Peach Custard Almond Pie

I was inspired by a recipe I found in a little recipe book called PIES, published in the UK. By the time I finished with my version, I could not really say that it was the same recipe, but the model is there. With the peaches on our tree reminding me that this is the season, I thought it was a good time to take a photo.

Crust Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• ¼ cup baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup Crisco shortening or butter
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground almonds
• few drops almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Method:

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in the butter with pastry blender just to make it crumbly.
3. Sprinkle with water and almond extract, then stir with fork until it holds together and you can shape it into a ball.
4. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour. Flatten dough with hands and shape into a circle.
5. Sprinkle with flour and roll into circular shape, flipping once and adding a little flour as needed.
6. Roll up with rolling pin and unroll into pie plate.
   This pastry may be fragile, but you can patch it up. Flute edges as desired.

Filling:

• 1 ½ cups blanched almonds
• ½ - ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 3 eggs
• few drops almond extract
• ripe peaches, apricots or canned peaches

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Put an empty baking sheet on middle oven rack.
2. Process the almonds in a food processor or blender.
   Add sugar, butter, eggs and almond extract, processing until smooth.
3. Pour or spoon into prepared pie plate.
4. Cover with one layer of thick slices of pealed or canned peaches, spreading out slightly like spokes on a wheel.
5. Place pie on sheet in oven rack and bake 50 min. If it gets to a nice golden brown sooner,
   tent loosely with foil.
6. Serve warm or cooled with whipped cream.

Cherry-go-round

I found this recipe in the food section of the news paper. It makes a really nice addition to any brunch or coffee and dessert evening with friends. The filling is sour cherry that makes this a special treat and just a bit different from a traditional cinnamon loaf.

Dough:

• 3 3/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pkg quick rise yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 large egg

1. Combine 1 1/4 cup flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt.
2. Heat milk water and butter til very warm and butter is melted.
3. Gradually add to dry ingredients.
4. Beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl.
5. Add egg and 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 more minutes, adding enough flour to make stiff batter.
6. Cover with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
7. Divide dough in half.
8. Roll each half into a 18x10 in rectangle.
9. Spread with cherry filling to 1/2" from the edge.
10. Roll up and pinch to seal, make a ring.
11. Place on greased baking sheets.
12. Cut in 1" intervals 2/3 through. Twist each section sideways.
13. Cover till double about 1 hour.
14. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min.
15. Remove to rack to cool.
16. Drizzle with glaze

Cherry Filling:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecan
• 398 ml. can of tart pitted cherries, drained (I used two cans)

Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. milk

1. Combine and drizzle over slightly warm bread.

Ice Cream Dessert

This is a very simple dessert to make with very little fuss for a birthday or any other special occasion. I made it for my son's birthday party and everyone loved it. The pan came home empty.

• 24 vanilla ice cream sandwiches
• 3/4 litre of whipping cream, whipped and sweetened
• Chocolate shavings

1. In a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan, layer 12 ice cream bars, then a layer of whipped cream, another layer of 12 ice cream bars and another layer of whipped cream.
2. Sprinkle top with bits of chocolate shavings.
3. Place in freezer and allow to freeze for a few hours, till the whipped cream is frozen. Keep frozen until time to serve it.
4. Perfect dessert for a hot day:)

Bread for the Journey

On this Rock I Stand..

Psalm 40:2..'He lifted me out of the mud and mire, He set my feet on a rock.'

I was reminded of this verse a few weeks ago when I stood on this rock that you see in this photo. I thought of how large and solid it was..but nothing compared to the solid rock that Christ is.

This chorus from a well known hymn says it all:
'On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.'

Summer/Winter Chicken and Pasta Salad

In summer.we are always looking for ways to simplify so I regularly put a few extra chicken breasts on the grill when I prepare grilled chicken. I also enjoy changing the additions to the salad. For summer we use fresh fruits and in winter we use canned and dried. Both are excellent I'm offering a few variations to this salad today.

Serving 4 . . .for main course

• 2 thinly sliced grilled boneless chicken breasts
• 1 bag baby spinach washed
• 1 small head of romaine washed and dried and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 of a small red onion. . .very thinly sliced
• 2 cups of cooked (according to package directions) pasta of your choice. (I used rotini with the fibre that no one sees.) Pasta is optional but makes it more of a meal.
• 1 cup of honey roasted peanuts or salted peanuts that have been tossed in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water over heat until melted and glazed. (nuts are optional)
• 1 cup of dried cranberries. . .or for summer try raspberries
• 540 ml jar of mandarin oranges drained. . or for summer 1 large thinly sliced peach
• 1 cup of sliced seedless grapes. . . or for summer use blueberries
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
• a small handful of thinly sliced toasted tortilla shells. . (for garnish. . and optional)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup white or rice vinegar
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup purchased teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons warmed natural peanut butter .. . .(optional)

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small container with a lid. . .so you can give it a good shake.
2. To your drained pasta. . add half the dressing and allow to chill in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight.
3. Just before serving, toss the pasta with the romaine, spinach and onion. Add enough dressing to coat .. not too heavy .. don't add it all at once.
4. Just before serving. . .plate your salad. Divide the greens and pasta between your dishes. Add the sliced chicken, and then the rest of the goodies. . .

Pauline's Potato Salad

This is my mom by love Pauline. If I could. . .and if it were kind. . I'd rent her out for potato salad making lessons. . .but I can't and it wouldn't be nice. . and so at long last. . .here is her not so secret recipe. I have been told by my own sons. . ."Grandma's potato Salad is the best". They are quite correct. When we have family gatherings. . .she is more often than not given the task of the potato salad. I recently invited her over. I had the potatoes and eggs cooked and she put it together while I did the photo shoot. Please give our guest blogger Pauline a warm welcome.

Pauline's Potato Salad (serves 8 - 10)

• 10 medium fresh white potatoes
• 8 brown farm fresh eggs. . .(use brown. . .you can see if you have any egg shell left on the egg)
• 1 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
• 3/4 cup Sour cream
• handful of chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. The day ahead. . .boil your potatoes in a pot with a few teaspoons of salt. Leave the skins on. . .this is important. Boil for about 20 minutes and then test with a knife to see if they are done. ..if not. . leave a few more minutes. Drain. . and then cool for about 1/2 hour. Once cool enough to handle. . . use a sharp knife to grab a edge of peel and peel all the potatoes. Do not chill first. . .peel them while still warm. Refrigerate until chilled.
2. Put the eggs in a large enough pot to cover the eggs with water. Bring to a boil. . .put on the lid. . remove from heat. . and set the timer for 20 minutes. Drain the eggs. . and allow to cool. Once cooled. . take each egg. . set it on a cutting board and run through with a large sharp chef's knife. . .Scoop out the eggs and set aside. ( week old eggs can just be peeled)
3. Now. . .using a sharp paring knife. . and a chef knife. . set each chilled potato on a cutting board slice it in half. . .then with the paring knife. . cut each potato length wise into 1/3 inch strips. .and then cube by cutting in the opposite direction.
4. The uniform cubes of potatoes makes this salad so enjoyable. When the potatoes are cut by me in a hurry .. and not uniformed.. . my boys know I made it. . . .and the praise is scarce.
5. Chop the eggs into the bowl .. .(good news. . this doesn't need to be uniform cut)
6. Add the chopped chives to the bowl.
7. In a medium bowl. .combine the Miracle Whip Salad Dressing and the Sour cream. . with the salt and pepper. Pour half of it over the salad. . and stir all together. . .add a little more dressing at a time. You may need more or less depending on the size of your potatoes.
8. Chill until ready to serve.

Fruit Fritters - Gluten-free

(apple fritters to the left , small yellow plum fritters on right)
We love fruit fritters ....and these really taste just as good as the wheat flour ones.
I can't really tell the difference.

Ingredients

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Beat with whisk

Mix together 1/3 cup gluten-free bread/bun mix
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 tbsp sugar

add dry ingred. to the liquid whisking until perfectly smooth
Add fruit and deep fry.

For apples , I core the apples then cut them in slices, dipping the apples into the batter then frying.
For the little yellow plums I dipped each singly into the batter before frying.
Larger fruit can be cut into pieces and stirred into batter and fried like pancakes.

Serve hot with sugar !!
Enjoy !

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On a recent road trip, we stopped off at an ABC restaurant where I had my first pulled pork sandwich. I loved it! On the same weekend, I found a recipe in the July issue of Woman’s World, called Carolina Pulled Pork sandwiches. I’ve changed it up a bit, but however you make it, you won’t be disappointed. It is a perfect no ‘fuss meal’ to serve for a larger group.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 - 3 pounds pork shoulder blade roast
• 2 tablespoons dry fajita seasoning
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Method:

1. Place onion and garlic in bottom of 3-qt slow cooker. Top with pork. Sprinkle with seasoning.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and salt, until smooth.
3. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low about 8-10 hours. (to have it done in 8 hours, I cooked it on high for the first couple of hours.)
4. Transfer pork to a plate, reserving sauce in slow cooker. Skim off oil/fat coming to the top.
5. Cool pork slightly. Using two forks, shred pork into bite sized pieces. Return to slow cooker, mixing with sauce. Stir in 1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, according to taste, if desired. Keep warm to serve.
6. If serving the next day, refrigerate and reheat in roaster or other ovenproof dish.

Serving suggestion: Serve on large buns with coleslaw and baked beans.

Mixed Greens

It's been one more hot day in the Fraser Valley. Record breaking temperatures.
The only thing that I can think of making is a fresh salad with all our garden vegetables.
This has been one of my favorite's this summer. It's simple, quick and has a kick to it and will be one of the first salads on the guys list. They all love bacon.
This comes from the kitchen of Steff, a younger friend of mine who's always trying something new. If I need a quick appetizer, I can count on her and now I have a good collection of recipes/appetizers on hand.

Mixed Greens

• 4 cups romaine lettuce
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 peppers red/green/yellow/orange
• 1 pkg bacon fried and chopped
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Prepare the lettuces together in a bowl and add the remaining ingredient on top.
Toss the last two ingredients together and toss on top just before serving.
I pour the dressing over and then mix it up slightly.
I love the colorful display, so I don't mix to much, rather let it soak through the leaves.

Dressing

• 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
• 4 fresh garlic cloves
• 7 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• salt/pepper to taste

Mix together and pour just before serving.

Make it ahead of time and take it along to the beach.

Bread for the Journey

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:9

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Hebrews 13:2

Hospitality was taught by example in most Mennonite homes. Friends, family and neighbours knew they were welcome at any time and it was not unusual to invite strangers for a meal – the farm hands, salesmen, a family in need.
The Bible urges each person to show hospitality to those around them and to do it generously and without complaining. Hospitality is also listed as one of the spiritual gifts especially given to some individuals.

So many think that hospitality requires a specially set table and a fancy meal. However in our busy lives, most of us don’t have the time or inclination to do this.
The hospitality the Bible speaks of merely requires that we willingly share what we have with others.

A bowl of soup, take out pizza, a cup of coffee or the beautifully prepared meal – a warm bed, the offer of a ride, or a place to stay when misfortune strikes. All are ways to show hospitality
to one another.

And don’t forget to extend that same hospitality to your children, your parents, and yes, even to yourself. In doing so you are a living example of the grace God has extended to you.