Jolene's Recipe Journal

Another month has flown by and it's Muffin Monday again!  I thought I'd be able to share a blueberry recipe this time around, but my berries weren't quite producing enough.  In an effort to clear out some freezer/pantry space, I chose these Banana Mocha Chip Muffins from Taste of Home. I only made a few small changes.  I used 5t strongly brewed coffee in place of the instant, I don't keep any in the house. Nothing fancy flavorwise, just a morning blend.  I also sprinkled the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar before baking. I thought I'd sprayed the insides of the tin well, but should have done the flat surface as well.  A few of the tops separated from the bottoms, but they are still delicious. I pull them apart, eat the bottom first and then save the crunchy top for last anyway. I'd like to do them as bite sized muffins next time and I think mini chips would work better for that. Thank you so much to Melissa W. for sharing her recipe!

July is National Ice Cream Month, and we're celebrating by sharing some of our favorite ice cream treats! Whether you make it yourself or buy it at the store, nothing beats ice cream on a hot summer day!  I'll admit, I've got a bit of a s'mores obsession. Last summer it was these cookies , and this summer I've made creme brulee .  Skimming through recipes on the Taste of Home site, I knew these S'mores Milk Shakes from Sarah M. would be a huge hit here. I did make a few changes.  I used my kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows, I love any excuse to pull that thing out and use it. I rimmed the glass with some chocolate syrup and dipped it into graham cracker crumbs.  I placed the glasses in the freezer until I was ready to pour the shakes.  Instead of drizzling the syrup on top, I put it into the glasses first so it was on the bottom. I also added a some graham crackers into the blender with the toasted marshmallows to put the flavor into the s

I hope you're enjoying #SummerDessertWeek as much as I am! We've had a lot of days over the 90 degree mark here in New England. This means that I'm constantly looking for quick meals and cool treats to help get through the hot days.  Popsicles are a perfect way to beat the heat! I chose Donna L's recipe from Taste of Home because it combines two of my favorite farmstand finds, strawberries and rhubarb. I made one change, in place of the regular yogurt, I used strawberry cheesecake Greek yogurt.  I'm still in love with my Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop molds. Each pop can be removed from the tray and unmolded, plus the base acts as a spill catcher.   If you don't have molds, you can go old school and use disposable cups and wooden sticks.  Thank you to Angie from Big Bear's Wife for hosting #SummerDessertWeek! Be sure to check out all the other recipes being shared using the links down below!  Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Pops Print With Image Without I

Welcome to the 4th Annual #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife . We're celebrating all things summer with a week-long event that is absolutely filled with some of the best summer dessert recipes! Follow the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek on social media to find recipes and make sure to check out the bottom of this post for even more summer desserts! Nothing says summer to me more than s'mores. We've got a backyard fire pit, and I know that breaking out the chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers is the secret to pulling the teen away from his phone and video games to hang with us for a while. Don't have a fire pit? Then this S'mores Creme Brulee from the Taste of Home American Summer cookbook is a great way to enjoy those iconic summer flavors.  I only made a minor change to the recipe, I used whole milk because it's what we have on hand. I used S'mores coffee, which is one of my absolute favorites from Door County Cof