Peach Sangria--a make ahead recipe

When it comes to wine I am usually chose a nice red wine, but when the temperature starts to rise, a crisp and cold white wine is my choice. This past weekend we went peach picking and my husband called and suggested we make peach sangria for dinner. I searched the internet and most recipes suggested letting it sit for 8 to 24 hrs. Well knowing I did not have this kind of time I thought I might try it anyway.

I found this recipe from Bobby Flay on the food network and had to improvise slightly as I did not have all the ingredients on hand. I did have some simple syrup I made for iced tea already in the fridge so no waiting time for that to cool. I let the sangria sit in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hrs before it was dinner time. It was quite refreshing on a hot summer night and I can only imagine what it might taste like after it sat for the suggested time.

The peaches at the end were quite tasty as well, my were begging to try some so we had to gobble them up!

What a great entertaining cocktail choice as you can do all the prep work up to 2 days in advance. Make a batch and drive it to your beach or lake destination and you have an instant party!

Cheers! What type of sangria do you like to drink?

• 1 bottle white wine (Spanish table wine) I only had a french wine available
• 3 ounces brandy (omitted as we did not have any)
• 2 ounces triple sec
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil for 2 minutes in a small saucepan) and cooled (leftover syrup can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 month)
• 3 ounces white peach puree (peel peaches, remove pit and puree in a blender with a small amount of water) I used our yellow peaches
• Fresh peaches, oranges, and apples sliced (we only used peaches on hand)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours. Serve over ice.

What Happened to Goodbye Book Review-Beach read

Whether or not you have a teen in your home, you might want to pick up What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. Divorce is on the rise in America see how this teenager is dealing with it. Read more about what people are saying about this young adult book at Blogher Book Club Found here:

Peach Crumble Pie--No peeling required

Well it is peach season again in the south.  You must be seeing great peaches in your markets from South Carolina and Georgia.  Here in Virginia we are fortunate to have a few orchards within an hours drive.  So the family packed up and set out for yet another harvesting trip.

After picking 24 pounds, to realize later I think they are not freestone but clingstone...basically difficult to take off the pit and am not looking forward to processing these for the freezer and pies. (peeling and cutting).  Just be sure to ask your orchard before you go to be prepared.

Getting home late that day, as we took a family hike as well I was in need of a quick peach pie fix.  I found this Peach crumble pie in Everyday Cooking, July 2011 issue.

No need for two pie crusts but even better no peeling of the peaches.  Very few ingredients that you probably have on hand.

Of course the original recipe provides you with directions for making the crusts, but I have no trouble using a frozen crust that I have usually in my freezer.

The kids loved the pie and we enjoyed the great combination of both peach pie and peach crisp.  My husband actually asked for a peach crisp so it was a win win recipe for our family.  I might try adding a few more flavors to the crisp part, maybe some cinnamon and nuts but it is a winner just the way it is.

It stays well room temperature for 2 days so makes a great make ahead dessert if you can let it sit that long.  Since we actually did not get to the pie in time the day of our peach trip, I reheated the adult pieces for a few minutes in the oven before topping it with Vanilla bean ice cream.

PEACH CRUMBLE PIE ADAPTED FROM EVERYDAY COOKING

• 3 pounds fresh peaches,  sliced 1/2 slices, about 6 cups
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 9-inch pie shell, baked
• .
• Topping
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter,cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make filling in a large bowl, toss together

Combine the peaches with the sugar, and flour Toss lightly.  Make topping in a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour and oats and using hands work in butter until large clumps form

Transfer peach filling to pie shell, then sprinkle with crumb topping.  Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until juices are bubbling and topping is golden brown, 1 hr to 1hr 15 mins.  Let cool on a wire rack 1 1/2 hrs before serving.  Store covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Patriotic Desserts

Summer is actually flying by, Fourth of July is around the corner.  With the temperatures we are having here in the south, you would think it is August already.  Many of you might be thinking of Fourth of July meals, well here are some festive desserts, patriotic style.

I saw these cute strawberries in Family Fun this month and wanted to share them.  I did not have the right kind of sprinkles, mine are mickey mouse heads, but you get the drift.  I actually looked for blue sprinkles at our Kroger and could not find them.
You could also buy blue chocolate and double dip them for the same affect.

Of course pretzels or "Sparklers" in Red White and Blue are fun too!! (a little fun after making my light sabers)  If you do not have the colored chocolate just use red and blue sprinkles.

Peach Blueberry Pie, patriotic style

For a healthier dessert option, nothing beats the reds and blues of fresh berries added to your choice of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, angel food cake or all three!! 

Rea Mom Kitchen also has some super quick patriotic desserts on her blog such as this  Five Minute Patriotic PIe, check them out HERE

Over at Allrecipes.com they share how to decorate a flag cake.

Here is A cookie Version from www.familycorner.com, I have to try this one.


American Flag Giant Cookie
This is more of a fruit tart than a cookie.

1 (15 oz) pkg. sugar cookie mix
2 tbs. vanilla yogurt
2 tbs. powdered sugar
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
blueberries, raspberries and strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the package instructions for the sugar cookie mix. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and then press the cookie dough into a rectangular shape that is about 1/8" thick. Press your thumbs into the edges to create a scalloped look. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven
and cool. While the crust is cooling, mix the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind. Spread over the cooled cookie. Arrange the fruit in an American flag design. Blueberries will form the blue field in the upper left hand corner. Raspberries and/or strawberries will be the horizontal stripes.

If you have a lot of time on your hands, Taste of Home has a recipe for UNCLE SAM'S HAT

Father's Day Cookout-movie star hamburgers and green tomatoes gone italian

When I asked my husband Sunday morning what he wanted for Father's Day dinner he said let's make it easy nothing fancy, burgers and corn.  Ironically there was a recipe in the Parade section of my newspaper from Gwyneth Paltrow.  Well we know she can act and she has proven to be a singer, saw the Glee episode but how about cook?

Cheesy stuffed burgers, I must admit I was willing to try it, I already had turkey meat in the fridge so no shopping  for this one.

Before toppings

My family was originally disappointed when I mentioned turkey versus beef burgers but no one complained once they took a bite.

These were pretty tasty, I have never tried stuffing my burgers with cheese and I think I pressed them too hard to see if they were done as a lot of the cheese came out.

Also a tip is to pour what cheese you need in a separate bowl so you don't contaminate the entire bag of shredded cheese.  ALso they do puff when grilled, don't be afraid to make the patties thin when you are making them.

For a side dish, I did not want to do corn again as we just had it a few days ago.  The  June issue of Southern Living had a whole section of green tomatoes.  I have made fried green tomatoes once and will not go there again, but how about Grilled Green Tomatoes Caprese style?  Southern tradition with an italian twist...

Why not, I only have green tomatoes in my garden right now, so I took a sacrificial one for this recipe.  The original recipes serves 8 to 10 (4 tomatoes)  but I quartered it not sure if I would like it and did not even think the kids would touch it.

Wow, will definitely make this one again.  What a surprise, wish I made more.  The best part is you can make the tomatoes and marinade before and cook them right along side the burgers.

Have extra green tomatoes, try  Green Gazpacho.      

DESSERT- Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Transform a regular angel food cake mix into a chocolate lovers dream.  No need to give up chocolate when trying eat well.

Just add 1/4 cup of sifted cocoa into the flour mixture, not egg white part.  Mix well.

                           

For added chocolate taste, I shaved some bittersweet chocolate over half of batter.   The results will be a ribbon of chocolate.  I added too much into the bottom half so my line was not well defined.

Add some whip cream and marinated fruit....Seconds please.

Cheesy Stuffed Burgers

adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey (my package was 1 and 1/3 lb)

1 pinch kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice (we used cheddar)

1. Warm the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion and rosemary until translucent and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. Add the ground turkey, onion, rosemary, and salt to a large bowl and mix everything together. Form the turkey into four evenly-sized burger patties. (I made 5 with the extra 1/3 lb as I am serving 3 kids) Place 1 large pinch of cheese into each burger and pull the meat over the cheese.

3. Warm a grill to medium heat and grill the burgers until they are cooked through and firm. Serve them on whole wheat buns with any toppings you prefer!

Grilled Green Tomatoes Caprese from Southern Living
Serves 8 to 10

• Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 lb.)
• 1 (16-oz.) package sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

• 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add tomatoes, seal, and shake gently to coat. Chill 1 hour. ( mine sat for closer to 2 1/2- 3 hrs)
• 2. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Remove tomatoes from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill tomatoes, covered with grill lid, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender and grill marks appear.
• 3. Arrange alternating slices of warm grilled tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle with reserved marinade; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil.

Star Wars Party--Part 3--Food & decorations

Wow anyone else finding it hard to get posts written in the summer?  I have the material just having trouble finding the time to sit down and do it.

The final post of the Star Wars Party, that was almost 3 weeks ago :O  Food.

We had Light Sabers--Chocolate covered pretzel rods in red and blue.  Just wrap the last inch or so in tin foil.   I had some out incase parents stayed and put some in pretzel bags so kids could take them home.  You could also do red licorice sticks.

Cupcakes--I bought 12 clone trooper cupcake rings and 12 light saber picks on ebay.  I baked the cupcakes in silver cups and made greyish frosting.  Added two picks on each cupcake.  (a little party favor too)

YODA SODA Place a scoop of lime sherbet into clear glasses. ( I did this before the party and stored in freezer for easier serving)  When ready to serve, add some  lemon lime soda and the swamp like drink comes alive.  Add some colored straws.

DECORATIONS


Since most of this party was outside I really did not go all out for decorations.  I placed a mask on my front door wreath.  Bought black, red and green star balloons at the dollar store, love that place for balloons.

Used a black plastic table cloth for the table and used star wars plates and blue napkins for the place settings.

I used other star wars toys for around the house.

 PARTY FAVORS

Of course each child went home with their jedi robe and light saber, which probably could have been enough but I bought a few more things.

I a darth vader halloween bucket we got free last year with a costume purchase I added cello bags filled with star wars pencils, (from a valentine's kit I got 60% off), star wars pencil sharpener, Glow necklaces, star wars gummies from Kroger and a few star wars silly bands.  I bought one package and split them among the friends.

I also found $1 coloring books from Five Below.

Getting to Happy Book Review

I am sure many of you either read or watched the movie "Waiting to Exhale". How about now meeting up with those old friends and see what they have been up to the past 10 years. Terry McMillan's sequel is my next book review and it will prove to be a great summer read.

Join me and Blogher Book club for a review of this new book.


http://www.blogher.com/getting-happymeeting-some-old-characters



Blogher Bookclub GIVEAWAY
Also if you are a fan of Jane Austen you can win the two books I reviewed earlier.

 MY readers have a chance to win : Both A Jane Austen Education AND Jane Austen: The Complete Novels. BLogher will pick five lucky winners on June 24 at 3 pm PT.

To enter, comment on this post on BlogHer <http://www.blogher.com/blogher-book-club-giveaway-tell-us-why-you-love-or-hate-jane-austen> . Enter as many times as you want.

More Father's Day Ideas

Since the last couple of years my husband was given a heads up on father's day gifts we were giving him, I thought I would not post any of our current ideas, which I have none yet and revisit some of the fun homemade ideas we have done in the previous years.  I also am sharing some ideas I found on other blogs.



Personalized BBQ Sauce

Last minute not so homemade crafts

Homemade picture frame:

Ice Cream Cake:

Themed Buckets: also good for upcoming beach vacations.

Another idea for golfer:

Fill a tin paint can (from a hardware store) with golf balls, tees, and a coupon for a round of golf...with the kids:)

Have the kids paint on an apron with fabric paints and then use it as a wrapping for bbq tools, sauce or any other kitchen supplies the receiver might be interested in.

Coffee/Tea drinkers

Movie night gift:

Fingerprint Frames

Printable Father Day coupons from TIP JUNKIE

What are you doing for father's day this year?  Share your ideas with me.

Star Wars Party--Part 2- Activities

Let the games begin.  I love coming up with ideas for themed parties, I search the internet and try to improvise other games to match themes.

Free Play
While we waited for all the kids to arrive and to make them comfortable so their folks could leave, we had out my son's star wars figurines and legos.  The kids were encouraged to put together a space ship.  I also had a Star Wars coloring book and crayons but it went untouched.

Jedi robes:

This was a last minute decision as I was not sure if the kids would wear them, especially with the heat we have been having.  Joann's had flannel fabric for $2.99 a yard so I thought I would give it a go.

I simply cut on long rectangles our of the fabric, measuring my son first,  folded them in half and cut out the head.  Walmart sells cotton rope that made the perfect belt.

Cost about 3.00 per robe.

Once all the kids arrived I asked the kids if they wanted to become Jedis and fitted them with the robes.

Pinata

When I was at Party City I saw a Darth Vader pinanta for $20.  I thought I can make a death star or something out of paper Mache.

On the Starwars.com website they have directions for the death star Pinata.

 I was able to find all the things needed for this, except I did not glitter the entire thing.  I was afraid that if I had to bring this activity inside due to weather, I would find glitter for weeks.  I started to tape the death star but decided to use paint instead.

Since the weather was nice, I tied the balloon to the basketball net and built the death star with some help from the kids.  Prepare for mess, good thing I did it outside

Here is the progression of my first attempt with paper mache (at least adult memory).  

I enclosed the top with silver duck tape once I filled it with candy.  

I first had the children use their foam light sabers because I was not sure how strong it would be.  Then I let them use a plastic bat. Only took 3 kids to break it then.

For around $5,  I had a pinata.

Light Sabers
What Star Wars party would not be complete with Light sabers.  I did not want to spend $10 per child on a real one, plus I could not imagine the outcome of 9 plastic swords at the party.

I bought $1 pool noodles at the dollar store and $5 below.  Of course mainly green for the jedi's in training and red for Darth Vader.  I measured them to match the size of the plastic version we have, 36 inches.  Cut them with a miter saw, a bread knife would probably work too.

Wrap the bottoms with silver or grey duct tape and add some black and blue tape accents.

Make sure not to give these out until you are outside!

Jedi Training:
My older daughter and son were in charge of jedi training.

1.  They first learned moves with their light sabers, similiar to simon says.
2. They then went through an obstacle course outside designed by my son and his friend.  Going through tunnels, jumping over hula hoops, you get it.
3. Then they were each given a black balloon and tried to keep the balloons up in the air with their light saber.

As this was wrapping up, Darth Vader came out and the children were allowed to show off their skills by attacking him.  Once he surrendered each child took a picture with him and I will include this in their thank you note.  I think this was the highlight.

Blaster

With the left over pieces of foam this game evolved, also known as trash.  Line up the pieces of foam in a line and divide the kids into two groups.  

The goal is to keep throwing the pieces  or blasters over the line and have the fewest pieces on your side.  The clock runs for 2 minutes and this makes them good and tired.  Make sure the kids just don't hold onto the pieces until the very end.  This is a great activity to do after cake, to get the sugar out!!

Star Wars Books.

I had some of my son's easy reader Star Wars books available in case we had down time but we never got to it.