Peachy Keen

If I had my little way, I'd eat peaches every day

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Here we are smack in the heat of Summer, and for a lot of us, that means peach season ... Millions of peaches, peaches for me ... So how about cooling down with a little 'shake recipe?  Singing not required, but enthusiastically encouraged.

 

 

 

Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Here's what you need:
10 oz Peaches, frozen
2 Kiwifruits, peeled
1/2 Lime, juiced
1" Ginger knob, grated
3-4 Bananas, frozen + pre-chunked
Mango, frozen - fill remaining space in your blender
1/4 Cup Pure organic Maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 Cup Full-fat canned coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 Cup Water 

Here's what you do:
If you've been here before, you know the drill ... Dump everything into a 72 oz blender (I use this one), and blend the hell out of it!  If you prefer more of an ice cream texture, blend low & slow, with less liquid (adding as required), and remember you may have to scrape the sides of the pitcher a few times throughout.  Also, if you're using frozen bananas, don't forget to peel them, and break them into chunks before freezing ahead of time.  

Need more refreshments?  Go here!

Stay cool, Lovers!
xoxo

Image provided by The Graphics Fairy

Might Not Know It Now...

Baby, But I Are!

FTC Affiliate Disclosure
I haven't shared a recipe in a while, and with the Northern Hemisphere being in the full swing of Summer, I figured some refreshments were, maybe a bit, overdue.  

If You Like Piña Coladas

In my neck of the woods, there has been a steady Summer rain falling for the entirety of this balmy National Piña Colada Day, and I can't help but think, somewhere, Rupert Holmes is very pleased.  With that, I give you my personal piña colada smoothie recipe —

Here's what you need:

4 Cups frozen pineapple chunks

3-6 bananas chunked & frozen

1 Cup full-fat canned coconut milk

1 Cup filtered water

1/4 Cup pure, organic maple syrup

1/2 lime juiced

1" knob grated ginger root

1Tablespoon unsweetened organic shredded coconut

Here's what you do:
In a 72 oz sturdy blender place pineapple chunks around the bottom, and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with pieces of frozen banana (Tip: when you freeze bananas you'll want to peel them, and chunk or cut them up first, then bag and freeze).  Throw in the rest of your ingredients, and blend the hell out of it (you may need to stop a few times in order to scrape the sides of your blender's pitcher).  That's it!  If you'd like to enjoy this as a dairy-free "nice cream" option, transfer your mixture to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

This is an incredibly easy, but delicious, and festive concoction to have at Summer gatherings, and is a perfect alcohol-free option that can accommodate a good swath of guests, and their needs without singling folks out, and excluding them from the fare.

Happy sipping!

The Cranberry Saw Us

1-handed OJ action shot ... My talent knows no bounds!

Each year when the pages of my calendar dwindle down to the last few, I've got one thing on my mind, aside from that lump of coal I earned from Santa, and that is ... Cranberry sauce!  Members of my family have a longstanding tradition with gelatinous goo that holds the shape of the can after being released from its confines, but when I was forced to give up all things processed, and eat like a homesteader things got a little complicated, especially the part about no refined white sugar, and I had to let go of such time honored treasures as these.  However, with a little research I was able to put together an incredibly simple, and successful recipe sure to cause riots with all your guests at your next gathering.      

The Gang's all here!

Here's what you need:

• 24 oz Fresh Cranberries
• 1 Orange - Juice & Zest
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 Cup Apple Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Pure Organic Maple Syrup

Here's what you do:
Wash fruit, and combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring contents to a boil, turn temperature to Med-Low, cover, and let reduce for about 15-45 minutes, checking the mixture for your desired consistency every 15 minutes, and giving it the occasional stir. Let cool, remove cinnamon stick, chill in fridge before serving, and ... That's it!

Makes 4 cups (1 Litre).

What was I saying about complicated?  The most complicated part about learning to cook and bake without refined white sugar is digging up, and converting, or inventing the recipes in a sugar cane dominated world, but once you've done the groundwork, the actual recipes are a cinch!  Remember, you can always use honey in the place of maple syrup in my recipes, if you're into that sort of thing, but for my honey allergy people out there (like me!), maple syrup works like an absolute dream.  Happy holidays & enjoy!

After Apple Picking ...

... Or apple buying for that matter, though how the apples are procured really isn't important.  Just be aware that the sweeter the apple, the sweeter the sauce, so pick a palate-friendly variety because this is a no-sugar-added recipe, unless you like your applesauce to pack a pucker-up punch, of course!

Applesauce
In a 6 quart slow-cooker combine:
10-ish Cored, and sliced apples (Fuji is my apple of choice, skins on)
1 Cup water
1/2 Teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 - 1 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon ground Allspice (optional, because of the use of the other spices many feel allspice is redundant.  I think it adds more overall body to the flavor.)

Cook everything on High for the first two hours, and finish on Low for the last 4 hours.  Let cool a little, purée, and serve.
Yields 72 ounces.

Seventy-two ounces?!  Whether cooking for large gatherings or just a meal for one, I do most everything in large batches.  I find that once I've got all of my equipment out, it takes less effort, and is a more efficient use of my time to make a larger quantity than dragging out all of my culinary accoutrements every single time I get a hankering for a small serving of something, which can make getting into my freezer a bit of a Level 9, B-Type game of Tetris, but I find it's worth it.  It's especially useful having extra applesauce on hand for anyone with dietary restrictions (allergies, food intolerance, etc.) who need to swap out oils, or eggs from certain baking recipes.

For me, this applesauce recipe is an absolute autumn must-have, and it makes my dwelling smell like a fairy-tale cottage, you know, like before the misunderstood lady tries to coax children into her oven ... Happy Halloween!

Plum-Crazy

Bowl by: Dirtkicker Pottery

Near my house, there's a perfectly obscured beach path known only to the adjacent inhabitants that comes to full life at the end of every summer with the most gorgeous Damson plums dripping from arched tunnels of rustling green.  Not typically one to get hands-y with things that aren't overtly mine, it took only one season of tripping, and slipping over spoiled, plums squished into the path before a silent oath was made to stop, at all costs, this gruesome plum-icide, and egregious waste in seasons to come.

This year with my trusty bucket in hand, and most demure and subtle, magenta hooded sweatshirt I was ready to enact my rescue-efforts-(quickly)-turned-full-fledged-plum-heist.  Three gallons later ... I, uhm, needed a plan, or better yet, a recipe, and one that didn't include refined white sugar and a multitude of other ingredients that aren't healthy for me to consume.  So I invented not one, but two plum spread recipes!