurt
1/4 C. milk
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 C. fresh blueberries

Crumble:

1/4 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze:

1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place baking liners into the muffin tray
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles an oatmeal texture.
Remove 1 C. of the flour mixture and combine it in a bowl with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
Slowly combine the wet ingredients in with the flour mixture and stir until combined.
Gently stir in 1/4 C. of the crumble mixture and add in the blueberries.
Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the way full, top with the crumble mixture and place in the oven.
Bake until a toothpick can be inserted into a muffin and come out clean (around 20-25 minutes)
Pull the muffins out of the oven and let cool.
Mix together the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the muffins.
Let the glaze set and then serve!

Month in Review: July, 2018

August 8, 2018

At first, I was nervous about this post. In my mind, Ian and I had a low-key month after all of our June travels. Then, as I shuffled through my videos and photos I realized I couldn’t have been more wrong. While we didn’t break out our passports in July, we filled our days with mini adventures around town and snuck in multiple trips back to Madison.

July started with a bang. Literally! Our Fourth of July was spent being surrounded by friends on the lake. While I love taking a dip in the water, roasting marshmallows, and sipping on a cocktail, there is one thing about the lake I hate – mosquitoes. I had the unfortunate luck to be bit right on my eye. Being slightly allergic to mosquito bites, my eye promptly swole shut and Ian had to run to the store and buy me an eye patch. Needless to say, I ended the holiday weekend looking very fashionable.

Next on the agenda was a family wedding! My cousin said “I do” and arrived via helicopter to the countryside reception. I don’t think anyone can top her grand entrance! The evening was filled with tear enducing speeches, delicious food, and dancing.

Once we were back in Milwaukee we were ready to take advantage of all of the summer events! First on our list was Bastille Days. You might think we had our fill of french culture during our trip to Paris, but you would be wrong! When I saw this event pop up on our calendar I was more than excited to shuffle my way through a crowd to grab a Nutella crêpe and snap a picture with the miniature Eiffel Tower.

Another event that made it’s way to the top of my priority list was Ballet Beat. The Milwaukee Ballet puts on free performances around the city during the summer and I was lucky enough to catch their final show. This very well could be my favorite event of the summer!

The following weekend Ian and I packed our bags and headed back to Madison to attend a Mallards game with my family. We made the most of the family weekend by playing lawn games and driving around the farm on the 4-Wheeler.

Our month came to a close sitting on a hill listening to music at the Skyline Music Series. The silver lining of packing up your life and relocating to a new city is discovering special events such as this. I couldn’t get over how beautiful the Milwaukee skyline was as the sunset during the concert and I felt myself bursting with gratitude. I feel lucky to live in such a beautiful place.