summer

35 whopping grams of protein in this smoothie (with no powders), and it tastes like a milkshake!

Super Skinny Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie Recipe

35 whopping grams of protein in this skinny peanut butter cup smoothie (with no powders), and it tastes like a milkshake!

35 whopping grams of protein in this smoothie (with no powders), and it tastes like a milkshake!

I’m going to be really honest with you… the weight loss thing isn’t really my strong suit in life. I haven’t quite cracked the code on that one.

Do I love Weight Watchers? You betcha.

I love to exercise too, believe it or not.

And I can whip up healthier versions of dessert recipes all day long (like Skinny Chocolate Donuts, Skinny Brownie Batter Dip, and Banana Pancakes). Or Cottage Cheese Breakfast Ideas.

But when it comes to actually dropping the pounds… not so much.

35 whopping grams of protein in this smoothie (with no powders), and it tastes like a milkshake!

However, I fully anticipate that I will one day eat my way through enough Halo Top Ice Cream to discover that it’s finally made me skinny.

At least that’s what I tell my husband every time I spend 5.99 on a pint ????.

Good man that he is, I never actually see him roll his eyes.

35 whopping grams of protein in this smoothie (with no powders), and it tastes like a milkshake!

Anyway. The point that I’m trying to make here is… I may not be very good at the actual losing of the weight. But I’m very, very good at breakfast on day one of a new diet. Ahem, er, “lifestyle change.” ????

Side note: how irritating is it that no one is allowed to “diet” anymore. The PC way to say diet these days is, “lifestyle change.” But… what if I just want to lose 30 pounds? Do I really have to change my mindset and my pantry for the rest of forever. Is that really totally necessary?? Is it???? *hysterics*

But back to breakfast on day one…

How about a ridiculously decadent skinny peanut butter cup smoothie WITH 35 FREAKING GRAMS OF PROTEIN that tastes like peanut butter cups? Works for me.

Enjoy!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Ice Cream in a Bag Recipe

Ice Cream in a Bag?!?!? No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Oh man, you guys! I can’t believe I haven’t posted this recipe yet!!

It’s practically pumpkin season (which I’m late posting for every year as it is), and here I am with two summer-y ice cream recipes left to post. Sometimes I just get so obsessed with making more and more and more recipes, that I forget what I’ve already got on hand. ???? *palm to the head*

Anyway. I don’t want to delay sharing this recipe any longer with you guys, so I’m going to jump on in!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Making homemade ice cream was on our bucket list for this summer, but I kept forgetting to put the ice cream canister in the freezer. And I knew the overnight recipe wouldn’t fly with this kid, because… you know. We’d have to wait. ????

But I’m glad we didn’t go that route, because we had so much fun making this ice cream in a bag recipe! Plus, it is absolutely DELICIOUS. I was really pleasantly surprised at how good this ice cream is. I mean… it’s cream and sugar, so how bad can it be, right? But still, I had kind of assumed it might be a little runny or a little icy or a little…. something or other.

But it actually turned out just right. Like, perfect-o.

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

So how does this magic work? Well, let me tell you all about it!

First, you need some basic ingredients:

✓ Half & half

✓ Sugar

✓ Vanilla extract

✓ Ice

✓ Rock salt (not much)

✓ Gallon sized zip top bags

✓ Toppings

✓ Little helping hands to shake the bag!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

You’ll mix together the cream (half & half), sugar, and vanilla and pour it all into a bag– zip that up tight! Then you’ll put that bag into another bag filled with the ice and rock salt (and I’d suggest double bagging here).

And then…. shake, shake, shake, shake!

For 10 whole minutes. You can even play a game of hot potato and toss the bag to each other, which is what we ended up doing, to keep your hands from freezing!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Voila! Open the bag, scrape down the sides, and like magic… perfect homemade ice cream in less than 10 minutes without an ice cream machine! (unless you count child labor as a machine… which I don’t ????).

Add toppings and dig in!

No ice cream maker required! All you need is ice, rock salt, and a few simple ingredients to shake up inside a bag. A perfect recipe for kids!

Hopefully it’s still warm enough and summer enough wherever you are that you can enjoy a little more homemade ice cream.

I’ve got one more summer-y ice cream recipe coming your way this week, and then hello!  all-things-pumpkin and velvety rich cakes and Thanksgiving pies!

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

We DEVOURED this bread. Inhaled it.

Like… it didn’t even last two days. It barely stuck around past the 24 hour mark.

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

It’s incredibly moist thanks to THREE CUPS of zucchini and the brown sugar.

And can you see how shiny the chocolate chips are? That’s my favorite part. In both banana bread and zucchini bread, I love how the moisture seeps into the chocolate chips creating a little chocolate “bubble” around each chip. I know I’m not doing a great job describing this, but you know what I’m talking about right?

I don’t know why, but that just gets me every time. ????

Nothing beats a thick slice of super moist chocolate chip zucchini bread smothered in butter.

Now, I’m no nutritional expert…. ahem, clearly ????… but I figure all the green veggies here make this bread a pretty square meal. Who’s with me?!

Enjoy a thick slice of this delicious zucchini bread warm or day-old, smothered in butter, with a tall glass of milk. And try it with my Maple Cinnamon Butter. You’ll be in heaven!

How To Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Making zucchini bread is an efficient way to use up fresh zucchini, and it’s a recipe that’s both simple and rewarding. The process begins by combining the key wet ingredients in a large bowl—zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. The grated zucchini adds moisture and a subtle, earthy flavor, while the sugar and oil ensure the bread will be sweet and tender. The vanilla and eggs bind everything together, creating a rich and flavorful base for your batter.

In a separate bowl, you’ll mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These ingredients not only give structure to the bread but also infuse it with warm, spiced flavors. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a cozy, aromatic touch that complements the zucchini perfectly. Once the dry ingredients are well combined, gently fold them into the wet mixture. It’s important to mix just until a batter forms—overmixing can lead to dense, tough bread.

To make your zucchini bread extra special, fold in a generous amount of chocolate chips. The chocolate adds a delightful sweetness and a bit of indulgence to each slice. Once the batter is ready, divide it evenly between two prepared loaf pans. As the bread bakes, the kitchen will fill with the irresistible aroma of spices and chocolate. After about 45 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaves. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover the loaves with foil and continue baking until fully cooked.

Allow the zucchini bread to cool in the pans before slicing. This ensures the loaves firm up nicely and are easy to remove. Once cooled, slice into thick pieces and enjoy the soft, moist texture combined with the rich flavors of chocolate and warm spices. This zucchini bread is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert, making it a versatile treat that everyone will love.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You’ll never believe they’re full of vegetables!

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

My CJ is a muffin fiend. It is the only bread I can get him to eat. He won’t touch sandwich bread, buttery soft rolls, fluffy buttermilk pancakes… turns up his nose at all of it.

Don’t ask me how he knows the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, but he does. And apparently the appeal of the cupcake doesn’t even come close to how he feels about muffins. I guess I should feel pretty good about that… but really it just makes me wonder, is he really mine??

I suppose the 25 hours of grueling labor it took to bring him into the world should be enough proof, but his carb snobbery seriously has me questioning things.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

These muffins take a big step toward bringing our two worlds together, because these chocolate zucchini muffins really are BETTER than cupcakes. They are ridiculously soft, so fudgy, and utterly indulgent.

You’d never believe that there’s a cup and a half of shredded veggies in there.

So sneaky! ????

My other secret ingredient? Pudding mix!

You know how it makes cakes crazy stupid soft and moist? It does the same thing in muffins.

These moist and ultra fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins are so good. You'll never believe they're full of vegetables!

Did I mention that these freeze really well? They do! So when you’re up to your eyeballs in zucchini this summer, make a double (or triple!) batch of these to stash in the freezer. And just set them out at room temp to thaw when you are ready to dig in.

Enjoy!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifles Recipe

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won’t believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

I’m all about the easy in the summer time, let me tell you.

Part of me kind of thought that summer might be a little easier than the school year. I mean, I knew it would be challenging having both kids home all day every day. But I guess I still thought that just maybe I would feel like I had more hours in the day to get stuff done.

Since I figured the days would feel longer and all.

Turns out, I was part right. And part so, so, so very wrong. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this… the days are NEVER ENDING. Never, ever ending. And yet somehow, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.

WTH? If someone figures that math out, let me know.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

In the meantime, I’m doing lots of quick-and-easy around here. I average cooking a real meal about once a week. Cleaning just doesn’t get done. And I let the kids pretty much rule the roost all day.

Seriously. As I sit here and type, I can see a (LARGE) milk puddle in the carpet that I haven’t sponged up since lunch time (that’s gonna be fun), CJ is rubbing in applesauce on the rug at my feet, clothes and knick knacks and what nots litter every inch of living space as far as the eye can see, my empty fast food cup of soda is leaving a water ring on the table to my left, and there’s a sticky bottle of infant’s Ibuprofen stuck to a book on my right. I still don’t know what we’re having for dinner, Chris will be home in about 15 minutes, and then I’m leaving for a baby shower.

I’m not complaining. But at some point… the situation does become comical.

So when it comes to prepping recipes for the blog? It’s gotta be EASY. We’re talking the minimum amount of effort here.

Fudgy chocolate brownie bites layered in cool, creamy peanut butter mousse. You won't believe how good this is and how easy it is to make!!

And friends, it does NOT get any easier than this recipe for Peanut Butter Brownie Parfaits.

You’ll need pudding mix, peanut butter, Cool Whip, and milk for the mousse part. And you’ll layer that with brownie bites (home baked or store bought, box mix or from scratch, my recipe or yours, WHATEVER) and chocolate chips.

Guys, this recipe is the very definitely of minimal effort. And it’s SO GOOD. And it looks so fancy too. People will never know that you whipped this up whilst standing in a pile of smushed grapes and animal crackers in your yoga pants!

…not that I did that or anything. ????

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd recipe!

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

You guys. Is there seriously a less appetizing word out there than CURD? I mean, really. ????

But rest assured, for a word that so closely resembles curdled and cheese curds, this dreamy homemade lemon curd recipe is nothing of the sort.

If lemon is your thang and you’ve already made Ina’s Lemon Bars, Lemon Poke Cake, Lemon Berry Scones, Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and Lemon Poppyseed Banana Bread… then it is time to make your own lemon curd, my friends.

🍋🍋🍋 Celebrate LEMONS with us in this roundup of our best LEMON DESSERTS! 🍋🍋🍋

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

This recipe is so ridiculously easy. Four simple ingredients is all you’ll need:

  • sugar
  • lemon juice
  • egg yolks
  • butter

What You Need

Now, a lot of recipes will have you making this over a double boiler. This supposedly prevents any egg lumps in the mixture. I don’t own a double boiler, and frankly, I don’t have room for anything else in the pots and pans and bowl department in my little kitchen. So, I didn’t use a double boiler.

And it was just fine.

I cooked my curd over medium-high heat and stirred it constantly (just like you would have to do with a double boiler anyway). Well, I did end up with a few little lumps, but nothing that wasn’t easily strained through a small sieve.

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

I feel like I’ve read a million times, “no straining required!” “no sieve needed!” like it’s such a hassle to strain the curd. But really, it’s just not a big deal at all.

Pour the mixture through the sieve over the container you plan to store it in. The curd passes through, and the lumps stay out. Easy peasy. And you can buy a small sieve for less than ten bucks at any superstore.

Seriously. Just buy the sieve. Use it. Save yourself a headache. It’s not a big deal. And it makes this process so much easier and keeps that lemon curd smooth and creamy!

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

Ok, so now that we’ve talked about how to make it… what exactly is lemon curd? And how do you use it??

Lemon curd is sort of like the filling in a lemon meringue pie. It’s sweet and tart and creamy.

And what to use it on? How about everything.

Spread over Pancakes.

Fill donuts.

With crepes.

Mix it with granola and yogurt.

On strawberry shortcake.

Or, my personal favorite, serve spoon it over angel food cake and top with berries and whipped cream! This is such a yummy summertime treat. And the berries compliment the sweet of the curd, while the whipped cream balances the tart, and the cake soaks it all up.

Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!
Four simple ingredients and 10 minutes at the stove is all that stands between you and this creamy, dreamy homemade lemon curd!

No matter how you use it, you really can’t go wrong with homemade lemon curd! Enjoy 🙂