Mango Peach Smoothie

Seriously every time I think there aren't any more good smoothie recipes out there, I find another one that blows me away!! This was really good. Like straight from Jamba, or Booster. It doesn't have any ice in it, so it has a really nice strong flavor. We get bulk bags of fruit from Costco and they worked beautifully in this recipe! Cheers!

Put in the Vitamix in Order:
1 C Vanilla Yogurt
1 C (heaping) frozen Mango
1 C (heaping) frozen Peaches
3/4 C OJ

Blend it up for some tropical yumminess! The original recipe didn't call for the yogurt, but I added it, and liked the creamy texture... you can do what you want.

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.

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!

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!