Pioneer Woman- I Give Up

I kept hearing my friends ooh and aaah about "Pioneer Woman" this and "Pioneer Woman" that.  In fact, although I was happy they discovered her and her tasty recipes, I really didn't think I needed another source of recipes. I'm kind of not into cooking as an empty nester.

Well after my friend Bek cooked some of her recipes for a group get together, I'm not only eating my words, but will be eating more of her food too.  Wow.  Talk about home cooking comfort food.  It's the kind of stuff whose aroma and flavor wraps its loving arms around you and gives you a big hug.

Pictured above, is one of the treats we tasted.  It's goat cheese polenta with short ribs on top.  Yum  Here is the link to her recipe.  And seeing that I seem to be the last one on the band, er chuckwagon, how about if you tell me which recipes I should try next?  If you have a link, we can all check it out too.

Happy eating-   See you Sunday.

Okay, I Heard You...Here's My Peach Crisp Recipe and An Update on My Next Online Coaching Blog Post

Before we get into the Peach Crisp Recipe, I wanted to let you know that my first online coaching student, Fiona from Great Britain, has completed her beads and sent the photos to me. So that means  tomorrow my first online coaching blog will appear.  I'm excited.  You'd never know that this is her first try.  She did wonderfully

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I have had more than a few requests for my peach dessert recipe. And because it's PDY, (pretty darn yummy), I decided to include it in today's post. Tomorrow we'll get back to glass, but for today, just think peachy thoughts.

(Here is a photo of my frozen peach stash in my freezer.)

I feel a little like that guy in Forest Gump, but instead of talking about all the shrimp dishes, I'm thinking, peach margaritas, peach crisp, peach pie, peach ice cream...you know what I mean.

Here is a modified recipe from Colorado Collage Cookbook- one of my faves.
And these are my peaches from the Western Slope of Colorado. I've blogged about them already and adore them. The have the fragrance, juiciness and flavor that I haven't found anywhere else, and I live in Georgia- the Peach State.

The original recipe includes a mixture of plums and peaches, but because my family loves peaches so much, we substitute more peaches for the plums. You could use a mixture of fruits though- apples, plums, etc. would all work. Don't forget to add a little more liquid if you use apples. (We're partial to a touch of Gran Marnier or Amaretto, when more liquid is needed) And if I don't have tapioca, then I substitute flour. It's needed to thicken the abundant juices.

Plum Creek Peach Crisp (10-12 servings)
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C chilled stick of butter, cut into pieces
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp plus pinch of salt, divided
10-12 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2" wedges (about 8.5 cups)
1/2 C sugar
2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Vanilla ice cream

In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, butter pieces, orange zest and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse until it becomes small clumps. Cover and chill. Can make the day before.

In a large bowl, combine peaches, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and pinch of salt. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease 11x 7x 2 inch pan or 2 quart baking pan. Spoon peaches mixture into prepared dish and top with flour mixture. Bake until fruit is tender and topping is brown and crisp. 45-60 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into deep serving bowls. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I wish I could include a photo of the dessert, but I have to say that whenever I make this, it goes rather quickly. So use your imagination.

If you have a great recipe, whether for peaches or something else, please feel free to add it in the comments section. Why not?