Crofter's Organic Superfruit Crepes

I didn't have to work on Good Friday, and I wanted to make something special for breakfast to celebrate. So off I went to my kitchen to make crepes for the very first time.

There were two reasons I chose to make crepes:
1. A while ago I received a coupon to try Crofter's Superfruit Spread, and I wanted to do something more with it than put it on toast (though that's a perfectly fine option).
2. I've been wanting to eat at an expensive little crepe trailer in South Austin for several months. Making them at home took care of that craving.

I started with my jar of the North America Superfruit Spread and went to work making the crepes. I made 2 servings, which ended up yielding four crepes. What you see below are basically the ingredients you'll need: an egg, all-purpose flour, milk, water, and (not pictured) butter. I added a touch of vanilla because I already had it out, and who doesn't love vanilla? I mixed those together in my bowl and then stuck it back in the fridge. I read in another recipe that if you let the batter settle in the fridge for an hour, it will make the crepes less bumpy and lumpy.

But I didn't let it sit for that long. I kept it in there for as long as it took me to make some whipped cream (or as we say in my family, "whip cream." Maybe it's a Southern thing.)

If you've never made your own, you really should. It's easy and tastes so good. I probably should've cut this recipe in half, but I didn't. I piled lots of whip cream inside and on top of my crepes and had plenty left over for an impromptu fruit salad.

Once the whip cream was ready, I went back to making the crepes. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I switched up things with the butter. I was supposed to mix melted butter into the batter, but I think I used it all to oil my frying pan. No wonder it seemed like SO MUCH butter. Ha! The crepes tasted just fine though...

I was worried that it'd be tricky to flip the crepes, but that was actually pretty easy because they curled up at the edges. The tricky part was spreading the batter quickly (quickly!) and evenly in the pan before it could really start cooking.

Assembling the crepes was fast. I spread a line of Superfruit down the center, layered some whip cream on top and folded it over burrito style.

Of course I loaded more whip cream on top too. Yumm.

They were rich and filling, so I only ate half of my three. I saved the leftovers for Henry, and when he got home, he said, "These are good. Where'd you get the berries?"

I will definitely make these again. The mix of blueberries, cranberries, red grapes, and morello cherries is on the tart side, so the whipped cream balanced it out with a little (or if you're like me, a lot of) sweet. I liked using the Crofter's Superfruit Spread because I didn't have to prep anything for the filling, yet it packed an antioxidant-filled, flavorful punch. I wish I could have some right now.

Easter Eggs

This past Wednesday for Activity Days, the girls dyed Easter eggs, and I got to dye one too.

My little chick looks scared, doesn't he? It makes me smile. The sugar cookies were a gift from my coworker who isn't even Christian. I thought that was sweet of her!

Our Activity Days leader shared this about Easter eggs, which I thought was interesting:

The most popular Easter tradition today is the egg. The story of the egg dates from ancient times in India and Egypt, where it was regarded as a symbol of cosmic beginnings. Some religions believed the universe was produced from an egg, thinking that an egg, regarded as dead, had the capability of releasing new life after having been shattered. Consequently, the egg early became associated with the theme of resurrection.

The custom of early Christians in Europe and the Near East was to exchange Easter eggs. However, other religions at that same time also may have influenced this Christian practice. In the fourteenth century a European monarch dyed some eggs, covered others with gold leaf, and distributed them to friends and servants. In Europe and the Baltics, colored eggs became very ornate and the paintings on cooked and glass eggs became works of art. Sometimes the egg shell was pierced and the egg blown out; the shell was then plastered and painted. The more ornate the art on an egg, the more highly the recipient was esteemed. In Christian Europe, red eggs became very popular, the color being derived from the blood of the Atonement. Celebrants would carry eggs in their pockets and give them to friends and relatives whom they visited. Source

I like the symbolism of death bringing new life, like the Savior's resurrection.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Our ward had a bake sale a week and a half ago to collect tubes of toothpaste for a service project. What, that doesn't make perfect sense to you?

It worked like this: people volunteered to bring baked goods or offered a service (babysitting, tutoring, tech help, etc.) for the silent auction, and then everyone came in with their toothpaste to purchase or bid on the items. Youth conference is coming up, and the youth in our ward were asked to collect one thousand tubes of toothpaste, which will be added to hygiene kits for people in Haiti and Japan.

Through a friend's blog, I recently came across a cooking blog called Annie's Eats. Let's not dwell on the fact that this woman is a doctor, a new mom, and somehow she finds the time to create and perfect her own recipes. She creates cupcakes for all of her coworkers' birthdays. Oh, and she maintains a really pretty blog, duh. My mind cannot fathom...

Anyway, I chose her Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake recipe for the bake sale. Instead of using the icing she paired with these cupcakes, I chose the one listed here. It tasted like a buttery strawberry milkshake. Henry loved it. I thought it was good, but a little too buttery for me. We still have a baggy of the icing sitting in our fridge, anyone want it? I'm not sure what to do with it.

I didn't get to attend the actual bake sale, but Henry said they sold well. One of our friends bought two. Another family came up and tried one, and then later returned to buy the remaining nine!

As for the toothpaste, I'd say the bake sale/silent auction served its purpose well; we collected 1,467 tubes!

What I Bought

I'm having a pretty low-key weekend over here. For the first time in a month, I'm NOT leaving Austin city limits this weekend. Henry went on a camp out with some of the guys/youth from church, and I'm primarily hanging out at home (aside from trips to Sprouts, the gym, and Hobby Lobby). It feels good to be at home.

After sharing my photos from Antique Week, someone asked what I actually bought. Then I realized none of the things I bought were pictured, so I thought I'd come back and share.

The first thing I knew I wanted to buy was this blue jar. My other blue mason jar was feeling lonely. Both jars were purchased from my niece. 

My second purchase was this wooden tray, which I'm using as a centerpiece on my dining room table. The candles and flowers on top of the tray came from Hobby Lobby today. I also bought another stick of silk flowers and some little plastic green apples so I can switch things out later.

And though I didn't buy any tiny stools, I did come home with two large red ones.

I'm happy with my purchases (although I secretly, or perhaps not so secretly, wish that mini schnauzer puppy were here keeping me company right now). 

P.S. Antique Week is a biannual event! I think the next show will be in late September or October.

No. 4: Visit a Texas City I've Never Been to Before

Yesterday I met my mom in Warrenton, Texas for the huge Show Daily Antique Week that's held there every year. My niece Karly had a tent there for her business and invited us to go. It was so neat to search through what seemed like mile after mile of antiques, crafts, and junk.

I almost came home with this puppy, but Henry said no. I cried a little when we put her back...someday.