All Things Peach!

I was looking through my backlog of pics and recipes that I haven't shared yet, and noticed a surplus of peach recipes.  Since peach season is coming up soon, it seemed like a good time to share all of these!

First things first:  I was craving bruschetta, but didn't want JUST tomato bruschetta.  So I bought some goat cheese, added some sliced peaches to one, sliced strawberries to another, and sliced mint to both.  UH-MAZE-BALLS.

Next up, I made a peach and proscuitto pizza.  I used a pre-made crust, brushed the crust with garlic & olive oil, then laid down the proscuitto & peaches, and topped with fresh-sliced mozzarella.  After it came out of the oven I added shredded basil and drizzled it with a balsamic glaze.

Next up:  I had some over-fresh peaches that my Aunt sent down from her garden that needed to be used up STAT.  We were out of sugar, so I decided to make a sugar free version freezer jam, using some Splenda for Baking blend.  

Ingredients: (per pint jar)
2 peaches
1/4 cup Splenda for baking
1 Tbsp instant pectin
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions: combine in a blender, food processor, or simply using a hand masher.  Then jar and place in the freezer (or fridge if you're ready to eat right away.

Note: this came out a bit runny, but still delicious. I think my pectin is past its expiration date, which may reduce its thickening powers.  So if you're in the same boat, maybe double the amount of pectin.

Here are some other peach recipes from past entries!

Peach Bread Pudding

Peach Muscadine Sangria

Peach Brandy Fizz

Thirsty Thursday: Peach Muscadine Sangria

I picked up this bottle of wine during my last trip down to Louisiana, knowing that we had an upcoming BBQ for our 5th wedding anniversary.  It seemed like a perfect way to add a little "Cajun" flair to our party!  

In the past, I've not had a lot of good luck with Louisiana wines--primarily because the grape that grows the best in Louisiana is the muscadine.  It's a beautiful, GIANT grape with a thick skin, native to the southeastern states with a slightly odd sweet taste that in my past experiences has resulted in an overly sweet wine.  However, it seems that Landry Vineyards has managed to tame the wild muscadine, resulting in a light, semi-sweet, very drinkable peach blend.  I would have been perfectly content to sip this chilled from a glass all by itself on our back porch...but I promised our friends a peach sangria!

I was really pleased with how this turned out.  Very light, drinkable, not overly sweet, perfect for a summer BBQ!

INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750mL) peach muscadine wine (you could sub another white fruit blend if you can't find this exact one)
1 cup peach brandy
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cans ginger ale
Fresh Fruit: 2 peaches, 1 apple, 1 orange, washed

DIRECTIONS:
The morning of the day you plan on serving (or the night before if you'll be having with brunch), slice up your fruit and add to a pretty pitcher.  Pour in the lime juice, brandy, wine, and ginger ale, stir, and then cover to help preserve the effervescence.  Place in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, then serve to your guests! Use the bits of fruit as garnish. Enjoy!

Blackberry Scones

Third trimesters are chaotic.  I've learned this.  You can really feel the time ticking away--and the baby kicking away at your internal organs.  If you're a working lady, you're swamped trying to get balls kicked out of your court before the big day comes so that the people who will be covering for you while you're out have less to worry about.  There's baby classes and showers and last-minute getaways with your partner to try & make the most of the last of your alone time...not to mention that summers are just always FULL of things going on over the weekends...

...and you somehow manage to not cook a single "real" meal all week, aside from a doctored up Hamburger Helper on Monday, and you forget to do any kind of lunch prep over the weekend.  (And maybe everyone else but you raises their hand during baby class when the instructor asks who already has their car seat installed. *sigh*) So...lunches that week are a little thrown together.  Aaaand maybe one morning your stomach/baby decides to reject first breakfast for no good reason.  It's a weird time, and without proper prep & planning, you find yourself eating very random meals like:

Breakfast -8:30a (the second one, which baby was apparently okay with):
Ginger Ale
A banana
Blueberry Nutri-Grain bar

Lunch -11:30a:
cottage cheese w/strawberries
a PB sandwich on multigrain
Earl Grey tea

Afternoon Snack(s) - 2p-4:30p: 
watermelon
grapes
snow peas
Babybel cheese (the highlight of my day--they're SO good)

Pre-Dinner:
5:30p - A packet of Grilled Cheese Captain's Wafers as you drive to your baby class
7:30p - A bag of Panera potato chips your husband brought to the baby class in case they didn't provide snacks (thank goodness...Seriously...who hosts a 3 hour class for 20 pregnant women and doesn't provide snacks?)
8p - 4 more Captain's Wafers (PB & Honey this time)

"Real" dinner (at 9pm after class):
Split a Taco Bell Big Box with the Hubs, eat half a Quesarito & 1 Doritos Locos taco on the way to trivia

Post-Trivia (aka dessert):
11p - Split a Samoa donut with the Hubs from Hurts Donut

Talk about a downward spiral...

BUT...You know what I DID have time to do this past weekend?  Make a big batch of blackberry scones to have for breakfast throughout the week.  

I used Marion Cunningham's base scone recipe, and then added some fresh blackberries that we picked at my cousin's house.  I've had issues making scones in the past, but these turned out really well.  They were slightly more cakey than some of the scones you see, but the Hubs actually preferred that because he thinks regular scones are too dry.

INGREDIENTS (makes 12):

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (you could also do a split, with half AP and half wheat or oat flour)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (note: 1 stick of butter is 4 oz, so I opted to use Smart Balance Spread for the other 2 oz)
• 3/4 cup skim milk (original recipe calls for buttermilk, but I just never have that on hand--the original also calls for more milk, but since you're going to get some additional moisture from the berries, I've removed a bit of the milk)
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (you can toss these with a tablespoon or so of sugar if they're not super-sweet)

To top:

melted butter

granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425F.

Working either by hand or with a stand mixer, combine the first 6 ingredients & mix well.  Then add the chopped butter and mix until it's the texture of cornmeal.  Add the zest & the milk, and then fold in the blackberries (your dough will likely start to take on a bluish tint if you're using fresh berries).

Divide the dough into two balls, and then set one onto a floured surface.  lightly dust the top with flour if the dough is sticky, and then pat flat to about 1-inch thick.  Use a pizza cutter to slice the wheel into 6 wedges.  Repeat with the second ball.

Place the wedges onto a lightly spritzed cookie sheet, then lightly spread melted butter over the tops and generously sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms & tops are browned. (NOTE: since your dough may be bluish, the tops may not get as brown, so use the bottoms as the best reference.)

Serve warm plain, or with butter or jam (or cream if you're a Brit...tell me, is clotted cream as disgusting as it sounds?).  We ate some fresh for breakfast that morning with a Greek yogurt parfait, and then bagged up the rest in the fridge for breakfasts through the week.

NutriFacts (per scone):

• Calories233.8
• Total Fat10.0 g
• Saturated Fat6.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat0.5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat2.8 g
• Cholesterol26.2 mg
• Sodium307.9 mg
• Potassium79.2 mg
• Total Carbohydrate32.5 g
• Dietary Fiber1.6 g
• Sugars7.7 g
• Protein4.0 g

Thirsty Thursday: Watermelon Margaritas (Virgin or Non)

When my mom was pregnant with me, all she ever wanted were cherry shakes from our local Dari-Kup.  Lo and behold, I too have an addiction to cherry shakes.  So I feel relatively certain that our future baby is going to LOVE watermelon, because I have been eating it non-stop all summer.  No lie--I finished off a 5 cup container of it today over the course of about 4 hours.  I can't necessarily call this an irrational "craving", as watermelon has been my favorite fruit my entire life...but I'm definitely eating more of it this summer than usual.

Question:  Do you sprinkle salt or sugar on your watermelon?  My grandma always did salt, but the Hubs tells me he's only seen people sprinkle sugar.  That just seems silly--watermelon is usually plenty sweet, and the salt makes that sweetness really pop.

I guess I should be glad--there are FAR WORSE things I could be craving (and have...I made a batch of no-bake cookies two nights ago just to fend off a craving...and we won't even talk about how many Sonic Slushes or Kum & Go Coolee's I've had in the last few months).  After all, watermelon is 92% water and contains a goodly amount of Vitamins A, B6 & C, along with lycopene...and there's only about 200 calories in that 5-cup container I just downed.

Sadly, no matter how fast I seem to eat watermelon, since my Hubs is not a huge watermelon fan, that means if I buy a full size melon, I have to eat it all myself...before it goes bad.  That MAY not be an issue this year, but any other year we almost always end up having some that goes bad or we have to freeze it for smoothies.  
  
If you've got a watermelon addiction like me, or need to use up a bunch of melon before it starts to go south--here's an awesome option to help beat the summertime heat!  These watermelon margaritas are perfect for sipping on the porch while your husband grills...or while a tiny alien kicks the crap out of you from the inside. :)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 2-4 margaritas, depending on your glass size)

• 4 cups fresh (or frozen) watermelon
• Juice of 4 limes (or about 4 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar (or Splenda/Stevia to taste--DON'T use the full 2 Tbsp if you replace the sugar, both are WAY sweeter than sugar & don't require as much)
• 4 cups ice (if you start with frozen watermelon, you can skip this)
• 1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste--I like a little more because it makes the flavors pop)
• salt & lime wedge for garnish (optional)
• BOOZY VERSION: Add 1-2 oz of good tequila to each boozy-rita

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender & pulse until smooth, then pour into glasses (or hey, mason jars) & garnish (if you do the salt on the rim thing, you'll have to do that in advance--just wet the rim with lime juice & then dip the glass in a shallow tray of salt---or hey, sugar if you'd rather. I won't judge.)  For the boozy ones, stir in the tequila post-blending (or if you're making a full batch of boozy-ritas, add it during the blending process).

Add a straw and ENJOY!

Thirsty Thursday: Wishful Drinking

Man...this no "real" Thirsty Thursday thing can really get a woman down!  So, let's do some "virtual drinking" together, shall we?  I'll put up the Abita umbrella on the back patio, make sure the comfy chair cushions are nice & clean, put the dog out in the yard, and then whip up a few of these perfect summertime cocktails... (and if those cocktails just happen to feature some of my favorite Missouri and Louisiana spirits, all the better!)

"Boat Shoes" - recipe created by Missouri Spirits

"Moonshine Mule" - recipe featuring Copper Run Distillery , made in Walnut Shade, Missouri

(several other good recipes from Copper Run behind that link)

"Bayou Berry Lemonade" - recipe featuring Bayou Rum, made in Lacassine, Louisiana

Blackberry-Lemon Gin Fizz (aka the "Berry Manilow") - recipe featuring Oryza Gin made in Thibodaux, Louisiana

Slainte, folks! (And please...somebody out there have a few for me? Please???)

Foto Friday: Summer Fun Recap!

As I prepare for my return to Academia this coming semester (new parking pass, textbook reservations, getting my pic snapped for my all-new-student ID, because apparently my original one from 1998 is a little out of date, paying tuition--$224 a credit hour now!!!!), it occurs to me that “summer” is coming to an end.  Not the blinding summer heat, or this ridiculous drought, but the “summer” as defined by “school” is definitely ticking away.

Therefore, I’d like to take this post & dedicate it to reminiscing over the fun things we’ve done this summer!  That way, when I’m sitting in class next month sweating over the chemical components of fibrous clays, I have something to reflect back on with a smile.  So here’s just a few fun pics from the Summer of 2012.

May: Annual Memorial Weekend Trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Sometimes, low lighting blur makes for an awesome photo op.

That would be my husband getting pummeled by his best friend while we wait for dinner.

Also—dolphins can surf:

June-July: Float trips!

I should clarify something here, in case there’s any confusion.  In Missouri, “floating” involves a canoe and occasionally paddling.  Whereas in Louisiana, “floating” involves an inner tube and a prayer that no trees get in your way.  Either way, you’re not moving very fast & can easily kill most of a day with your friends.  We got in about three float trips so far this year, which is a pretty nice way to spend a Sunday.

This is my floating hat.  I bought it for $2 at WallyWorld in December.  It pays to shop off-season.

The Pugster also loves to float and swim, although he spends much of the day trying to get into someone’s lap, or into someone else’s boat.

He is less than fond of his life jacket though.  However, when you have a small dog who frequently likes to go AWOL, a life jacket is essential.

Mainly because it has a handle.

Rocky sez: Algae iz tastee.

 

June: Somewhere during the summer, I got addicted to Bubble Safari on Facebook…and apparently, it got addicted to me, too…

Geez, Monkey, co-dependent much?

 

June: We took my folks up to Kansas City to watch the St. Louis Cardinals slaughter the Royals.  My dad is a die-hard Cards fan, so I like to take them to one of the “I-70 Games” each year as a Father’s Day gift.  This year, we teamed up with my cousins and aunt to make it a family outing!

 

Yay tailgating with the fam!

Yay beating the Royals! Go Cards!

 

July: We took a jaunt about 4 hours north to Columbia, MO for an Independence Weekend camp out. Rocky made friends with some alpacas:

 

And then he made friends with a gi-normous Great Dane:

…who later decided he didn’t want to be friends with Rocky anymore, and attempted to literally bite his head off.

Yup.  That be’s pug-blood.

Alas, Rocky’s still young & ornery…whereas Diesel (the Dane) is older and gets crotchety after midnight.  We’d like to think Rocky learned some sort of life lesson from all of this…but no, after he was patched up & calmed down, he was right back to his antagonistic lil’ self.  *sigh*

July: The Hubs & I celebrated our one-year anniversary!  We made a week-long celebration out of it, starting off with a quick work trip down to Louisiana, then a fancy dinner at Fire & Ice here in Springfield:

 

Left: Flavored butter for our rolls—raspberry and orange.  SO good. Right: Some of the best creme brulee I’ve had in YEARS.

And we finally ate the top tier of our wedding cake, which was still moist & delicious, thanks to AmyCakes:

 

Then & Now: Vanilla Buttermilk w/Triple Berry Compote.

We also received this GORGEOUS handmade ceramic casserole dish from my friends Kathy & Matt in New Orleans as a belated wedding gift. 

Kathy & I are old friends & fellow cheesemongers from Martin Wine Cellar back in the day, so Kathy’s only request was that the first dish I make in this beautiful piece of artwork be SUPER cheesy.  And I am true to my word!  Stay tuned for seeing this dish featured in a blog post coming SOON!

 

July: My husband MADE FLOUR.  Seriously, this still blows me away.  He is so stinkin’ resourceful!

We also had some very tasty beer.  I love trying new summer seasonals, and this was my fave of Summer 2012:

Grapefruit and GINGER.  It’s a refreshing citrusy ginger beer.  I love it.  So much so that we asked Finn’s to put it on tap.  Thus far, no dice, but it was worth a try.

 

July: We also rented a pontoon for a day and had a lazy day on the water at Lake of the Ozarks with six of our friends.  I brought my camera…but didn’t take a SINGLE PIC.  I just think of it as a sign of having a really great time—I was enjoying myself too much to bother with photos.

 

August: The Hubs & I volunteered with our church for Project Partnership to help paint a local school.  Springfield is a city of about 160,000 people with 55 public schools in the district.  As such, maintenance is just severely underfunded. Without the community’s help, the schools in this area would only get renovations & upgrades (painting, landscaping, minor construction/repair projects) completed every 20 years—but with the assistance of Project Partnership, the schools get these well-needed updates every 8 years.

 

The Hubs & I are in this photo from the local news: He’s the blue shirt up on the ladder, & I’m the blue shirt just below.

There were about 300 volunteers this year and while they had slotted the whole day (8am-5pm) for the work, we finished up all the painting & construction projects by 1pm.  We sometimes catch a lot of flack for attending a megachurch (weekly attendance averages 9,000 between the two campuses), but I’m proud to be a member of a church that provides so many opportunities for community outreach, and sometimes it’s our sheer numbers that makes so many amazing things possible. 

This summer, our church also sponsored a “Bags by the Bumper” campaign: on the first Sunday of each month, patrons could bring a bag of groceries to church & leave it out by the bumper of their car, and the parking lot attendants took care of bringing everything in.  All the groceries go to local families in need through our One Heart community outreach.  We also did a “Stuff the Bus” drive, both at the church & at various drop-off locations around town, where good Samaritans could fill a backpack with one set of school supplies and drop it off for a local kid whose family can’t afford supplies.

Even if only half the people at our church participate, that’s still 4,500+ bags of groceries & sets of school supplies.  Not even counting what non-church members in the community might donate.  It’s totally awesome to be a part of something like that.  My husband & I have been truly blessed in our lives—loving families, good friends, college diplomas, steady jobs with decent paychecks, one devoted but mildly psychotic dog, no debt but our house… we couldn’t ask for more & wouldn’t want to. 

To be able to turn around and bless others is really what life should be all about. :)

Blackberry Syrup: Good with…EVERYTHING!

 

We hosted a BBQ at our house last weekend, so of course, I wanted to use our blackberry stockpile in some way for that.  What goes great with a home bar-be-que?  Lemonade!  So I decided to make a quick blackberry syrup to mix in with regular lemonade. 

Of course, I’d also be able to use the syrup for all sorts of other things too!  Mixing in with greek yogurt & fresh berries, swirling in with oatmeal, a syrup for pancakes…even for making a SUPBERB margarita…but we’ll discuss that later this week.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup Splenda (or 1 cup sugar)

 

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over –medium-high heat & stir to dissolve sugars. 

Heat to a boil, then decrease temperature to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes, gently crushing the berries against the side of the pan as you stir.  Then remove from heat & let steep for 15 minutes.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a container and press to get all the syrup out of the solids.  Once separated, discard the solids (these are great for compost, if you’re a composter!) and let the syrup cool in the fridge.

For blackberry lemonade, add 2 tbsp of syrup to a glass of lemonade.  The syrup is pretty sweet, so I recommend making your lemonade a little more tart than you would normally.  If you’re using lemonade mix, just squeeze in a bit of extra lemon juice.  Mix in your favorite glass & enjoy!

And here’s the awesome thing…if you use Splenda rather than sugar, this has only 3 calories per tablespoon!  If you make it with sugar, it’s about 20 calories per tablespoon.

Tune in later this week for more fun with this syrup!