Peach Crisp

Easiest. Dessert. Ever. 

This year's peaches are fabulous.  I buy the seconds at our local fruit stand, mostly because we can't wait the two days it takes for the regular ones to ripen.  We've been eating peaches on yogurt, ice cream, cereal, and cut up into slices for a snack.  I have made a traditional peach pie (using this recipe).  It was great!  I hope to make a peach custard pie, using this recipe.

Our dinner last night was

lima beans in cream

zucchini rice gratin (click here for the recipe)

I thought the perfect ending would be peach crisp with ice cream.  And it was. 

Peach Crisp

8-10 ripe, peeled, and sliced peaches
2 T granulated sugar
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
7 T butter, softened

1.  Toss sliced peaches with granulated sugar.  Layer peaches into a pie plate.  Pack down to create a flat surface.
2.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine remaining ingredients with a fork to create pea-sized lumps. 
3.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over peaches.
4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until peaches are bubbling and crumb mixture is golden brown. 

Lima Beans

I know this title sounds underwhelming.  It's not.  Honestly, this dish is one of my favorite things in life.  Less than five ingredients.  Pure bliss. 

I first saw this recipe on Orangette. It was way back in 2008, and even with the election mention, these beans were totally worth any annoyance.  I like to use fresh limas, just because I think they've got to be better than frozen - but use what you have.

The ingredients are: beans, water, salt, pepper, butter, and cream.  That's it.  Simmer the beans in water until tender and then after draining let them swim in cream and butter.  These beans are velvety, rich, and totally satisfying.  I could have eaten the whole bowl, but my dad loves these as much as I do - guess I'll share. 

Cousins!

The first part of our summer vacation included visiting family in Iowa.  Our kids only get to see their Iowa "cousins" once a year (I think they're all second cousins, or "removed" or something).  Most of the kids are at an age where they can just enjoy each other - the parents are able to sit back and watch!  The kids loved swimming, playing, and visiting!  The best part of the visit was the last night where Rob and the boy cousins set off some really great fireworks!  Alas, we didn't have our camera, but the memories are something I think our kids will always remember.  Anyway, just thought I'd share some of our pictures of cousin time.

 

Thanks, everyone, for making our stay in Iowa so much fun! 

Cabin Work Weekend

So, we have this little project at the family cabin - it's an addition that will increase the cabin size by about 200%.  We started the project a few years ago and we try to work on things as time and money will allow.  At this point in our lives (all in our 30's), this can be challenging, but we try to at least complete two major projects per year.  Here are some pics of the inside from a few years ago.

Earlier in the summer, the guys invited some friends (13 of us, total) to tackle some work together.  I was the designated cook/painter, and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves.

The facing of the front of the cabin is courtesy of some wood that had been housed on the family farm in Iowa.  We love having something so carefully stored by Rob's late grandfather.

The hope is to finish the outside of the cabin addition in the fall and then hopefully work on some inside projects next year!  We're getting there, slowly but surely.

Here are some pictures from the weekend, and the results! 

the inside project - insulation and vapor barrier

working on replacing the old siding with new

working on the porch roof

finishing the facing - late into the night

Since these pictures were taken, the other side of the facing has been finished (with the Iowa wood).  The guys hope to bring their friends again to finish the rest of the siding, to put stone on the chimney, and to insulate the attic.  I'll plan to be there to cook - we like to bribe our friends with food (it seems to work!!). 

News by the Numbers

53 - the number of days since I last posted on this blog

4600 - the amount of miles we've traveled so far this summer

0 - the number of speeding tickets we were issued!

2 - the number of nights we spent in Nashville, TN

112 - the degrees in Fahrenheit that the city of Nashville welcomed us with

20 - days we enjoyed as a family [on vacation]

4 - number of weeks until school starts

14 - the number of states we drove through

2 - the number of great-grandmothers the kids were able to visit (ages 93 and 94)

11 - the number of Florida sunsets we enjoyed[on the beach]

500+ - the number of pictures currently stored on our camera

countless - the amount of memories we enjoyed as a family



**A special thank-you to all of those that have checked on me to make sure I haven't stopped blogging.  I plan to start again soon!

New Recipes

I'm curious - how many of you like trying new recipes?  I go through phases where I make the same thing over and over, but in general, I do enjoy trying new things.  This week I tried two new recipes, both of them via an online source.  I liked both dishes, but I didn't love either.  I doubt they'll make it into our normal rotation, but it was fun to experiment. 

On the docket:

stuffed zucchini

sauteed peppers, and onions, tossed with curry powder

mixed with diced raw zucchini, plain yogurt, and topped with parm

I like the concept - but I'll totally do it different next time.  I'd like to use the zucchini boats to mimic a carb-less stuffed shell or manicotti dish.  Think ricotta, parm, mozzarella, and some roasted veggies (probably utilizing a little pancetta as well).  Here is the original recipe, courtesy of kayotic.

And for dessert, the contender was rhubarb snacking cake.  Again, tasty, but kinda eh.  I have yet to find a yellow cake recipe that doesn't taste like cardboard.  I think we've all been spoiled by those box cakes and their creepy delicious texture. 

the batter I wanted to love

rhubarb from our garden!

before baking

this was definitely ok with ice cream

The one thing I did love about this cake was the lemon flavor - rind in the cake and juice in the topping.  yum.  I think I'll use my mom's buttermilk cake recipe (just half) and sub that in for the original.  I'll keep you posted if I do succeed in creating something shareable! here is the original recipe, via smitten kitchen

All I know is that I've got just enough rhubarb left to make this - and I'm making in (and maybe sharing some). 

Ham and Cheese Sticky Bun Sandwiches

Here is the promised recipe for the sticky bun ham sandwiches!  I found this to be the perfect make-ahead food to feed a large amount of people.  I assembled the sandwiches (omitting the sauce and baking) and froze the pans until I needed them. 

These sandwiches are so low-maintenance.  Once baked, they can be served hot, warm, or room temperature.  They're even great the next day straight out of the refrigerator. 

The original recipe was given to me by a friend.  It called for an obscene amount of butter.  I more than halved that amount, and the result was spectacular.  The combination of salty and sweet combined with sticky and gooey - satisfies every craving you've ever had. 

You could make these sandwiches for a bridal shower, picnic, cocktail party, or even for a light dinner. 

Whatever you make them for, I promise you that you'll love them!

Ham and Cheese Sticky Bun Sandwiches

1/4 cup butter
2 T poppy seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
2 packages Martins potato rolls (dinner roll sized, 12 in each package)
3/4 lb sliced deli ham
3/4 sliced swiss cheese

After assembling ham and cheese sandwiches (rolls, ham, cheese), combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil for 2 minutes.  Pour mixture over assembled sandwiches.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.