Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Cindy Kerschner

It’s day 3 of Spring Sweets Week! I’m so excited to share my Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese and our group’s sweet treats recipe links with you!
Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese allows everyone including vegan, and dairy-free to enjoy this strawberry treat. Only 3 ingredients!
vegan strawberry cream cheese
Enjoying fresh fruit flavored cream cheese doesn’t get any easier than this recipe. Strawberries, sugar and cream cheese substitute. That’s it!
Since I shy away from direct milk and soft cheese this recipe works for my dairy intolerance.

vegan strawberry cream cheese
Maybe it’s not much of a recipe, per say, but more of a simple treat. This particular version uses a coconut base cream cheese substitute. Any non-dairy cream cheese will work in this recipe.
Texture can be an issue depending on the cream cheese and how juicy are the strawberries. Play with the amount until you get a desired consistancy.
I’m fine with a more rugged texture!

Veganvegan stawberry cream cheese

vegan strawberry cream cheese

Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese

Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 8 ounces vegancream cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)

Instructions
 

  • Place strawberries and sugar in food processor. Blend.
  • Add cream cheese, blend. Refrigerate to firm.

Friday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

Posted in #SpringSweetsWeek, breakfast, dessert, egg, fruit, strawberry, What's For Dinner? | Leave a comment

Blueberry Blondies

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Cindy Kerschner

It’s day 2 of Spring Sweets Week! Today I’m sharing my Blueberry Blondies recipe along with links to our fabulous spring sweets week group creations!
Blueberry Blondies take delicate vanilla blondies and swirls in fresh blueberry jam. A taste of spring in every bite!

blueberry blondies

Sometimes I just want a little something sweet. Something easy to make and keeps fresh tasting for days. Blueberry Blondies fit the bill.

blueberry blondies

As a bonus, the extra blueberry refrigerator jam spread on a bagel or toast makes a good breakfast or snack.

Tips for better blondies

  • Layer aluminum foil in both directions to create “handles” to easily lift the blondies from the pan.
  • Resist adding extra jam to the batter. Too much jam will create soggy treats.
  • A splash of lemon brings brightness and enhances flavor to berry jams.

blueberry blondies

Blueberry Blondies

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Servings 12 squares

Ingredients
  

Jam

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries crushed (should equal 1 cupscrushed)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

blondies

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter melted plus 2 tablespoons for greasing pan
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 each egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions
 

jam

  • Stir together crushed blueberries and sugar. Let mixtures tand for about 10 minutes for sugar to absorb liquid. Stir occasionally.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for1 minute. Continue cooking over reduced heat until reduced to desired consistency (about 30 minutes). Refrigerate or freeze extra jam.

blondie

  • Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil in both directions. Allow a few inches tohang off the ends. Brush foil with melted butter or shortening. Set aside.
  • Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Addegg and lemon. Add to dry mixture.
  • Spread dough evenly over bottom of the pan. Dot with jam.Use a knife to swirl into dough. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow pan to cool about 10 to 15 minutes before removing blondies with foil intact. Lift foil by overlap "handles" and set on rack to finish cooling. Cut cooled blondies into desired sizes.

Wednesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

Want more sweet recipes? Check out Monday’s Sweets Week post! Monday Sweets Week.

Posted in #SpringSweetsWeek, berries, blueberry, breakfast, cake, dessert, egg, fruit, spring, turkey ham, What's For Dinner? | 4 Comments

Lemon Matcha Muffins

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Cindy Kerschner

It’s day one of Spring Sweets Week! This week our sweets loving bloggers group will be sharing some of our favorite sweets recipes!
Thanks go out to Heather from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for making this event possible!
I’m starting the week off with my Lemon Matcha Muffins. Don’t miss scrolling down past the recipes this week for links to our groups delicous recipe links!
Lemon Matcha Muffins taste like a tea party! Green matcha tea cake-like muffins with a drizzle of lemon. Serve cold, warm or lightly grilled with a pat of butter.

lemon matcha muffins

I’m trying to stay away from milk. Since I had my gallbladder removed, milk doesn’t agree with me. For this recipe, I used lactose free milk but whole milk works just as well.

These muffins bake to a delicate crumb texture yet hold its shape. This makes these muffins easy to cut, butter and pan or griddle brown.

lemon matcha muffins

Matcha and lemon is one of my favorite combinations. Recently I made lemon matcha crinkle cookies for a contest which were a definite hit!

lemon matcha crinkle cookies

Muffin tips

  • Use food grade matcha powder not matcha designed for tea balls or bags.
  • Slightly overfill to about 3/4 full to get a better muffin top.
  • Allow muffins to cool a few minutes in the pan to make easier to remove.

lemon matcha muffins

Matcha Lemon Muffins

Lemon Matcha Muffins

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Servings 6 each

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter unsalted, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon matcha powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar.
  • In a medium bowl, add milk, lemon juice, zest, egg and vanilla.
  • Ina separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, matcha and salt.
  • Alternate wet and dry ingredientsuntil mixed.
  • Grease and flour large muffin pan 5 to 6 sections. Fill with 1/2 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Monday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

Posted in #SpringSweetsWeek, breakfast, dessert, egg, fruit, lemon, muffin, turkey ham, What's For Dinner? | 7 Comments

Grow more food indoors with Rise Gardens

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Cindy Kerschner

I received a Personal Garden from Rise Gardens to trial and review. I received no further compensation. All opinions are my own.
Imagine a year round indoor garden that can provide healthy eating for the whole family. That’s what is possible with a Rise Gardens home garden.

Photo courtesy of Rise Garden.

It’s been 30 days of growth using my Personal Rise Garden. What started out as seedlings pictured here on day 8 …
has turned into these thriving plants in as little as 30 days!
rise garden day 30
Leafy varieties give you the option of pruning up to 25 percent of the leaves at a time for addition to any meal. I pruned these leaves off the Pai Tsai ditty and used them in a quick stir fry!
rise garden prune
Rise vertical gardens systems grow fresh produce in a small space. These compact hydropanic gardens fit into any home situation.
It comes complete with its own light system, water filtration and nutrients.
The Rise Garden app monitors water levels and controls duration of light depending on your chosen plants. Reminders in the care tab let you know how much and when to add nutrients.



Look at the roots on this pai tsai!

You can also use your Rise Garden as a seed starter. Transplanting plants into soil like these radishes, is also an option.

Many choices are available from Rise Garden for building your indoor garden. Featured here is a personal garden with eight spaces on one level. Family sized gardens can offer up to 40 pounds of produce grown on several vertical levels. You can grow everything from tomatoes to strawberries in these hydroponic towers.
Learn more about Rise Gardens at https://risegardens.com/.

Posted in garden, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, What's For Dinner? | Leave a comment