Blueberry Pie Recipe

Hello! To continue with the blueberry theme, I have a wonderful blueberry pie recipe for y'all! I made this the other night, shared it with my parents and James, and got a stamp of delicious approval!

This recipe is so simple to throw together and pop in the oven. It took me less than 10 minutes to get it in the oven! Those are the kind of recipes I like, especially on week nights! Oh and did I mention it only dirties up a bowl, pie dish, spoon, and a measuring cup! I can deal with that!

I used a store bought crust from Wal-mart for this because they taste great, and who really wants to make a pie crust?! Not this girl!

Blueberry Pie Recipe

2 pre-made pie crusts

6 cups fresh blueberries

2/3 cup sugar, plus a little extra for the top

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place one pie crust into pie plate. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in one bowl. Add blueberries and lemon juice to dry ingredients. Toss together together. Put blueberry mixture into pie crust. Distribute butter pieces over blueberries. Top with second pie crust. Crimp pie shells together along the edge. Cut vent holes in top crust. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the pie. Cover Bake for 40 minutes. Allow pie to cool two hours or so before serving.

"Never suppress a generous thought."

-Camilla Kimball

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

One of my new addictions has been checking out some of the the other awesome blogs out there via Bloglovin. One of the blogs I follow is Gimme Some Oven. There are always great recipes on it that I want to try out for myself. One that was posted the other day was for making blueberry muffins a healthier way. I decided to give it a shot! Who does love tasty things that are actually good for you?!

Healthy Blueberry Muffins:

Slightly adapted from: Gimme Some Oven - Blueberry Avocado Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ripe avocado, seeded and peeled
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
Topping:
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp.  brown sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line regular sized (12) muffin pan with liners.  Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder) in a separate bowl. Beat avocado in a mixer on medium until smooth. Add sugar and beat until blended. Then add the egg and mix until blended. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and yogurt. Blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients in two parts. Mix until combined. Fold in blueberries. In a separate bowl combine all topping ingredients. Distribute the batter evenly into the 12 liners and to with topping mix. Bake for 25 minutes.

These muffins were very delicious, and no one would guess the only place they had butter was in the topping. James ate five of these and still does not know they were made with Greek yogurt and avocado. I think it might be best to not tell him, since he turns his nose up to anything deemed "healthy". I will definitely make these again and probably very soon, since our blueberry bush is producing a lot of berries! Yum!

"It makes me happy to know that none of use get a how-to guide. We're all just kind of winging it."

-Unknown

Things I love this week...

1.  Our blueberry bush has finally produced some berries! Loving them in my oatmeal every morning!

2. Zuzu made this terrible face when posing for a picture last night. Look at that tooth!

3. I have less than a month left of summer classes. Who would have thought 3 online graduate courses is more work than 7 undergraduate courses?! Anyway, I cannot wait for this semester to end, and that day is coming soon! :)

4. My kettlebell. All the work from my classes has made it hard to get up in the morning and run because I want to get my school work done. If I go to the place I run, it easily eats up an hour an a half to two hours of my time. This past week I have been doing a quick 30 minute kettlebell routine in my living room. It gets the job done, and I feel like I have more time for school work. :)

5. My laundry basket is not overflowing. I know this sounds silly, but seriously, an overflowing laundry basket makes me feel like my life is getting out of control. I am NO WHERE near the "neat-freak" my mother is, but I do prefer things looking like I have it somewhat together. I have managed to keep the laundry pile down even after being gone most of last week, and I am on track to complete my school work ahead of the due date. Go me!

positive quote:

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."

-Unknown

Aloe Vera Juice Review

On Sunday, I ventured out to my local Whole Foods to pick up some cold-pressed juices. While there, I stumbled upon something called Aloe Vera Juice. The label was intriguing, so I decided to give it a shot. Plus, it was only $1.79. Not too bad.

So, I saw that their was pulp in the juice. I was thinking it would be like orange juice pulp. WRONG. The first sip, I was pretty sure jellyfish chunks was an ingredient. I am talking slimy pieces that were jellybean sized or bigger. This was the main downfall to the drink. I don't mind pulp, but chunky, jellyfish blobs are not very desirable.

This jellyfish drink is supposed to be "oh so good" for you. I thought it was alright, but I did not feel invigorated like the bottle said. The only thing that probably invigorates someone is the 32 grams of sugar they will intake if they drink a whole bottle. If I had a choice between this drink or water, I would definitely pick water.

I am glad I gave it a shot. I love to try new products, especially things that have the potential of being healthy. I picked up a few other things at Whole Foods, that I plan to review in future posts.

positive quote of the day:

"What really matters in life is rarely on my 'to do' list."

-Unknown

Monthly Favorites: June

Hey everyone! After seeing many YouTubers talk about their top things over the past month, I have decided to add "favorites" posts  to my blog. It's just a fun post that tell you what I have been loving each month from fashion to just events in my life. Hope you all enjoy!

1. Brown Target Sandals: These go with almost anything I wear right now. I am probably styling these guys 4-5 times a week. For $12, I have definitely got my money out of these sandals!
2. Monogram Bracelet: I have worn this on nights that I have been dressed up this past month. I love that its simple, elegant, and personalized. Thanks Momma and Daddy for the fab graduation present!
3. "Point At You" By: Justin Moore: This has been my top song for June. It's catchy and cute, and I find myself singing it throughout the day.
4. Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream: I like to have something on my skin, but since the temperatures have risen, I do not always want a bunch of foundation. This has been my go-to when I am just running to the grocery store or wherever. I dust a little powder on top, and I am good to go!
5. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, By: Mordicai Gerstein: I have had to read about a bazillion children's books this summer for one of my graduate classes. This is definitely the best one I have read so far. The illustrations are so amazing they tell the story by themselves. It definitely deserved to receive the Grand Caldecott Award!
6. Grey H&M Bikini: Grey? Gray? Who knows? Anyway, this bikini has been my favorite this past month. It was only $25 and actually has good quality. The bottoms look skimpier in the picture than they are when they are worn.
7. Reusable Target Mason Jar Mug: I have used this almost everyday since I picked it up at my favorite Target. I bring it with me when I go on runs or to the beach. It also has helped me increase my daily water intake ( I don't know why though! Maybe because its fun?!).
8. Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt: I have been cooking with Chobani and adding it to everything this past month. I use it in smoothies (with berries, kale, and chia seeds) and pasta sauces. I have even used it in some of the meals I have made for James (without telling him, of course!), and he approves!
9. I have had some other major accomplishments this month. First, I passed my Praxis II exam. Then I received my diploma from ODU in the mail. Next I received my award for high scores on my Praxis II. And, as of yesterday, I PASSED my VCLA exam! Wow! Writing that all down makes me feel this has been a pretty darn good month!

I am looking forward to what July holds for me! I have my big RVE exam, and some final exams at the end of the month. I hope July won't give me too much school stress! Also, around that time, my momma and I will be traveling to the Penn Family Reunion. Very exciting things going on to make for a fun summer!

 

Today, I am off to see my good friend, Serena, get married! That means James and I will be all fancied up for the occasion!

 

positive quote of the day:

"Too many people undervalue what they are and overvalue what they are not."

-Unknown