When eating healthy, it’s easy to let snacking ruin good habits. “Just one potato chip!” Then before you know it, the entire bag is gone. Because of this, I try to keep healthy snacking options on hand to stay on track. Having prepared fruits and veggies in the fridge are great snacks to have available, as well as these easy quinoa crackers.
Facebook Photo of the Week (Aug. 2nd ~ Aug. 8th)
While soap is our first love (and soul mate!) we’re not solely about the soap here at Bramble Berry. This week there were several non-soapy tutorials and recipes, including a Blackberry, Lemon and Basil Sorbet. Full of sweet blackberries, tart lemon and a hint of earthy basil, this sorbet is an excellent way to stay cool during the hot summer months.
Soap Queen Cuisine: Blackberry, Basil and Lemon Sorbet
With temperatures in the 80’s this week, I have been on the lookout for ways to stay cool while enjoying the sun (Lily has too!). When a dip in the lake is not possible, a cold treat is a great way to stay cool. While ice cream is a delicious way to indulge, sorbet is a lighter, more refreshing option. This week I took advantage of the fresh berries abundant in Whatcom County and made a batch of blackberry sorbet. I have a huge amount of basil in my garden so was delighted to use some of that for this recipe as well.
With a rich red color, tart flavor and just a hint of earthiness from the basil, this recipe was a hit. I used an ice cream maker to create this sorbet. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture, then place it into a blender to create a smoother icy texture. You could also pop the blackberry mixture into popsicle molds!
[Read more…]
Soap Queen Cuisine: Margherita Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Who doesn’t love pizza? With such a wide variety of topping options, there is a pizza for everybody. Personally, I prefer to keep pizza simple with a margherita style. Not only are they easy to make (you only need three toppings) but I love how the fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella really shine. Inspired by our Roman Holiday promotion and series of tutorials, I decided to make this pie with a bit of a twist!
I love to sneak in extra veggies where I can, so for the crust I used cauliflower instead of traditional pizza dough. First the cauliflower is grated, cooked and blended with a little cheese, spices and an egg. This results in a dough like texture, that acts as a great crust! Because cauliflower is moist, you can choose to strain out some of the extra moisture if you prefer a crispier crust. If not, it’s perfect for eating with a fork.
Soap Queen Cuisine: Lemon, Mint & Ginger Iced Tea
When the weather heats up, nothing is better than a refreshing glass of iced tea. And what is more refreshing than ginger, mint and a bit of citrus? This easy way of making flavorful iced tea is my go-to method. All you need to do is throw the ingredients into a pitcher, let the flavors combine and add ice! Simple and delicious.
Soap Queen Cuisine: Earl Grey Tea Cake with Orange Zest Frosting
While I’m passionate about healthy eating, every now and then it’s necessary to indulge! A birthday party is the perfect occasion for a treat, so when celebrating Jamisen’s birthday, I decided to make a “grown up cake” in additional to the store-bought, sugar-filled tractor cake. The moment I saw this Earl Grey Tea, Blueberry and Lemon Cake, I knew I found the perfect recipe. It was so good, I had to make it a second time but with my own twist for the frosting.
Soap Queen Cuisine: Roasted Chickpea & Kale Cucumber Salad
As you may already know, I love kale. If it were possible to include it with every meal, I would. Kale’s hearty leaves are great in smoothies, as well as sauteed, baked and raw. This simple salad recipe is a staple in my diet, and with added avocado, parmesan cheese and crunchy walnuts, it’s full of great flavor and texture.
To keep things light and carb-free, I generally forgo croutons and top my salads with baked chickpeas. They are crunchy, salty and truly addictive. This recipe makes a large batch, so you’ll have extra to snack on throughout the day. And believe me, you will be glad you made extra because they are incredibly delicious!
SQ Cuisine: Banana Avocado Pudding
Part of the prep work for the Moisturizing Avocado Bar, my favorite recipe in the Soap Crafting book, involves mashing up half a real avocado. When we filmed the recipe for a live Soap Crafting Club session, we had some leftover avocado and I wasn’t about to let it go to waste!
I love eating avocados on their own, but for this quick recipe I threw in a banana, some cocoa powder and voila! I had myself a pudding packed full of nutrients. This recipe was too easy — and too delicious — to not share with you all. 
What You’ll Need:
1 banana
1/2 ripe avocado
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional: 1 – 2 tbs. honey for sweetness
ONE: Put all in ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! Be sure to eat this pudding within 24 – 48 hours as the banana and avocado won’t keep well!
Soap Queen Cuisine: Blueberry Kale Smoothie
We’re already in the middle of February, and I am doing my best to keep my eating habits on a healthy track. As many of you know, it’so easy to get caught up with the daily hustle and bustle and forget about the priorities you have set for yourself. While going back and reading all the S.M.A.R.T. Goals, I noticed developing healthy habits was an overall theme for many of you as well. Because of this, I thought it would be a great idea to share this incredibly easy and delicious smoothie recipe.
I love adding fresh greens into my smoothies, not only do they add plenty of vitamins and nutrients, but you can’t even taste them! The chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and also help to thicken the smoothie. I love to start my day off right with a smoothie for breakfast, but it also makes a delicious light lunch. For another great lunchtime smoothie, check out this Blueberry Almond Smoothie.
Show Your Love: Chocolate Chip Beet Cupcakes
While I try to eat healthy the majority of the time, it’s important to treat yourself every now and then. But if you can treat yourself and squeeze in a vegetable at the same time, why not? These rich, chocolatey cupcakes contain a whole cup of roasted beets, adding a subtle earthiness to their flavor. The frosting also contains beets, resulting in a striking hot pink color. When I brought these to the Bramble Berry office, they were gobbled up in no time. Some could not taste the beets at all, and one team member said they were the best cupcakes he ever had…success!
Vitantonio Sour Cream Waffles
My mom has had a special waffle iron and its original instructional and recipe book for more than 20 years. Every year around the holidays, she makes sour cream waffles (yes, sour cream!) and the whole family gathers around for this two-decade-long tradition.
This year, she was all set up to make us her special waffles when disaster struck: the recipe book was missing! We turned the house upside down looking for the booklet. When we found it 30 minutes later, we vowed to never lose the recipe again. So here it is, forever immortalized on the Soap Queen Blog — Vitantonio Sour Cream Waffles! These waffles are super easy to make, and the sour cream keeps them moist and decadent. Delicious!
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
ONE: Combine the eggs, sour cream, butter (cooled) and buttermilk in large bowl and beat with a hand-mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
TWO: Slowly add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir until well blended. Batter will be slightly lumpy, but makes the most delicious waffles!
THREE: Put a big dab of the batter in the middle of a warmed, greased waffle iron, and bake until fully cooked.
FOUR: Serve with jam, maple syrup or gjetost (Norwegian goat cheese). Yummy!
Halvah Cheesecake Part Two: The Cake
Here’s part two of the Halvah Cheesecake from my dad’s 25 year old IOU! Check out the full story of the IOU and how to make Halvah from scratch tutorial here.
Ingredients:
16 ounces of softened cream cheese
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoon spelt flour or all-pupose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped halvah [Read more…]