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Easy Strawberry Recipes! Tasty Ways To Use Strawberries!

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Here are some easy strawberry recipes that are perfect for when you find a good sale or are just overwhelmed with strawberries! There are lots of tasty ways to use strawberries including strawberry jam, strawberry sauce, strawberry desserts, popsicles and more!

Here are some easy strawberry recipes and tasty ways to use strawberries including strawberry jam, sauce, desserts, popsicles and more!

How To Use Strawberries

Ah June! –In the spring we think of a mouth-watering strawberry patch. Now it has turned into a forest with enough strawberries to feed most of the U.S. Undaunted by the mounds of berries in our kitchen, we have visions of row after row of beautiful jars of strawberry jam on our shelves.

Then it happens! The first pot boils over leaving a red mess all over the stove, up on the walls and on the counters and floor. Hours later after the kitchen looks like World War III was fought in it we stand in our kitchen and proudly display our 2 pints of strawberry jam.

Don’t despair. Canning isn’t the only way to use excess strawberries. In addition to the strawberry recipes below, here are some other suggestions to help you use strawberries:

Yummy strawberry shake recipe!
  • Think small. Don’t plant too many plants in your garden. Plant just enough for what you need.
  • File all your recipes for fruits and veggies in order by the name of the fruit. Then when you need to find recipes for all the extra produce you can easily find several recipes.
  • To freeze berries: Throw extras into a bag and freeze. Don’t waste time freezing them on a tray, they do just as well thrown in a bag. These are great to use later for virtually any strawberry recipes!
  • Use extra strawberries in milkshakes, homemade smoothies, homemade popsicles, and fruit gelatin.
  • Use strawberries to top cereal or oatmeal; add milk for a strawberries and cream flavor.

Easy Strawberry Recipes!

If you need strawberry recipes for something a little more complicated than a bowl of strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar, the following strawberry recipes should give you a great variety of tasty options you can use all year!

This easy strawberry jam recipe is one of those strawberry recipes that's a great way to preserve extra strawberries or take advantage of a big sale on strawberries! This strawberry jam is super tasty!
This strawberry fruit leather recipe is an easy and cheaper way to make a strawberry snack like homemade fruit roll-ups. This strawberry recipe is a great way to use extra strawberries!

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Kiwi Lime Strawberry Dessert

This is one of those easy strawberry recipes that makes a very versatile dessert. It is great for this time of year when we want lighter and easy desserts. The green and red color, along with the ease of preparing it make it great for Christmas too so you might want to file it with your Christmas dessert recipes, too.

This recipe calls for frozen strawberries but if you want to use fresh strawberries just chop the fresh strawberries and sprinkle with a little sugar. Let them set overnight for a few hours and they will produce the juice that you need in the recipe.

The strawberry juice can be used to make strawberry sauce anytime for strawberry recipes like strawberry shortcake. Making it this way is much cheaper than buying the sauce in the packets and it tastes so much better. You can make any kind of berry sauce you want using the strawberry sauce recipe below. It requires no baking and it’s quick. Does it get any better than that?

Strawberry Recipes For Cool Summer Treats!

If you’re looking for great strawberry recipes for summer treats, this easy strawberries and cream popsicles recipe makes a wonderful treat that the kids are sure to love! They’re much tastier and a lot cheaper than the store bought fruit popsicles. And if you have extra strawberries from your garden or find them on sale, this is a great recipe to use them!

If you're looking for great strawberry recipes for summer treats, this easy strawberries and cream popsicles recipe makes a wonderful treat that the kids are sure to love!

This strawberry banana popsicles recipe is one of our favorite easy strawberry recipes for a cool summer treat! It makes a tasty snack and works out to be much less expensive than buying fruit popsicles at the store!

This strawberry banana popsicles recipe is one of our favorite strawberry recipes for a cool summer treat! It makes a tasty snack and works out to be much less expensive than buying fruit popsicles at the store!

This homemade fruit popsicles recipe is another of our easy strawberry recipes that’s great for summer! It’s very versatile and you can use your favorite fruit! Virtually any fruit will work, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

This homemade fruit popsicles recipe is another one of the strawberry recipes that's great for summer! It's very versatile and you can use your favorite fruit! Virtually any fruit will work, so don't be afraid to experiment!

This strawberry mousse is an easy strawberry recipe that makes a quick and easy strawberry dessert your kids are sure to love!

This easy strawberry mousse recipe makes a super yummy and creamy strawberry flavored mousse! Light and fluffy, it's perfect served as-is, but if you like you can top with more whipped cream or swirl it together with the chocolate mousse recipe below! Get this and more Valentine's Day candy recipes here!

This Berries on a Cloud Dessert Recipe makes a delicious light and fluffy dessert resembling meringue. It’s soft and sweet with a yummy strawberry flavor!

This Berries on a Cloud Dessert Recipe makes a delicious light and fluffy dessert resembling meringue. It’s soft and sweet with a yummy strawberry flavor!

This strawberry dessert recipe is probably one of my favorite desserts, partly because it is not too rich. It is a very light dessert. It is an especially good one to keep made up in the freezer for when unexpected company comes by.

I like to use it not only for graduation parties, but also for baby showers or any other get-together because I can make it a week ahead of time and that means one less thing to have to deal with the day of the special event!

For more recipes like these easy strawberry recipes, check out our cookbooks:

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Sweet Tea Recipe – How To Make Sweet Tea!

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If you want to know how to make sweet tea, here’s an easy sweet tea recipe for a refreshing summer drink! You can save money making a pitcher full of sweet tea for pennies instead of paying several dollars a glass at a restaurant!

If you want to know how to make sweet tea, here's an easy sweet tea recipe for a refreshing summer drink! You can save money making a pitcher full of sweet tea for pennies instead of paying several dollars a glass at a restaurant or convenience store!

How To Make Sweet Tea At Home – Sweet Tea Recipe

Those of you from the South may find a post about how to make sweet tea a little funny because sweet tea is an everyday thing in much of the South and some of you were weaned on the stuff.

There is a whole generation of adults, though, who don’t know how to make sweet tea because sugar was put on the “bad food” list when they were growing up, but surprise, surprise it is once again ok to use sugar in our drinks. Yeahhhh!!!!

Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to buy sweet tea at the fast food restaurants and in the bottles. I cringe every time I see someone pay such a huge amount to buy sweet tea when it is so easy to make and costs only pennies for a pitcher full.

In addition to sweet tea, many people buy bottles of regular and green tea for the antioxidants. Be careful – when tea sits for a while it starts losing its antioxidants, so making fresh sweet tea is best. 

To help you save some money on what may be becoming your favorite drink or what might still be an old favorite, here is how to make sweet tea using my easy sweet tea recipe.

Even though I am not officially a true Southerner, I will warn you I drink mine so sweet it will curl your hair. You can adjust the sugar if you want, but try it this way first and see what you think. Part of the secret to good iced tea is having the sugar properly dissolved. Just adding sugar to regular unsweetened cold tea doesn’t get it completely dissolved, but there’s an easy secret to this dilemma when making sweet tea.

Some people make a simple syrup to help dissolve the sugar, but you don’t have to go to all that trouble because this recipe makes it’s own simple syrup with the tea.

This sweet tea recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook:

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Here are the steps for how to make sweet tea with pictures:

Boil part of the water (about 3 cups). This doesn’t have to be precisely measured. Just estimate using enough so that when you pour it over the tea bags and sugar, it will cover them well.

While the water is boiling, place the tea bags and sugar into a 2 quart pitcher.

How To Make Sweet Tea Pour The Sugar

After the water boils, pour it over the tea bags and sugar. Cover and let it steep for at least 5 minutes if you are in a hurry. I let mine sit for 30 minutes or more (or until I remember that I made it ;-).

Sweet Tea Recipe - Pour boiling water over the tea bags

Then, gently stir it. You don’t want to break the tea bags.

How To Make Sweet Tea - Stir The Mixture.

 

 Add more cold water up to the 2 quart line. Chill.

Sweet Tea Recipe - Add Cold Water.

If I will be serving mine over ice, which is the way I love it, I will only add water to the 1 1/2 quart line instead of 2 quarts.

How To Make Sweet Tea - Pour Over Ice In A Glass.

 

Of course, after you try it, you can adjust the sugar and water to your preference.

Sometimes I will use 2 regular flavored tea bags and one flavored tea bag (like peach or raspberry). This adds just the right amount of flavor to it. If you like lemon, toss in a slice!

Jill

How To Make Sweet Tea - Easy Southern Sweet Tea Recipe

Easy 3 Ingredient Pork Chops Recipe And Instant Peach Cobbler!

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This 3 ingredient pork chops recipe is a quick and easy recipe that makes carmelized pork chops with a super yummy flavor!

Three Ingredient Pork Chops Recipe And Meal Plan

Here’s a quick and easy meal plan you can make with just 10 to 15 minutes’ preparation time. Starting with a tasty carmelized 3 ingredient pork chop recipe, add some easy side dishes and finish it off with a quick and easy instant peach cobbler! This is an easy meal sure to please your family!

Meal Plan:

3 Ingredient Pork Chops
Country Fried Potatoes
Cooked Carrots
Caesar Salad
Fresh Bread, Butter and Jam
Instant Peach Cobbler

Recipes:

This 3 ingredient pork chops recipe is a quick and easy recipe that makes carmelized pork chops with a super yummy flavor!
Try this easy instant peach cobbler recipe to make tasty pach cobbler with just a few minutes prep time for a sweet dessert anytime!

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Homemade Gourmet Ice Cream Cones

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Homemade Gourmet Ice Cream Cones - Click Here To Save On Gourmet Ice Cream!

Homemade Gourmet Ice Cream Cones

Now I feel really old! I was just treated to an ice cream cone at this place where they mix the ice cream with whatever kind of crushed cookie, candy or sprinkles you want, slap it into a cone and charge $5 for it! Why does this make me feel old? Because I can remember when ice cream cones used to cost 25 cents.

I’m not sure what I was most shocked at – the price of the ice cream or the fact in these “hard economic times” there were so many people in the store not batting an eye over buying “gourmet” ice cream. The conversations in the store made me realize that many of them do this on a regular basis.

I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, thinking this must be some great tasting gourmet ice cream cone but I was very disappointed. The ice cream didn’t taste nearly as good as the inexpensive kind I buy at my grocery store and the gourmet store used the same candy bars and cookies that I can buy at any store.

Going to places like this is not the way to save money or to get out of debt. Watch your spending and on a hot summer day, instead of climbing in a hot car to go get a cone which will cost you an arm and a leg, try making your own. Here are some tips to make it easy:

  • Make your own homemade ice cream cones. You can buy regular cones or waffle cones at most grocery stores. Keep a box of them and some ice cream on hand. Then, just crush your kids’ favorite candy or cookies in a bag or use sprinkles, chocolate chips or other toppings. Place some of the ice cream in a bowl for just a bit until it gets a little soft and stir in your treats. Then scoop it into a cone.
  • This is a great way to use those broken cookies or crumbs in the bottom of the bag, which no one ever wants to eat. You can even keep a bag in the freezer, adding to it until you have enough to use.
  • Making these homemade gourmet ice cream comes is another great way to use the candy you got on sale after Easter, Halloween or Christmas.
  • Another thing I like about ice cream cones is there are no dishes to deal with when you are done.

I hope this gets you thinking about how to cool yourself and your spending for the summer!

What are your favorite gourmet ice cream add-ins? Leave a comment below and let us know!

-Jill

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How To Cook Dinner Fast – Quick Dinners In 30 Minutes

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One secret to cooking dinner in 30 minutes is to be organized and plan ahead. These ideas are easier than you think and can save you time, money and stress!

Discover simple tips to cook dinner faster and clean up quicker—perfect for busy families looking to save time in the kitchen.

How To Cook Dinner Fast – Quick Dinners In 30 Minutes

Here are some simple tips to cook dinner faster and clean up quicker—perfect for busy families looking to save time in the kitchen.

Part 1 – Make Cooking Easier Before You Begin To Cook

Ever since the phrase “30 minute meals” came into being I have been confused. My children say I have always been confused, but that is an article in and of itself. : ) Anyway, 30 minutes is considered a quick and easy meal, but I always thought of a 30 minute meal as an average meal, which is why I’m confused.

Recently, I heard something that clears things up for me a little: The average family spends 2 hours preparing for and cleaning up after a meal. I just about had a heart attack. No wonder so many people are writing saying they don’t have time or are too worn out to cook dinner each evening. I would probably never go near the kitchen either if I spent that much time cooking and cleaning up.

Since eating at home can save you a lot of money, I came up with some tips that many fast cooks have used over the years. I hope these will help you get in and out of the kitchen quickly. Like all new things, you need to practice and make new habits, which may take time, but in the long run it will more than pay off.

Don’t worry if you can’t do it all. Just start slowly and go from there. Also don’t feel compelled to use these tips all the time. If you have the time, feel free to make more complicated menus. These tips are for everyday busy schedules.

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Before Dinner

Plan ahead.

Most of you already know this but now it is time to put it into practice. If at first you can’t plan an entire week in advance, start by planning the next day’s meal the night or morning before. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple. If you need more tips, check out our How to Save Money On Groceries e-Course.

Choose 10 of your family’s favorite meals.

Once you feel comfortable planning a day ahead, pick out 10 of your family’s favorite meals. Get your family to help here. A study I read showed that most families eat the same 10 meals over and over and are happy with that.

(If you need some delicious and easy recipes that your family will love, you’ll definitely want to check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks.

If you eat out at least once or twice a week (fast food, going to friends’ homes for dinner, church potlucks, etc.) the 10 meals should cover 2 weeks of meals. Repeat once and you have a whole months of meals taken care of.

If you’re concerned that your family will be bored eating the same thing, consider this: The same meal will only be served twice a month. It doesn’t get any easier than following these easy steps!

A whole month of menus is taken care of with just 10 menus. You may have thought you would have to come up with 30 new meal plans at the end of each month, but you don’t. Don’t make planning meals so hard.

If you find that you just have a mental block about meal planning or you just want some easy pre-made menus and recipes, you can get our Menus On A Dime e-book set where we’ve done all of that for you. It’s much better to use already made menus than to give up and spend a lot more money going out to eat.

Plan meals that only use a few common ingredients.

The more ingredients there are in a recipe, the longer the recipe takes to prepare. Additionally, it takes longer to shop for 15 ingredients than to shop for five. If the ingredients are unusual, you usually have to spend even more time roaming the store looking for them.

Here are a few recipes to help you plan easy meals.

Do as much prep work ahead of time and not during the busiest part of the day – dinner time.

  • Make sure you have all your ingredients.
  • Clean vegetables.
  • Place meat in the pan so it’s ready to pop in the oven.
  • Make salads.
  • For recipes like biscuits and cornbread, measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and put in the remaining ingredients when you are ready to bake. Better yet, try to bake things like cornbread and muffins early in the day, not when you are trying to make dinner.
  • Make one dish meals in the morning so that they’re ready to pop in the oven right before dinner. Add a salad or bread and you are done.
  • Just putting your meat in the oven early goes a long way towards starting dinner.

Use your oven or crockpot more and the microwave less.

Read this post to learn about how using your oven can often be faster and how it can help relieve stress at meal time.

Start with a clean kitchen

Start with a clean kitchen, clear counters, empty sink and dishwasher. You might want to check out this article, Dirty Dishes Cause Debt, to help with this.

Read Part 2 of this article here:

Dinner in 30 Minutes: Easy Ways To Speed Cleanup As You Go.

 

Easter Menu and Leftover Easter Tips

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Easter Menu

Spiced Honey Ham
Boiled or steamed new red potatoes
Deviled eggs
Carrot and celery sticks (in honor of the Easter Bunny of course)
Peas and pearl onions
Cornbread
Pineapple Sour Cream Pie

 

Spiced Honey Ham

1/2 cup mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp. cloves
1 ham

Mix first 5 ingredients and pour over ham. Cook ham according to directions on the package basting every 30 minutes or so.

This dessert is great a change from all the sweets everyone has probably had from the Easter Bunny that morning.

 

Pineapple Sour Cream Pie

1 pkg. (5 1/2 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple plus juice
2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 baked pie crust (you can use a store bought one of course)
Whipped topping

Combine all but the crust and beat slowly for 1 minute. Pour into the crust and chill 3 hours. Top with whipped topping when ready to serve.

 

Easter Leftover Tips:

  • Run leftover Easter hard candy through your spice grinder. Sprinkle it on cakes, cupcakes and cookies for color, sparkle and taste.
  • To keep egg yolks from crumbling when you slice hard boiled eggs, wet your knife before each slice.

 

What to do with 1001 hard boiled eggs:

  • Use them and some of the leftover ham and veggies from your Easter relish dish to make chef salads.
  • Chop them up with ham, bacon or sausage and a little grated cheese to make breakfast burritos.
  • Use them for Scotch eggs. Wrap uncooked sausage (the moldable kind that comes in a plastic tube) around each peeled, hard boiled egg. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. You can serve these cold or hot and make a great on the go breakfast.
  • Make your favorite egg salad. Then add to it equal amounts of ham. Slice a hoagie roll or French bread roll in half. Place bottom half of roll on baking sheet and spread with 1/4 cup of egg/ham salad. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Top with roll top and broil a minute.
  • If you have a mound of leftover hard boiled eggs, don’t forget the simple ways to use them up like for deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, on a chef salad or just thrown in a lunch to be eaten with a little salt.

 

photo by: eraphernalia_vintage

Homemade Buttermilk Recipe

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Our homemade buttermilk recipe is so easy to make that I make it all the time! Homemade buttermilk can be made with fresh milk or milk that has gone sour. It literally takes me two minutes to throw it together, let it sit overnight and then in the morning I have fresh homemade buttermilk for my pancakes.

Our homemade buttermilk recipe is so easy to make that I make it all the time! Homemade buttermilk can be made with fresh milk or milk that has gone sour. It literally takes me two minutes to throw it together, let it sit overnight and then in the morning I have fresh homemade buttermilk for my pancakes.

I use homemade buttermilk for:

  • pancakes
  • coffee cakes
  • homemade breads
  • homemade rolls
  • homemade baking powder biscuits
  • homemade cakes
  • soaking chicken before frying
  • buttermilk ice cream
  • buttermilk dressing
  • homemade scones

When I say I use homemade buttermilk for everything, I do. I just love my homemade buttermilk! If you want to try your hand at making homemade buttermilk, give our recipe a try and be ready for all the great goodies to come!

Here's an easy buttermilk dressing recipe that doubles as a creamy salad dressing or a flavorful party dip. With just two basic ingredients and a handful of seasonings, it's quick and easy to whip up!

This Homemade Buttermilk Recipe is from our Dining on a Dime Cookbook, Volume 1. For more easy recipes like this, check it out here!

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