Holiday Hangover

Easy Raspberry Filling!

Do you have a holiday hangover? I’m not talking the kind of hangover you get from drinking too much alcohol. I’m talking the kind of hangover you get from too much holiday! The holidays can be absolutely exhausting! For me, my holiday hangover came in the form of a migraine on Christmas day. Talk about a bummer! I spent so much time, energy and money to provide my family with a nice holiday, only to have it result in a migraine. The emotional or physical hangover you feel once they holidays are gone are likely to last longer than any hangover you have from alcohol. Here’s a few things to keep in mind post-holiday.

Give Yourself Some Grace

Give yourself some grace post-holiday. You have just survived what many consider to be the most stressful time of year! Take a break. Better yet, a nap! Leave the laundry for another day. Vacuum or mop the floors some other time. Stack your holiday haul under the tree and put it away when you have given yourself some time to relax and recoup. You don’t have to do it all right now. Remember the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup? YOU are the cup! Fill yourself up and take care of yourself before you take care of other tasks that can wait a day or two.

Give Thanks

Being thankful isn’t just something you do on Thanksgiving. I believe there is always, always something to be thankful for. Yes, everyone faces unfortunate circumstances or hardships. These can feel especially difficult during the holiday season. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to be thankful for. Instead of feeling bad or down about yourself or your circumstance, take a moment to think about some good things in your life. This can even just be the fact that you are alive!

Examine Your Expectations

If you are like me, you want everything to be “just right” for the holidays. This means making sure the kids get everything on their list, making a beautiful dinner, baking the most yummy cookies, and so on. You get the point. But the reality is, that isn’t really the point at all. The point is to spend quality time with the ones you love. So maybe that means lowering your expectations of what “just right” means to you. Chances are, your kids won’t remember what you got them, but they will remember the times you spent together. My most favorite memories of Christmas growing up are the ones spent playing games with family and just being together. That hasn’t changed as I have grown. My favorite memory from this Christmas was playing a new game with my husband and children. We shared so many laughs, and that is worth more than any gift I could have bought or cookie I could have baked!

Take care of yourself!

Rebecca

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The Gift of Raspberries!

Not only did my mom gift me with 49 raspberries bushes that she thinned out, she also shared with me raspberries from her very abundant crop this season! I planted the bushes she gave me in my garden and much to my surprise, they did yield some berries this year! I did not, however, have near the harvest that my mom did. When I suddenly found myself with a large amount of berries on hand, I knew I needed to do something with them so they wouldn’t go to waste. I had recently made a raspberry filling for the cupcakes I made for my son’s birthday. It was so delicious that I decided I would make another batch with the berries I was gifted by my mom.

Versatile Uses

What You'll Need

When I first made this recipe, I did so with the intention of filling cupcakes for my son’s birthday. I quickly realized that this could also be used as a syrup for pancakes and french toast. It would even make a great filling for crepes. I warmed some up and used it as a topping on vanilla ice cream and it was so delicious! The potential is really only limited by your own imagination!

This recipe is very similar to my strawberry jam recipe and just as easy to make!

This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients to make.

Ingredients:

* Raspberries – You can use fresh or frozen.

* White Granulated Sugar – The sugar in this recipe helps sweeten the filling.

* Water – The water in the recipe helps bring everything together.

* Lemon – Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon to cut the sweetness of the added sugar.

* Cornstarch – Adding cornstarch to water will help thicken the sauce.

Equipment:

* Strainer – You will want to rinse your raspberries in a strainer prior to adding them to the stove. (You will need a mesh strainer to strain the seeds and pulp).

* Medium Sauce Pan – You will want a big enough pan to accommodate the ingredients and enough room for bubbling while cooking.

* Heat Proof Spatula – You will be stirring the berries consistently, so you will want a heat proof spatula while making this recipe.

* Measuring Cup – Needed to measure out the sugar and water.

* Lemon Zester – You will need this to obtain the zest of the lemon.

* Bowls – You will want bowls for mixing the cornstarch and to add the filling to once strained.

How to Make This Recipe

Measure out 2 pints of raspberries and rinse them in a strainer to remove any dirt. Try not to squish them too much to avoid a mess.

Once rinsed, add into your sauce pan on the stove.

Add 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar, the zest and juice of one lemon and water.

Mix together to incorporate all ingredients.

Turn the stove on medium high heat and let berries come to a boil.

Allow berries to boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While berries are simmering, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water to a bowl, mix well.

Remove berries from heat and empty into mesh strainer with a bowl underneath. Push out all the raspberry juice, leaving the seeds and pulp behind.

Add the raspberry juice back into the pan you simmered it in (make sure you rinse it first).

Turn the heat on low and add cornstarch mixture to berry juice. Simmer for another 10 minutes on low to thicken the sauce.

Remove from heat and let cool for at least half an hour.

Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Rebecca

Hello, I am Rebecca! I am so glad you are here on this journey with me! Here, I am sharing my passions including gardening, cooking, baking, crafting, natural living and so much more! In addition to the content I share on my YouTube page, I also write a blog.

It took a long time for the things I am passionate about to awaken within me. Now that they have, I am eager to share them with others.

Among the many things I am passionate about, gardening is one of them. In addition to gardening, I also enjoy different areas of art, crafting, photography and home project DIY.

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Easy Raspberry Filling!

This raspberry filling can be used in cake, cupcakes, or even as a syrup on pancakes!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 pints raspberries
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water (plus 3 tbls)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Measure out 2 pints of raspberries and rinse them in a strainer to remove any dirt. Try not to squish them too much to avoid a mess.
Once rinsed, add into your sauce pan on the stove.
Add 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar, the zest and juice of one lemon and water.
Mix together to incorporate all ingredients.
Turn the stove on medium high heat and let berries come to a boil.
Allow berries to boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.
While berries are simmering, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water to a bowl, mix well.
Remove berries from heat and empty into mesh strainer with a bowl underneath. Push out all the raspberry juice, leaving the seeds and pulp behind.
Add the raspberry juice back into the pan you simmered it in (make sure you rinse it first).
Turn the heat on low and add cornstarch mixture to berry juice. Simmer for another 10 minutes on low to thicken the sauce.
Remove from heat and let cool for at least half an hour.
Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Rebecca

FOLLOW ME ON

Our gallery

Easy Raspberry Filling!