Recipe Share: Vegetable Pie

Time to share another recipe!

This recipe was created by me and Agniya one night while whipping up some creative dinner. It was love at first taste!

Now this dish is a company-pleasing favorite. Plus, it looks beautiful on the table.

Honestly, how can anyone go wrong with that much garlic and parmesan?

And who couldn't stand to be reminded of the delicious tastes of summer right now??

Enjoy!

{the Recipe cards were created using this wonderful digi-scrapping freebie!}

Recipe Share: My absolute, most favorite cake

This Christmas, I worked hard at compiling all of my favorite recipes for entertaining and the holidays. And guess what?
I am going to share them all with you!!!

I know that the New Year is the time when we resolve to NOT eat this kind of stuff.  But, ya never know when you are going to need to entertain with a super tasty recipe. So I will keep the recipes coming.

Oh, and if you are feeling crafty, and want to compile your own recipes this way, the Recipe cards that I used can be found here at Shabby Princess. Best part? They are Free!!!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe for my favorite cake:

While I did not mention it in the recipe, I love serving this cake cold! Mmm. It really brings out the chocolate. And we all know that is a good thing.

Here is what she looks like:

.................Be still my beating heart.
and Enjoy!

Must Have: Bread Maker. My new favorite toy

Ever use a bread maker?

This is my new Must Have!!!

ok. so if you are a purist... you may poo-poo my new favorite toy.

but.

If you are a lady who never made her own bread...

or, seriously, you don't have the time to beat your flour to a pulp...

this thing is awesome.

If you have one in your cabinet,

pull it out, my friends.

The time has come for yummy, really inexpensive, melt-in-your-mouth, fresh

homemade bread.

{oh. and try this recipe. I adapt it by replacing some of the white flour with 1 3/4 whole wheat flour. I also use honey, and I don't use the double rise... it deflated on me. but never fear. It still tasted delicious and we ate it all without a gripe.}

{oh again. For more Must Haves, click here. And to shop some of my favorite Must Haves, click here. Girl's gotta do her share of bread-winning, ya know.}

One of my Favorite Summer Salads

I love this salad.

I make the whole, huge batch, and it is gone before you know it. Usually my doing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Favorite Picnic Bean Salad:

Combine:
4 cans of beans {I use Garbanzo, Black, Red Kidney, and a white bean like Cannelloni}, rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
2 poblano peppers {can also use Anaheim}, diced and seeds removed
1.5 cups cooked fresh or frozen corn, cold
1-2 avocados, diced
4 scallions, diced
1/2 c. fresh parsley {optional}
1/2 c. golden raisens {or other sweet, dried fruit like cherries, apricot, cranberry, etc.}
1/4 c. chopped walnuts {can also use sunflower seeds}

Whisk the dressing ingredients, and add to the salad:
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 T sugar
3 lg. cloves garlic, diced
1 t grey poupon mustard
1/4 t salt
1/4 c. corn oil {I often replace this with canola oil; the corn oil is delicious, though}
1/4 c. olive oil

Chill. {Best after a day of chilling}
Enjoy.

Must Have: Grocery-Bag meals

I just wanted to share a favorite Must-Have link of mine.

Must Have {or am I supposed to say: "A good thing"...} :
Martha Stewart weekly meal-planning Grocery-Bag Meals

I just love these meal plans. They account for 5 days of meal planning, and include the grocery list. I save money this way, since I don't buy more than I need for dinners. Plus, it is built in variety.

I am currently on a watch-your-budget kick, so I am gonna be doing these over the next few weeks:
Grocery Bag: Shop Smart, Eat Smart
Grocery Bag: On Hand Ingredients

But there are also Grocery Bags based on Healthy Meals, 5 ingredients or less, Around the World, One-pot comforts.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try any.


You can find more of my Must Haves in my very own Shop.

{photo credit: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia}

Pure Summer goodness...

Nothing says summer like a farm-grown tomato 
doused in salt.........

Who's with me???

Muffin Tins made lunch easier

Muffin Tin Meals.

So, I jumped onto this bandwagon for many good reasons:

1. I knew the kids would think it was fun, fun, fun!
2. it was a cure for the food-boredom of late
3. it a GREAT way to use up bitty leftovers. No waste!
4. it was an awesome way to keep their meals balanced.

Here it is! My first Muffin Tin Monday:

(tins contain: cheetos and pretzel goldfish, cherry tomatoes, red grapes, confetti corn, protein pancakes, and buttered egg noodles)

Here are the satisfied customers:

Yummm. Our favorite Protein pancakes (leftover). I really need to do a post about these bad boys:

I cannot believe that I am admitting to feeding Cheetos to my children. But. I hate wasting food, -and besides, Cheetos taste awesome, okay???- and we got a bag of them in the most precious hotel-welcome-bag at my sister's wedding - and the kids do love them, of course...

Clearly I have guilt over the Cheetos, because none of you really cared to hear all of that.

leftover Confetti corn: (frozen corn, nuked, then added to a skillet of EVOO, chopped onion, pepper, and tomatoes. Salt, pepper, butter, and a splash of cayenne and Old Bay seasoning)

leftover egg noodles, reheated and buttered:

The kids absolutely loved their first muffin tin experience, and have since been asking for it again. I think this may be a keeper.

Must Have: Summer Spearmint Sun Tea

This Summer Must Have is one that takes me right back to being a little girl...

Spearmint Sun Tea

Ingredients:

Water

3-5 Teabags; I used 4 Bigelow Mint Medley Herb Tea

Sugar to Taste

Fresh Spearmint; if desired

Directions:

Fill a CLEAR, GLASS pitcher or jug (my mom used old Grape Juice Jugs) with water. Place Tea bags in the water. Set in the sun on a hot day. Allow tea to steep for several hours, or until you remember that you have tea sitting out on your deck:

While tea is still warm, add desired amount of sugar and stir until dissolved. Add spearmint leaves and put the tea in the fridge to chill:

Once chilled: ENJOY!!!!

Craving Crisp

Tonight. I am craving me some CRISP:

Click Here to see my post with the recipe.

mmmmmmmmmmmm..... DREAMY.

Summer in a bowl.

Summer in a bowl.
That is what I call this salad.

Nevermind that it is pictured here on a plate:

This salad tastes like pure, well, summer.

Try it before summer is gone!

Mine is a take-off on Liz's from Mabel's House.

Oh, and Please, for the love of all things wonderful about summer: use the freshest peaches, tomatoes and basil.

Summer-in-a-bowl Salad:

One fresh peach to one fresh vine-ripe tomato. {Here I used two peaches and two tomatoes.}

Chop peaches and tomatoes to bite sized chunks.

Add chopped fresh basil.

Sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar and salt.

Close your eyes and eat.....

Our Blackberry Farm and The BEST fruit crisp recipe.

Better late than never.
And we are so happy that our bumper crop of wild blackberries came late this year!!

This just says Summer to me:

And I love that we are building Summer memories with our boys, feasting in the bounty of God's goodness:

Seriously. Could it get more beautiful and mouth-watering than this?:

{We tend to get just a little excited over Blackberry Picking}:

Simple. Perfect. Summer.:

And now for my most favorite and Prized Fruit Crisp Recipe (an adaptation from a Martha Stewart recipe).
WARNING: This recipe is ENTIRELY too easy and too delicious! You basically will find all of your ingredients in your pantry. Just add the fresh fruit. Now, how perfect is that??

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.


Filling:
Approx. 2 overflowing cups of fruit
Between 1/4c. and 1 c. of sugar (example: for these tart blackberries or for rhubarb, I use 3/4-1 full cup. for strawberries or blackberries, I use a scant 1/4 c. You get the idea)
1/4 c. flour

Combine Filling ingredients and place in an ovenproof casserole dish (I like to put mine in a dish that will put the fruit at about 2 inches of depth):


Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1 stick of salted butter
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup rolled (slow) oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and butter and pulse until the butter pieces are pea sized. Add brown sugar, oats and cinnamon - pulse to combine. Sprinkle crumb topping over the fruit filling:

Bake until fruit is bubbling and tender, and topping is golden, 35-45 min. (Rhubarb needs longest, but is OH SO good with this recipe).

***********

I am telling you, peeps, serve this baby hot with vanilla ice cream and you will be one happy camper. And. there is a reason why I do not have a picture for you AFTER the crisp came out of the oven....

mmmmmm. Enjoy!