We are heating up in Los Angeles, and 4th of July is around the corner… that can only mean one thing…. Paleta time! These strawberry, blueberry, and chia seed lemonade paletas had to be made.

Ingredients for Paletas:

• 3/4 – cup fresh strawberries
• 1 – cup sugar
• 2 1/2 – cups water
• 5 – lemons (juiced)
• 1/2 – tablespoon chia seeds
• 3/4 – cup fresh blueberries
• Paleta mold

Directions:

1. Add blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Pour the first layer into popsicle molds filling them only 1/3 of the way up.
3. Place in the freezer to set first layer for 3 hours.
4. Next mix lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in 1 cup water and chia seeds to lemon/ sugar mixture. Set to the side for chia seeds to expand while you wait for the first layer to freeze.
5. Now pour the chia seed lemonade mixture into the molds and fill up to the 2/3 mark. Place sticks into the paletas and place bak into the freezer for 2 hours.
6. Add strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender, and blend until pulpy but slightly smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into the paleta molds to the top. Place in the freezer overnight.
7. To unmold paletas by placing molds into a bath of luke-warm water for 20 to 25 seconds then gently pull out.
8. Enjoy!

Disclosure: I was treated to an afternoon with the CA Strawberry Commission that included dinner and lots of strawberries, I was also given a stipend for my recipe. All opinions and recipe are my own.

I recently went on a trip to an Oxnard, California Strawberry field. I know, that makes you think of the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever.” I couldn’t stop humming that tune to myself the whole day, such a melancholy song in one of the sweetest fields of California…. I learned all sorts of new fun facts about strawberries, and got to spend the day with a few of my good friends. I ran around in the fields looking for the biggest prettiest reddest strawberry I could find and tried to shove as many in mouth as possible.  Picking them fresh and tasting them at the warm temperature made such a sweet difference. I guess I’m use to eating them out of my fridge and cold.  Here are a few interesting facts that Farmer Bill Reiman and The CA Strawberry Commission shared.

• Every day superfruit: 8 strawberries contain more vitamin C than an orange. Low in sugar, with only about 50 calories, strawberries are a great source of fiber, folate and potassium.
• Good for your heart: Potassium found in strawberries can help control blood pressure and fight strokes. Plus, antioxidants, fiber and phytochemicals in strawberries have been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels.
• California’s strawberry farmers are among the most progressive and environmentally conscious in the state. In fact, they have invested millions of dollars in research and sustainable farming practices to reduce pesticide use and environmental impacts.
• There are no genetically modified strawberries commercially grown and shipped. Different varieties of strawberries are developed for different climates and growing conditions. These varieties are developed using traditional breeding methods that involve selecting two parents and crossing them using their flowers.

With all these great facts about strawberries I decided to bake a cake to celebrate strawberries and how much my family loves them.

Ingredients for Strawberry Blueberry PoppySeed Olive Oil Cake:

• 3 1/2 – cups flour
• 3 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 2 – cups sugar
• 1 – cup whole milk
• 5 – extra large eggs (or 6 regular sized ones)
• 1 1/3 – cup extra virgen olive oil
• 3 – tablespoons poppyseeds
• 2  – cups fresh strawberries (chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1 – cup fresh blueberries

Ingredients for Strawberry Icing:

• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (about 8 to 10 strawberries)
• 3 – cups confectioners sugar

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray, and set to the side.
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl, and mix to combine. Set to the side.
4. In a mixer add in sugar, milk, eggs and olive oil. Mix to combine for 5 minutes on a medium speed.
5. Then gradually add flour mixture to sugar/olive oil mixture, mix until completely combined.
6. Add poppy seeds, strawberries, and blueberries to batter and mix to combine. 
7. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and back for 60 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 3 hours. 
9. Then pull cake away from the edges of the pan and center.
10. Invert cake onto a platter.

1. In a blender add strawberries and blend until completely liquified.
2. Then using a sieve strain strawberry puree into a cup.
3. Pour confectioners sugar and strawberry puree into a bowl together and mix with a whisk or fork until completely smooth. Icing with be slightly thick.  
4.  Then slowly pour icing over cake and allow to harden for a minimum of 2 hours.
5. Slice and ENJOY!!!!!!

Here are a few pictures from the field trip!

Ericka and I being greedy with our strawberries, and hoping nobody catches us!

Thank you CA Strawberry Commission for a fun and sweet day!

This giveaway is officially closed! Congrats to Candy!!!!

For a chance to win the gorgeous teapot pictured below, leave a comment on how you enjoy strawberries, and for an extra chance to win share this post with your facebook friends. Winner will be chosen by random.org. Contest ends Sunday May 12th at midnight PST.

I have to admit the truth, I’m having a full on affair with lemon pastries these days.  Let me apologize to my friends in advance (A-dre, Emma, Kristen and Ericka) these ladies have been trying to get me to eat lemon desserts for YEARS, and I would turn my nose up and act like they had offered me the worst thing on earth.  I should of listened to you girls.  I Don’t know why the thought of lemon pastries just repulsed me.  I had somehow convinced myself I would hate it.  Recently I was in Miami and had my first slice of Key Lime Pie, and it was as if the heavens had opened up and let me lick the sky….. I LOVED IT!  Now I’m going lemon pastry crazy.  Here is my first dessert I ever made using lemon anything.  I’m happy to share it with you.  My family (especially my Mom) went bonkers for it.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake:

• 12 – honey graham crackers sheets (each sheet has 4 crackers in it)
• 3 1/2 – tablespoons butter (melted)
• 12 – ounces of cream cheese
• 1 – 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 5 – ounces of coconut flavored gelatin (I use D’Gari) (if you are unable to find coconut flavored gelatin- substitute with one cup of sugar and 1 individual packet of Knox gelatin)
• 3 – cups of boiling hot water
• 6 – ounces Lemon flavored jello mix
• 1 – cup of fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. To make the crust…. place all graham in a food processor and pulse till completely grounded up into crumbs. Then pour in melted butter and pulse again to incorporate.
2. Pour buttered crumbs into a springform pan. Press crumbs into pan to form a crust. Then place in the fridge while you make the next layer. 
3. In a mixer add cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk and mix on medium till they cream together smooth. Set to the side.
4. In a medium sized bowl mix coconut gelatin mix and 1 cup of boiling hot water together, mix until gelatin is completely dissolved. Set to the side to cool for about 25 minutes mixing with a spoon occasionally.
5. Once coconut gelatin mixture is cooled enough, pour it a little at a time into the cream cheese condensed milk mixture, and mix with mixer on medium till completely combined. It will start to thicken up right away so work fast.
6. Pour cream cheese mixture into crust lined springform pan. Then place in fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
7. Then in a medium bowl add lemon jello mix and 2 cups of boiling hot water, mix until completely dissolved. Set to the side to cool for about 30 minutes.
8. Once lemon jello mixture has cooled, remove pan from fridge and add fresh blueberries to the top of the the cheese cake layer. 
9. Then slowly pour the cooled lemon jello mixture on top of the blueberries. 
10. Place back in the fridge for one hour. Then when ready to serve, take a butter knife and run it along the inner edge of the pan. Then release the springform pan and cut and serve. Enjoy!