How To Easily Peel Peaches/Tomatoes

This Summer I had made three different peach jams with fresh peaches, and some pasta sauce out of garden grown tomatoes. I learned how to easily peel them, via the internet, so here it is...

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil
2. Cut a shallow X into the bottom of the fruit, try to just puncture the skin
3. Plop the fruit into the water (2-4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot)
4. Leave them in for 60 seconds or so, the more fruit the longer the time
5. Plop the fruit into an ice bath to cool
6. Peel off the skins lickity split!

Method two for the Tomatoes
If you want a 'roasted' taste to your tomatoes, you can try the following method.
1. Turn on oven broiler
2. Cut tomatoes in half
3. Place tomatoes cut side down on cookie sheet
4. Place in oven until skins are starting to brown
5. Remove from oven and wait until cool, skins will pull right off.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

Tortillas
BBQ Chicken, shredded (I had BBQed ours a few days before as the main dish)
Cheese
Bacon
Avocado
BBQ Sauce

Directions:
We use Tortilla Land tortillas because they taste almost authentic, and they are way better than the nasty precooked ones, gag! I cook one side, flip over and then add my ingredients: I 'glaze' the sides with the bbq sauce, then on one half I add cheese, chicken, bacon, and avocado. I fold the tortilla in half, and flip it over and over until it is the desired crunchy golden brown color I like... cheers!

Strawberry Peach Jam

This jam is SO good! My boys even like it!

STRAWBERRY PEACH            JAM

Makes approx. 15 half pint jars

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds ripe peaches (I used nearly 6 pounds)

7 cups granulated sugar, divided

8 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered lengthwise

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. butter

PROCESS

1.  Put large canning pot of water on to boil.  When boiling, add half-pint jars and boil 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow jars to sit in hot water until needed. Simmer lids in a separate pan then turn off heat and allow to sit until needed but remove screw tops to dry towel.

2.  In a separate pot of boiling water, blanch peaches in batches for 60 seconds then transfer to an ice bath.

3.  Peel and slice peaches into a large non-reactive pot. 

4.  Add 3 1/2 cups sugar to peaches and bring to a boil.

5.  Puree peaches and sugar with immersion blender while cooking for about ten minutes over medium heat.

6.  Add strawberries, remaining 3 1/2 cups sugar and lemon juice.

7.  Return to a boil, stirring often, then puree until all is smooth and well blended.

8.  Cook for forty minutes, stirring often so as not to burn on the bottom.  Occasionally skim foam from top.

9.  Remove jars from hot water (I placed mine onto a cooling rack over a cookie sheet to catch drips) then turn heat to high to return canning pot water to a boil for processing.

10. Using funnel, pour jam into sterile jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space.  (I just stop pouring when jam reaches bottom edge of the funnel.)

11. Wipe rims with damp paper towel.

12. Top jars with lids and screw on the covers.

13.  Using tongs, place jars of jam into boiling water and allow to boil gently for 10 minutes.

14.  Remove with tongs to cool on thick towels so jars don't crack on cooler counter top.

15.  You will hear popping as the jam cools.  That is the lovely sound of the jars sealing.

16.  After jars have cooled, tighten screw tops and store on the shelf for one year.

17. Refrigerate once opened.

Rather than doing the whole boiling the jam jars, I just froze them and now they are a great freezer jam!

Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

I may have been going a bit overboard with the peaches lately but seriously is there anything better than a fresh peach? I have been freezing them by the pound for the nasty winter months so we can have them in our smoothies.
This cobbler is divine! You wont be able to have too much because it is so rich, but it is good down to the last drop! Todd was even scraping the plate!

Peach Cobbler

For the filling:

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches – about 8 or 9 peaches, depending on size

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon flour

For the crust:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 cup buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute of 1/4C milk mixed with 3/4C plain yogurt)

1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping

whipped cream or ice cream for serving (optional, NOT)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar) for cobbler crust in a bowl, and set aside. Generously grease a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Place the sliced peaches in the dish and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and flour. Mix gently with your hands or a spoon, and spread evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. While the peaches are cooking, cut the butter into the awaiting dry crust ingredients with a pastry cutter or your fingers, to make the texture like coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and stir to form soft dough. Remove the peach mixture from oven and drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on top. Then sprinkle the top of your cobbler with the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar, and return to oven. Bake until the fruit is bubbly and crust topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. So delish!

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

This is good stuff! I didn't wnat to run to the store one day when I needed chocolate icing, so I made it from scratch, I have made it twice, and everyone who had it loved it!

Ingredients 

2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.

Peach Freezer Jam

Yield: Five 8-oZ jars

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened white grape or apple juice

One 1.75-ounce package no-sugar-needed fruit pectin (or 3 tablespoons from a jar)

5 to 6 medium peaches, peeled, diced and coarsely pureed in the blender (3 cups of puree)

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Five 8-ounce freezer-safe glass jelly jars & lids (cleaned and dried)

Directions:

1. Heat the juice in a medium saucepan at medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Whisk in the pectin. Continue to whisk until dissolved. Keep at a hard boil for 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of peach puree, sugar and cinnamon. Bring back to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup with a spout for pouring (it will be very runny). Divide the hot mixture between the 5 jars, leaving 1/2-inch room at the top of each jar (room for expansion during the freezing process). Place the tops on the jars and let them sit at room temperature until they are completely cooled off (12 to 24 hours). Put one jar in your refrigerator to use now, and put the rest in your freezer to use later!

Skinny Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo

My boys LOVED this! Todd was neither yay or nay on it, so all in all this one is a winner! I really liked it, and I loved that it is a lower calorie dish than the original I make. This one could be served often and not make you roll down the hall! 

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper then cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups cooked broccoli

8oz rotini

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup milk (any kind)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

salt & pepper

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to incorporate and cook for 1 additional minute.

Slowly whisk in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk in Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Mine was already really thick so I added some more chicken broth, I was worried it might be too salty, but it still tasted great! Turn the heat off then stir in parmesan cheese, then chicken. Pour over cooked pasta then add broccoli and stir well. Add a little reserved pasta cooking water if sauce is too thick. Serve.

CARNE ASADA FRIES and PICO DE GALLO

I LoVE the Pico at Cafe Rio, I could drink the stuff, and this recipe comes pretty close, and I have tried a few. 

INGREDIENTS

1 (32-ounce) package Steak Cut Fries

1 pound cooked carne asada, diced (I used steak)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup guacamole (optional)

cheese

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup diced onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 lime, juiced

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Bake fries according to package instructions.

To make the pico de gallo, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl; set aside.

Serve fries immediately, topped with carne asada, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and pico de gallo.

Breakfast Cookies

These are super good, and super filling! My boys can only handle half of one at a time, I had one for breakfast at 5:30am and wasn't hungry again until Todd came home for lunch at 1pm!

Ingredients:

2 cups quick oats (not whole oats)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)

1/4 cup apple butter (I used LauraintheKitchen’s apple butter)

1 large banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds/slivered almonds/sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins/chocolate chips/white chocolate chips

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be quite stiff.

Take 1/4 cup of dough and drop onto prepared cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the tops into desired thickness. The cookies will not spread in the oven. I used a large cookie scoop and they seem to be the perfect size for us.

Bake for 15-16 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheets completely.

Cookies stay fresh at room temperature for 1 week. Cookies can be frozen up to 3 months.

Adapted from here 

Beef with Broccoli

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided (2 then 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak cut into thin 3-inch strips (grass fed pasture raise happy please)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 bunches of broccoli cut into florets steamed in the microwave for 3 minutes
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
rice

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water (more if needed, I used about ¼ of a cup) and garlic powder until smooth. Add beef and dip. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes. Return beef to pan. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

NOTE: I just added broccoli to the beef/chicken in the last stage, it came out great. Corbyn even liked it!