Jolene's Recipe Journal

According to my guys, it's been far too long since there's been some sweet treats in the kitchen.  Sure, there was Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake , and Black Bottom Banana Bars , but in their eyes, that was ages ago! So after hearing their pleas, I checked my pantry inventory to see what was on hand.  Noticing I've still got a large quantity of quick cooking oats in the cupboard, I went searching the Taste of Home site to see what I could use them in. I found these Strawberry Oatmeal Bars, and actually had everything I needed to make them.   Be sure to use good quality preserves, and if you don't like strawberry, you can definitely change it up to any flavor you like. If you're not a fan of coconut, you could use toasted walnuts. I love how easily this comes together, and I'm hoping to make them again with some homemade blueberry or blackberry jelly from our own bushes later this summer.  Thank you so much to Flo B. for sharing the recipe! Do you hav...

Happy #NationalPicnicDay! Fingers crossed, it looks like New England may have finally turned the corner into spring.  There's nothing we love doing on a nice day more than packing a lunch, hopping in the car, and finding a spot for a picnic.  

A little while back, my Taste of Home Special Delivery Spring box arrived, and in addition to all the great kitchen gadgets and food items was the Healthy Cooking Cookbook.  I sat down and started marking recipes to try, and today I'm sharing my review of the Fruited Mixed Greens Salad.

Oh, how I've been looking forward to #NationalGrilledCheeseDay!  Back in October, I changed my eating habits, and bread was one of the things I've cut back on.   I do allow myself splurges, like pizza every once in a while, and then there was this grilled cheese.

Happy National Coffee Cake Day!  Coffee cake is defined as "a cake, often cinnamon flavored, drizzled with white icing or crumb topping, and usually eaten with coffee." Searching through recipes, this Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake caught my eye.  My guys love blueberries, and cinnamon, and glaze, so I knew it would be a hit.

Did you know that April is National Garlic Month?  We're huge fans, so we celebrate it every month at my house.  This month I decided I wanted to try and use it with one of my new favorite vegetables, brussels sprouts.  

A little while back, I issued myself a challenge to clear out my pantry and freezer.  I've done a good job with it, but I still was looking to reduce it more.  My guys are infamous for not finishing a bunch of bananas, and the result of that is bags that contain 2 or 3 peeled bananas piling up in the freezer. My go-to is normally banana bread, but I'd printed this recipe a while back, and thought I would give it a try.

My son and I really enjoy pulling April Fools pranks on each other.  He's getting older and harder to pull one over on now, but I didn't want to give up the tradition. They almost always have something to do with food, and this year's idea was something I saw on Pinterest.