Or so she says...

Family Fun, Favorites, Food, and Faith

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Easy Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding (she: Samantha)

Hi there, Or So She Says readers! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, and I’m excited to be back today sharing a doozy of a dessert!

Croissants, meet caramel. That’s right, folks…as if flaky, buttery croissants weren’t already decadent enough, today’s recipe drowns them in a custard of homemade caramel sauce and bakes the whole concoction into luscious bread pudding goodness.
As an added bonus, the caramel sauce is homemade yet takes less than five minutes to whip up! Sound too good to be true? It’s not…the recipe is actually deceptively easy to make. But nobody will ever guess that when they taste it.

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Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes (she: Samantha)

Happy July, everyone! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, and I’m always happy to have the chance to visit with y’all when my monthly Or So She Says post rolls around! Today I brought over a to-die-for seasonal side dish that showcases prime summer produce in an unbelievably tasty way.
These Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes are beyond delectable, y’all. Fresh ingredients and a simple preparation often yield the most delicious results, and that is certainly true of this recipe! All that’s required is to thickly slice some ripe, plump tomatoes, scatter a bit of minced garlic on top, and then sprinkle them with extra-virgin olive oil, flavorful balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. After roasting at a high temperature, the finished tomatoes become caramelized with an intensely concentrated tomato flavor that is simultaneously sweet and savory. The garlic plays off of such flavors beautifully, as do the chopped fresh herbs that garnish the finished dish.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (she: Samantha)

Hi, y’all! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, and I’m happy to be back today with a no-bake cookie treat that will curb that cookie craving with nary an oven required!

There are still a couple of weeks to go before the official first day of summer, but across many parts of the country, summer temps are already here to stay. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I feel like doing when it’s boiling outside is turning on the oven. The A/C is already working hard enough! That’s why this is the time of year that you’ll find my family eating refreshing salads, dinners from the grill, and — when that sweet tooth acts up — no-bake desserts!

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Mozzarella Bubble Biscuits (she: Samantha)

Hi, friends! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home and I’m happy to be back today with another quick and easy recipe that’s as tasty as it is versatile!
Warm, soft biscuits — topped with a dollop of spaghetti sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan — conceal a gooey, stringy, cheesy center, making these Mozzarella Bubble Biscuits a perfect party appetizer, kid-friendly snack, or accompaniment for an Italian meal.
If you’re anything like me, your favorite food group rankings go something like this: bread, cheese, butter. Okay, okay…I know that those aren’t technically food groups in and of themselves, but they are certainly some of my favorite things to eat! And today’s recipe includes two of the three, which pretty much makes it a winner in my book.

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White Chocolate Cheesecake Fruit Dip (she: Samantha)

Hi, friends! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home and I’m so glad to be back visiting Or So She Says this month with another fun recipe! I hope that everyone is having a great April and finally enjoying some spring weather. Today I brought by one of my favorite recent creations: a creamy fruit dip that boasts the flavor of white chocolate cheesecake! It’s the perfect accompaniment to fresh berries, apple slices, pineapple wedges, you name it! Although it’s so good you may find yourself bypassing the fruit and sneaking bites with a spoon…hypothetically speaking, of course. 😉
This white chocolate cheesecake fruit dip is a spin-off of one of my favorite springtime dessert recipes that happens to include a layer of white chocolate cream. In the process of perfecting that recipe, I tried different variations of the white chocolate cream, resulting in several leftover batches before deciding on the best version. Delicious as it was, I couldn’t figure out what to do with all of it until it occurred to me that it would make a mouthwatering dip for fruit. So today’s recipe is a happy consequence of those leftovers, slightly adapted to have a thicker, more dip-like consistency.

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Homemade Strawberry Syrup for Strawberry Soda (she: Samantha)

Happy (almost) spring, everyone! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, and I’m happy to be back at Or So She Says today sharing a refreshing beverage that’s perfect for welcoming warmer weather, whether it’s already arrived or will be on its way eventually, depending on your neck of the woods. 😉
Refreshing and bubbly, Homemade Strawberry Soda is flavored with a quick and easy syrup boasting just three simple ingredients. This homemade strawberry syrup is also delightful over ice cream, pound cake, waffles, and more!
We don’t really keep soft drinks stocked in the refrigerator at my house, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little something to drink that’s sweet, refreshing, and bubbly. On those occasions, I like to grab a bag of frozen strawberries out of the freezer and whip up a batch of strawberry syrup. With just strawberries, water, and sugar, it’s a snap to make, and mixed with chilled seltzer, it tastes like summer in a glass. Homemade Strawberry Soda is yummy with or without ice, and I even like adding a squeeze of fresh lime juice to mine for an extra layer of flavor.

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Orange Pound Cake Mini Loaves (she: Samantha)

Hi, everyone! It’s Samantha from Five Heart Home, and I’m excited to be back today with a recipe that just might help you battle those wintertime blues! In Texas, we haven’t had to endure near the degree of winter weather that other parts of the country have been battling, but it’s still been colder than usual around here, with multiple days of school delayed or cancelled because of ice. The great thing about oranges is that, even though they’re in season during the winter, their fresh taste and dazzling color color scream summer! Regardless of the month of the year, I think you will love these little loaves. A thick slab of this pound cake makes a delightful snack or dessert…and it’s not too shabby with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk as a special breakfast treat either!

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