JuBella.com – Get Your Creative Dose

Good Morning Everybody! Wondering where I have been? Well, you will have to wait for Friday to find that out! Nevertheless, I had a great weekend. I have been doing very well at keeping my to-do lists handy and near by, and I must say that keeping them daily makes my life a lot easier. How do you all plan your days? Do you jot down everything that you have to do in a planner or list or do you just float with the wind?

So, Saturday the little one and I decided to make some homemade granola bars. If you check the ingredients and nutrients in the granola/cereal aisle, you will find all sorts of unknown items or the really healthy ones(especially the protein bars and energy bars taste really bad, although I love the Luna Bars & Clif Bars)! So we used the recipe below to make our own and I must say that it was super easy and very yummy! I actually used a pretty small pan and may have used a bit less marshmallows. You can add so many wonderful things to this recipe like: whole chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, a yogurt based icing, dried strawberries/apples, and the list goes on and on! I added chocolate chips to this recipe but you can leave them out for a lighter granola bar! These bars are a great alternative to oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip cookies or even candy bars! My family loved them! You could also add all sorts of energy boosters like ginko & protein to make some yummy energy bars.

Home Made Granola Bars

Granola Mixture
4 C. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 C. Chopped Pecans or Almonds
1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds
1/2 tsp.Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Honey
4-8 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Melted
1 C. Chocolate Chips

Directions: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In a large bowl, toss together oats, sunflower seeds, pecans/almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together honey and butter; pour over oat mixture. Stir well. Spread onto sheets. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool and break up granola.

Making The Bars
4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
10 oz. Marshmallows
Granola Mixture Above

Directions: LIGHTLY Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan; set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows; stir until melted. Remove from heat & let cool a bit. Stir in granola mixture until well combined. Transfer your mixture to your pan. Dampen your hands, and press mixture into pan evenly. Let Cool in fridge. Invert pan, releasing bars. Cut into bars or squares. Wrap your bars with wide strips of decorative gift wrap. I used some strips from an old magazine to wrap mine(hey it’s all I had). Keep in a cool area or in your fridge & enjoy!

So, off to a new week of creative doses! I have lots of great finds in store and I promise to have a few peeks into our apartment soon, there is still a lot of loose ends to pull together. Ok, happy creating everybody!

Good morning everybody! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good, rather relaxing, although I could have used a couple of naps in between running all of our weekend errands!

When I am in need of a boost of energy as well as a boost in vitamins to my system, I love to start off the mornings with fresh fruit juice. My absolute favorite blend is: spinach, sweet mangoes, and apples as seen above. It’s super delicious and has a great texture. I use a Champion juicer along with fresh spinach and fresh fruit. Serve with some sliced and chilled mangoes or a cool fruit salad, and you have got yourself a delightful start to a fresh morning! You really cannot go wrong with your fruit blends(you can use grapes, oranges, sweet peaches…whatever you like). As long as you have at least one sweet fruit, then the flavor should come out just fine. I always use a huge handful of fresh spinach, and I usually get plenty of juice from it. Do any of you juice? If so, share your favorite blends by leaving a comment!

So, how are you all feeling creatively? Do you have any special projects that you are working on or that you would like to start? The holidays are quickly approaching and if you are like me then you have a running list of crafty projects that you are dying to finish or at least get started on. In due time I suppose, but to get some creative juices flowing I will be posting a simple little DIY project tomorrow! Ok, that’s all for now, I will be back soon with your creative dose!

Good morning everybody! Trusting that everyone had a creative weekend? It’s a holiday(labor day) here in the Sates so I get an extra day to spend with the family. Last weekend I finally got around to fixing some homemade jam! I will probably never by store bought jams & preserves again…because this homemade jam in which I combined fresh strawberries with fresh blueberries was pure delight! It’s fresh, not too sweet, natural, and you know exactly what is going into it. My favorite part about “jamming” is that the combinations are endless when it comes to getting creative with your fruit blends and spices! I really want to make peach-apricot next, and then pear(my grandmother use to make pear preserves and it is so good). Anyhow, I made this jam in a matter of minutes and then we all enjoyed it on non other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! If you really want to make some quick jam, then you might want to try buying the Freezer Jam/fruit pectin in your canning section of your market.

A few days after the little one wanted to make some ice cream, so we added in a bit of the strawberry jam into the ice cream before freezing to make strawberry ice cream and it was fantastic! Usually homemade ice cream calls for heavy cream, but I opted to use a non-fat yogurt(you could use soy if you like) and rice milk and the flavor was perfect and the texture was very much like yogurt/sorbet…see…

Homemade Strawberry Jam
Makes 1-1/2 cups

Ingredients
4 C. Whole Strawberries (if you want to make the one pictured, use 2 C. blueberries & 2 C. Strawberries)
1 C. Natural Cane Sugar
1-2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice(optional)

Directions:

Chill a small plate or bowl in the freezer or over ice water.

In a 10 or 12-inch wide skillet, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary. Cook about 8-10 minutes, until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly.

Spoon ½ teaspoon of the hot fruit onto the cold plate and let it rest for 30 seconds. Tip plate to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is thin and runs down side of plate, the gel is too soft. Return skillet to heat and cook jam 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and repeat test.

Cool jam to room temperature before serving. Because a minimum amount of sugar is used, the jam needs to be refrigerated to prevent mold from forming. Refrigerate 2-3 weeks.

For longer storage, freeze or process hot jam in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.**

Option: If jars are sterilized (heated in boiling water for 10 minutes) it’s possible to use the inverted method to preserve jam: Pour hot jam into hot sterile jar leaving 1/8 inch head space. Wipe rim and apply prepared lid and ring. Screw ring on firmly. Invert jar and leave for 5 minutes. Turn jar right side up and let cool 12-24 hours. The heat from the jam will destroy mold spores. This method is not foolproof, so if you are preparing a lot of jam, process the jam in a boiling water canner. ~Recipe by Marjorie Braker

Looking forward to a week of creative bliss!

I wanted to share this recipe for “Chocolate Malt Sandwiches” that I made via Martha Stewart. They came out light and delicately sweet, so it was a nice sweet fix without that over the top chocolate richness (Well, at least I felt like I was eating lighter…Ha!)

I made several adjustments to mine: I did not have any creme fraiche so I just used plain soy yogurt. I do not buy regular milk, so I think I used either rice or almond milk in place of that. For my filling, I only used a mixture of cream cheese, dutch cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. If you are vegan, you could easily try using soy/tofu based cream cheese for the filling and soy/tofu based sour cream(in place of the fraiche. I must say that the tofutti sour cream is quite divine), egg replacer for the eggs, and vegan margarine. Anyhow, either way you do it, you should definitely give them a try because they are super yummy & pretty once baked. Oh, and by no means do you have to make them as big as I did, I could barely eat one of these in one sitting!

Good Morning Everybody! Oh…I am a bit late waking up this morning. I couldn’t seem to find much rest this weekend, but at least I got some slumber sleep last night!

This past Friday the little one wanted me to fix pancakes for his breakfast, so I fixed these pictured above(I bought that fabric recently from a field trip to the thrift store..it’s so pretty) and topped it off with some freshly baked peaches that I baked as if they were apples(cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt). These were so delicious & super fluffy, but I think the reason why they came out so fluffy and light was by mere accident. The recipe called for 1/4 C. vegetable oil, but all I had was vegetable spray. So I sprayed the spray oil into a 1/4 measuring Cup, and I think the lightness of the oil really makes a difference, because I tried the exact same recipe Saturday with regular vegetable oil, and they came out a bit heavier. Okay, so I say all of that to say, if you can try using the vegetable spray, then that would make them extra fluffy, or you can try beating your egg whites first. Anyhow, however you fix them they turn out quite delicious! Enjoy & have a happy Monday. I have 2 interviews from two awesome ladies, a ‘Let’s Go Visit” post, and of course some creative posts coming up this week! YAY! Happy Monday Creative People!!!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients
1 1/4 C. flour
1 Egg, Separated
1 1/4 C. Buttermilk
1/4 C. Raw Sugar
1 heaping tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 C. Vegetable Spray(recommended) or Vegetable Oil

Peaches
1 Fresh Peach, cut into wedges and skin peeled
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Salt

Directions for Peaches: Bake peaches in your microwave using your ‘baked potato” setting or you can cook them on your stove top, whichever you prefer.

Pancake Directions: Separate your egg and place the yolk in your mixing bowl and the egg whites in another. beat the egg whites until they are firm and light.

Mix all of the remaining ingredients together in your mixing bowl and then gently fold in your egg whites. Ladle about 1/4 C. of batter into a non-stick pan or onto a pancake griddle. Turn after the bottom is a light golden brown. Serve with warm syrup and freshly baked peaches. Sprinkle with a little bit of powdered sugar!

Oh my I am so excited to see this new Gift Wrap Green line that just launched by the lovely and talented Amy Butler! The colors are darling, and the patterns are elegant and festive. So, click on over and check out the full collection. I think that my first purchase from the line will be this, & aren’t the product photos FABULOUS…it really makes me want to go wrap a gift and then throw a party for someone special! Great job Amy(as usual!).

“I love making gifts for my friends and family, but in buying giftwrap and paper party ware I always thought that there should be an eco-alternative. So I have been working with the Gift Wrap Company to come up with an ecological alternative to gift-giving & paper party ware. We’ve done it! The new lines of GIFTWRAP GREEN, 100% post-consumer recycled gift wraps, bags, and giftcard boxes are out now! You may recognize some of the print designs from past fabric collections (recolored, of course). Alongside the gift wrap & bags, we’ve developed an eco line of paper tableware (plates, napkins, towels) that coordinate so you’re entire party can be fresh and “green.” The plates and napkins are printed with 100% soy ink, plus the plates use a water-soluble coating so that they can be rinsed and recycled too! It’s exciting to be able to offer a green alternative that keeps the fresh look and design we all love.” -Amy Butler

I prepared these mini taco salads to go along with some tomato basil soup that I fixed for dinner. they were a hit and SUPER simple to do I fixed mine vegetarian, but if you eat meat, you could add some ground turkey or beef! Basically they are just little bite size taco salads…YUM!

Sorry, I have no exact measurements…I am really bad on recording my measurements as I cook, as I just usually add as I go, but hopefully I will get better at it for the recipes I post here. But you want a nice consistency so don’t add too much salsa. You will just have to use your judgement on the consistency that you want.

Ingredients:
Mini Filo Shells(in your frozen food section)
Salsa
Finely Diced red Onion
Shredded Mozarella & Cheddar Cheese
Freshly Chopped Spinach
Finely Chopped Cilantro
Fresh Basil leaves to garnish(optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:
Simply mix all of your ingredients EXCEPT your sour cream and fresh basil. Season with a pinch of salt if you like. Take small spoonfuls and fill your filo shells. Dallop a small drop of sour cream on top and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy! These would be great for an informal get-together as well or along side some virgin margaritas!

Good Morning Everybody! I sure hope that you all had a delightful weekend! I am geared up for a week of creative endeavors…how about you? So this “Monday Morning” breakfast is quite simple yet comforting. I especially love a warm bowl of fresh rolled oats during the fall & winter time, especially when it is garnished with sweet brown sugar, a sprinkle of cinnamon & salt, a dash of vanilla, and warm and tender baked apples resting on top…Mmmm. Our little one loves it this way and he actually likes it along with some plump raisins. Anyhow, this would work great with some freshly sliced peaches or apricots as well, or do a fruit medley of fresh fruits like plums, apricots, and peaches together…oh my…Yum! So, off to another week we go…I hope it’s a good one for us all! Happy Monday!

Good Morning Everybody! Wow, I am barely getting this “Good Morning Monday” post up (well, at least for those of us on the East Coast that is). I have been MIA for a while, as we traveled to Atlanta to visit my parents for a few days. I couldn’t believe that we had not seen them since Christmas of last year, especially since we are only about 3 hours away! Anyhow, it was a great time, good food, and great desserts! Nevertheless, I am pretty much rested up for a week of posting!

This “Good Morning Monday” post really isn’t a recipe because it is pretty easy just to do on your own, One of my favorite things to have for breakfast on a Saturday morning is French Toast! YUM! I like to prepare mine with large loaves of Italian bread cut into pretty thick slices, and I simply place each slice in a batter of egg, almond milk(but you can use regular if that’s what you like), pure vanilla, a small pinch of salt, and a small pinch of pepper. Many times I leave off the cinnamon. Then I dip each side of the bread into the batter and toast each side to a golden brown in a non-stick skillet. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint, blueberries, fresh strawberries, and just a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and there you have a sweet and comforting morning!

Okay off to start a week of creative inspiration! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day so far!

When I look at these gift wrap patterns from Whimsy Press, I cannot help but to picture them as wallpaper. Wouldn’t some of these prints look fantastic on the wall! I would love to see them offer their designs in wallpaper form for sure! Anyhow, these are just a few of my favorite gift wrap patterns that they offer. They also sell some great note cards, and place mats, and lots of other goodies that are essential for wrapping a special gift or for throwing a special party for friends or family!

Good morning creative people! Oh…I think I need a vacation from our vacation! The long 4th of July weekend here was great and filled with lots of activities with the little one. Pony rides, tea cup rides, summer rain(which led to a couple of naps), rainbows, lemonade, fireworks, popscicles, dollar movies, and laughter. What more could we ask for. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!

So, almost every weekend I fix homemade waffles…usually on Saturdays, so I thought I would share one of the most fabulous waffle recipes that I have prepared thus far. They come out fluffy, light, and soft, and not too sweet, and tastes divine with fresh blueberries(my favorite…pictured above), pecans, or baked apples. And while the recipe calls for buttermilk, you can hardly taste it as with many recipes you can (which I hate). You should definitely give it a try. All you need is an inexpensive waffle maker. The one that we have is a small Cuisine Art. Ok, so here is the recipe. If you are vegan the you might try it with almond milk, egg replacers, and vegan margarine…I have not tried this way yet, but I would assume that they may not come out as fluffy but the taste might be just as good!

Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
2 C. Buttermilk
1 Stick of Butter or Margarine, melted
2 C. Flour (I use all purpose unbleached or bread flour)
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 C. Sugar

Directions:
Separate your eggs and place the yolk into your mixing bowl and the egg whites in a smaller bowl. Beat the egg whites until it becomes a bit stiff/frothy(about 3 minutes or so). It should NOT peak but should be frothy. Beat egg yolks in mixer, add buttermilk, then add your melted butter and mix for about 2-3 minutes. In the following order with your mixer going, gently add: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix well for about 3-5 minutes. Lastly, pour in your egg whites and mix for about 1 minute.

Use a 1/2 measuring cup and ladle your batter into your hot waffle iron on the setting you desire. We like our waffles light, so I keep it at setting 1. Serve with tea, fresh fruit, pecans, and maple syrup or honey…Enjoy!

Ok, off to a fun week of creative and inspirational posts! YAY. Happy Monday & have a wonderful week everybody!

image via JuBella.com

Good morning creative people!! So, I thought it would be fun to start a series of “Good Morning Monday” posts. I will post up a breakfast or brunch recipe or photo that is either from my own kitchen or one that I find on the web every Monday morning. Here is the first one from Simply Her Magazine. What do you all usually have for breakfast? Tea…coffee…cereal…toast & jam…? take a pic and send it on over. If you have a recipe or pretty photo that you would like to share then send it on over to me and I will consider featuring it in the “Good Morning Monday” posts!

There are some great interviews coming up this week and be sure to check in tomorrow to be inspired by the lovely Jennifer Ramos of Made by Girl! Happy Monday!

Breakfast Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients
(MAKES 16)
5 cups oatmeal, toasted
75g butter, melted
1½ cups dried apple and cranberry mix (sold pre-packaged at supermarkets)
2½ cups ground almond meal
1 cup almonds, chopped
3 tbsp honey

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 175 deg C. In a bowl, combine the toasted oatmeal and butter. Then add the dried apple and cranberry mix, almond meal, almonds and honey.

2. Lay a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the oatmeal mixture evenly over the base. Flatten with a spoon.

3. Bake in the oven for 20 min until golden brown. Remove from oven, and leave to cool before cutting into bars to serve

We do not really do too much for the Fourth of July. We are just happy to have the hubby home for a long weekend and the little one gets so excited about going to see the fireworks over the Savannah River. Nevertheless, I thought I would share a couple of easy and laid back recipes that are a breeze to fix for your 4th of July gathering!

Frozen Sake Lemonade
I do not like drinks that are heavy on the alcohol and outside of ordering virgin cocktails I usually just enjoy a glass of wine or sake every now and then, So this cool concoction that I came up with of sake, lemons, and sweetness is perfect for a summer gathering with friends.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
zest of one lemon
1 C. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. ginger ale
1/2 C. sake
Ice (about 24 cubes)

1 C. frozen blueberries and strawberries for garnishing

Directions
Stir together your lemon juice and sugar until sugar dissolves. Blend all ingredients EXCEPT for your frozen blueberries and strawberries in your blender. Place your frozen blueberries and strawberries in your glasses or pitcher. Pour in your mixture. Serve with a slice of lemon on the side & Enjoy!

Alternative: Take your mixture and let it freeze. When you are ready to use it simply take it out of the freezer and blend in your blender to make a lovely sorbet. Garnish with lemons, berries, and mint!

Berry S’mores

I have to be perfectly honest…my four year old came up with this idea. He wanted me to make smores for a snack but we had no chocolate, so he says, “well, we can use strawberries”. I was in a desperate need of a sweet fix so I agreed to it. These were SO GOOD!!! I am sure they would be a hit for any kid that comes over as well as the adults (I must have eaten quite a few myself) You could also add some fresh blueberries to escalate the whole 4th of July red white and blue theme, but these are great for a snack at anytime!

Ingredients
graham crackers
marshmallows
sliced strawberries
fresh blueberries (optional)

Directions
Simply place your marshmallows on top of your graham crackers and warm it up in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Your marshmallows should be soft but NOT totally melted. Take your graham crackers out of the microwave and place your berries on top of the marshmallow. Sandwich your graham crackers together. Serve immediately & indulge in the sweet gooey goodness!

There’s a virtual party going on, and the host is none other than the lovely Ez of Creature Comforts. I just love creative ideas and I had SO much fun creating my virtual outfit, party food, and gifts, and since it is virtual money I splurged a bit on the Fendi dress, & Ez, since we are dealing with virtual money here, use your imagination to think of the amount that the Crate & Barrel Gift card is worth! . Okay, so here is my little collage. I started out going after a black clutch to keep in line with the black and gold, but…well..I just couldn’t resist this purple clutch! Thank you Ez for the invite…such a glowing party it is..filled with some pretty creative people & I can’t wait to see who all arrives!

The Outfit: Fendi Silk Gold leaf Dress: mytheresa.com, Gold South Seashell pearl Earrings, Hayden Harnett Positano Guilded Clutch; piperlime.com, Carlos by Carlos Santana Gold Sandals: piperlime.com

The Gifts: Vintage Swallow Bobby Pins: Very Vintage, Little Wren Print: Bad Bird, Crate & Barrel Gift Card, Crate & Barrel.

I like to cook, and sometimes, I pause in the midst of flour on the counters, chocolate covered spoons waiting to be licked by the little one, water boiling over, bread in the oven, and soup simmering to its flavor, to take a few photos of my favorite foods that I try to prepare with love and creativity for my little family of 3!