Strawberry Pie

Are you sick of strawberries yet? I’m not. In fact, I ate a quart and a half of them today! And I could have eaten a whole quart more… I’m a serious strawberry monster. When I pick berries, I probably eat as many as I pick!

Oh, how I love to pick eat berries. Unfortunately, though, strawberry season is coming to a close. *sobs* No more strawberry picking until NEXT YEAR! That’s too long of a wait.

But no fear! You can use the rest of your berries in this delicious strawberry pie! And if strawberry season is over for you… don’t worry! You know what you can do? You can swap the strawberries in for raspberries when raspberry season starts next week (HOORAH).

So get in the kitchen and make yummy food with fresh strawberries while you can! Make this pie, then make some jam, then make these muffins!

And don’t forget that vegan ice cream, banana nice cream, or coconut cream are necessary pie toppers!

HOORAH FOR STRAWBERRIES AND HOORAH FOR PIE (WOW capital letters are fun to use).

Simple Strawberry pie (vegan, can be gluten free)

makes 1 pie

• 1 quart of strawberries, washed and with stems cut off — half the strawberries will be in the sauce, and half the berries will be cut into slices for the pie filling.
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour (gluten free flour = gluten free pie)
• a dash of salt
• 1 of your favorite vegan (/ gluten free) pie crust

1. Prepare the pie crust as needed. I had to poke holes in my crust and bake it at 350 F for 8-10 minutes (until it was golden-brown).
2. Cut half the strawberries into small slices.
3. Add cut strawberries into the prepared pie crust.
4. Meanwhile, add the remaining strawberries, sugar, salt, and flour into a medium saucepan. Smush the berries as best you can and cook the mixture until thick, stirring constantly. This will take  6-8 minutes. You want it thick enough that it won’t spill all over once you pour it into the pie crust, but you don’t want it too thick that it won’t cover the whole pie.
5. Pour the “sauce” into the pie crust.
6. Chill the pie in the refrigerator, overnight or for at least for 6 hours.
7. Cut and serve with vegan whipped cream, coconut cream, or vegan ice cream!

XX Ellie

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry jam should be in all households. I can’t live without it! Well, technically I can, but I’d miss it a lot. So I should just say that I’d be sad without it.

Strawberries are tasty. They’re tasty by themselves, sprinkled with sugar, in pie, in baked goods, and most importantly IN JAM. Seriously, what’s better than bottled up strawberries?

Chocolate, if we’re being technical again. However, nothing is better than chocolate in my book.

So back to strawberry jam. It’s tasty. If you don’t like strawberries… well who doesn’t like strawberries!? But if you truly don’t like them, you can make this jam with other berries instead. You could make raspberry, blueberry, or blackberry jam. More yumminess.

My family has been making this recipe for a long time. I’ve been making strawberry jam every summer since I was a wee babe! My grandma would wash and cut the tops off the berries, I would mash them, and my mom would mix them with sugar and Sure-Jell. Making jam together with your family is a fun bonding experience, and it has become a tradition in my house! Hopefully it will become a tradition at your house, too!

The BEST StrawberrY Freezer Jam

instructions found in a Sure-Jell container

makes 5 jam jars worth (5 cups of Jam)

• 1 quart (2 cups) of mashed strawberries
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 Sure-Jell packet (Sure-Jell = fruit pectin)

1. Wash the berries.

2. Cut the stems off them and put them in a container.

3. Mash them.

4. Fill a bowl with 4 cups of sugar.

5. Add the berry mixture into the sugar bowl and mix until combined.

6. Meanwhile, pour 1 cup of water into a saucepan.

7. Add Sure-Jell into the pan.

8. Boil the mixture on medium-high heat. Stir constantly for a minute while boiling. Remove from heat.

9. Add the Sure-Jell mixture into the berry mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes.

10. Spoon the jam into jam jars. Leave a ½ inch space at the top of the jar.

11. Leave the jars out for 24 hours to let them set.

12. Put the jam in the freezer, and keep it there until you want to use it!

That’s it! Clear, concise directions, right from the mouth of my mom (I understand her directions better than the ones from Sure-Jell).

This jam is great on peanut butter & jELLIE sandwiches, on toast, in these muffins, and by the spoonful! Enjoy!

xx Ellie

 

Chiavocanana Smoothie

So I got acupuncture a few weeks ago. You know, the ancient Chinese medicine that involves getting needles stuck into you? Yeah, that acupuncture.

My right upper arm and shoulder were really bugging me because I was overusing them in tennis. So, I got acupuncture  (and cupping, and scraping, and massage therapy) from an amazing acupuncturist my mom knows from yoga! The needle part was fine because I closed my eyes so I didn’t see them. It hurt when she adjusted the needles, but by the end of the hour-long session my arm felt better. I was also really tired, since my body was using lots of energy to heal.

So what does acupuncture have to do with this smoothie recipe?

I talked all about my health, my diet, and my lifestyle with the acupuncturist. She went to school for acupuncture and is a guru when it comes to health and wellness! She told me that I was eating too much sugar and not enough healthy fats and proteins. She gave me the idea for this smoothie! She told me that 2 bananas is too much sugar for a smoothie and that I needed to add healthy protein and fats into a smoothie in order to make it a meal. So that’s what I did.

This smoothie is creamy thanks to the avocado and banana, sweet thanks to the berries and the banana, rich in protein and healthy fats thanks to the chia seeds and avocado, and overall a super nutritious and filling smoothie! It also tastes good, but isn’t that a given!?

a.k.a. chia avocado banana smoothie

serves 1

• 1 cup nondairy milk (I love almond milk)
• 1 frozen banana
• 8 frozen strawberries
• 2 cups kale (or another leafy green)
• 1/4 or 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Throw everything in a blender and blend, baby, blend!

Have a great weekend!

xx Ellie

Bunny Bowl

The only bunny I’ll ever eat… is a bunny made out of fruit!

This smoothie bowl LOOKS like a bunny, but it’s not! April Fool’s! 

Enjoy this bunny smoothie bowl with a side of sunshine, nice weather, fragrant flowers, and the chirping of birds! Happy spring (FINALLY!)

SERVES 1

GRASS: 1 frozen banana, a handful of spinach, a spoonful of nut butter, and a splash of almond milk. Blend and pour into a bowl.

BUNNY face base: a few frozen strawberries blended with a banana and a bit of almond milk. Blend and pour on top of the “grass” in a bunny shape (a circle-shaped head and lines for ears).

ears: a slather of nut butter

eyes: 2 blueberries

nose: strawberry (cut in half)

whiskers: a baby carrot chopped into little lines

mouth: a few cacao nibs shaped into a smile

Assemble and enjoy!

Happy spring, and happy almost Easter!

xx Ellie

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

I am so excited to announce that I joined the peanut butter bash!

The peanut butter bash is a group of bloggers who make and post a sweet treat of some kind involving peanut butter and a mystery ingredient on the first Thursday of  each month. Each month, the mystery ingredient is announced on the Facebook group and bloggers from all over make and post a treat involving the peanut butter combo. When I discovered this group from Miranda’s Instagram, I KNEW I had to join. I love peanut butter (as my blog name hints), so I’m always happy to have the chance to share my love of the super spread. This month’s challenge is also just so fitting! Why? Because the ingredient combination is peanut butter and jelly! Peanut Butter & Ellie makes a peanut butter & jelly-inspired treat.

I sought the internet for something unconventional I could make with peanut butter and jelly. Lo and behold, this Buzzfeed post popped up! It gave me major inspiration on how to elevate the age-old pb&j combo.

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

inspired by this Buzzfeed post and this recipe

serves 1

• 2 big slices of yummy bread (such as sourdough)
• 1/3 cup nondairy milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 heaping tablespoons jelly
• strawberries, to garnish

Whisk the milk, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a medium-sized bowl. Dip a piece of bread in the mixture and let it soak for a minute or two. Meanwhile, get out a skillet or pan and spray the bottom with cooking spray. Add the soaked bread to the pan and cook for around 2 minutes on medium-high heat, or until the bottom is brownish. Flip, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Slide the toast off the pan and onto a plate. Soak the other piece of bread, re-spray the pan, and repeat. To assemble: spread about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter onto the first piece of toast, then add 2 tablespoons of jelly onto the other piece and smush them together. Top the “sandwich” with more peanut butter, jelly, and freshly cut fruit! Enjoy your unconventional french toast sandwich!

You can click HERE to view all the other Peanut Butter Bash entries from this month! Check them out! There are fun recipes like peanut butter and jelly fudge and doughnuts! Yum!

Happy Thursday!

xx Ellie

The Only Fish I’ll Ever Eat

…is a fish made out of fruit!

I took the ACT today. The ACT is a timed standardized university placement test and it’s 4+ hours long. It consists of 5 sections: writing, mathematics, reading, science, and an essay prompt. It’s grueling, and needless to say, I was exhausted after 4 hours of filling in bubbles.

I made a smoothie bowl after I finished to cheer myself up. But not just any smoothie bowl: a picture smoothie bowl! I decided to depict my goldfish, who was only supposed to live for a week, but instead lived for 9+ years! Has anyone else had a fish that lived that long?

This is also the only “fish” that I’ll ever eat (since I’m vegan and all). It’s made of a mix of frozen peaches and strawberries and is much yummier than I remember fish tasting. Enjoy!

Fish Bowl Smoothie Bowl

serves 1

WATER: 1 frozen banana*, a handful of blueberries, a handful of spinach, and a splash of almond milk. Blend and pour into a bowl.

FISHY: a handful of frozen peach slices and 2 strawberries blended with a bit of water. Blend and pour on top of water. Mold into a fish shape.

fisheye: a blueberry

seaweed: spinach

sand: coconut flakes and lucama (for a pretty golden color)

bubbles: raw jungle peanuts

Smile today!

xx Ellie

*I love bananas! They’re so good for you too- check out these healthy facts about bananas (from “Well-Being Secrets”) to learn more about them. What are your favorite banana recipes? Here are a bunch of yummy ones for you to peruse!

Sunshine Smoothie

It’s a beautiful day to have a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the snow has melted, and there is not a cloud in the sky.

My body is stretched out from yoga this morning and I have a yummy smoothie to drink.

Yoga, smoothies, and sunshine make Ellie happy. 

This smoothie is basically a bunch of fruit and some greens (which you can’t tell are there! Yay for extra nutrients!). Sometimes the most basic of recipes taste the most delicious.  

Make this smoothie for yourself and you will not be disappointed. It will make your day that much better. Smoothies= happy day. So, if you make this smoothie, you’ll have a happy day. (Good logic, yes?). 

Sunshine Smoothie

• handful (about 1/4 cup) of frozen strawberries
• handful of frozen blueberries
• banana
• orange
• handful of pineapple
• handful of spinach 
• 4 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy! If using a Vitamix, you may need to use the tamper to get this thick smoothie blended. 

Enjoy the beauty of this day! 

xx Ellie

Thoughts on the Square Foot Garden + Special Seasoning Salt Recipe

The snow has come and it’s here to stay. That means no more green grass, no more flowers growing outside, and no more garden and grabbing food from the yard. I might even have a snow day at school tomorrow!

Here are my reflections on having a garden, and some pictures of the food we grew! Hopefully it cheers you up if it’s snowing or is gross outside where you live.

I loved having a garden. It’s so nice to just walk outside and pick some veggies to bring back to the kitchen and stir-fry or do whatever with! I’ll miss not being able to do so in the winter. This was my second year of planting a “square-foot garden” in the yard. A square foot garden is an above-ground garden with one foot by one foot squares in it. We covered the garden with a PVC pipe and chicken wire cover to keep the bunnies and other animals who like to munch out. It worked really well (it might have something to do with the fact that the garden lies on the 45th parallel). It produced lots of vegetables for my family and I to enjoy!

The foods that did the best in our garden were kale, swiss chard, broccoli, lettuce, and green beans. Cauliflower did okay. We grew the lettuce last year and it naturally came up again this year (same with strawberries)! We had leafy greens coming out of our ears!

We also planted tomatoes, brussels sprouts, and jalapeño peppers, but we planted them too late in the season for them to do very well. Next year they’ll hopefully do better!

Look at the size of that chard and those beans! Yummy greens! This picture was taken this fall. The veggies were still growing like crazy!

Pictured: brussels sprouts, strawberries, broccoli, and lots of lettuce! The little yellow flowers sprouting from the lettuce made the lettuce spread like crazy!

With the veggies we produced from our garden, I made stir-frys, salads, and sautéed veggies to let their natural flavor shine! The seasoning recipe I love to use on veggies is listed below!

Special Seasoning Salt

Ingredients to make a handful

• 1 and ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½  tsp onion powder
• ½  tsp celery seed
• ½  tsp garlic powder

Mix everything together and then sprinkle on whatever for a blast of yummy flavor! You can just add a little of each spice or you can make a mixture of everything above. It’s up to you!

If you’re thinking about starting a garden, you should totally do it! It’s not too much work, you just have to plant the veggies and water them every day. And you reap so much more than you sow!

Enjoy the green grass if you still have some! Happy fall/ winter!

xx Ellie