Well for some people Summer is already here, and for some it is fast approaching!  With Summer comes farmers markets with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and so many fun BBQ parties!

When the weather gets warm, I start to crave cool treats like smoothies, ice cream, or just a big bowl of cut up melon.  There are several varieties of melon to choose from, but the most common that will be at any party is delicious watermelon.  It is fun to try different varieties of melon, last year I tried a Santa Claus melon.  Have you tried Santa Claus melon?

This week while browsing the produce section, I saw cantaloupe… AND well, I had a craving.  I know my recipe is simple, but it is refreshing for sure!

Before I share the recipe, I wanted to share an important food safety tip with you.  Since this is the season to devour LOTS of melon….wait…I mean TONS of melon….it is important to make sure you are safe.

Since my background is in food safety, reading- learning-and sharing food safety information with you….is important to me!  It actually floors me how many foodborne illness outbreaks there are everyday, some you may read on national news, and some you will not read about.  Since I surround myself with food safety everyday, I follow some wonderful websites. My favorite food safety sites to get up to date information are Bill Marler, Food Safety News, Fair and Petting Zoo Safety, and Food Poison Journal.

This is not food safety….

Melon safety – Before you cut into any melon, rinse it off under hot water really well.  Some melon is not rinsed after it is picked from the field.  The chance of contaminants on the melon are higher if it is not washed.  If the melon is not rinsed- and you cut into the melon- you transfer the foodborne illness into the edible portion of the melon.

Sometimes the simplest food safety tips, are also the most helpful.  That is something my husband, managers I work with, and my friends tell me all the time!

I don’t usually buy low calorie drinks, because I am not a fan of sugar alcohols.  BUT I decided to try the low calorie lemonade at Trader Joe’s.  It is good mixed into smoothies, but just plan, not really my favorite.  Like I said, I am not a huge fan of the flavor of food or drinks that contain sugar alcohols.  You could use a fresh lemon squeezed, and add some water for a little bit of liquid needed to blend the mixture.

Have fun with the recipe, make it your own.  The ingredients are not exact measurements, just play with the flavoring to what you enjoy.

What is your favorite way to enjoy melon?  What is your favorite variety of melon?

A few months ago while enjoying my Twitter stream, I read a tweet about Moscato pound cake.  Moscato pound cake….SAY WHAT?  My first thought, I must make that!  Sweet Jenni from Online Pastry Chef saw my tweet about the delicious recipe…..AND the wheels were turning for us both.  We decided we must make our own versions of Moscato pound cake.

If you don’t follow Jenni, well you are missing out.  She has a gift for Van Halening her pound cakes, that is what she calls it.  All I know is that they look pretty fantastic!!!!

I have made pound cake before, and I love adding plain Chobani Greek Yogurt to the delicious treat!  Today I was inspired by grapes, I don’t know why, just sounded fun.  So let’s add some grapes + Moscato + Chobani Greek Yogurt, and we will have some happy tummies all around!

When I was looking for a basic pound cake recipe, to decide how I wanted to create my recipe…..WELLLLL I found something fun.  I knew Elvis Presley had some favorite foods he enjoyed, but who knew he loved pound cake?  The recipe I located on Epicurious was titled, Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake Recipe.  Who Knew?

I feel a moment coming on…….love me some Elvis….

“I don’t want much,

just want a little bit,

don’t want it all,

just a little bit,

give me an eeny weeny bit,

a teeny weeny bit of your love….”

Since Jenni and I both decided to make a fun Moscato pound cake, I want you to get a sneak peek at her beautiful cake!  She made a Strawberry Moscato pound cake, it looks amazing!

Soooooo…..if I have a vote….I say, you should try both recipes!  I am loving the fun Summery feel each of these recipes share. Online Pastry Chef shares some lovely recipes, and well… is a social media addict like me!  You can follow Jenni on Facebook here, on Twitter here.

If you make a Moscato pound cake, let me know, I will share it on my Facebook page!

What is your favorite pound cake?  And just for fun, what is your favorite Elvis song?

 

Browned butter just makes me smile!  Thank you to Chef Eric from Providence Cafe for showing me how to make the delicious treat.  I may become addicted to it…..it is  not my fault….I blame the butter!

If you have never made browned butter, it is easy….yet kinda tricky.  It can burn in just a matter of seconds.  So be prepared for some trial-and-error when making browned butter.  It has a gorgeous aroma that makes the whole house smell amazing, it reminds me of hazelnut-sweet, earthy, and aromatic!

The other day when I was leaving to go to work, I noticed our beautiful Amaryllis was in bloom.  I had to take some pretty pictures with the gorgeous flower.  The color is so vibrant next to the brown little muffins.  You can’t let this beautiful flower go to waste.  They are only in bloom for a week or less.

Now, since I met Nelly from Cooking with Books, I have wanted to try passion fruit.  I can never find it in my grocery store.  So when my favorite Greek yogurt, Chobani, came out with a passion fruit flavor…..WELLLLLL I was so excited to finally try the tropical fruit.  The passion fruit Chobani is pretty fantastic, actually one of my favorite flavors.

Then finally, the other day while wandering in the produce section of my grocery store, what did I see?  I actually SQUEEEE’d I was so excited, I am sure some people were wondering what all the fuss was about!  Nelly warned me that they are VERY tart, and she was not kidding.  I love really sour and really tart food, so they are perfect for me.  They are an acquired taste for sure.  I would guess it would be a texture thing for some people.  You only eat the inside of the fruit, it is a loose consistency that is mixed with seeds that are edible.

Nelly shared that she likes to mix it with water in a blender, strain it, add sweetener, and drink it as a juice.  Honestly, that seriously sounds AMAZING!!!

Now I created the muffin recipe, and still had troubles with the muffins.  They taste wonderful, and were taste-tested too, so I know they are okay.  BUT why did the centers continue to sag…..I now think it is the amount of flour, if I would have added maybe half cup more….they would look perfect.  Well either way, my tummy thinks they are perfect!  So I decided to get a little wacky, and make them into a sweet breakfast muffin.  I put the Chobani passion fruit flavor yogurt in the center of the muffin, to fill the hole.  Nobody has to know they are a bit droopy!

The recipe is fun, simple, and well I FINALLY got to try passion fruit!!!!  I took a spoonful of the fruit, and was immediately taken away to a tropical island…if only that was true!

Like I shared up above in the recipe, if you cannot find passion fruit.  Just substitute 1 egg in the recipe with 1/2 cup passion fruit Chobani Greek Yogurt.  It will make the muffins moist, fluffy, and WELLLL delicious!

Have you had passion fruit before?  Do you like to make browned butter?

Last week was full of traveling, fun, meeting new friends, and visiting with family!  It was definitely very busy.  So I have to say a huge thank you to Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama for keeping the seats at Cafe Terra warm.  She shared a lovely decadent dish that I think we all would love!  Lobster mac n’ cheese is on my to-do list to make…..but first I need to get the courage up to cook with a live lobster!

Also last week I shared a homemade rosemary ciabatta bread, and had a fun giveaway for a Eatsmart Scale.  I am excited to announce the winner of the scale!

Heather from Squirrel Bread!!!  Congratulations Heather, you have won a lovely Eatsmart kitchen scale!

Now time for pie!!!  Better yet, Swiss Maid Fudge peanut butter cup ice cream pie!!!  A few weeks ago I received some lovely fudge in the mail from Swiss Maid Fudge.  Okay, here is the weird part of Terra….I am not a chocolate lover….YET I love love fudge….riddle that one?

I will be sharing a couple more recipes with the other two flavors I have tucked away in the refrigerator…stay tuned!

Swiss Maid Fudge is celebrating 50 years of making delicious fudge!  When they started 50 years ago, they had three flavors.  Today they have 18 varieties, along with salt water taffy, caramel apples, caramel corn, brittles and crunches, and buttery caramel…..OH MY WORD!!!  Writing all those delicious treats just makes me happy, I love all these sweet treats, and I love Swiss Maid Fudge!

There was a serious adventure when making the pie this weekend.  I started with one recipe, and had to completely change my plans.  Which would be why I am a little late on getting my post to you.  Ahhhhh…the beauties of being a recipe developer, you never know what to expect.

I started off with a custard base pie, which actually was lovely, but didn’t want to completely set for me.  Thank you to Jenni from Pastry Chef Online, your help is always soooooo appreciated!  I want to make the first recipe again, and change it a bit….so more to come with that.  So why did I choose a ice cream pie instead?  When I was in Atlanta last week, I stopped and spent some time with my Aunt and Cousin.  My Aunt said she may have a peanut butter pie recipe.  One thing I love here at Cafe Terra is sharing my family’s recipes, but still trying to make them my own.  When my Aunt gave me the recipe, we both thought of ways to change it up.  AND that is how the peanut butter cup ice cream pie was born!

This pie was made specifically for my hubby, he is a peanut butter addict.  Since I always give him the Best Husband EVER status………MAYBE I will earn the Best Wife EVER status!

Thank you to Swiss Maid Fudge for your gorgeous fudge, it truly is delicious!  You can follow Swiss Maid Fudge on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.  Please stop by their site and check out all their delicious treats!

What is your favorite flavor of fudge?