Temps officially hit the 80s here this week (though two weeks ago it was snowing), so I gave the kids a thumbs up to make the inaugural batch of ice cream.

Every time I go to our local warehouse club store, I come home with 9,000 strawberries. I can’ help it, they look so good. I was staring down a bunch of them in my fridge — willing them not to go bad — when I put two and two together: 80 degrees + influx of ripe berries = ICE CREAM! (Wait, why didn’t math look like that in college?)

I took the extra step of roasting the strawberries first, because it really concentrates the flavor and extracts the water from them — which then mixes with the brown sugar I sprinkle on top and turns into this amazing strawberry syrup.

Other than the roasting though, this is a super-simple recipe. No standing over the stove and whisking eggs into a custard — just berries, milk/cream, sugar and vanilla.

Now that’s old-fashioned yummy.

We’ve had so much fun getting produce from our local Farmer’s Market lately.

Check out the cute sign as you walk in…

The sellers are always the nicest people.

The tomatoes taste like candy.

The onions are gorgeous and the green beans are so sweet.

But the fresh hydrangeas? Stunning.

This lasagna is made from ingredients straight from the Farmer’s Market. It makes a big enough pan to last for days (cook once, eat three nights in a row? Yes, please!) and it is total comfort food, but without all the meat-y guilt.

I make this dish for company quite a bit because it can be made a day or two ahead, just sit in the fridge and marinate, and pop in the oven when ready!

This guac was prepared from scratch, tableside. The waiter expertly pitted the avocados, juiced the lime, blended in the other ingredients so the texture wasn’t too lumpy or too smooth — all right in front of us.

It was the best guacamole I’ve ever had. So, I asked for the recipe. And do you know what? They GAVE it to us! (It must have been the pretty ladies who didn’t look a day over 25 )

From my secret recipe pile to yours…

I’m not much of a drinker — I go to the liquor store about as often as I go to the dentist, twice a year tops — but when a friend gifted us with some pineapple-infused vodka recently, I worried I might become very, very friendly with the Ketel One. Several bottles later (I gave some away, I promise), the The Vodka-Pineapple Infusion of 2013 was born.

Note: The great thing about The Vodka-Pineapple Infusion of 2013 is that you actually get TWO RECIPES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Holy Grey Goose — it’s Absolut-ly true! Heh, heh…

Step 1 – Pineapple-Infused Orange Vodka Cocktails
Get a great pineapple at the grocery store. (TIP: Around here, the pineapples sold at the warehouse stores — Sam’s/Cosco — are far superior to regular grocery store pineapples.) Core it, peel it, and cut it up any way you want and throw it in a large glass container with a lid.

Pour a bottle of the best orange vodka you can afford right over the top. We used Ketel One Oranj. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh….

Close the jar up tightly and let sit for 2 weeks. (Yes, you read that correctly. I’m so sorry.)

After two weeks, remove the pineapple and save for Step 2. Serve the pineapple-infused vodka straight up over ice. It will be the best tasting vodka you’ve ever ingested — sort of like the best pineapple kool-aid ever known to man — but remember it is vodka, so be careful. (If you’re a lightweight like me, dilute the vodka with some Blood Orange soda. Target sells it under the Archer Farms brand.)

Step 2: Vodka-Infused Pineapple Sundaes
Throw the vodka-soaked pineapple on the grill (and cover your eyebrows — it will flare up initially). Grill until tender. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel if desired.

OMG.

This is one of the worst photos I’ve ever taken and really, I wouldn’t even post it except that these are so good. They’re a perfect treat to whip up for your weekend festivities. My only complaint is that it dirties three bowls — one for the brownies, one for the Nutella cheesecake mixture and one for the plain cheesecake mixture. You could certainly combine the cheesecake mixtures into one, but I love the contrast of the two swirled together. And the plain cheesecake helps cut the sweetness of the other layers.

Also, if you’re in shortcut mode you can use a boxed brownie mix for the bottom layer. Just bake according to the package directions (not mine).

Very important…store in the refrigerator but serve at room temp (they taste so much better!).

I took these up to school for Teacher Appreciation week and was blushing at the compliments. Do you think they knew how ridiculously easy these are?

In other words, if my house starts on fire, I will run through flames to save this cookbook.

There is nothing difficult about these lemon squares, but I’ve always thought the sum of all the ingredients is much more than the recipe’s humble parts. Flour, sugar, butter, lemon…nothing fancy here, but the result is sweet/tart perfection.

I know it’s spring and I’m supposed to put my slow cooker away, but, honestly, this is the busiest time of the year for our family and I need it now more than ever. We have had some kind of activity every single night for the past month, and I don’t see it slowing down one bit until school is out.

My name is Lindsay and the slow cooker is STILL my best friend, even in late April. There, I said it.

I made these on a day when my parents were flying in from Hawaii and I knew they’d be starving, but they had exactly 15 minutes to dump their suitcases, freshen up and eat something before we whisked them off to kid activities. Because you can prep and make everything early, these were the perfect casual dinner and the flavors are amazing. (They only get better the next day too.) Did I mention these are healthy too?

THe kids loved these, minus the cayenne. I add mine at the end after I’ve portioned theirs out.

I buy bananas like I buy Spanx — often and in bulk.

Every week I have those brown-speckled fellas staring me down, spots of mush beginning to ooze through the skin. (Talking about my bananas here, not my thighs.) And almost every week I make a batch of banana bread. Or banana muffins. Or Roasted Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting.

But this week I needed chocolate. Double chocolate, actually. And this quick bread was born. I love that I only needed 1/3 cup of canola oil to keep it moist and the bananas took care of the rest. The result is a rich, chocolate-chip studded quick bread that really, truly makes it okay to eat cake for breakfast.

At least in my house.

I am speechless when it comes to these, except to tell you to make them. Make them. They are easy. They are delicious. They are gluten-free (though I never tell people that because it gives the impression they’re inferior.) On the contrary — they are divine.

My friend Anna over at Cookie Madness is the genius behind this recipe. I adapted it only very slightly because you can’t mess with perfection. If you’re looking for a rich, fudgy brownie with a subtle twist, these are your friends. They bake up with beautiful shiny, crackled tops and the almond butter adds a delectable depth of flavor. You could substitute peanut butter, cashew butter or whatever you have on hand.