PW's Peach Crisp

I have so many things to share with you!! 
I am going to try my hardest to catch up you to speed this week, so please please bear with me! 

First and foremost, I want to share a recipe with you from the Pioneer Woman.

Can we say Hello Momma?! 
Words cannot describe how delicious it was.  And I say WAS, because this is all that is left:

I made her Peach Crisp with Maple Creme Sauce.

We actually wanted ice cream too (my husband believes a day is not complete without ice cream), so I opted to ignore the Maple Creme Sauce. 
I truly believe the vanilla ice cream mixed with every bite made it all the better.

You have to try it!
Super simple to make, and even more delicious!

Now excuse me while I take that very last bite!

Peach Streusel Pie

We went peach picking....

And ended up with 6 pounds of these beautiful fruits...

But that wasn't enough to make anything sweet, because we gobbled every single one.

So after heading back to the orchard, I collected 3 pounds of peaches to make a pie for my hubby. 
The peaches were so amazingly sweet, I didn't want a lot of extra ingredients to take away from the natural flavors. 
After much searching, I found this recipe for a Peach Streusel Pie.

I used Paula Deen's pie crust recipe  because I know it is no fail! 

Together, the two were just amazing.
Amazing I tell you! 

Source

Here is the recipe!
You can click on the title for direct access to the website!

Peach Streusel Pie

Ingredients
1/4 cup walnuts, finely ground in a food processor
1/4 cup pecans, finely ground in a food processor
1 cup flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 pounds ripe peaches (about 8), peeled and sliced (see Notes)
About 1 tbsp. sugar
1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca (see Notes)
1 disk (1/2 recipe) Best Basic Pie Crust Dough
 
Preparation
1. Put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350°. Stir together walnuts, pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and stir with a fork until mixture forms small clumps (break apart any large clumps with your fingers). Set aside.
2. Gently mix peaches, sugar, and tapioca in a large bowl. Taste and add additional sugar if you like. Set aside.
3. Dust your counter and rolling pin with flour. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 12-in. circle (about 1/8 in. thick), turning 90° after every 3 or 4 passes of the rolling pin to keep it from sticking. Transfer dough to a 9-in. deep-dish glass pie plate, letting it fall into place (if you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked). Trim overhang to 1/2 in., tuck edge under, and crimp edge. Pile peaches into crust, then top with streusel.
4. Put pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until topping and bottom crust are well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature, at least 2 1/2 hours, before serving.

Faucet Upgrade

We have been doing a great deal of work around our home lately. 

The most recent addition is a kitchen faucet.

I looked high and low for a "before" photo, but cannot find it...

But we had a builder's grade faucet that had begun to change colors.

After much shopping, we chose something way cooler.

We let the hot hubby do all the hard work, like read the directions.

I did the easy work, like push the actual plumbing tubes down the hole.

Don't be confused though, the hard part of tightening everything has to be left for the hot hubby.

 

Screwing things is such hard work that shirts have to be removed.

But alas, we have a brand new faucet.

I never thought that something like this would truly improve my life....

But it does...

I have never been so inspired to keep my kitchen clean!

Have you made any changes recently that left you saying "Wow!  Why didn't I do this sooner?"

Do tell!!

Oh Crap!

One of the blogs that I obsessively read has offered a challenge.  I am a little behind on announcing that I am doing this, but I have been working on her challenge:

A "Get the Crap out of my House" Challenge





I have been wanting to eliminate the crap for such a long time.  I have such trouble moving stuff OUT of the house though. 

I have the mentality that we MAY use or need the item again.  (i.e. baby gear, etc.)

But that is another post for another time....
I am however, using this post as a public announcement for decluttering  and moving crap out of my home.
That way all of you can hold me accountable....

I have cleared the clutter from my dining room/toy room. The room is currently closer to a ONLY dining room again.  No more scrapbooking stuff on the dining table, no more random crap on the floor.

We sorted through the toys in our living room's storage ottoman.
All of the things that aren't being played with or are no longer age appropriate have been removed.

We have cleared the clutter from all flat spaces in our home, desk, server, countertops.
I am going paperless on all of my bills/statements.  The only reason I am not already is because I like to receive snail-mail.  And that is a super-lame reason.

I am relieved at the amount of clutter this will reduce, because that means no more piles of unnecessary things I have to file or shred!

I have committed to working around my house slowly and seeing that I can remove. 
I am cleaning out drawers, one day at a time. 

Do you feel like your house is overrun with crap?
Let's commit to removing it together!

Go Fish!

Many months ago, I told you about the importance about eating fish.

I also told you about eating WILD SALMON, and how difficult it was for me to find!

Well look what I found in Wally World, that was not priced to the moon (like in the ritzy grocery stores)!

This summer, I also had the pleasure of getting a pocket seafood guide.

The guide is sponsored by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The guide is a mini-accordion pocket guide that lists the fish which are safe to eat for you and the environment. 

The fish will contain low mercury levels and are obtained from methods of fishing that are not depleting the fish population or harmful to other sea creatures.

The guide is separated into three categories: red, yellow, and green.

Seafood choices under the red category should be avoided, the yellow category can be eaten in moderation, and the green category should be the FOCUS of your consumption.

You should make sure that you have an updated version of the guide for your region whenever you buy fish.

I currently live in the Southeasten portion of the country, so the focus of my fish diet should include the fish I first told you we eat regularly -

CATFISH (US farm-raised), TILAPIA (US farm-raised, WILD SALMON (Alaskan).

Please go HERE to download and print your own pocket guide for seafood. 

You will help sustain the fish population and help your health! 

Neglect

Over 20 days have passed since my last post. 

I have neglected my faithful readers. 
I am willing to admit that I have been a domestic failure as of late. 

I spent the past few months living life...
without cleaning a single toilet or cooking a delicious meal.

I have thrown all crafting by the wayside, and long-forgotten about half-finished crafts.

How do my blog, cleaning, cooking and cleaning all fall from the center of my world you ask?
After all, all of those things make my world go around.

Well, my husband was working away from home for the summer and we traveled along with him!
We lived in an extended stay hotel near his place of buisness.
We ate out for nearly every meal.

I have been spoiled. 
After some time, you become used to not cooking and cleaning. 
And you lose the desire to do so once you realize how much more free time you have....

I secretly pretended I was living the life of the rich and famous.

Not really....

Although this seems like a sweet deal, we all grew tired of the lifestyle....
the constant restaurant meals, the lack of space, sharing a bedroom with the kids, the ability to wash clothes freely... 

Bittersweetly, we are glad to be back in our house. 

I randomly posted thingsin the passing weeks to keep you guys interested.

Yet, lately, the level of neglect has been incredible.  I do apologize! 

There is still unpacking and reorganizing to do around here though.

I hope to get things back on track soon. 

Until then, what have you been neglecting? 
Do you have a blog? 
Your housekeeping?

Happy Belated 4th!

I get so wrapped up in updating my family blog that I forget to celebrate the holidays with you guys!

I regret that I haven't been at home to participate in the fun domestic things like holiday decorating or BBQing.

Since we are "vacationing", we had to be a little more easy-going.

Instead of grilling, we went to a very yummy burger joint and celebrated America's Birthday at a nearby Army post.

My family was dressed in the appropriate attire and

we made it through the day without a wardrobe change!

We explored the beach and a few moonbounces before we saw an amazing sunset!

We listened to a little music and patiently waited for the fireworks!

We were reminded how wonderful it is to be blessed as American citizens!

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday! 

Airblade

I have a long list of things I would love to have if money was no object.

Of course, they are all frivolous things....but, I believe they would be life-changing!

The most recent item I have added to my list is the Dyson Airblade.  Have you ever seen one of these at a restaurant or theme park restroom? 

It is a hand-dryer.  And it is amazing.

I first saw one at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA.  I was blown away - ha! 
After searching a few websites you will find:

The airblade is super-dooper-expensive!
The airblade will dry BOTH hands in 10 seconds! 
The airblade is 80% more efficent than heated dryers!
The airblade removes bacteria with a HEPA filter and is very hygenic!

I cannot express how cool these things are. 

Instead of placing your hand under the dryer, you stick your hands straight down and pull up. 

The drying process is super quick. 
You do not rub your hands to encourage the drying process. 
You do not walk away tired of waiting for the heat to dry your hands and use your pants instead. 
The airblade completely removes all traces of dampness from your hands.

I am in love. 

Should you ever see one in real life and not walk away impressed, I honestly cannot be your friend anymore. 
Seriously. 

Now if only I could get them in my home...

Rocking Redo

First, I would love to welcome my new readers!!  Please leave comments so I can get to know my audience!  I would love to hear from you!

Several months ago, my grandfather purchased a cherry red rocking chair for my Mere at a flea market.

The chair is toddler-sized and in wonderful condition overall.

The chair had some peeling and chipping paint, which didn't bother the kiddos at all.

I was trying to let the imperfections grow on me, but the Type A side of me began to take over....and a rocking redo began! 

I scraped off any of the paint that I could. 

The paint that was on the chair wasn't thickly coated, so I sanded the remainder of the chair to smooth everything out.  This process actually took away a great deal of excess paint as well!

I let Meredith choose a new color for the chair.  I was hoping for her to pick red (to make the repair a lot easier on me), but instead she chose PINK!

We purchased the paint from my favorite blue store - Valspar brand, Satin Spray Paint.

The entire can gave me two coats for the chair.  I went slowly, spraying in sections and letting dry before continuing to ensure even coverage.
The spray paint was amazingly easy to use.  I love the Valspar paint way more than the other store brands you can purchase in any craft section.  The even, smooth coverage was easier to achieve.

I am in love with the end result!

A nice smooth coat of a pale pink! 

Pot Holders

When I was growing up, I used to weave potholders with a square hook and loom contraption. I was always very proud of my beautiful, multi-colored creations and gave them away to family members.

photo credit

Obviously, they weren't good enough for REAL potholders.

I never realized that at the time.

I also never realized that I would eventually have pot holders in my own home that were "not good enough."
For the past five and a half years, I have broken in a few select potholders.

They folded perfectly around the edges of pans filled with yummy goodness.

They sat lovingly underneath a casserole.

These potholders were well-loved.

Well, they were well-loved by me.

My husband hated them.

What he hated about them was what I loved the most....

So I unwillingly went shopping for new potholders. Coincidentally, that same day, Target was COMPLETELY sold out of EVERY potholder they kept in stock.

I should have taken this as a sign, but instead, I just went to a different store.

I came across potholders that were not like I wanted.

I have grown to love them.
Several months have passed, and I have broken in these glorious pot holders.

And they are even more amazing than the ones I have loved for five years.

They are sold at Bed Bath & Beyond. 

Kitchensmart Pot Holders
(Sorry!  This is the only photo I could find of them, which includes kitchen towels as well!)

They are rectangular in shape. 
They have a double opening on one side, so your hand can fit inside - without the cumbersome feel of an oven mitt. 
They have neoprene non-slip gripping on the opposite side. 
They protect up to 500* F.
They are machine washable. 

They are fabulous. 

We are super happy with them.

And it goes to show change isn't as bad as you initially think it is.

Do you have anything in your home that your husband hates and you adore?
Have you ever had to try something new because your old favorite was no longer available?

Do tell!

Baked Potato Casserole!

You HAVE to try this recipe! 

I am always trying to incorporate bacon in my day....
And this recipe hits the spot. 

I cannot express how delicious it is....smooth and creamy...rich and flavorful. 
Everything you want a potato to be.

Sorry, for no pictures! 

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
(from Southern Living)

Ingredients
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes

1 (6.5-oz.) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

1/2 cup milk

4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh chives
 
 
Preparation
1. Prepare potatoes according to package directions.
2. Stir in spreadable cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir until blended. Spread mixture on bottom of a lightly-greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese.

3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Broccoli-Cheese Stuffed Chicken

One night, I had some leftover broccoli. 

And just like that, I had a super cool plan for broccoli stuffed chicken breasts!

Take your chicken breasts, and flatten them to about 1/4 inch thickeness...

Chop 1/2 cup cooked broccoli

And carefully place in the center of your chicken.....

As much as you see fit.

And don't forget to season your chicken/broccoli.

The essentials, salt and pepper, and maybe garlic powder if you like.

Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese. 

Mozzerella is what I chose!

Roll your chicken, carefully tucking the sides.

Take your favorite breadcrumbs.

If you just have plain breadcrumbs, add Italian seasoning.

Roll your chicken in the breadcrumbs.

Bake in a greased baking sheet for about 20 minutes or until the juices run clear!

You will have this...

and this....

(please excuse the boat and the empty popcorn bag.  i don't claim to be a professional food stylist.)

Serve along side your favorite potato or rice!

Enjoy!

Sheet Shopping

we recently purchased my son a mattress to replace his toddler bed.

the prep-work for moving to a "real" mattress is important...

first a waterproof mattress pad for those "just in case accidents"

i ended up going with a simple waterproof pad from wally world, that did not have the vinyl loud factor.

canopy brand.

then, the character sheets.  

character sheets are essential in the little kid world. 

only, they don't make things with the same durability and quality from years ago.

my mom still has my brother's ninja turtle sheets ---

they are still in fabulous shape and are over 20 years old.

my sheets i had for college didn't even last that long. 

and i was absolutely appalled that twin character sheets were $24 dollars!!

 and were VERY VERY cheaply made.

my son wanted a TOY STORY bed, so I had to accomodate.

but i wanted to have a spare set of sheets and did not want to pay that kind of money for something of such poor quality.

that's where a lucky trip to TJ Maxx saved the day! 

 

lucas likes fire engine.

he wants to be a fireman when he grows up.

and they had one set of fire engine, twin sized sheets!

he was sold immediately.

and at $19.99, i was sold too!

the quality is WAY better than the Toy Story sheets currently on his bed.

and i am pleased that they were nearly $2 cheaper than the cheap-o sheets!

so what cool deals have you found lately? 

do you love discount shopping as much as i do?

Pulled Pork with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

I am always looking for reasons to use my super cool cast iron dutch oven...

and having about 9 more pounds of strawberries had me searching my recipes.

In my notebook of "Recipes to Try One Day", I remembered a recipe from Better Homes & Gardens:

Pulled Pork with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

I purposely froze diced strawberries to make this and fit it into our meal schedule!

With a 3.5 lb pork tenderloin, trim off the excess fat along the back.

I

Heat your oil in your dutch oven, and heavily salt and pepper your tenderloin on all sides.

Brown on all sides. 

Grab your essential ingredients for making BBQ sauce -

ketchup.  Heinz only please.

Apple Cider Vinegar.

Garlic.

Once your meat has been browned, it will look quite beautiful...

Add your ketchup, vinegar, garlic and strawberries...

Cover and let everything mingle for a couple of hours....

 

After several hours, the pork will have cooked through, tenderized and soaked up the flavors...

Amazingly delicious I tell you! 

Sorry for the lack of photo after everything was pulled and plated! 

The recipe follows!

Pulled Pork with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

(adapted from BHG)

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBL cooking oil
4 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Trim fat from pork.
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.
In large Dutch oven over medium heat brown pork in hot oil on all sides.
Add half the strawberries, the ketchup, vinegar, and garlic.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 2 hours or until pork is tender.
Remove pork from Dutch oven; loosely cover with foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

For strawberry BBQ sauce, skim fat from cooking liquid.
Return liquid to Dutch oven; bring to boiling.
Reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups.

Using two forks, shred pork; discard fat.
Stir 1 cup strawberry BBQ sauce into pork.
Stir remaining strawberries into BBQ sauce.

Serve pork on buns.

Strawberry Cake!

At a birthday party, I had a homemade Paula Deen Strawberry Cake.

But something about it wasn't "right". 

The cake was heavy. 

The icing was too rich.

The cake was still yummy, but not "I've died and gone to heaven!"

And I wanted to achieve that... 

I searched one of my go-to recipe sites - www.myrecipes.com

This site is a collection of recipes from the makers of Southern Living, Cooking Light, Coastal Living and all the magazines that fall into similar categories.

The recipe for Fresh Strawberry Cake just felt like a winner! 

The strawberry content was high.

The cake only used 3 egg whites (not 4 whole eggs like the PD recipe and made it heart healthy and light!).

The icing was cool whip! 

All around it seemed perfect.

The cake certainly looked perfect.

I began with my yummy strawberries!

I pureed fresh strawberries (instead of using frozen strawberries).

I fully believe that this helped add to the yummy rich flavor of the cake.

I had a photo of the cake after it cooked, but I do not know what happened to them! 

(I am not at my own computer and will not have access for several weeks!)

Anywho, the cake looked amazing without the cool whip and berries!

I pureed strawberries and stirred in with the cool whip for the icing. 

Such a wonderful idea! 

The cake was moist and smooth.

The whipped topping added a hint of sweetness without overpowering the depth of the strawberries.

The almonds were the perfect compliment to the yummy goodness.

And with each bite, I really did feel as if I had died and gone to heaven. 

Trying this recipe, you will not be disappointed. 

Fresh Strawberry Cake

(adapted from myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh strawberries, pureed
1 package of white cake mix
1 (3 oz) package strawberry gelatin
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
3-5 fresh strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons sliced natural almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°.
Puree the 2 cups of strawberries.  Set aside.
Combine cake mix and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed 30 seconds.
Add 1 1/2 cups of pureed strawberries; beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
Pour into two 8" round cake pans coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 28 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
Cool completely in pan before removing.

Add 1/2 cup pureed strawberries to the thawed whipped topping.
Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Place 2nd round on top.  Spread whipped topping around entire cake.
Arrange sliced strawberries on whipped topping, overlapping slightly.
Sprinkle almonds over cake.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Puree!

Fresh strawberries will keep longer if you:

1) Do not wash until you are ready to eat

2) Do not cut the strawberries until you are ready to use

Keep this in mind when you put them in the fridge!

I wanted to puree strawberries for a recipe (I will be posting later).

I am going to show you how to do it.

Rinse well, and cut off the green tops.

Separate according to 1 cup portions to give you an idea of what you are working with...

1 cup of whole strawberries is not the same as 1 cup pureed strawberries. 

I am thinking it was 1 1/5 cups of whole strawberries equates to 1 cup pureed.

Enlist the help of your children to help slice.

Wait! 

Children shouldn't use knives!

No worries, he is using a child safe butter knife!

Throw your strawberries in the blender and push the puree button.

The blender knows exactly what to do!

Once you have a liquid, you can use it as you please!

Recipes for baking! 

Pour over angel food cake or french toast!

I also wanted to freeze some puree for later.

I had already planned what I would be using it for later.

*MOST* recipes call for 1 1/5 cups puered strawberries.

My recipes called for 2 cups.

I  measured 2 cup portions and placed into freezer bags.

Flatten the bag and smoosh the puree around, leaving room for expansion as it freezes.

Your finished product will look like this!

Find a flat object in your freezer and place on so the bag will retain its flat shape.

This is a fabulous space saving tip! 

There are a few cookbooks that encorporate pureed goods into the recipes for an added health benefit.

You puree any food in the same manner!

I own Deceptively Delicious (Thanks Lindsay!)

My friend Paige lives by The Sneaky Chef.

Check them out at your local library and let me know what you think!