All summer long, I kept wanting to post a couple seasonal recipes. But time has seemingly picked up a rapid pace. Is it because I have a baby this summer? Or is it because I turned 40 in July, and now I’m picking up speed going downhill? Whatever it is, I find it hard to keep up with the hampster wheel speed that it feels like. It seems I spin circles just getting the basics done.
But I also enjoy a few hobbies like sewing or blogging. It feels rewarding to occasionally accomplish things of that nature, even in this busy stage.
So real quick here, before summer ambles off and completely forsakes us, I’ve got 3 recipes you need to try.
The lemon blueberry muffins and pesto definitely have got summer vibes! And I’ve been frequently making the chia seed pudding this summer and wanted to share that too. But on second thought, grapes are more of a fall thing. Well, in that case, at least I’m ahead of the game. Now you have it for September!
The basil pesto can be easily tweaked to your preference. Most recipes call for pine nuts which I never have. I substituted pecans and I’m sure walnuts could be used as well. Here you go.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, scant 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (the shaker kind) 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste, 1-2 teaspoons garlic, (I use minced canned garlic. Why waste time pressing garlic when I can buy it ready to throw into recipes?!)
If you put the nuts in first, and than the leaves, it blends better. As you can see I didn’t follow my instructions here, but I learned that the next time I made it! Drizzle in the olive oil as you pulse the blender. Blend until smooth.
This is delicious eaten with crackers or spread on a sandwich or on pizza instead of sauce. Add toppings such as fresh tomato and olives. Obviously, it has a distinctive basil flavor, which tastes so fresh!
I’m sorry if you don’t like lemons. Just because lemons are sour doesn’t mean it will make you sour by eating them. Lemons are always fresh looking, smelling and tasting- who can beat that?! Especially in something like cake or muffins. I revised this recipe using fresh ground flour, less sugar, more lemon juice and also added lemon essential oil for that extra punch of lemon. I used fresh squeezed juice, but I’m sure the bottled kind would work too. They were mouth-watering!
I revised this chia seed pudding to use grape juice concentrate instead of strawberries, like the original recipe called for.
Chia seeds have protein, fiber and Omega 3s. They’re best absorbed by soaking before eating or then grinding first. If you eat them whole in foods, good chance they’ll go right through you without any benefits.
We get our grape juice concentrate through our local bulk food store. It’s ordered in bulk from New York. It is a thick, rich, concentrate. If grapes had feelings, it would put canned grape juice to shame. You can totally use your own canned juice to make this or store bought concentrate. It just won’t be as rich, but I’m sure it will still be tasty. Thinking of school starting up, this makes a great lunch box food. A healthy alternative to sugary tapioca pudding!
Thanks to my sister in law Becky, for sharing the strawberry chia seed pudding with me years ago. That is delicious as well! Eliminate the water and soak 1 cup chia seeds with 1 quart crushed strawberries. Everything else is the same.
of windowsills and breezy hills 