Pork Spare Ribs Cantonese Sweet and Spicy with a Splash of Orange. Pork Spare Ribs Cantonese is a recipe that has been around for years. In fact, I found this recipe in a old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It said this recipe was popular in …
Greek Pastitsio Recipes from Around the World Welcome to Recipes Inspired From Around the World. A series I started to become familiar with and to enjoy favorite dishes from Around the World. It gives me a chance to learn about a country and to use …
Swedish Meatballs and Rosettes Recipes Inspired From Around The World, Culinary Adventures: Sweden. Swedish Meatballs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Rosettes. Swedish Meatballs are probably one of the best known Swedish cooking specialties. They are definitely a necessity on the Smörgåsbord. Norway, Denmark and Finland …
Tropical Dried Fruit Fritters Tropical Dried Fruit Fritters are made with one 8 oz container of dried tropical fruit from Paradise Fruit Co. The batter is made with the usual cast of characters; flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs and milk. The fritters are rolled in …
Chicken Noodle Soup with Turkey Meatballs This is my second and final recipe that I will be entering in the Udon Noodle Blogger Recipe Contest hosted by JSL Foods. The first recipe I submitted was for Beef Mushroom Noodle Soup . Both recipes, Beef Mushroom …
My mom was born on Valentine’s Day. I often wondered what it would have been like to be born on this special day that is set aside each year for love and romance. Valentine’s Day celebrates romance and love, making it a popular day for couples to spend together. Valentine’s Day is traditionally associated with red hearts, romance, flowers and candy. People exchange cards, called Valentines, (not Valentimes, gentlemen) that express love.
I remember one year for Aggie’s birthday and Valentine’s Day my dad gave my mom a tiny package wrapped in red wrapping paper with a pretty bow on top. Being the kid that I was and therefore not knowing any better, I said to my mom, “That’s not going to be a very good present mom, it’s a small box!” My mom said to me in that knowing adult woman’s voice and a statement I’ll remember for the rest of my life, “Lynn, the best things come in small packages.”
Aggie was right once again. Inside that little was a beautiful deep purple, square cut Amethyst ring with two little diamonds set on each side of the Amethyst. There were lots of ohhs and ahhs as we all looked at that ring sparkling on my mom’s finger. Aggie didn’t wear jewelry very often but I do remember her wearing that ring when they went somewhere special, which wasn’t very often. I’ll always remember that gold ring with the purple Amethyst.
When my mom passed away, my older sister was given my mom’s Amethyst ring. I do believe because her birthday was also in February and therefore her birthstone too. When my sister passed away, her husband, my brother-in-law, gave me some of my sister’s jewelry. Among the pieces of jewelry he had given me was my mom’s Amethyst ring and a blackish-gray pearl ring that I remember my sister wearing in high-school.
When I moved out, I took my belongings with me of course, and the small, square white jewelry box with my mom and sisters ring inside. This begins the mysterious disappearance phase. Somewhere along the line, between moving out and moving into places, I lost the little square white jewelry box with the rings inside. Over the years, I felt anger towards myself and so much guilt for losing those rings. I even looked for them at Antique shops over the years, to no avail.
Fast forward to the year 2018. My niece Michelle from Texas had recently been here for a visit. She was planning a second visit, with a friend of hers, for the upcoming summer months. I received a call from her on Easter and we began to talk. Michelle sent me a picture of a ring she was taking to the jewelers that following Monday to have cleaned, and wanted to know if I knew anything about it.
Well lo and behold, Michelle sent me a picture of the blackish-gray pearl ring! (my sister and her moms ring) I could hardly believe my eyes. I told her what I knew about the ring and the fact that I thought I had lost the ring, many years before. Michelle said her granny, her dads mom, had had the ring this whole time. Michelle then said her granny had another ring of her moms, an Amethyst ring with two small diamonds on each side of the Amethyst.
Say What? Did you say, “A square cut Amethyst, with two small diamonds on each side of the Amethyst, set in gold?” “Yes.” “Really?? That was My moms ring!” “I thought I lost both rings years ago!” Then she said, “No, my granny had both rings for as long as I can remember.” I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t lose those damn rings after all! How they got to Texas, via Pennsylvania, via Wisconsin, I don’t have a clue but stranger things have happened.
I then asked Michelle, “What happened to the Amethyst ring?” Michelle said she wasn’t positive but she thought that because her granny loved the ring, she was buried with it. Now whether or not that is true, I don’t know nor do I really care. I was just glad to learn that both rings have been well taken care of and loved over the years. After 40 years of being lost, at lest in my eyes, they’ve been found.
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Paradise Fruit Co. They asked if I would be interested in developing recipes using their candied fruit products. I was more than happy too and actually quite honored that they asked me. Within a few days I received a box containing candied ginger, lemon peel, orange peel, green and red cherries, pineapple, fruit cake mix and tropical mix, which I used in this recipe. I have my work cut out for me, but it will be so worth it! Tropical Smoothie Bowl is the first recipe of many featuring Paradise Fruit.
Since 1961, Paradise Brands has been America’s favorite brand for candied fruit products. Paradise Fruit Co. has been making glace’ or candied fruit of all kinds, including candied cherries, candied fruit for fruit cake and so much more. Paradise Brands have been achieving baking excellence for over 50 years. Noted for their vibrant color, perfect sweetness and rich, chewy texture, Paradise Candied Fruit are a delicious addition to a variety of recipes.
Smoothie bowls are basically an extra-thick smoothie, poured into a bowl and topped with fruit, nuts, and pretty much anything else you want to top it with, thus making the smoothie bowl possibilities endless. Not only are smoothie bowls easy to make, they are super delicious, filling and good for you too. When I’m watching what I eat, smoothie bowls are perfect. They make me feel like I’m cheating, even though I’m not.
First off start with frozen fruit, which can be anything from frozen strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, blueberries, banana or my personal favorite, fruit blends or fruit and veggie blends that are available. Add that to a blender with some type of flavored liquid or combination of, coconut water, juice, yogurt, milk or a milk alternative such as almond or coconut milk. Blend until creamy and incorporated but still thick. Pour into a bowl.
Now the real fun begins! Smoothie bowls are meant to be topped. Topped with nuts such as; sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, seeds such as; chia seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds, dried fruit such as; Paradise Candied Fruit, goji berries, or raisins, fresh fruit such as; raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or kiwi, cereal such as; granola or puffed rice. Shredded coconut and cocoa nibs are also a great addition.
The end result is a smoothie bowl that is worth getting out of bed for, a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon, a nutrient-dense pre-workout snack, a light dessert or as an early evening snack. Instead of grabbing that pail of ice cream in your freezer, whip up a smoothie bowl. I love my ice cream but I’ve found that smoothie bowls can be just as satisfying as a dish of ice cream. Seriously…I’m not joking!
Old Fashioned Peach Crumble Did you know that you can freeze fresh peaches whole? Yes, you read that right. Whole, pit and all, with little to no preparation. Simple rinse fresh whole peaches, wipe dry with a soft dish towel, place 6 whole peaches at …
Lemon Glazed Madeleine Recipe Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, powdered sugar that is:) We’ve had our fair share of the real stuff here already in Northern Wisconsin. It just keeps coming down. Since I can remember, Madeleine have always intimidated me. …
Danish Lemon Filled Spice Cookies When I came across this recipe for Danish Lemon Filled Spice Cookies I was more intrigued with the lemon filling part more so then the spice cookie part. The reasoning behind that is a simple one. I’ve never made a …
Cherry Pecan Snowball Cookies Did someone say Cookies! ♪ Tis’ the season to bake some cookies ♪♫ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♫. As most of you know, we love our cookies here on Turnips 2 Tangerines and every December we …
Fruitcake Gems made with Paradise Fruit Fruitcake Gems made with Paradise Fruit are bite-size gems that are the perfect size to pop into your mouth. Nothing better than walking past the holiday buffet table piled high with delicious treats. Grabbing a little gem of a …