Fresh Peach Pie

If you love peaches (like me), you would love this pie. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  Me and the fam just finished it off on Sunday-I made it Saturday-sweets don't stay in our house for long.  The only thing that touches the oven in this pie is the crust, hence the "Fresh" in the "Fresh Peach Pie".  I personally prefer my peach pies like this.  If I am going to have my peaches cooked I would rather have them as a cobbler.  This pie is very good, I especially like to warm it up just for a few seconds and eat it with ice cream-Vanilla Bean ice cream to be exact.  Try it out, let me know what you think.  Oh, ps, this is a SWEET pie!

Ingredients:

5-6 Peaches, sliced (I blanch* then peel mine)
1 Cup Sugar
Water
2 Tbls Cornstarch
4 tsp. Dry Peach Jello
Cooked pie crust

Directions:

1. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar over peach slices.  Let set for 1/2 hour. 
2. Drain juices off peaches until well drained.  Add enough water to make 1 cup liquid. 
3. Add the other 1/2 cup of sugar and cornstarch to the water/peach juice. 
4. Cook in sauce pan until think (over medium heat). 
5. Add 4 tsp. or dry jello. 
6. Let cool. 
7. Combine with fruit and poor into cooked pie shell. 
8. Refrigerate until cold-at least 1 hour.

*For blanching, I slice a criss-cross across the top of the peach, just enough to break the skin.  I then bring a pot of water to boil, turn of heat and add peaches.  I let them sit in that hot/boiling water for about 30 secs, then transfer them to a bowl of ice water for 10-20 seconds.  The peach peel should come off very easily afterwards.

Slacking, but not on purpose.

I had been feeling a little under the weather, and am going to visit family later this week.  But I promise more posts upon my return!  I think that's good reason for my lack of posts lately....I don't think I have even tried something new lately...but burritos are on the menu for Wednesday, that's good news!

BUT I did make this dress while I was slacking.  My Mom tried to talk me through it since I have never really sewn anything and I did this without a pattern.  She wore it once and that's probably all she'll wear it.  This picture is just proof that I haven't been doing nothing (not that I need proof or anything!).

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

I got these macadamia nuts from Oh Nuts!  months ago and still haven't used all of them (remember this post?).  SO I decided to make one of my all-time favorite cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.  This recipe was so incredibly good.  After they first came out of the oven, they tasted just like a store bought cookie.  I even froze some then would occasionally stick one in the microwave for about 25 seconds to soften it up and it still tasted just as good.  I sorta wish I had some right now...should have frozen more.

Recipe discovered here

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened  (not margarine!  Cookies will turn out to be more "cake-like" with margarine)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
10 ounces white chocolate (chips or bars cut in chunks)
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped into chunks



Directions:
Heat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir together flour, and the baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture,beating until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. (Edges are golden brown and center is set.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.


Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Flag Cake

There really isn't much that goes into this recipe, but I do love it!  It is such a light refreshing dessert.  And you can make any design on front since it is now past the 4th.  We make this cake for Memorial Day and the 4th.  But it can be made at any time!

Ingredients:
White Cake mix
(Eggs, Oil, Water-according to box)
Cool Whip
Blueberries
Strawberries

Directions:
1.  Make cake according to instructions on the box.
2.  Let cool completely
3.  Cut your strawberries and sprinkle the top of the unfrosted cake with some blueberries and strawberries
4.  Cover the layer of berries completely with Cool Whip
5.  Decorate the top of the cake with a blueberry and Strawberry design.
6.  Refrigerate then enjoy!

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

We went on a Cruise for our Honeymoon about 4 months or so after we got married.  And the food on said Cruisewas tasty and abundant.  I was sick due to being pregnant, so I didn't eat much except for hamburgers, pickles, green jello, and pineapple sherbet.  But hubs got this dessert pretty much if not every night.  So for Father's Day I decided to make it for dessert.  I accidentally overcooked ours slightly (which is easy to do, so be careful!), but it was still decently ooey gooey in the middle.  This is such a good dessert, and it was a lot easier to prepare than I expected.  They cook fast, so if you want to prepare them ahead of time, after baking, cover the ramekins in plastic wrap and/or foil to trap in the heat and keep them moist.  And if they need rewarming before serving, pop them in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds.

  Serve with you favorite Vanilla Ice Cream (ours is Breyer's Vanilla Bean).

Recipe found here

Ingredients:
6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins



Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take of flame, and…
3. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
4. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
5. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
6. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
7. Cook for about 10 minutes. (I would cook it for more like 12-14 min.  You want the sides to be firm and the middle to be jiggly-not soupy, jiggly)
8. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Chicken Ranch, and Rice Soup..thank you Picky Palate

I love soup.  I could eat soup all summer long.  If you aren't a summer soup eating person, just save this recipe for the fall.  This makes for a tasty meal.  It has ranch seasoning in it, which wakes up the traditional chicken and rice soup.  It is nice to get some different flavor dimensions.  It is also a quick recipe, so you can make some homemade rolls too and not feel like you have been living in the kitchen all day. 

 

recipe found on Picky Palate

(check it out, she has some pretty great stuff!)

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Cups of cooked rice (which would be 1 cup of dry rice)
64 oz chicken broth (that's 2 cartons-not cans)
1 Tablespoon dry Ranch Dressing seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco (optional)


Directions:
1. Heat oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat.
2. When hot, saute onion, carrots and celery for 7-10 minutes or until softened slightly. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in chicken breast and rice then pour in chicken broth. Stir, then season with ranch seasoning, salt, pepper and add in Dijon and hot sauce.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season accordingly.

H is for Hair Fairy

An Alphabet of Encouragement and Insight for Kids (and Kids at Heart!) With Cancer

Written by: Kim Martin

Illustrated by: Wend Boomhower

Have I mentioned how much I love Alphabet books?  Well, I love them lots.  This one was written and Illustrated by 2 people I grew up going to church with.  It is an alphabet about Cancer, mostly giving encouragement and insight (best way to explain it, also written on the cover!).  This is such a good book, and a great one to have in your home or in your classroom, especially if you know someone facing this trial.  Visit the website, HairFairy.org for more information, and to order a book for yourself or classroom!

You will also notice on their website, the "Hair Fairy Project".  What this is, is that on the day a child or young adult loses their hair, Mr. and Mrs. Hair fairy leave a gift, note, and this book for that child/young adult.  I think this is a fantastic project, soo much love and caring goes into this.  Cancer has not affected my immediate family as of yet, but I have seen it in other people's lives.  Anything to make those affected smile or bring hope and happiness is such a wonderful thing.   Donations are gladly accepted.