Wonderful Peaches

Peaches for me.

So its a bit late in the season for peaches now, but that didn't stop me from wanting to make a peach pie! Going to a BBQ tomorrow, even though it will probably be inside, seeing as its supposed to SNOW tonight. Blerg.
Anyway, I am making this pie for a get together and I wanted to be impressive, so I made a pie from scratch. Look at all the impressiveness in this one blog!
Actually, I was going to use frozen but than my husband asked for fresh because he doesn't care for the premade stuff. Well, OK, change of plans.
First! I made a pie crust. I actually made 2 pies, one cherry. That was just premade filling since cherry anything is the worst. I am picky, but I am also selective. I like bananas, but no banana flavored candies. That kind of thing.
I CANNOT STAND ANYTHING CHERRY.
Its all terrible. But, cherry was requested, and I even thought of making that one from fresh cherries until I could't find any in the store. So premade for that one. Anyway, I made the crusts ahead of time, and I didn't take any pictures. Since its pie crust though, its not that hard and doesn't really need pictures. Here is the recipe I used:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsps sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick cold butter cut into pieces, and 1/2 cup cold water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt into bowl.Mix in butter on low speed, until it looks like coarse meal. Mix in half the water on low speed, then mix in the rest, slowly. Pack the dough into a small ball and wrap with plastic wrap and set in fridge for minimum of an hour, max over night.

Now onto the main event...like no king was before....

Crumb Topped Peach Pie
Doesn't the name just sound scrumptious? I thought so, I may even try this one! I know, I know, get those jaws off the floor. I, the picky eater, will dare to try this pie. Maybe.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 6 cups peaches peeled and sliced

Crumb topping: 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, and 1/4 cup margarine 

Directions:

First, how do you peel peaches with out wasting precious fruit? Never fear, I have an answer! Actually my recipe did. Submerge the peach in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then, take the peach out with a slotted spoon and plunge it into ice water. Take it out, pierce with pairing knife and it should peel right off!

A few notes on the peaches. I had no idea how many cups I would get out of how many peaches, so I bought 7. 2 were HUGE and I left them in the boiling water for almost a minute. That's another thing, I left my regular sized peaches in for about 45 seconds because I had left mine in the fridge over night so they wouldn't go rotten on me in the middle of the night. So they were super cold and took longer to "cook". Adjust were you see fit.

Shocking.

There they are. All peeled and sliced. It was really easy, and I will definitely do it again, it was no trouble as all. But rather messy. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg in a large bowl. Add peaches to bowl. Toss gently with sugar mixture.

Arrange peaches in pie crust. 

I got my crust out of the fridge and laid it down on my cool pie measuring sheet thing from Pampered chef. It helps me keep a somewhat circle shape to my dough. I think I will use it for pizza too, since my pizza's turn in to weird rectangles rather than circles.

For topping combine sugar, brown sugar,flour and margarine into a small bowl. Crumble together with hands (what I chose), pastry cutter, or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of pie and place in oven for 30 minutes. Put aluminum foil under pie to catch drippings...Something I did not do...

And there we are all done! I looked in half way just to check up on it and found a big sploch on the bottom of my oven. This runs over a lot! It gets kinda soupy, I am sure it will taste fine, once it sits in the fridge for a few hours it should thicken up and not be hard to serve. It smells AMAZING. I even at some of the topping before it was cooked and that by itself was good. But its hard to go wrong with sugar.

Saucy is a Fun Word

Say it with me, "Saucy".
You totally said that in a British accent in your head, didn't you? Well, if you didn't, I did. Trust me.
Its been awhile, I know. But the last few recipes I've made have been bombs. And not in a good way.
Not like, "Wow, that dinner was the bomb!"
More like, "Wow, that dinner bombed."
See the distinction?
So I had to wait for sometime until I got a good one. Thus I present to you:
Saucy Beef Casserole
I got the recipe out of my Taste of Home 5 - Ingredient Cookbook. Its a super handy cook book that I got for Christmas a few years back.

It has tasty recipes(Like I would know), and they are quick and cheap, since there are only 5 ingredients. This recipe has been the first one in a while to get a "Please make that again!" from my husband. There isn't much to it, so I thought why not share?
So lets get right down to it shall we?

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef(not pictured), 1 medium onion chopped, 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup undiluted, 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed vegetable soup undiluted, 3/4 cup chow mein noodles

Ok, I am going to address the onion. Why does ever casserole have onion? Onion is terrible. But not only that is seems like all casserole recipes call for an extensive amount of onion. I don't know if I am just buying my onions too big or what but when I chop up a quarter of an onion it seems like A LOT. And I think, "They want me to put in a whole onion?! It would be like 2 cups of onions!" So I only used a half of a half. And that seemed just right. Now I know you can more or less onion depending on your taste preferences, but to me it always seems like the recipe asked for way to much onion. There, my onion rant is over.

Directions:
In a skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; Drain. Stir in soups

So the recipe didn't specify what kind of vegetable soup so I grabbed Vegetarian Vegetable Soup. That also had alphabet noodles. I guess vegetarians can have fun soups too.

Doesn't that look....gross?

OK, here is another place I deviate from the recipe. It doesn't call out for Cayenne Pepper but I added about a teaspoon or so. The reason is my husband. He likes flavorful food. Usually when I make something he says, "It was good, it just needed more flavor!"

And I, like the guy in Oliver Twist, would respond, "MOOOOORE?"

So, when I was making this I thought, "He wants flavor, well he is gonna get it!" 

And he really liked it. So I made a note of it in the cookbook so I wouldn't forget!

Pour into a greased 8in baking pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and top with chow mein noodles. Cook for 5 minutes.

There done! Told you it was quick, easy, and cheap! FYI, I used the whole bag of noodles to top it with. If I used the 3/4 of a cup it called for then I would have been left with a mouth full in the bag and I wasn't about to wrap that up and put in the the cupboard to go bad. I passed from partaking of this casserole. Are you surprised? But my husband loved it as usual. And his opinion is really the only one that matters since he is the one consuming the food. Ta ta for now!

2014 Already?

Hello!
Back at it! I have made other recipes since my last post, but I either forgot to take pics or was in a hurry and did not OR the recipe sucked.
Not much new here. My daughter is down for a nap so I have anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours until she wakes up. She is all over the place! Yesterday she was so tired and cranky but when I put her down for a nap it took like 2 hours to get her to sleep. She is a fighter.  Doesn't want to miss anything. She was awake when I made this dish during that 2 hour time period. At one point I just gave up, put her in her exersaucer and said, "You'll just have to cry it out in there."
And boy, did she. She was unhappy with me! So I am not sure if I will have to many amusing anecdotes for this recipe since my daughter was wailing because she was too tired. So tired that when I put her in her crib for a nap she was to exhausted to sleep. Kids. I find it so strange (maybe ironic is a better word)that as a kid all you want to do is stay up and not go to bed. But as an adult all you want to do is sleep. *shrug*
Well, I am getting used to the less sleep thing. I will have to if I am just going to add more children to my current 1 at some point. On with the recipe!
Jalapeno Beef and Corn Bread Pie
I got this recipe from my mom. About 15 to 16 years ago she signed up for this club were you get recipe cards every month. She was apart of it for like a year or 2 and canceled it because she noticed she hardly used them. She kept them anyway, since it was expensive. I just looked them up on ebay and all the cards are going for like 15 bucks. Ouch. Anyway, when I got married I ask if she had any cook books she didn't want and she gave me her set of cards. Its not a complete set since she cancelled the subscription but there are a lot. I took them, but also don't use them as much. But to make a long story short(too late), I am using one!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 Tbsp melted shortening, 1 (8 oz) can creamed corn, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 large grated onion, 1 lb sharp shredded cheddar cheese, 5 canned chopped jalapenos

I searched, and I searched for whole canned jalapenos but I couldn't find them! So I bought the chopped ones and just guessed on the amount later. I also bought a whole new cornmeal, because I thought I didn't have any. I was wrong, there was a can in my pantry that I found when I got home. I looked at the expatriation date. June 2011. Yeah, I hadn't needed cornmeal for over 2 years.....Good thing I got new! 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef on medium-high heat. Drain fat.

In a separate bowl combine cornmeal, milk, eggs, baking soda, shortening, corn, and salt. 

Action shots!

Grease a 10 inch ovenproof skillet or baking pan (If you have a skillet, that is super cool. I, however, do not own a skillet. So I chose my nice stone pie pan from pampered chef. Use whatever works best for you!). Spoon (I poured mine. I am such a rebel) half the bread batter mix into bottom of pan.

Spread beef over that, and top with jalapenos, onion, and cheese.

OK, so I tried grating my onion. It didn't really work. It sorta just, mushed into nothing. I have tried grating an onion before so I don't know if there was some sort of trick to it, but it did not work for me. I ended up chopping the onion, and only using half of it. 

Spread remaining bread batter over top, covering completely. Bake 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Ta da!!!! It turned out great! My husband really enjoyed it, but he said next time to add more spice to it. He likes spicy flavorful things. He really like it the way it was but said next time to add something else to it o make it really kick. I am not sure what though. Garlic? More jalapenos? If anyone out there has any suggestions let me know. I wouldn't eat it to see what could have made it better. Onions and jalapenos and creamed corn? Pass! I had a ham sandwich for dinner and I was very happy.

What's In a Name?

Swiss cheese by any other name still tastes gross.
Hello!! Well how have you been? Me, fine, just fine.
My daughter is currently sleeping, and hopefully for the whole night! She just started sleeping through the night, for the past few nights so I hope its a trend!
The following recipe has many adjustments. Some on purpose, one not. You'll see. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine and thought it sounded fun to make.
Chicken Swiss Bundles was the original name but I have renamed it:
Chicken Pockets!
Sounds way more fun, don't ya think? Onward!

Ingredients:

1 small chopped onion, 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, 1 1/2 tsp butter, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 cup cubed cooked chicken, 1,2 cup roasted sweet red peppers, 1 Tbsp honey mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning, 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, 2 cups shredded swiss cheese, 12 frozen bread dough dinner rolls thawed, 2 Tbsp melted butter

Okay, so for the few adjustments that I made. The first being that I omitted the mushrooms. It was by accident really. I just forgot to write them on my grocery list. But my husband said that was fine with him, they didn't sound appealing. The next being that I used pepper jack cheese. If you recall from my last entry I discovered that my husband doesn't care for Swiss cheese. So, when I proposed this recipe I asked him what cheese he would prefer. Hence the pepper jack. And finally, the rolls. I simply read the recipe to fast and just presumed these were the type of rolls to get. Now, they worked fine but I will get to them later.

Directions:
Cook chicken. Simple enough.

I chose to pan sear mine. But you can roast them in the oven if you want. Whatevs. Next time I will cut them up before hand. This took too long to cook, I think. 'Specially that one in the middle. Not that its bad, I was just impatient.

In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms(or not)in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add chicken, peppers, mustard, and seasonings: heat through.

I wanted to get a really nice chop on the peppers so I threw them in my manual food processor. Or you could just use a knife, if you have fancy knife skills like that....Show off.

Remove from heat, add cheese.

Did I really need a picture of me shredding the cheese? Well, yes. Yes I did.

Flatten each roll into a 5 inch circle.

Place a 1/4 cup chicken mix in the center of the circle. Brush edges with butter, top with another flattened dough circle. Press edges with fork, top with butter.

Place on greased baking sheet, bake at 350 degrees(keyboards need a symbol for degrees, is there one?...Upon inspection I do not find one...) for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cut bundles in half to serve.

Okay, the finished product. And here is what I have to say about the dough I used. Its basically the knock off of the Pilsbury Grands Biscuits. They worked, in a sense. The flaws were that they didn't seal very well since they have a buttery-ness to them. And they were WAY doughy. Those bad boys puff up quite a bit, even after flattened into submission. My husband said they tasted great, but were a little too doughy, so next time I will make them with the right kind of dough. I leave you with a picture of my kitchen buddy. Since the baby came along he finds any excuse to be with me. Even if I am cooking.

Quiche Sans Crust

Yes, I did have my baby. An adorable little girl! Whom my darling husband is watching at the moment while I type this up.
I don't get much time nowadays to do much, let alone cook. Usually if I have a free moment I sleep. Glorious sleep, how I miss thee. I don't think I will ever get the chance to sleep in again. Oh well, trade off is pretty good. No sleeping in, but I do get a daughter.
So here is my first recipe since motherhood!
Oh yeah, and we moved AGAIN. I do enjoy this new place, its not a basement, in fact its the third floor. No more subterranean dwelling for us.
And please excuse me if my wit and candor are not as rapier as usual. I am a little sleep deprived.
On with the recipe!
Crustless Quiche
I got this recipe from my mother-in-law who is on a low carb diet. She says quiche is better with crust, but this isn't half bad. I wouldn't know. I won't eat it. Blech. But that shouldn't deter anyone else. I won't eat for the eggs or onions. I am sure its just fine otherwise. Also the ingredient list she gave me was from memory and open to much interpretations. This is a great recipe to make with whatever preferences you have.

Ingredients:
6 oz frozen spinach(I got a 12 oz bag, so I used half and have more for another recipe)1/2 cup frozen onion(or more or less depending on what you like)2 cups chopped veggies(anything you want really, I used broccoli and zucchini for this one. I like yellow squash too, but that went bad before I could use it)1/2 cup chopped Ham(or more, or less, or even none!)4 eggs, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese(Munster or Swiss) 1/2 tsp nutmeg and a few shakes of Salt and Pepper

For the cheese I have swiss. My husband prefers Muenster but I must have stared down the cheese section of my grocery store for a good ten minutes looking for it. I even looked in the expensive cheeses! My mother-in-law told me that Swiss was good too so I bought that only to discover that my husband doesn't like swiss cheese all that much. So next time if I still can't find Muenster I will just use cheddar or colby.

Directions:

Saute spinach and onion in oil for about 10 minutes. 

If you were working with fresh spinach and onions you could just skip that and cook them with the rest of the fixins.

Add chopped veggies and meat(if any), and cook for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.

I just eyed up the veggies. Its prob way more than two cups, but I had one and a half zucchini and I knew I wasn't going to use it for anything else so I just used it all.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, spices, and cheese.

Again, I just eyeballed the cheese. No need to be so precise all the time. 

Add veggies to cream mix and stir well. Pour into greased 9x13 in baking dish(or you can use a pie pan) and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I let the veggies cool a bit and only added a little bit at a time so that the eggs wouldn't scramble.

Depending on your veggie to cream mix ratio, cooking times may vary. So start with 30 and add more time at your own discretion. 

Viola, the finished product. My husband enjoys it very much and he thinks a crust isn't necassary. He isn't on a low carb diet, just a eat better diet. Meanwhile I am cooking up Kraft Mac and Cheese for my dinners wondering when I should start trying to loose my baby weight. Meh, I won't worry about that too much right now.
Wonder of all wonders. We have a dishwasher. I lived a year without one and almost went insane. When we first moved into our previous place I was like, "Oh, no big deal, I will just wash things as I use them."
HAH! That did not happen.
So when we moved to our new place and it has a dishwasher I pretty much wanted to kiss it. How I have missed you and your splendifourousness!! Never again will I go without you in my life!