Making any day special with brunch!

From toast options to eggs, to baked goods, desserts, feeding two, or feeding a crowd. Fruit and drinks. hearty casseroles and so much more.

• Avocado Toast
• Smoothie Bowls
• Lemon Scones
• Stuffed French Toast Casserole
• Bacon– Bake it up crisp
• Buttermilk Biscuits– so light and tender!

And some great drinks to go along with brunch:

• whipped coffee– OMG so amazing
• or maybe you’ll want to try this coffee syrup on top of pancakes, yogurt or in drinks, totally yummy!
• homemade lemonade
• got blueberries? this gorgeous blueberry lemonade is outstanding
• lavender lemonade
• lavender iced tea
• Are you an iced tea fan… this Kentucky Dirty Cocktail is delicious
• Smoothie fans- love the blueberry oatmeal smoothie or an apple cinnamon oatmeal smoothie.
• And apple sangria is always a good option.

A fun fruit options is Grilled Apricots

Make some Egg Salad Spring Rolls for a fun make ahead item.

Keeping it simple make some overnight oats, prep them and piles some fruit around a tray and serve it charcuterie style.

Need something on the go… make a batch of these blueberry breakfast cookies.

Or try some TOAST options. I have over a dozen varieties.

some more yummy options

• Carrot Cake Scones
• Skillet Carrot Cake
• Leftover Ham Fried Rice
• Carrot Bundt Cake

• Buttermilk Scones
• Eggs Benedict Enchiladas– OMG so yummy, I included ham in this and it’s delicious
• Hard Boiled Egg plus Eggs, tips and uses
• Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon because no breakfast is complete without bacon and just another way to get in a green vegetable!
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• 1-hour Strawberry Shortcake– one of my all time favorite cakes, simple to make and enjoyed by all! This cake can be topped with any fruit, mix it up with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or slice on some bananas for your banana pudding fans and enjoy!

And don’t forget how great a nice vegetable soup can be for Brunch! Try this Creamy Asparagus Soup!

• Strawberry Mimosa– the color alone of these is GORGEOUS, and just one more reason to enjoy Brunch!
• pancake biscuit and turkey gravy
• Blueberry Scones– just one more reason to enjoy blueberries
• Beet Dyed Deviled Eggs– super pretty and so delicious, and you will be happy if there are leftovers… enjoy them for days!
• Asparagus with Hollandaise
• Deviled Egg Dip, surround it with bagels and dip away charcuterie style!

Cornbread fans give these cornbread waffles a try, and don’t you think cornbread goes with everything!

More great dessert options:

• Blueberry Madeleines
• Banana Bread Pudding
• Cherry Muffins
• Blueberry Muffins
• Apple caramel bread pudding
• Pancake Loaf

Maple Banana Walnut Cake– don’t miss this one!

I also love baked custard, and rice pudding.

I know it’s not fall…. But oh yummy these pumpkin pancakes are always a great option,

Check out these fun Pancake Mix recipes! If you need a homemade pancake recipe check this out.

If you’re planning on serving a ham these cheesy potatoes make a great side dish.

And this bacon and egg fried rice recipe is always outstanding along with this potato pancake recipe.

Prep and bake the day before so it’s smooth sailing in the morning. Items to prep ahead are the fruit, cook the bacon or sausage and then simply reheat it. Bake the dessert and gather all the place setting items you’ll need. Remember fresh lemons or herbs will make any meal more flavorful.

Looking for more popular recipes!

Happy Brunching!
~Diane

The post Brunch first appeared on Created by Diane.

Whether you pick up raspberries from the store or from a bush in your yard, making raspberry syrup is a very good idea.

There are so many uses for it, you’ll have to try them all!

Keeping it simple first with a raspberry soda- add some syrup to a glass of ice and top it with seltzer/sparkling water. Check out my post on Chocolate Soda and Cherry Soda.

Make an Italian cream soda by adding some heavy cream and then add in some raspberry syrup, then top it with ice and seltzer/cream soda.

Pour it over some pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

Use it to fill a cake, I have a cake coming soon with raspberry filling.

Make raspberry lemonade, and turn it into a yummy cocktail by adding vodka.

Continue reading: Raspberry Syrup

The post Raspberry Syrup first appeared on Created by Diane.

I’m all about… all things cranberry as soon as they come out every year.

And thought it would be fun to make some cranberry-flavored jello shots. 

I used cranberry juice, vodka, and Jell-O. Cranberry jello is available at Walmart or amazon, black cherry is a great option if you can’t find cranberry or use Knox gelatin. 

These are festive, and for a cute garnis,h place some rosemary sprigs into some fresh cranberries. 

Another possible flavor option is to use cranberry and a little lime for a citrusy kick. I’m thinking raspberry and lemon will be a great flavor as well.

These are the size cups I used, you can use smaller cups as well.

These would be fun for a Friendsgiving, or maybe to amp things up on Thanksgiving if you have to wait for the main course to be served.

Great at a holiday party.

New Year’s…

You name it.

It’s been fun having them in the fridge to enjoy on a moment’s notice!

The amount of vodka can be adjusted to your liking, regular or strong. 

Alternatively, you can make them without vodka, for a fun, small festive jello cups to serve to everyone.

If you were looking for Cranberry Sauce Recipes, check here, I made 6 varieties. Great flavor combinations, something for everyone. Mix it up and try something new. 

Mix up a batch and make them for all your holiday celebrating!

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Cranberry Jello Shots

cranberry jello shots, a festive and fun time to enjoy around the holidays

Course cocktail, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 18 shots

Author Diane Schmidt - createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

• 3 oz cranberry or another variety red jello
• 12 oz 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice or water
• 6 oz 3/4 cup vodka
• for a fun flavor variety you can add some lime juice

Instructions

• In a saucepan bring the cranberry juice to a boil, add in the dry jello mix and stir until dissolved.
• Stir in the vodka.
• Pour into 2 oz plastic cups (or smaller) cover with lids and place in the fridge until set up about 6 hours.
• For really strong jello shots you can add more vodka 4 oz more.
• For more shots, you can add up to 20 oz juice/water.
• This recipe can easily be multiplied to make more.

The post Cranberry Jello Shots first appeared on Created by Diane.

If you like lemonade and want it to be as delicious as you’d get on the boardwalk or fair, you’re going to love this.

The heat is moving in slowly all over, and for me, nothing tastes better than fresh lemonade.

It’s not only perfect on a hot summer’s day, and it brings back memories of me as a child.

What kid hasn’t slurped down a tall glass of this classic drink after running around outdoors?

I’m going to show you how to make fresh lemonade to keep your thirst quenched all summer long!

So, let’s talk lemons! There are actually quite a few varieties of lemons out there – 30 to be precise!

However, there are usually only a few to choose from in the grocery store or your local farmers’ market.

The two most common types seen are Lisbon and Eureka (these are typically labeled “lemons” with no other variety added).

Any lemons will work for fresh lemonade.

You can adjust for sweetness according to taste, some lemons are tangier than others, and the riper the lemon, the more juice.

My favorite lemon is a Meyer Lemon, and lucky for me, my mom has a Meyer lemon tree, which means I get spoiled with 5 gallon buckets of lemons!

My mom has a Meyer lemon tree that produces an abundance of lemons and has for over 25 years. I feel blessed to get them.

A week ago, I stopped by for a visit with my parents and brought home a 5-gallon pail full of lemons.

Oh, I knew just what I was going to make with some of them… first was some lemon scones, and then I got ready to make some lemonade to share with you, my tips for great lemonade, and of course, I shared some lemons with friends too.

Don’t worry, you don’t need a 5 gallon bucket of lemons to make lemonade, so how many lemons to make lemonade? I break it all down for you from the glass to the gallon.

Meyer lemons are popular lemon trees to have here in southern California, Meyer lemons are juicier and sweeter in taste as they are a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin orange.

They are my absolute favorite go-to, but you can use whatever lemons you have handy!

And the best thing about this fresh lemonade recipe is how you can adapt it to fit your taste buds! Add in any of these fruits to mix up the fresh flavors a bit:

• Lavender
• Blueberry
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• lime
• Mint
• Sparkling water makes it bubbly!

I often make fruit syrups and add them to the lemonade (you can reduce the sugar in the lemonade recipe if using syrup to flavor the lemonade)

• Strawberry Syrup
• Lavender Syrup
• Cherry Syrup
• Blueberry Syrup

You can even perk up lemonade mix by using fresh lemon juice. Nothing beats the taste of fresh lemons, but if you don’t have lemons, you can add the juice of a lime for a fresh flavor.

The same additions as above would make a great flavor combination for store-bought lemonade mix. You can add in some fresh strawberries or blueberries and puree them for a fun fruity flavor. Add some seltzer to make it fizzy.

Want it boozy? Add in tequila, Vodka, or Bourbon for an extra kick. You could even float some sliced jalapenos on top for some spice – there are so many options.

So, what to use to juice your lemons? Everyone has their opinion on this. Ideally, you want to get the most bang for your buck – meaning you want the tool that will squeeze every last drop out of your lemon with minimal effort.

I’ve used lots of juicers, from hand-held presses and reamers, to stand juicers you press by hand, to electric juicers (which are great if you juice lemons or oranges all the time, grow your own citru,s etc. 

If you’re only juicing a few lemons, any tool will likely be fine.

But when trying to get a lot of juice, your forearms and hands will get tired if using something that isn’t efficient. So, for larger jobs, I prefer the handheld press.

It seems to fit all lemon sizes well, and it renders the most juice, even more than the standing press.

A quick tip: If your lemons are really firm and you’re struggling to get the juice out, try microwaving them for 30 seconds. This will make them juicier!

I prefer the handheld press, it seems the lemon sizes fit well, and it lends the most juice. I love the standing press, but found the handheld got more juice out of each lemon on the first attempt. 

• Yellow Lemon Press is my all-time favorite, and thinking of getting a stainless steel press now that I’ve done all my comparing to see which was quickest, easiest, rendered the most juice on the first attempt, and easiest to clean.
• Stainless steel juice press. I’m sure these presses range in quality, but if you have larger lemons, they don’t fit so well and don’t remove all the juice, it does work nicely on smaller lemons.
• Wood reamer works well if you have just 1 lemon
• Electric juicer is great if you have lots of lemons or oranges to juice, but for 10 or so, I find the hand help juicers just fine.

 How many lemons to make a gallon of lemonade?

You’ll need 8-12 lemons to make a gallon of lemonade. The reason there’s such a variance in lemons depends on the size and ripeness of your lemon. And if you end up being short on lemons, you can use lemon zest – the skins of lemons have great flavor. Just don’t go overboard, it could become bitter.

So now let’s look at the recipe!

In the printable recipe card, you’ll see instructions and amounts for making lemonade by the gallon, half-gallon, 2 quarts, and by the glass. 

To mix the lemonade well, it’s important the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the sugar into a container/pitcher or glass, then add a small portion of warm water and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Next, add the lemon juice and remaining water. Stir well, then pour over ice.

All lemons will give different amounts of juice, if the lemons are larger or smaller, if they are juicier or dryer. The amount of lemons is an estimate.

1 cup fresh lemon juice: juice from 4-6 lemons (large Meyer lemons-home grown), 8 Sunkist lemons from the store. 

1/2 Gallon lemonade:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, juice from 4-6 lemons (Meyer lemons) 8 Sunkist lemons from the store.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water, to ensure the sugar dissolves well
• Then add the remaining water, stir well, and serve over ice.
• 16 oz Glass of lemonade: 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• ¼ cup of warm water to dissolve the sugar 
• Add 14 oz of  cold water and stir.
• Serve over ice.

And don’t forget, you can add in fresh fruit, booze, whatever floats your boat, really!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you love lemon, take a look at these other lemon recipes!

• Lemon Garlic Chicken – One of my favorite flavor combinations, and is super simple to make!
• Triple Lemon Cake – A great addition to any summer event, or just for a special family treat.
• Lemon Dill Potato Salad – Refreshing and simple, a go-to for warm summer evenings.

And, I have lots more lemon recipes here!

Can I use limes in place of lemons?

Absolutely! Lime-aid is delicious and you can do an even exchange using my recipe. It’s also great for many of the add-ins mentioned above.

Is there a good way to substitute the real sugar for a sugar replacement?

I’ve made lemonade with monk fruit sweetener and with swerve sweetener with good results, start by adding half the recommended sugar, then add more to taste. Sugar replacements tend to taste sweeter.

What’s the best way to pick ripe lemons?

Ripe lemons should have glossy skin, be firm and bright yellow with no green showing. Ideally, you want a lemon you can press, and it’ll give a bit. Really firm lemons won’t render a lot of juice.

How to make lemonade with a mix better? 

If you don’t have an abundance of lemons and want to make lemonade, you can start with a mix and add in a couple of fresh lemons, or make another flavor to elevate the lemonade mix to taste fresher. Like adding a cup to two of fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, pureed to give it a nice fresh fruit flavor. If you like lemon-lime, go ahead and add in a couple of fresh limes juiced to give a nice zing.

Another way to add a fun flavor is to add fresh muddled mint or basil leaves to lemonade, a nice alternative if you have them growing in your garden and don’t have fruit available.

Can I make this into a frosted or creamy frozen lemonade drink like chick-fil-a? 

You can, add in some vanilla ice cream and ice and whip it in a blender, or use some milk and sweetened condensed milk.

Another option is to use frozen lemonade with either of those options to create a cold, frosty and creamy lemonade.

Can I make lemonade without using all the calories in regular granulated sugar?

Yes, as I mentioned, you can use monk fruit sweetener or Swerve, both are zero calories. Start with less than the recommended sugar and add more to taste.

Can I make this lemonade sparkling or bubbly?

If you want to make lemonade fancy, go right ahead and add seltzer, club soda, Topo Chico, La Croix, or another fizzy water to give it that great bubbly sensation.

Next time you see some to-go cups at the store, pick some up, or grab some on Amazon here. They are great to have around.

I use them to send my kids off to work with a frosty lemonade on hot summer days. When repairmen come by to fix things or we have someone doing a project or work for us, I know just what I’ll save them.

Everyone seems to love lemonade, especially homemade!

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How to make Homemade Lemonade

refreshing lemonade you'll make by the gallon all summer long, with instructions to make half gallon and by the glass to enjoy any time of year you like. Just like carnival and boardwalk lemonade.

Course Beverages

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 -16 servings

Author Diane Schmidt - createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

Gallon Lemonade (128 oz) 16 cups

• 2 cups lemon juice 8-12 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 14 cups water

1/2 Gallon Lemonade(64 oz) 8 cups

• 1 cup lemon juice 4-6 lemons
• ¾ cup sugar
• 6 cups water

1 quart Lemonade (32 oz) 4 cups (double for 2 quarts)

• 1/2 cup lemon juice 2-4 lemons
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups water

Lemonade by the glass (16 oz) 2 cups

• 1/4 cup lemon juice 1-2
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 14 oz water

Instructions

• The number of lemons will ultimately depend on size, variety, and ripeness.
• I use granulated sugar to make lemonade, but if you're looking for a sugar alternative I've used monk fruit sweetener and swerve with good results. Start with half the recommended sugar then add more to taste, those sweeteners tend to taste sweeter than sugar, so you will not need as much.
• The best way to make the lemonade is to add the sugar and a small portion of warm water to the container and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the lemon juice and remaining water and stir well.
• Serve over ice.

ADD another fruit flavor syrup to your lemonade to kick it into high gear! Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry… all great options. Check out the links below:

• Apple Cinnamon Syrup
• Blackberry Syrup
• Blueberry Syrup
• Cherry Syrup
• Chocolate Syrup
• Coffee Syrup
• Grapefruit Syrup
• Hibiscus Syrup
• Lavender Syrup 
• Lemon Syrup
• Maple Syrup
• Peach Syrup
• Pineapple Syrup
• Pumpkin Spice Syrup
• Raspberry Syrup
• Strawberry Syrup

The post How to make Homemade Lemonade first appeared on Created by Diane.

Whether you are a huge grapefruit fan or not, this drink is sure to please. Someone gifted me some fresh grapefruits freshly picked off the tree and I knew exactly what I was going to make with some of them… Palomas! There is nothing better than great-tasting citrus fruit and living in Southern California citrus trees grow and produce well here, it’s been years since I had a really fresh grapefruit, but if you don’t have a tree, store-bought will work as well.

Paloma’s are made with tequila, but you can make it a mocktail and skip the tequila if you prefer.

Continue reading: How to Make a Paloma Cocktail

The post How to Make a Paloma Cocktail first appeared on Created by Diane.

If there is one thing for sure, I love new recipes and if they are as pretty as this hibiscus syrup you’ll want to make it too. It’s a hibiscus simple syrup recipe that uses dried hibiscus flowers and they are quickly cooked in syrup for a delicious syrup to use in drinks.

I was shopping the other day and I saw this bag of dried hibiscus flowers and knew immediately I was going to make a syrup with them, and I’m glad I did. It’s delicious. The aroma of the dried hibiscus flowers reminds me of a rich earthiness the flowers have a flavor that is similar to cranberries or pomegranate. This produces a sweet and slightly tart syrup. And just like cranberries, it is loaded with antioxidants and I was so excited to see the gorgeous color of the syrup…

It’s a deep hot pink color and it turns drinks a gorgeous color.

I use this hibiscus syrup for lots of things but some of my favorite ways to use it are in cocktails and drinks! And nothing says summer like lemonade.

My Blueberry Basil Lemonade could easily be adjusted to accommodate the hibiscus, just replace the blueberry for this hibiscus syrup and you have a very refreshing treat. Or simply add seltzer to a glass with a bit of this syrup for a fizzy refreshment! And if you’re celebrating something, a little bit added to a glass of champagne is a great way to toast any event.

But it’s not just for drinks, you can use this in food as well! I LOVE this syrup drizzled over pancakes, and not just any pancake but my Yummiest Pancake Recipe, or even on Cornbread Pancakes. It adds such a nice flavor with a touch of sweetness, and it looks pretty too! 

Continue reading: How to Make Hibiscus Syrup, for all types of drinks

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Whatever way you decide to enjoy this drink, your taste buds are sure to be delighted. Use the syrup or fresh strawberries in Italian Cream Sodas, Margaritas, or use it in Strawberry Milk for an indulgent childhood treat.

Alternately for a less sweet, lower carb option, you can simply muddle whole, ripe strawberries at the bottom of the glass, skip the lemonade and use fresh lemon juice and add in the seltzer, use lemon seltzer if you’d like.

And experimentation is a good way to keep your drink index fresh and never get bored with one thing. I have many mouth-watering varieties of syrup recipes which can be added to all kinds of beverages to spice it up, like this cherry margarita which is also a great alternative this time of year. Embrace summer fruit and enjoy!

Your kitchen is your creative world, explore, and have fun! And now on to the sweet stuff.

Continue reading: How to Make Strawberry Bourbon Lemonade

The post How to Make Strawberry Bourbon Lemonade first appeared on Created by Diane.

No more orange juice only mimosas…. kick up your mimosa game with these, they’re irresistible!

Originally named after the yellow-flowered mimosa plant, the combination of sparkling wine and orange juice has been popular in Spain for centuries, eventually becoming synonymous with brunches all over the U.S. And if oranges are delicious in them, why not strawberries?

Continue reading: Strawberry Lemonade Mimosa

The post Strawberry Lemonade Mimosa first appeared on Created by Diane.

As soon as the hot weather kicks in it’s safe to say cherries are in season,

and that means there is no better time to add some new delicious recipes to you must make list.

If it’s super hot there are even some that require no baking.

In the summer I sometimes wait until the sun goes down to bake if you can’t wait until sundown…

how about a delicious cherry drink or snack to tide you over until it’s baking time!

Continue reading: Fresh Cherry Recipes

The post Fresh Cherry Recipes first appeared on Created by Diane.

This whipped coffee can be made into an iced latte or a hot latte.

In just a couple minutes you’ll be enjoying sipping on this decadent coffee and wonder where it’s been all your life.

It’s fun to see someone become so popular on social media and it brings a new item to the forefront in minutes. 

You may have even heard this called quarantine coffee. I read up a little bit about Dalgona coffee, it’s known very well in South Korea, and I that in Korea they have an abundance of coffee shops about 49,000… that is a lot of coffee shops, drinking coffee must be like an experience… they go to coffee shops to hand out, socialize. Since things are locked down they are making their own coffee at home since everyone is staying closer to home these days, it’s no wonder a homemade whipped coffee is sweeping the internet beyond Korea.

Continue reading: Whipped Coffee Recipe + VIDEO

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