UltimateMama and her kids made the most delicious and simple blueberry pie that was met with much applause this weekend! A store bought crust helped us out but the rest was simply homemade.

To make –

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust or another brand

6 cups fresh blueberries (remove stems, wash)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven according to pie crust instructions (sometimes it is 425 degrees F but double check)

Make the filling – Get a large bowl and fill with the blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir

Put blueberry mixture in the bottom crust

Place top crust over and fold under edges with bottom dough

Score the top pie crust with 4 cuts so steam can move freely out

Bake the pie on middle rack for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F and 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Cool pie, serve, and enjoy!

UltimateMama’s kids enjoy whipping up fresh tomato mozzarella bites in a flash.  These quick, easy to make appetizers are beautiful on any dining table.

What you need:

1 pound container of Campari tomatoes

Small container of pearl or cherry size fresh mozzarella balls

4 clean, washed basil leaves

Drizzle (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil

To assemble:

Cut the tomatoes in half.

Use a melon baller to scoop out the inside of tomatoes and discard.

Place a mozzarella ball inside of each tomato “shell”.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Garnish with basil (or you can thinly slice the basil leaves and place in each one).

Enjoy!

UltimateMama had her kids create a weekend brunch that was healthy and tasty. They opted for bagels and lox with many creative accompaniments.

-Set out your favorite bagels (kids love Tal Bagels in NYC) and slather on some cream cheese

-Place lox on a separate plate

-Dice some cucumbers and tomatoes and place in bowls next to a bowl of carrots to snack on as well

UltimateMama needed a day off from cooking 3 meals a day so she opted for this quick, easy, and nutritious yogurt treat for breakfast.  To assemble:

-Place some Greek yogurt with honey on a platter

-Put some fresh berries in little glass bowls (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries work well)

-Set a bowl of granola in the middle

-Let each child or adult assemble their own yogurt, fruit, and granola parfaits

UlimateMama and her kids whipped up a quick, delicious banana bread this morning that delighted all who sampled the end result (our family of 4).  The recipe:

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas (mashed)

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

To do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.

Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and butter in a bowl. Mix flour and baking soda in another bowl. Stir into banana mixture gently. Pinch a little salt into the mixture. Pour batter in to prepared loaf pan. Bake in oven about 50 minutes (test at 45 minute mark to see if toothpick is clean)!

UltimateMama loves to serve watermelon to her kids after-school or for parties.  The trick is to make the fruit both appetizing and mess-free.  UltimateMama slices it rather thinly then cuts the rind so that only a little “top hat” is left and kids can’t get enough of it!

UltimateMama and her girls can’t resist thinking back to their trip to Spain a few years ago and longing for the excitement of Barcelona.  Since flying to Europe was out of the question last weekend, UltimateMama decided to do the next best thing–make paella with her girls for Friday night dinner. Using a brilliant Matiz paella rice recipe, the girls made an out of this world seafood paella! The one catch–make sure you have saffron on hand–expensive but worth it.

Matiz Seafood Paella recipe:

Heat 8 cups of fish or chicken broth with 1 teaspoon of saffron (we used a bit more) in a pot.  In a separate (very) large pan, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium heat.  Add 1-2 medium sized diced onions to the oil and fry until translucent (6 minutes, approximately). Add 1 chopped red bell pepper and 1 chopped orange-yellow bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 16 oz diced artichokes (canned), 28 oz diced tomatoes (canned), and 4 cloves of diced garlic — simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour in 4 cups of Matiz Paella rice and stir until the rice is fully covered with the sofrito tomato mixture.

Carefully add the broth to the paella. Gently move the rice mixture around until evenly distributed. Do not “stir” the rice after this part.

After 10 minutes place your fresh seafood (white fish, uncooked shrimp without the shells, mussels, clams, etc.) into the mixture one by one and evenly distribute the seafood. After about 10 minutes add piquillo pepper to garnish and add color. In another 15 minutes or so the water should be completely absorbed and you can remove from heat. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. You can serve it directly from the pan (add wedges of lemon or lime if you want to impress).

UltimateMama’s girls had a brilliant idea for a recent casual get together with friends – make, bake, decorate, and serve cupcakes for all to enjoy!  Inspired by whimsical Lilly Pulitzer dresses, the girls used the Domino Buttercream Frosting recipe (found on the Domino Confectioners Sugar box) and food coloring to create beautiful pink and green frosting.  The girls loved experimenting with a piping bag and Russian piping tips to create stunning designs.

In a rush?  No sweat.  Betty Crocker makes easy to use decorating cake icing in a variety of fun “party” colors as well.

UltimateMama’s girls are always excited to make these clever, easy, minimalist, nutritious, and tasty avocado boats.  The best thing about them is that they can be eaten right out of the avocado! Avocados are high in healthy fats and great anytime of day.

Ultimate Avocado Boat recipe (for 8 people):

-4 avocados

-6 plum tomatoes cut into cubes (or use a pint of washed cherry tomatoes which you won’t need to cut)

-1 container of fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) or you can cube one larger mozzarella ball

-4 tablespoons diced red onion (scallions work well too)

-2 tablespoons of lime juice

To do:  scoop out the “meat” from each avocado but remember to keep the “shell”.  In a large bowl, gently stir cubed avocado chunks, tomatoes, mozzarella, onions, and lime juice. Carefully, spoon into each of your eight avocado “shells” and serve!

UltimateMama and her girls love to make this refreshing summer salad for lunch guests.  It is quick, easy, delicious, and filled with nutrients.  Best of all, it is colorful as well as easy to eat poolside.

Ultimate Pineapple and Chicken Summer Salad recipe

-Fresh kale

-Pineapple chunks

-Red (or yellow) potatoes cut in chunks

-Grilled chicken cubed (UltimateMama usually uses leftovers from the prior evening)

-Balsamic vinegar

To do:  wash and dry the kale, add the rest of the ingredients, and lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve in pretty summer bowls.

Optional:  Add some feta or goat cheese.