FAKE-OUT PB CUPS

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These fake-out peanut cups are pretty self explanatory. They are delicious and free of all the nasty stuff that the ones in the orange package contain! These little guys are dairy-free, nut-free (think school-friendly), and perfect for little (or big!) hands!

They have only three ingredients and take barely any time to make so let's get started!!


Ingredients:

2 cups Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips/Chunks

2 tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup nut butter of your choice. (I use Sunbutter but almond or cashew butter would be amazing in these!)

1. Combine chocolate chunks as coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second burst, stirring in between. Once all melted, set aside.

2. Line small baking sheet with 12 cupcake liners. I like silicone ones but the aluminum ones work as well! Using the mini silicone muffin tins makes them easier for little hands.

3. Pour 1 tbsp of coconut mixture into each cupcake liner and swirl the chocolate so that it goes up the sides of the liner. This will form your cup. Once completed, place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Remove cups from freezer and place 1 tbsp of nut butter in each cup. Dip your fingers in water and pat the nut butter down flat.

5. Top each cup with another tbsp of the chocolate mixture. You may need to spread it around to cover the nut butter.

6. Place in freezer for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from liners and enjoy!!

​*These are best stored in the refrigerator!

ANGRY OINKER BUTT RUB

Hey all! No, I'm not about to discuss porcine massage techniques with you but I am going to let you in on an inside joke in our house.

The hubs has always said I should sell my spices/sauces/dressings and it has always been something we joked about. We even got to the point where we declared his favourite BBQ rub (this one) the Angry Oinker. It's sweet, with a bit of heat, and it is amazing on pork (ahem: everything!). Plus, it's made with simple ingredients that most of us have stuffed into our pantries! Give it a shot and let me know what you think!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic sugar (I used cane, but have used coconut sugar as well)
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp crushed chile flakes
1/8 tsp cinnamon (can omit but just gives an amazing hint of sweetness to the BBQ'd meat!)

1. Measure all spices into a bowl and whisk together to thoroughly combine.
2. Get rubbing....on a butt....a big butt....a pork butt! (Obviously, ya weirdos!).
3. Enjoy!

LEMON CURD - LIQUID SUNSHINE

I promised to get this recipe up and, I have to say, I’m really excited to share this recipe! Lemon curd screams summer to me. It’s sweet and tart and refreshing! Good enough to fill your favourite tart shells or eat with a spoon, this recipe is knock-your-socks-off kind of good. The best part - it’s easy! No double boiler. No mounting with butter. Just whisk. And whisk. And whisk a little more. I promise it will be worth it!

So let’s gather up your ingredients!

1 cup white sugar
8 egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons worth)
2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (approx. zest from two lemons)k
1/2 cup salted butter (cut it into small pieces and let Come to room temp)

ok, that’s not a crazy big list. Now here comes the tricky parts.

1). Gather all you cooking goodies together. Have a 2L sauce pan, a wooden spoon, a whisk, a fine mesh sieve, and a 1L glass bowl on hand.

2) Whisk together your sugar and egg yolks in your sauce pan. Whisk until the colour turns a light yellow.

3) Slowly whisk in your lemon juice and lemon zest and then add in all your butter pieces.

4). Place your sauce pan over medium heat and whisk constantly. DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE PAN! You will end up with lemon scrambled eggs. The butter will melt and after a few minutes of whisking you will start to feel the curd tighten up. Quickly switch to your wooden spoon and continue to stir until curd reaches desired thickness (aka leaves a line down the back of a spoon).

5) Remove from heat and continue to stir for a couple minutes before pouring through your sieve into your glass bowl. I always like to strain my curd. Not only does it remove the lemon zest, leaving your curd silky smooth, BUT if you happen to end up with a couple scrambled egg bits, it catches those too!

6). Transfer to jars and place into the fridge to set up. Or pour into a tart crust. Or dip some fresh strawberries into it. Or eat it with your fingers in the pantry. I’m not judging!

Makes approx 2 cups of curd.

​Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP

** This post may contain affiliate links for items we know and use here on the homestead. By purchasing through those links, we make a small commission at no cost to you.**

Oh man. It’s like summer time in a pan. Strawberry rhubarb anything screams of my childhood. It was one of my Gram’s favourite fruit combinations. Each year her garden was overflowing with fresh rhubarb and strawberries, and the eating/preserving would begin. We froze, we made jams, pies, and even “strawberry-rhubarb fruit”; which was a compote like sauce we put on toast and ice cream. My ultimate favourite was always the strawberry rhubarb crisp. The crunchy topping, sweet-tart filling…heavenly. Over the years, I’ve played with the recipe to better suit our taste here; little more lemon, oats in the topping, and a little less sugar. We think it’s just perfect topped with double cream, or maybe a scoop of your favourite ice cream.

So let’s get started!

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped rhubarb

2 cups chopped strawberries

1/2 cup sugar (we use organic cane sugar)

1 tbsp corn starch

zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Topping ingredients:

1 cup large flake oats

1 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

good pinch of sea salt (about 1/3 tsp)

cinnamon (I measure with my heart, but it’s close to 1 tsp)

6 tbsp salted butter, melted

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.

2. Grab a baking vessel. Approximately 8-10”. It can be square, round, no one really cares. I always make mine in a cast iron skillet because it’s easy and I’m usually making these things while my little one naps. I know the pain of making too much noise while rummaging through my baking pan drawer…and then the crying starts… Not today Satan. So… yah… cast iron. I use my Le Creuset skillet or my Staub skillet. Both are from companies I love and trust. Now grease that skillet up. Please use butter. It’s just better.

3. Add all of your filling ingredients directly into your buttered skillet. Give the fruit a quick toss to distribute the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest evenly.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add in melted butter and stir until almost a cookie dough consistency forms.

5. Crumble topping over fruit.

6. Bake for 30 mins, or until fruit is soft and filling is bubbling.

7. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 15-20 mins for the filling to cool/thicken.

8. Enjoy!