easy & yummy recipes for your valentine

I couldn’t help sharing these fun and easy Valentine’s Day recipes with you all. I hope you like chocolate, because two of them are luscious and chocolatey good but pretty simple to make…

And how about a little pepperoni pizza, valentine style?! This recipe is perfect for the whole family.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

• 24 fresh strawberries, washed and dried

• ½ cup frozen strawberries, thawed

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions. Pour batter into a paper-lined muffin tin. Bake according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on half power for 60 seconds, then continue at half power at 30 second increments, until the chocolate is completely melted. Prepare a plate with wax paper. Dip the strawberries one at a time into the chocolate, then lay on the prepared plate. Set in the refrigerator to harden.

In a blender, puree the thawed strawberries. Yields about ¼ cup of pureed strawberries.

To prepare the frosting, mix together the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Beat in the pureed strawberries and mix until desired consistency.

Spread frosting over the cooled cupcakes and top each cupcake with a chocolate covered strawberry.

Makes 24 Cupcakes.

Homemade Heart-Shaped Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

• 11 ounces refrigerated thin cut pizza crust dough

• ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. pizza sauce, divided

• ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. Kroger Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

• ½ cup sliced pepperoni

• Fresh basil, to serve

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Roll the pizza crust out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut about 10 hearts out of pizza dough. Gently transfer the hearts onto the prepared baking sheet.

Spread 1 tablespoon of sauce onto each heart, then top with 1 tablespoon of cheese.

Use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts into the pepperoni. Place the pepperoni hearts on the cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

Serve with fresh basil.

Serves: 10

Slow Cooker Lava Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix

• 3 ¼ cups milk, divided

• ½ cup pure coconut oil, slightly melted

• 3 large eggs

• 1 package (3.56 oz.) instant chocolate pudding

• 1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

•  optional, vanilla ice cream

•  optional, fresh berries  

Directions

Spray the liner of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1¼ cups of milk, coconut oil and the eggs. Beat on low speed for 1-2 minutes, then on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the batter is glossy.

Pour into the lined slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine the pudding mix, 2 cups of milk and beat until the pudding thickens.

Pour the pudding over the cake batter; do not stir.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top; do not stir.

Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours, until the top of the cake is set.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.

Serves: 10

enjoy!

ciao! fabiana

Recipes courtesy of Kroger 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

time for pie

Vintage pie plates are really fun inexpensive collectables. I pick them up here or there at thrift stores, rummage sales or yard sales for only a dollar or two.

Not only are these ceramic pie plates cute, what makes them really fun is that the pie recipe is already printed on them as part of the design!

And I don’t know about your family, but mine absolutely love any kind of pie especially fruity summer pies, so today I’m sharing a few additional recipes that we love.

Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Icebox Pie

Ingredients

10 graham crackers (2 1/2 by 5 inches)

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

2 quarts strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (a few whole berries reserved for garnish)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend graham crackers with 2 tablespoons sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cranberry juice, 2 cups strawberries, cornstarch, and salt. Using a potato masher, gently mash strawberries. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in remaining strawberries. Pour into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours (or up to 1 day).

3. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over cream and continue to beat until soft peaks return (do not overbeat). Spread whipped cream over pie, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Garnish with whole berries. 

Very Berry Cream Tartlets recipe found here

Tommy Bahama's Key Lime Pie recipe found here

Lemon Meringue Pie recipe found here

Homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe found here

Please stop by again later this week 

when I'll share a few of my new vintage finds

from my visit to the Orange Circle yesterday. 

What’s your favorite collectable?

ciao! fabiana

the cutest and yummiest strawberry tarts

These are the most amazing tasting strawberry tarts made with a buttery crust that features chopped pistachios.  A zesty cream cheese and lemon filling pairs beautifully with sweet summer strawberries for a dessert everyone will love!  Easy to make for that special weekend gathering.

Southern Living’s Mini Strawberry Tarts

Ingredients

1 cup (4.5 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

6 tablespoons (3 oz.) salted butter, cubed

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (1 lemon)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8 (3 1/2-inch) round, 1-inch-deep mini fluted tart pans with removable rims, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Process the flour, powdered sugar, and pistachios in a food processor until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the cubed butter to processor, and pulse 6 to 8 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press about 4 1/2 tablespoons of the flour mixture on bottom and up sides of each tart pan.

2. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove tart pans to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

3. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and beat until well blended. Gently fold the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until incorporated. Spoon about 5 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into each tart shell. Cover tarts with plastic wrap, and chill 4 to 24 hours.

4. Toss together the sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and spoon on tarts just before serving.

ciao! fabiana

recipe via Southern Living

recipes for those warm days of summer

Those hot days of summer aren’t letting up so I thought it was the perfect time to share two of my go-to recipes of the season. As I have mentioned, I’ve been eating Paleo since February and it’s really opened my eyes up to so many new yummy recipes.

A classic Waldorf Salad includes apples, grapes, celery and walnuts and with the addition of chicken this is a great choice for dinner any night of the week. The dressing makes sure to stay within the Paleo guidelines and the addition of lots of fresh herbs and garlic makes this the yummiest ranch dressing ever!

The Strawberry Chia Pudding recipe is a great choice for breakfast, but I love it as a dessert too. It’s so easy to make, and you’ll be amazed how the sweetness of the strawberries shines in each bite.  

Paleo Chicken Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad is a great family dish to make any time of year, but it's especially refreshing in the warmer months.

Recipe via Pete Evans of “The Paleo Way” and Danielle Walker of “Against All Grain”.

Salad ingredients:

1 cup red grapes, halved
1 ½ celery stalks, thinly sliced, including a few inner leaves
1 green apple, cored and diced
½ cup soaked walnuts, chopped
2 large handfuls of mixed salad greens (such as baby spinach and arugula)
1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken

For the Herb Ranch Dressing:

½ cup paleo-friendly mayonnaise
3 tablespoons coconut milk (in a can for authentic coconut flavor)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped dill sprigs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon onion powder
sea salt

To make the herb ranch dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl and season. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, toss all of the ingredients together with about half of the herb ranch dressing. Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days.

Serves 3–4 as a main

Strawberry Chia Breakfast Pudding

Recipe via Lauren Conrad

2 cups strawberries, leaves removed

1 can coconut milk

5 Tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla extract

Place coconut milk and strawberries in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an airtight storage container.

Add chia seeds and vanilla into the coconut milk mixture, and use a whisk or fork to stir.

Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight or at least 3-4 hours. To serve, Garnish with berries. Stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

💗

I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at our cottage photo shoot from yesterday. If you want a sneak peek, check out my insta-stories here on Instagram.  

ciao! fabiana

Photo courtesy of Pete Evans and Lauren Conrad

you'll want this gorgeous salad bowl!

For me summer is a special time to gather with friends and family for small festive outdoor gatherings. In the midst of the burgers and barbecue, a lovely salad is always welcomed.

 

Thanks to Vagabond House, I can serve my favorite salads in this spectacular salad bowl with matching servers. Do you spot the gorgeous hand-made pewter lilies enveloped around the perimeter of the wooden bowl?

 

They’re actually Calla Lilies, which are so elegant, and hold a dear place in my heart. We had Calla Lilies on our wedding invitations and also in the florals at our wedding.

 

That brings be back full circle to that glorious day in June when we got married! And speaking of married, this Lily Salad Bowl and matching Lily Salad Servers would make the most thoughtful bridal shower or wedding gift.

 

The Lily motif is continued with the sculptural design of these Lily Candlesticks. There's a Tall Lily Candlestick and a Short Lily Candlestick that can be purchase individually, but together they’re just stunning!

 

Vagabond House is well-known for their heirloom quality tableware, serving ware and giftware. All pieces are artistically crafted with pewter and wood as their main materials.

 

This salad bowl and the matching servers epitomize the lovely craftsmanship of their pieces.

 

In addition to the Lily Salad set, I also have the beautiful Lilacs Salad Set that my sister-in-law gave me for my birthday a while back. You may have seen it on my blog previously with a favorite salad dressing recipe.

 

Do you ever add edible flowers to your salads? It makes the salad look so pretty. This one has white Violas and strawberries, while the spring greens salad in the Lily bowl has freshly picked blue Borage blossoms from the garden. 

Have you ever had Borage flowers? They taste like cucumber!

 

Here’s my Lilacs Salad Bowl and Servers once again with a spinach, feta and almond salad. I love how nice and generous the size of these salad bowls is.

 

And now I get to show off my beautiful new Olive Baguette Tray and matching wood bowls to you again. They’re also made of Acacia Wood with delicate pewter accents.

 

I love how versatile this set is. You can use it with the bowls on the tray and then arrange bread slices around that, or the bowls can be place around the tray freeing up more room for bread in the tray, and you could even add some nuts, cheese and salami. Yum!

 

Those little bowls are really the perfect size! Each of the four pieces can also be used separately and individually. The pewter detail on the tray is really special, so I mirrored that detail with some freshly cut olive branches from my backyard.

I think this set is sold out, so I hope they come out with a new version of this soon. It's so practical for entertaining.

 

Last but not least is this adorable Bronze Song Bird Wood “Tidbit” Bowl. It’s another one of my favorite pieces that just makes an elegant statement at any table.

I filled it with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and them sprinkled on a few cheery chamomile and borage flowers.

 

Thanks for stopping by today and checking out some of my favorite wood and pewter pieces from Vagabond House. Best of all, Vagabond House is offering a shopping discount to all my readers.

    

 

 

Here’s a discount code for all my followers for

10% off until August 31:

 

CIAOFABIANA10OFF

   

ciao! fabiana

Vagabond House Shopping Info:

 

Lily Salad Bowl

Lily Salad Servers

Lily Candlestick Tall

Lily Candlestick Short

Lilacs Salad Bowl and Servers 

Similar Vagabond House Bread Trays

Bronze Song Bird Wood Tidbit Bowl

 

Other Items Shown:

 

Blue Pomegranate Tablecloth

Lilibet Cornflower Tablecloth

Lilibet Cornflower Napkins

Bamboo Flatware

Green Cabbageware Plates

Blue Stripe Farmhouse Towel

 

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.