Congratulations to Amy, the WINNER of our Caraway Pots & Pans! And thank you to all who entered, and your sweet birthday wishes! I love doing giveaways, and I’ve got another for you this week!
I’ve got two new recipes for you, real reader reviews, National Ice Cream Day, Summer sales, and a NEW GIVEAWAY!
Plus, we started our remodel last week; it’s been a long time coming, and I’ll try and keep you updated each week, and as always, I’ll leave you with a little inspiration.
What I’m Makin’ & Bakin’ | Banana Bars & Honey Lime Dressing
You are going to love these two new recipes this week. Check out all the deets below!
Best Banana Bars Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
These banana bars are great for an on-the-go breakfast, especially if you omit the frosting. But they’re also a delicious treat for a mid-day snack or tasty lower-sugar dessert.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ BONUS: I cut the sugar in half on these banana bars and even tested them using gluten-free flour and Monk fruit sugar replacement for a tender and tasty gluten-free or sugar-free treat. Serve with or without the cream cheese frosting.
Quick Honey Lime Salad Dressing Recipe
Light and simple honey lime dressing recipe is a great addition to your summer salad line-up. This tangy dressing will become a family favorite! But it does so much more! Use it as a delicious and light marinade for your proteins, drizzle on roasted veggies or baste during grilling, use on fruit salads, sandwiches and more.
Real reader reviews
Check out what readers are saying about a few of our recipes, I think you will love them too!
Classic (and Easy) Italian Tiramisu Recipe
“My very picky dad loved it. It was easy enough to make and tastes great! the entire pan was eaten quickly.” ~Ashley via Pinterest
“My daughter and I have been on a quest to find the best Tiramisu recipe, and here it is! Thank you for another incredible recipe. YUMMM!” ~Eliza
Moist Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe
“So yummy! Big hit served with fruit and whip cream!” ~Taby via Pinterest
“Excellent flavor and texture. Easy. I’ve added it to my favorites.” ~Nancy
In the here and now | Real-life stories
THANK YOU for all of your birthday wishes!! It was a full day, with the morning being consumed with clearing out my husband’s office and furniture as we started our main floor remodel last weekend.
Then my friend Eliza and I whisked off for luxurious pedicures, she treated me to a relaxing brunch and brought me these gorgeous flowers. Ranunculus, they are one of my very favorite flowers.
Check out more about Eliza and the GIVEAWAY I’m doing below!
And that evening, my husband, son, and I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie and out to dinner at our favorite Pho restaurant — it was a grand day!
Blogger Spotlight & Giveaway | Eliza Cross
I am a huge believer in “rising tides lift all boats.” So in my blog posts and emails, I talk about other bloggers; I did not get where I am on my own power; it was through the kindness, sharing, guidance, and openness of other bloggers.
From day one, I wanted this blog to honor my Lord Jesus Christ, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
Eliza and I have been neighbors and friends for 18 years (our boys introduced us in preschool)! She is my inspiration and mentor in this blogging adventure; she is one of the kindest, most caring, intelligent, generous, and funny women I know. We took the below pictures during our Mastermind bloggers retreat in Tennessee in April of this year.
She has written three bacon cookbooks, including the award-winning Bacon Beans and Beer (one of my faves!), the bestselling 101 Things to Do With Bacon, and her newest, 101 Things to Do with a Smoker.
She has authored over a dozen cookbooks (check them all out), they are all beautiful and make great hostess gifts. Eliza runs two blogs, BENSA Bacon Lovers Society and Happy Simple Living.
I hope you take a moment and check out her cookbooks and her beautiful blogs!
Birthday Giveaway #2!
I was raised to celebrate life for more than just a day — so we’re going for a few weeks here!
I am giving away 5 copies of Eliza’s cookbooks, you’ll get to choose your favorite from her available cookbooks.
HOW TO ENTER | Comment below telling me your favorite recipe using bacon! This giveaway is for US Residents only and ends at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
The lucky winners will be chosen via a random name picker and notified via email (so make sure your email address is correct).
BONUS ENTRIES | Sharing is caring! Share The Fresh Cooky with a friend for a bonus entry into the giveaway; share their first name or initials when you tell me your favorite bacon recipe.
Main Floor Remodel Update #1
Last weekend demo started on our main floor remodel, when we did our kitchen remodel, we had to take a breather from big remodel’s — fast forward 12 years! Some breather that was, Ha!
We’re excited to do a facelift on our family room (the fireplace and windows will be for another time), our mudroom, powder bath and my husbands office and hopefully the balance of the floors.
Be sure to follow along each week as I bring you updates. This week was all about demo and electrical.
National Ice Cream Day | Sunday, July 16
The month of July is National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday, so celebrate with me and make some homemade ice cream. I have flavors for everyone churned and no churn!
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Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream
The luscious, velvety texture melds fabulously with delicate hazelnut and rich chocolate in my Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream recipe. It’s so indulgent, so creamy, and so easy to make you might agree homemade is better than store bought.
Old-Fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Creamy, homemade old fashioned ice cream, with gorgeous flecks of vanilla beans and no sweetened condensed milk! This churn ice cream has simple ingredients that will be ready in no time for your ice cream maker.
Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
A simple homemade machine churned chocolate ice cream mixed with bits of real brownies, a super easy and fudgy summertime dessert!
Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (no eggs)
Five ingredients — that's it, just five simple and basic ingredients to this AMAZING, creamy, no-cook, old-fashioned homemade chocolate ice cream, no eggs! Keep it basic or get creative with your mix-ins, regardless this is an amazing ice cream.
Lemon Ice Cream {Lemon Gelato}
Lemon ice cream has the perfect balance of sweet-tart ratio, that is both refreshing and enticing. While not quite an authentic lemon gelato recipe, this is a close smooth, creamy cousin and is bursting with fresh lemon flavor!
Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream
The luscious, velvety texture melds fabulously with delicate hazelnut and rich chocolate in my Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream recipe. It’s so indulgent, so creamy, and so easy to make you might agree homemade is better than store bought.
Moose Tracks Ice Cream Recipe {No Churn}
Moose Tracks Ice Cream Recipe is arguably the easiest and most delectable vanilla based ice cream with ribbons of fudge, chocolate, and peanut butter cup studded in an easy no churn ice cream. This has quickly become my family's favorite ice cream.
Best Mud Pie Recipe (Ice Cream Cake)
Outrageously delicious & easy! Mile High Mud Pie is layers of creamy ice, fudge and whatever you want to put between with a rich oreo cookie crust.
Rose Ice Cream Recipe (No Churn)
Rose Ice Cream Recipe is a rich, velvety, beautiful no churn ice cream with hints of rose, tinted pink with hibiscus powder and topped with pistachios and rose petals.
Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream (No Churn)
Creamy, no-churn Circus Animal Ice Cream, no machines necessary for this cool dessert. Swap out your cookies to change it up!
What Caught My Eye | Sales and Deals
Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale
For Nordstrom Card members the sale starts NOW, and for the rest, July 17 – Aug 3.
- Going to try these ON sneakers; people rave about them!
- I always stock up on my bra’s during the half yearly sale! Love this brand and this one and need some comfy, TV watching bras too.
- I’m considering these big buckle Birk’s
More Sales!
- You all loved this beautiful white quilt on sale at PB! And check out these seagrass baskets!
- This fun rattan and glass hurricane vase, and loving the simplicity of this end table.
- As I am looking for furniture for our family room, I love this sofa table.
- And I have to throw in a few fun summer easy wardrobe pieces; love this oversized beach loungewear set, the flouncy sleeves on this blouse (great price!), and this summer t-shirt dress.
Check out all of my finds HERE for this week! No gimmicks, I promise.
BROWSE MY AMAZON STOREFRONT
Weekly Inspiration
Did you see this clip from the 2023 ESPYS Awards from last night? Watch Damar Hamlin’s emotional moment as he presents the Pat Tillman Award for Service to the Buffalo Bills training staff after saving his life on the field in January and the head of the Buffalo Bill’s training staff’s amazing response.
And I couldn’t agree more about learning CPR and using an AED! I urge you to get certified, I have used my training more times than I care to count! Even as recently as when my husband fell from the ladder.
Stay tuned for exciting updates, recipes, and tips in our next Fresh Fridays newsletter. Until then, get out there and tell someone you love them; and give them an extra hug today!
P.S. If you missed last week’s Fresh Fridays, recipes, sales, tips, ideas, and more!
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Cathy
My ALL time favorite recipe for using bacon is a classic BLT with NO avocado on white sandwich bread toast and with mayo – using iceberg lettuce and fresh beefsteak (if I can find them) tomatoes. An old time favorite!!
We ALSO make a modified BLT salad similar to the one served at Firebirds restaurant – we simply sprinkle bacon over a class iceberg lettuce salad with baby tomatoes and ranch dressing. Yum!
We’ve been on vacation and am just now catching up with emails – so I missed your birthday – happy late birthday wishes. Sounds like you had a lovely day.
All of those recipes sound delish!! So glad you were on vacay! Hope it was wonderful!!
Penny McKown
I love a recipe called Flying Bacon Tomato Cups. They are made with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls which are cut into thirds and placed in mini-muffin pans sprayed with Pam. Tamp the rolls down in the pans and fill with a filling consisting of finely chopped crispy fried bacon, finely grated onion, shredded Swiss cheese, finely chopped tomatoes, oregano, and mayonnaise. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the rolls are golden brown and the filling is bubbly. My children said they were so good they FLEW off the serving plate, hence the name. Lots of happy memories with this recipe!!!
Oh my word they sound amazing!!
MAUREEN
I love bacon wrapped turkey tnderloins. Add the turkey to make it a wholesome meal. Also chicken bacon ranch pasta.
Sounds delicious, Maureen!
Michelle Fogle
my favorite recipe to make with bacon is broccoli salad.
Love it is broccoli salad!
Kathy Baker
My favorite bacon recipe is a good old fashioned BLT using bacon, lettuce, toasted white bread, mayonnaise and a thick slice of a homegrown tomato!!
Nothing like it!!
Carol
Of course, bacon on its own is super and it’s fantastic in a BLT, but I also love it on pizza with just extra cheese, nothing else, so it can shine.
Drool alert!!
Cathy Varone-Smith
Bacon what’s not to love from breakfast with eggs and bacon to cocktails to dinner I even use it to make Pasta Alla Carbonara. Candied bacon with brown sugar served with margarita it’s the bomb.
YUM!, that sounds like the bomb!
Kim G. Pa.
My favorite bacon is made at a friends butcher shop. He’s won national awards for it several years in a row. I take a nice fat slice of it and wrap a piece around a big ‘ol scallop or shrimp and pan sear on top of stove. Yum-O !! Nothing better.
Wow, that sounds YUM-O!
lou
i love bacon bread stick twists baked with a brown sugar and butter glaze yummmm!
Yum is right!!
ColleenB.`Tx.
Congratulations to Amy on being the lucky win.
I Love bacon wrapped asparagus, using it on pizza, making BLT Sandwiches, as well as doing a basket weave for my meatloaf and putting bacon in my breakfast muffins. Mostly eating it by itself. Love bacon used in with my cinnamon rolls.
Mmm bacon in cinnamon rolls sounds delightful!!
Sarah
We love a classic eggs, pancake, and bacon breakfast 🙂
Sounds perfect!