For The Love Of All Things Creamy Check Out Uno Gelato

 

   If you love Gelato and you’re at a nearby location in Vancouver B.C., you gotta check out Uno Gelato to fill your hearts creamy desires ♥️

   We visited their location near the Vancouver Convention Centre, and I just loved how it’s right next to the water. There are statues and stairs just outside the shop, so you can sit and enjoy the view; And if you’re lucky, there will be someone preforming an art, or playing their instrument nearby! When we visited, there was a very talented lady playing the violin and it was just beautiful. 

   At Uno Gelato, they partner with local suppliers to bring the best ingredients for the richest flavors. Using locally grown, organic produce, dairy, and sea salts, it gives them the chance to experiment and give a variety of things to choose from. Their products range from a variety of cone options, gelatos, sorbettos, milkshakes, hot beverages, and more! 

   The flavors we tried were the Very Cherry made with Swiss chocolate nuggets of Fleur de Cao, and the Yuzu Lemon Sorbetto made using the rare Yuzu lemon giving off mandarin orange, grapefruit, and lemon zest vibes, and then in the other cup we had the Akbar Mashti, which is a Persian classic made with saffron, rosewater, and rich pieces of Devonshire style cream with crunchy roasted pistachios and the Earl Grey Tea & Lavender which is made with Bergamot infused black tea and dried lavender buds. The tastes were amazing and so much fun to try. 

   The texture of the gelato was perfectly creamy with constant flavor throughout. I always like to try the most unique options, and I'm pleased Uno Gelato has so many to choose from, I would love to try each one of them! 

If you’re anywhere near one of their three locations in Canada, I highly recommend you check them out! You can also visit them at unogelato.com where they do local deliveries, and you can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

Jam Jar Oat Bars + Recipe

   If you have some leftover jelly or jam in the jar, and are tired of making sandwiches with it, try making a tasty dessert! These Jam Jar Oat Bars are easy to make, and taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but without the peanut butter. To make these bars, you first build up the crumb bottom.

 

Mix together:

1 Stick of Softened Butter

1 Cup of Flour 

1 Cup of Oatmeal

A Dash of Salt

3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

Add about 3/4 of this crumb mixture to the bottom of a greased 9 inch baking pan, shaping it together to form the crust. Once layered, spread across your jam or jelly, and sprinkle across the remaining crumb mix you made above. Bake in the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy as is, or top with ice cream for the ultimate treat! 

 

Enjoy!

Homemade Banana Cream Pie by the hubby

 

   One of my favorite type of pies is Banana Cream Pie. My husband made this beautiful one awhile back, and I wanted to share because it was so delicious! To make this pie, he followed the sugarspunrun recipe, and used the following ingredients:

 

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 Tablespoons of butter cut into pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

   In a sauce pan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then add in the egg yolks, milk, and heavy cream, mixing til all combined together. Place sauce pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. Once the bubbling begins, allow it to simmer for 1 minute, monitoring that it doesn't burn. Immediately remove from the heat and add butter a tablespoon at a time. Whisk together and add in the vanilla extract. Once everything is mixed together, pour the filling through a fine mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Cover the filling surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. Once cooled, pour some of the filling into a pie crust, smooth it out, and top with sliced bananas, repeat the layers so you have a marriage of pudding and sliced bananas throughout. Fridge for several hours to set, top with sliced bananas and whipped cream. 

 

 

Enjoy!!

Homemade Brownies from Scratch

   I've never made brownies from scratch before, so I wanted to attempt a recipe while I had cocoa powder on hand. I came across this delicious looking batch of brownies over at Love & Lemons, and decided to give them a shot. 

 

Here's how mine turned out

   To make these Brownies, you need the following ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients first, add in liquid ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into an 8x8 baking dish and bake at 325° for about 40-48 minutes. 

I didn't have any chocolate chips on hand, so my brownies didn't have them in, but they were still just as good! The brownies came out moist, though crumbly, and I ended up having to up the oven temperature to 350° instead of 325° as they weren't cooking well in the center. The aftermath of it all left me with brownies that fell apart, but a little ice cream on the top turned these brownies into a luscious dessert!

Hopping on the Dalgona Coffee Bus

   So I've been hearing all the rage about Dalgona Coffee and how good it is and how easy it is to make. I decided to get on the Dalgona Coffee Bus and try it out for myself. It really is extremely easy to make! And it only takes 3 ingredients, which you then pour over your choice of a milk-like drink. 

To make Dalgona Coffee, you need the following ingredients:

2 TBS Instant Coffee

2TBS Hot Water

2 TBS Sugar

I cut the recipe in half and used a packet of Folgers instant coffee for mine. So in a little glass jar, I added in 1 TBS of Hot Water, a little less than 1 TBS of sugar, and the instant coffee packet. I then used my frother and frothed away until it was whipped to perfection. This makes such a beautiful color and looks good being poured over your drink! 

A lot of people pour it over milk or Almond Milk, but you can really do whatever you want. I had a Vanilla Cappuccino drink that I poured mine on and it was delicious! I also only used half of this mixture I made, so it didn't turn out as pretty as other peoples Dalgona Coffees, but it was still fun to experiment!

Finding Hidden Treasures When Least Expected

    You know when you just have one of those days...you could really use some chocolate but there's none in the house? Well I decided to clean out our pantry and organize it a bit more...sorting the boxes of cereal and crackers, checking expiration dates, and re-stacking the oatmeal packets... 

   I had found a mini Snicker Bar hiding in one of the baskets!! It just knew that I was meant to find it that day. I enjoyed the tiny but oh so delicious piece of chocolate, and of course, after I ate it, I wish I had more :) I love finding joy in the simple things. They really make life more enjoyable!

What are some hidden treasures you've found when they were least expected? 

 

Kids in The Kitchen With Won Ton Wraps

   Looking for an easy way to get your kids in the kitchen to help out with making meals? Won Ton Wraps are perfect for beginner lessons! You can fill the wraps with all kinds of different filling ideas... whether you make it sweet or savory, the options are endless! My son loves working with won ton wraps...Some of his favorite things to make are pizza squares, cheese balls, or meat filled egg-rolls. Prepare the filling ingredients and make a "buffet line" for easy work space. The great thing about these wraps is you can bake or fry them. I personally love them fried, but baking is less messy haha. Either way, they come out delicious!

What are some other quick easy meals, your kids enjoy helping with?

Homemade Rich and Fluffy Cosby Cake

   Do you remember the episode of the old Cosby Show, where Cosby brings out a luscious white birthday cake with strawberries around the top....He attempts to cheer his wife up, trying to get her to take a bite... 1 cake becomes 2, then 3... It's such a cute scene and that cake has always looked so delicious! My husband told me awhile back, that when he saw that episode as a kid, he always wanted to eat that cake and it made him feel so happy. So I decided to surprise him with my own homemade cake that could slightly resemble the Cosby Cake! I'm sure it was no where near as good as the real Cosby Cake haha, but this one was definitely satisfying. 

To make the cake, I followed a Vanilla Pound Cake recipe I found from Martha Stewart, and for the frosting, I made a Cream Cheese Cool Whip Frosting I found on key ingredient. I will share both recipes below. The cake turned out very rich and filling, and best eaten cold!

Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside. 
Step 2: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix). 
Step 3: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cream Cheese Cool Whip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-ounce) container whipped topping (thawed, if frozen)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (3.5-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (or other desired flavor), optional

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together softened cream cheese with the Cool Whip. Add the sugar, vanilla, and optional pudding mix.  Stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
If you would like a colored frosting, add several drops of food coloring and mix. Continue to add food coloring, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the desired color. - Obviously I left our frosting white.

   Both of these recipes were taken straight from the linked websites and made pretty straight forward. They were equally easy to make, and so so good! If you ever make them, be prepared for some dense, yet delicious cake!!

Quality Sprinkles: Christmas Green Holly & Red Berry

Disclaimer: I received the following product(s) in exchange for my review. All opinions my own.

 

 

It's almost that time to make Christmas desserts!! I was testing out these adorable Christmas Holly sprinkles I received, and sprinkled them in some Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies. In the future, I think they would look excellent on frosted cupcakes! 

 

 

I love that these sprinkles are made with natural colors, and nothing artificial. They are Gluten, GMO, Soya, and Dairy free; Made without hydrogenated fat and are kosher, halal, and vegan. They make all your desserts look extra festive, and add a bit of crunch to each bite!

 

 

 

You can find the Christmas Green Holly & Red Berry Sprinkles available, as well as other beautiful sprinkles, at qualitysprinkles.com

 

 

 

I received a complimentary product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.  

 

 

Seduced By The Taste

   The new show, The Taste on ABC is all about Seduction foods this week, where the contestants have to seduce their mentors with just one bite. So for Influenster, I am writing about a time that I have been seduced by food. I have to go with my husbands cooking. He is a delicious cook and makes amazing foods! But two of the most memorable foods he has made that "seduced" me would be the time he made a lava chocolate cake and another time he made fried chicken. He's from the South and has always made fried chicken delicious, but there's this one specific time that stands out to me, he made it better then ever.

    The chocolate cake he made was from scratch. He rarely ever makes desserts, which is probably for the best since I have a bad sweet tooth lol...but this one time, he made a rich chocolate lava cake that was so moist...but it was the toppings that made it seductable! He made a chocolate glaze using 90% dark cocoa, butter, and sugar and topped it with a goats milk caramel and sliced strawberries... It was so good!  Just look how sexy!

How have you been Seduced By Taste??

Check out The Taste on ABC! It shows Tuesdays at 9/8c

#SeducedByTaste @TheTasteABC @Influenster