Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf

Tuesday is Canada Day and I would like to wish you a wonderful Day.

  I hope you are able to rest and enjoy this day with family and friends

It's strawberry season and my strawberry patch has been producing lovely red ripe berries for the last few weeks now.  I have frozen many bags already but wanted to bake something special with the fresh ones that I picked this morning and I had a block of cream cheese that I wanted to use.  This tasty and not too sweet cake is perfect with a cup of tea or for sharing with a neighbor who has looked after and watered my plants while I was away- thanks Anne.  I also baked up a batch into

mini Bundt cakes, which will be perfect for sharing and the Red and White colours of this loaf are perfect for celebrating July 1st!

 

Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf

 

You will need fresh strawberries, diced.

The rest of the ingredients you will need.

I doubled the batch I made and baked up some mini Bundt cakes too.

I also drizzled a fresh strawberry glaze on it. (see recipe below)

The Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf looks and smells delicious.

 

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE LOAF RECIPE

 

1/2 cup Coconut Butter/oil

1 cup sugar

4 ounces cream cheese

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, diced

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a large bowl or mixer cream coconut butter, sugar and cream cheese

until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well between additions.

Add vanilla and mix.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and slowly add

to the cream cheese mixture until all ingredients are mixed together.

Add in the buttermilk just until it is mixed into the batter.

Fold in the strawberries.

Spray 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray or grease with coconut butter

Spoon batter into loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in

the center comes out clean.

Let cool, serve with whipped cream or ice cream.....enjoy

For the fresh strawberry glaze:

in a small bowl add 1/4 cup powder sugar (icing sugar)

into this mash 2-3 ripe strawberries into it and stir together with 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

until it is a 'glaze' consistency, drizzle over pieces of loaf when serving.

 

''Every Child is potentially the light of the World'

                                                Abdu'l - Baba



ASIAN CABBAGE SALAD

It is summer here on the Sunshine Coast, everything seems to have tripled in size in the garden and yard.  Strawberries are ready for picking, I have been harvesting beautiful, colourful lettuces from my garden along with lovely green onions, parsley and lamb's quarters (leebeedah).  Cabbage is on it's way and will be ready later in the summer.  The new crop of cabbages are coming into the grocery stores, green, purple, bok choy and many more varieties, all perfect for salads or for braising or stir frying.  Purple Cabbage is a favorite, I love the colour and the nutritional benefits from eating it whether it's raw or cooked.  Today's salad recipe is a twist on coleslaw, my family loves Asian flavours,  sweet red peppers, crispy cucumbers and a bunch of cilantro makes this salad a hit with both young and old.  Make this for your family, friends or for taking on a picnic and it's perfect for lunch at work.

 

ASIAN CABBAGE SALAD

 

such a colourful salad ....

 

 

The ingredients you will need.

 



 All the vegetables, chopped, diced and ready for the dressing.

 

A fresh, colourful and healthy salad on a warm summer's day.

 

ASIAN CABBAGE SALAD RECIPE 

Ingredients:
1/2 medium size red cabbage - shredded finely
1 cucumber - halved lengthwise, quartered and sliced thinly
1 medium size red pepper - diced
2 green onions - chopped
1 bunch of cilantro
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Freshly ground black pepper 
hot pepper flakes (optional)

Dressing:
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Table spoon olive oil or grape seed oil
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons honey/Stevia
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger - minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
1. In a large salad bowl, combine the red cabbage, cucumber, red pepper, and green onion.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

Then add to salad bowl and toss with veggies. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, add the cilantro leaves and mix in with the vegetables.

 Finally, sprinkle in the sesame seeds and a dash of freshly ground black pepper.

For a complete meal, add beans of your choice or some shredded smoked tofu.

 

 

'Better than a thousand words.....

....is one word that brings Peace.'

Buddha

Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam....

The sun is shining, the garden is growing and in my garden the Rhubarb is flourishing, it's time to make jam!  This simple recipe was given to me by my friend Cynthia when we lived in Prince Rupert many years ago and I've been making it ever since.  For this recipe I harvested some rhubarb from my elderly friend Neil's yard.  Neil lives on Ocean Beach Esplanade and has been enjoying my little jars of jams which I drop off on his doorstep - along with a fresh loaf of bread or English Muffins.  I walk along this beautiful spot every day and this is my way of checking on some of the 'long time residents' of Ocean Beach Esplanade.  I drop off the 'goodies' at the start of my walk and then on my return I check to see if the 'package' has been picked up, if it has then I know my friends are well and I can go happily on my way.  I have met so many wonderful people in this community just by sharing or stopping by to say 'Hello' and of course offer a Hug or two.  I will be making more jam now with the rhubarb from my garden, I hope you make some of this for your family and friends too.

 

RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY JAM

 

 

 

The ingredients you will need.

Everything but the Jello is added to the pot.

Stirring everything together and cooking. Then adding the Jello at the end.

It's as simple as that!

 

Delicious Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam on toast, pancakes or waffles.

 

RHUBARB- STRAWBERRY JAM RECIPE

 

4 cups rhubarb, diced or sliced

5 cups sugar

1, 10 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

2 small boxes of Strawberry Jello

6-8 jam jars

 

Wash and dice or slice your rhubarb.

Into a large pot, combine rhubarb, sugar and pineapple.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from stove and stir in both packages of the Strawberry Jello.

Stir to combine and dissolve Jello crystals.

Pour into containers and freeze.  I also process the jars in a hot water bath

for 15 minutes and store in my pantry.

 

'A meaningful life is not being rich, being popular, being highly educated or being perfect.....

It is about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others. 

It is only then that we could have a full, happy and contented life.'