These Strawberry Pillows are a perfect dessert to celebrate spring this weekend. They’re easy, beautiful, and absolutely scrumptious. There’s not much to it — you simply make a French meringue, add freeze-dried strawberries,  then low and slow bake them in the oven. Once cooled, smash them and top them with fresh strawberries. They’re sweet, tart, and packed with strawberry flavor.

Stress relievers and Strawberry Pillows sound like quite the combo, doesn’t it? Good and Good for You is all about giving you the information you need to take steps to improve your life.

Read on for this amazing recipe, a trio of quick bread recipes in the AJC, and a recipe for a fantastic zero-proof wellness tonic called an oxymel. Plus, news you can use to combat daily stress. Seriously, one small thing can affect your mental health for the better. You can do it!

How to Make Meringues

Meringues are magical. How on earth do sticky, slimy raw eggwhites become light as air cloud-like pillows? It’s not magic and the truth is they are not hard to prepare. (If you need a step-by-step, I have a How to Make French Meringue video over on YouTube.)

Simply put, meringue is when egg whites have been beaten with sugar to form a thick, stiff foam. Different textures are achieved by varying the mixing of the sugar and the egg whites and varying the baking times and temperatures. Meringue can top a lemon meringue pie, be utilized in an Angel Food Cake, cover a retro-baked Alaska, or be dried as a Pavlova or meringue cookie.

Knowing how to make meringues is a key technique in my Good and Good for You kitchen! Give them a try.

Best Life Living Tip

Most people deal with stress every day. According to the Mayo Clinic stress management involves “improving your ability to cope with difficult events that happen in life.”

That’s pretty hilarious. Yes, thank you, doctor folks.

Yes, career, work, personal and family issues, health concerns, and financial responsibilities are indeed parts of everyday life that can contribute to stress.

Here’s one best life-living tip I use every day — skipping the news. I used to watch the news at night and now I moderate and control my consumption. It’s important to take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be very upsetting to hear about the crisis du jour and see the images repeatedly. Science Daily reports, “News addiction is linked to not only poor mental well-being but physical health, too.”

Remember, the media companies want to keep your eyeballs on their “stuff” —  their website, their stream, their broadcast. It’s all about eyeballs and ad dollars. Believe me, it’s not solely about sharing information.

Depending on your news source, outlets can also be trying to affect the narrative, as well. Recently a 70-year-old mansplained to me why Taylor Swift needed to stay out of politics, where she was from, and how many boyfriends she’d had. I knew in an instant his favorite channel and promptly changed the subject.

Just as you eat and drink things that are good and good for you, you need to consume information that is in a way that is good and good for you, too. Give the news a break or designate an appropriate amount of time to become informed.

Self Care Technique

More mindful alcohol usage is at the top of the list of self-care techniques. The end-of-the-day auto glass of wine can become several without a second thought and it all adds up with detrimental effects on your body and health.

A new study from Kaiser Permanente of Northern California is showing a link between alcohol use and heart disease in women. The research found that women who drink more than one drink a day are up to 50% more likely to develop heart disease. Yikes!

According to the NIH, “Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health issue with a wide range of negative consequences, such as physical health problems, mental health issues, social problems, and economic costs …..Recent research has suggested that mindfulness might play an important role in reducing problematic alcohol use.”

Mindful drinking means bringing awareness to your behavior regarding your decision to drink alcohol. Part of making an easy switch is to have low-alcohol or zero-proof options at the ready. Zero-proof cocktails are good and good for you. It’s all about changing what’s in the glass on the regular at the end of the day.

Check out an alcohol-free strawberry shrub I’ve nicknamed “The Shelby” (#IYKYK). And, I am in love with this Oxymel I created for Bragg Vinegar and National Nutrition Month. It’s herby, sour, sweet, and refreshing. What’s an oxymel? Click over to my Lemon Thyme Oxymel video on Instagram and check it out!

Ideas and Inspiration

We all need a little inspiration from time to time. Finding inspiration is about having an open mind and choosing to see the world from a new perspective. And it can be amazing how large and how small the world is…. My newest inspo came from my own backyard right here in Atlanta!

I am in LOVE with her fresh and vibrant recipes! Big congratulations to Michelle Braxton of  @SupperwithMichelle on her beautiful new cookbook, Supper with Michelle Make sure to give her a blog a follow and check out her IG page.

Point it Out

Meringue recipes are fat-free, but not calorie-free due to the amount of sugar. These Strawberry Pillows come in around 8 WW smartpoints per serving.

Last up – -when I posted there was no paywall so get on in there and check it out! I’ve got a Quick Bread story in the AJC with recipes for Beer Bread, Savory Yogurt Bread, and Quick Bread Foccacia. Thanks so much for reading! Please tag me on IG if you give these a try.

Bon Appétit Y’all!

Virginia Willis

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Strawberry Pillows

Freeze-dried and fresh strawberries are combined to create a double layer of "berry good" flavor with these easy, beautiful, and scrumptious Strawbery Pillows.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: fat free dessert, healthy dessert, meringue, strawberry

Servings: 6

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Virginia Willis

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ounce freeze dried strawberries
• 1 to 2 pints strawberries hulled and quartered lengthwise
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish
• Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking liners; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed with a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla, beating at high speed until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in half of the the freeze dried strawberries. Spoon blobs of meringue onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches of space between the blobs. Top with remaining freeze dried strawberries.
• Decrease the oven temperature to 200°F. Place the baking sheets in the oven; bake until the meringues are crisp on the outside but have a marshmallow consistency inside, about 1½ to 2 hours. Check the consistency by poking into the bottom of one meringue pillow. If the meringues start to brown, decrease the oven temperature to 175°F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, combine the strawberries and the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When you are ready to serve, using the back of a spoon, gently crack the meringue pillows and place on small plates. Top with the macerated berries. Garnish with mint and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking liners; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed with a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla, beating at high speed until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in half of the the freeze dried strawberries. Spoon blobs of meringue onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches of space between the blobs. Top with remaining freeze dried strawberries.

Decrease the oven temperature to 200°F. Place the baking sheets in the oven; bake until the meringues are crisp on the outside but have a marshmallow consistency inside, about 1½ to 2 hours. Check the consistency by poking into the bottom of one meringue pillow. If the meringues start to brown, decrease the oven temperature to 175°F. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, combine the strawberries and the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, using the back of a spoon, gently crack the meringue pillows and place on small plates. Top with the macerated berries. Garnish with mint and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Let’s cook something up! If you are interested in hosting me for a speaking engagement, event, cooking class, or a book signing, let me know! Send an email to assistant@virginiawillis.com and we’ll be back in touch as soon as possible.

I am not a doctor, RD, or health professional. I am simply sharing what works for me. My blog is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.

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Good and Good for You with Virginia Willis is a lifestyle brand that shares health and wellness through digital channels, seminars, speeches, and print media. For more information visit virginiawillis.com