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 children will actually roll out of bed if they smell baked oatmeal for breakfast.  It is an easy recipe that can be made all year long!

To do:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 9 x 13 pan

Mix:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Add:

3 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 – 2 cups of fruit or nuts that you like (we like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and walnuts and usually save a little to put on top)

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (check at the 15-20 minute mark and rotate)

Enjoy!

UltimateMama’s kids love her delicious (and easy to prepare) Italian bread with Nutella Crepes for breakfast. To do:

-Cut off the crusts of 4 slices of Italian bread and roll each slice a few times to stretch it out

-Spread some Nutella on each slice and add thin strawberries

-Roll up the bread

-Crack one egg and beat with a fork

-Dip the rolled up bread in the egg on all sides

-Cook it on a frying pan over low to medium heat

-Repeat with the other 3 slices of bread

-Remove from heat and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar (or just brown sugar)

-Enjoy!

UltimateMama finally got her family to eat asparagus. The trick? Wrapping it in prosciutto.  To do:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

-Line a baking sheet with foil, lightly drizzle olive oil

-Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each spear of asparagus (use 15-25 spears) and place on the baking sheet

-Bake for 5 minutes in the oven

-Turn the spears over

-Bake for another 5 minutes

-Asparagus will be tender and prosciutto will be crisp

*Note:  if you have extra asparagus you can saute it in olive oil on the stovetop with garlic and tomatoes.

Enjoy!

UltimateMama knows her family loves chicken pad thai so she usually uses Annie Chun’s noodles and sauce.  It is quick and easy and all you need to do is add chicken (or shrimp), a scrambled egg, garlic, and some vegetables (thinly sliced carrots, garlic, bean sprouts, etc.).

For the first time ever, UltimateMama made Bok Choy which was well received.  To do:

-Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet

-Add 2-3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

-Add 1 shallot (or 1 small onion)

-Cook all for 60 seconds

-Add 1 pound baby bok choy (washed and cut into halves)

-Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce

-Add 2 tablespoons water

-Cover and cook for 2 minutes

-Uncover, toss, cover again and cook for 4 minutes

-Serve and enjoy!

UltimateMama likes to have an easy night “off” of cooking every once in a while and has found dinner quesadillas to be a nice “break”. They are simple to make and loved by all. To do:

-Grab 2 or 3 cups of filling from canned or cooked beans or any leftovers you have, including cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, vegetables, or rice

-Get 4 large flour or corn tortillas ready

-Shred 1 cup of cheese (cheddar, fontina, Monterey jack, etc.)

-Place tortillas on a warmed skillet or pan and top with the cheese and filling

-Watch for the cheese to melt and carefully check the underside to make sure no burning occurs

-Fold the quesadilla in half and secure with a toothpick

-Move quesadilla to a cutting board and slice as desired

(NOTE: Keep quesadillas warm on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree F oven if you have many to make)

-Serve with guacamole, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes or onions, and chips/salsa! Lime, lemon, or orange slices also add a nice touch.

-Enjoy!

UltimateMama saw the sun for the first time in a week a few days ago so she started up the grill.  Grilling is a great, easy way to break away from your standard spring dinner routine and get a “taste” of summer. To do:

-Marinate chicken breasts all day in Italian dressing (Ken’s Zesty Italian dressing is a family favorite) and grill them to your liking (1 pound)

-Prepare ground beef (we prefer 80% lean/20% fat) with seasonings such as pepper and garlic (or onion) into mini-hamburgers or sliders and grill to perfection (1 pound)

-Grill 4-6 pieces of corn (serve with butter)

-Grill the slider rolls just a quick bit

-Make a quick romaine salad for a side dish using the extra Italian dressing

-Serve and enjoy

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 believes an easy way to spruce up boring cupcakes is to pipe frosting in a creative pattern and place a decorative cupcake pick on top.  Cupcake picks (which are basically toothpicks with clever themes or messages on top) can be found in many grocery, party, or craft stores and are an inexpensive way to jazz up cupcakes for any occasion! A pack of 36 costs under $5 and if you have leftovers you can use them for appetizers too.