Peaches Peaches Peaches

Our peach trees really produces this summer and I have been busy canning peaches, freezing peaches and making cobblers and pies!  I have found the perfect sauce to pour over your peaches for fresh peach pie.

2 cups oranges juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 pkg of peach jello
3 T.  corn starch

Boil these ingredients until thick and bubbly. Let cool and pour over fresh peaches in a pre-baked pie shell.  I like to eat it while the sauce is still warm but if you refrigerate the pie for awhile it will set up nicely.  Whipped cream is yummy on top.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini (Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and can be found in many grocery stores)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. In an electric food processor, combine garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add roasted peppers and basil; process until the peppers are finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer hummus to small bowl, cover and chill until you are ready to serve.

Make Your Own Fruit Roll Ups

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/09/how-to-make-homemade-fruit-roll-ups/

Guac Dip - Thanks Mary

Depending on how much you want to make depends on what you need. For the batch I made on Friday it took 6-8 avocados, 1 large cottage cheese, and 1 large sour cream. Jalapenos, green chili, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Smash your avocados really well or not depending on how you want it.

Pour in all the cottage cheese and sour cream and mix it up really well.

Take some canned jalapenos or fresh that are diced really well and mix in along with a can of diced green chili. I like mine hot when I make it at home and add three fresh jalapenos with the seeds and it is great but it all depends on how hot you like it.

Add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste.

I can't give you an exact measurement amounts because I am Mexican and I never measure anything. Growing up my mom would never measure a thing while cooking. Our measurements are like this: open your hand pour the salt, you have open palm, medium open palm and closed palm. Those are my Mexican measurements from my family to yours. lol

Hope you all enjoy!!!

Mary

Mini Pink Lemonade Donuts - ksl.com

Mini Pink Lemonade Donuts - ksl.com

Mini Pink Lemonade Donuts - Fresh Strawberry Icing:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh strawberry puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 drops pink or red food coloring

Method:

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add 2 cups sugar and strawberry puree and blend until smooth. Add remaining sugar and repeat. When light and fluffy, add vanilla. For a thinner glaze add a little bit of water to achieve desired results. Set aside until ready to use.

Makes about 3 cups

Lemon Syrup:

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Method:

In a small bowl, stir lemon juice and sugar together to dissolve.

Pink Lemonade Donut Batter:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Zest from 1 lemon

Method:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together, egg, butter, milk, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Stir in lemon zest.

Fill each cooking reservoir with about 2 tablespoons batter.

Follow manufactures instructions, or bake until lightly brown.

Place donuts on a cooling rack.

With a toothpick or cake tester, poke a few small holes in each donut.

Brush with lemon glaze, and frost with Strawberry icing while still warm.

Makes about 3 dozen mini donuts

Great Gift Using Wordle

http://brassyapple.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-so-many-wordsgift-idea.html

Made this today and it was delicious with our "Cafe Rio" type salads. Yum!

Pico De Gallo

6-8 large tomatoes (I used roma)
1 green bell pepper
1 large red onion
1 large cucumber
2-3 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro (I used fresh from my sun room:)
1/4-1/2 cup lime juice
salt to taste

This makes a very large batch.

Yummy Wheat Bread

I have been making this bread for a few months now and it is delicious.  I have been substituting half the wheat flour for white flour to ease my family into wheat bread.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
(From the Kitchen of Katrina Smith)

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 T vital wheat glutten (find it at Maceys)
2 packets of yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water

In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid), add the 3 cups flour, wheat gluten, and yest. Stir. Add in warm water and stir until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes.

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 T lemon juice or vinegar
1 T salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups whole wheat flour (I use white flour)

Mix the oil, honey, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture after the 10 minutes. Mix until combined. Add in the additional flour and mix. Now knead the dough for ten minutes with the dough hook of the mixer. When it is done divide the dough into two loaves. Make sure they are even. Shape them into loaf form. Place the dough into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the loaves have risen, bake them for 30 minutes. They should be golden brown. Let cool before slicing, if you can wait:) You can freeze on of the loaves if you wish.

Basil

I have been growing my own Basil and it's so fun to go snip a few leaves to put in my spaghetti sauce but I want to try making this pesto sauce. 

Fresh Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processors with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

These were soooo delicious!

Finn's Cafe Traditional Norwegian Waffles

Ingredients: 6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup flour (I used wheat flour)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
cooking spray
waffle toppings

Batter:

1. Combine 6 eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Whip until firm peaks are formed.
2. Blend in 1/4 cups of sour cream.
3. Add 1 cup flour and 1/8 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cardamom and dried ginger; fold in until thoroughly mixed.
4. Chill batter in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Cooking:

Preheat waffle iron and mist with cooking spray (Pam). Gently pour in batter. Cook until golden brown (2-4 minutes).

Traditionally served with sour cream and lingonberries, but also goes great with any of your favorite jams, syrups or butters!

Make it Love it

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/

This blog has some great tutorials on repurposing clothing. Check out the purse from an old sweater and a boys vest from old pants.

Spinach Pasta Salad

Bow Tie Pasta Salad
John Butterfield

16 ounce package of bow tie pasta, cooked al dente

Marinate the pasta 8 hours or overnight in:

• ½ cup oil
• 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• ½ tsp each of salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 2/3 cup white vinegar

After marinating pasta overnight add the following ingredients:

• 10 ounces of baby spinach
• 2 large cans of mandarin oranges
• 1/8 cup sesame seeds
• 2 cans water chestnuts sliced
• 6 ounces dried cranberries
• 6 ounces honey roasted peanuts
• 1 cup chopped green onions

Be sure to add all of the marinade to the salad as it acts as a dressing.

Pancakes

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from Cooking Light

3/4 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C all-purpose flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C low-fat buttermilk *
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 Tbs canola oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking Spray or butter for pan

*As a substitute for 1 C buttermilk, place 1 Tbs lemon juice (or vinegar but I prefer lemon juice) in a 1 C measuring cup and then fill the remainder with milk.  This recipe calls for 1 1/2 C buttermilk, so do the same thing with 1/2 Tbs lemon juice and remaining 1/2 C milk.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.  In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well.  Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined.

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat.  Coat pan with non-stick spray or a little butter and then pour on pancake batter.  Use about 1/4 C batter for large pancakes (5-6") and 2 T for kid-sized ones (2 /2-3").   Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.

Makes 12 large or 24 small pancakes.

My new favorite sugar cookie recipe

1 lb. butter softened
4 eggs
2 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 c sour cream
1 t vanilla
8 c flour

Roll out thick.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Thanks John Butterfield

Me standing in front of Paula Deen's restraunt "Lady and Sons" in Savanah, Georgia.

I admit it, I'm a chocoholic. I want to try these!

Easy Chocolate Truffles
18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with milk. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Chill for two hours. Shape into 1" balls (I used my smallest Pampered Chef scoop) and roll into desired coating. Chill for at least one hour or freeze.

Mint Truffles
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped Andes mint pieces
powdered sugar

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with milk. Add mint pieces as you remove from heat and stir until melted. Chill for two hours. Form into 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar. Chill or freeze.

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Maple Icing

I made these donuts last night and they were delicious! Paula Deen is my hero!

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Serves:about 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium potato)

• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Maple Icing, recipe follows

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, and sweet potato. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead in flour with hands as needed (dough will be sticky). Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out dough with a 2 1/4-inch round cutter. Cut out center of doughnuts with a 3/4-inch round cutter. Re-roll dough as needed.

In a Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat to 360 degrees F. Cook doughnuts, in batches, in hot oil, 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Ice top of doughnuts with Maple Icing, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Maple Icing:

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon maple extract

In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoons milk; stir well. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. Stir in maple extract.

Yield: 1 cup icing