Week two of From Scratch Friday was a bit more ambitious. We're talking cookies, spinach and artichoke dip with toasted baguette slices, and homemade blueberry lemonade. Leo helped out where he could, and Raphael supervised from his bouncer (as any good 3-month-old executive chef would).
Blueberry Lemonade (The Star of the Show)
We started with the lemonade because honestly, fresh-squeezed lemonade with real blueberries? That's the kind of thing that makes a Friday feel special.
Fresh lemons and blueberries prepped and ready to go
Leo helped juice the lemons (with lots of enthusiasm and a little bit of chaos). We made a simple syrup on the stove—just equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar dissolves.
Making simple syrup on the stove
Then we muddled fresh blueberries into the lemon juice, added the simple syrup and cold water, and boom—blueberry lemonade that actually tastes like the fruit came from nature, not a lab.
The finished blueberry lemonade with muddled blueberries
Leo proudly enjoying his blueberry lemonade creation
Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Toasted Baguette
This is one of those recipes that sounds fancy but is actually pretty straightforward. Cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, and artichoke hearts all mixed together and baked until bubbly and golden.
The key is getting the spinach squeezed dry (nobody wants watery dip) and chopping the artichoke hearts small enough that they blend in nicely.
Fresh baguette sliced and ready for toasting
We sliced up a fresh baguette, brushed the pieces with olive oil, and toasted them in the oven until they were crispy and golden. Perfect for scooping up that creamy, cheesy dip.
The finished spinach and artichoke dip with toasted baguette
Leo's Cookies
These cookies deserve their own name because Leo picked out all the special ingredients. We started with a classic chocolate chip cookie base recipe, then Leo got creative and added marshmallows and caramel chunks to the mix.
The result? Gooey, sweet, and absolutely delicious cookies that are now officially known as "Leo's Cookies" in our house. He helped mix the dough and (mostly) didn't eat too many mix-ins before they made it into the cookies. We're calling that a win.
Leo's Cookies: chocolate chip cookies with marshmallows and caramel chunks
What We Learned This Week
- Blueberry lemonade is worth the effort. Store-bought lemonade just doesn't compare to fresh-squeezed with muddled blueberries.
- Toasted baguette beats chips every time. The crunch, the flavor, the way it holds up to dip—just better.
- Three-year-olds are excellent taste-testers. If Leo approves, it's good.
- From Scratch Friday is becoming a thing. Even when we're tired, it's worth it to make something together as a family.
Next Friday:
We'll be traveling, so no From Scratch Friday next week. But when we get back? We're thinking pizza from scratch. Dough, sauce, toppings—the whole thing. Follow along to see if we actually pull it off.
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