Strawberry-Thyme Soda

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I either pile too much food on my plate or pack my refrigerator to the brim with food. It’s only Squirrel and I, yet I buy enough food to feed a small army. Everybody loves coming to my house because they know there’s always something delicious stored in my fridge.

Sometimes I buy too many bananas. We all do it. They sit on the counter patiently waiting to be eaten, getting riper by the day. I swear that’s why banana bread was invented. Someone couldn’t eat all of there bananas before they turned to brown mush on the counter, so in a bowl they went.

The other day I may have went a little wild at the grocery store and bought one too many containers of strawberries. It’s hard to resist those intoxicatingly sweet berries when the aroma drifts your way as you walk by the neatly stacked containers. In the cart they went.

Some of my berries started getting a little soft before I was able to eat them all. What does one do with soft strawberries? Hmm, make syrup for soda? Yup!

Homemade soda is way better than any soda you’ll find at your local grocery store.

Strawberry Thyme Soda-7457

Making soda at home allows me to control the amount of sugar in the recipe.

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This recipe is perfect for kids. It’s caffeine free and low in sugar.

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Enjoy!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Strawberry-Thyme Soda
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Beverage, Drink

Ingredients
  • 1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Club soda

Instructions
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, strawberries, lemon juice, thyme, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a large bowl (preferably one with a spout for easy transfer). Using a spatula, press down on the strawberries to release all of their juices.
  3. Transfer the strained mixture back to the saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the mixture reduces to about 2 cups of liquid.
  4. Chill the syrup in the refrigerator until completely cool, about 2 hours.
  5. Add ice to a glass, pour in desired amount of syrup, and top with club soda. Enjoy!

 



Cheddar Herb Cranberry Muffins~ #MuffinMonday

Welcome to another #MuffinMonday!

This week we were challenged to make a savory muffin using cheese. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love me some cheese. Whether it be cheddar, pepper jack, smoked gouda, or swiss, I love it all! Last week, I didn’t feel like making dinner, so I cut up some cheese and apples and made a meal out of it.

I’m a huge fan of combining a pop of sweetness with my cheese, so I decided to make a white cheddar buttermilk muffin with herbs and cranberries. The sweetness of the cranberries pairs perfectly with the sharp white cheddar.

The best part about these muffins is the crispy crust that cheese creates on top of the muffin. Mmm!

The thyme and rosemary add an earthy depth of flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the dried cranberries.

Looking for a Thanksgiving bread recipe to go with your meal? These muffins would be perfect.

Enjoy!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Cheddar Herb Cranberry Muffins
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Muffins/Quick Bread
Serves: 12

Ingredients
  • Dry:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbs. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • ½ tsp. dried crushed rosemary
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1¼ cups sharp white cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • Wet:
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbs. butter, melted
  • Extra cheese for topping

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line or grease a muffin tin.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, and egg.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
  5. Fill the muffin tins ¾ of the way full with batter. Top with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing from the tin.

 



Chicken Soup with Dumplings~ #SundaySupper

Happy Sunday!

I’m happy to announce that Squirrel and I survived Frankenstorm. We didn’t float away, lose power, or suffer any damages to our house. I consider ourselves extremely lucky! The only damage is the few extra pounds I gained from eating my way through the storm. I’m embarrased to admit the consumption of cookies, pies, chips, bread, and, my favorite, Coca Cola. Desperate situations call for carbs…lots and lots of carbs. I’m feeling bloated and ashamed. We may have been lucky, but there are others that suffered severe damage in New York and New Jersey, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

This week Susan from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen is hosting a soul warming #SundaySupper. What is soul warming? Well, anything that makes you feel like you’re wrapped in a great big hug when you eat it. It’s the type of food that warms your soul on a cool, blustery night while cozying up with loved ones. The food that warms you up on the inside as it’s going down.

When I think about soul warming food, I think of soup. Nothing else warms you on the inside like a piping hot bowl or, if you’re weird like me, mug of soup. I find it easier to eat soup out of a big ol’ mug because the handle stays cool. I even have special soup mugs that I break out every winter for soup season. They’re perfect!

I was originally going to make chicken noodle soup; however, my husband had other plans.

Me: I’m making chicken noodle soup today. I have a whole chicken I’d like to use, so I decided to make soup. Excited?

Squirrel: Yeah, soup sounds great. Instead of noodles, can you make dumplings? Mmmm, dumplings!

Me: I’m making it with noodles!

Squirrel: Aw, but I like dumplings. Please!

Me: Too bad, you’re getting noodles. You’re lucky I’m making soup, and I wasn’t planning on making dumplings, too.

Squirrel: But it would be so much better with dumplings.

Me: Fine. If you’ll stop saying the word dumplings, I’ll whip up some dumplings.

Squirrel: Victory! I get what I want.

Needless to say, my spoiled husband got dumplings. He sure knows how to work the system…by begging and pushing my buttons, that’s how. I’ll admit, the dumplings took the soup up a notch and made it extra special.

I hate when he’s write.

I used homemade stock, but you can just as easily use some store bought stock. If I use store bought stock, I tie together a thyme and rosemary bundle to give the stock that homemade flavor. It’s a stock fake-out.

The great thing about this soup is that it tastes like it has been simmering for hours, but really only takes about 45 minutes. If you’re on a time crunch, you can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up.

Enjoy!

Make sure you check out the #SundaySupper members for some more soul warming recipes:

Main Entrees:

Chili/Stews:

Soups:

Desserts/Beverages:

Chicken Soup with Dumplings
 
Prep time

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Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • Soup:
  • 10 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups shredded chicken
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • 6 carrots, diced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ tsp. Bon Appetit Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Dumplings:
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbs. baking powder
  • 1½ cups buttermilk

Instructions
  1. Soup:
  2. Bundle the thyme and rosemary sprigs together and secure with some kitchen twine. Set aside.
  3. In a large pot, heat 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add diced carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the thyme/rosemary bundle. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the shredded chicken, chopped thyme, and bon appetit seasoning. Turn the heat down to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  5. While the soup is simmering, make up the dumplings.
  6. Dumplings: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the buttermilk. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready for them.
  7. When the soup is done simmering, remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle, then pour in the heavy cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop the dumplings into the simmering soup. Cover the pot, leaving it cracked, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  9. Serve.

 

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