Quick Peach Cobbler

Do you have your peaches yet? Have you actually driven to one of the lovely little stands and bought a box of peaches from these homegrown stands. If you didn't live in Utah you know you would miss this time of  year. Our own Farmer's Market filled with specially picked fruits and veggies full of so much sweetness it just can not be matched by grocery fed produce.

If you don't have them - this is a must do! You can bottle peaches so that you can enjoy the sweetness all winter long. You can mash them and sugar them into delicious frozen jam. You can make peachy pancakes or waffles, or slice them and eat them with milk and brown sugar (this just happens to be my favorite)

But for tonight I am going to give you...

Quick and Delicious Peach Cobbler

The most important cast member has to be the peach.

I am begging you get your peaches!

Ingredients for our cobbler;

10 to 12 medium sized peaches

1 cube cold butter

1 dry pkg of yellosw cake mix

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wash, peel, cut and slice peaches in the bottom of your casserole dish.(Aren't they pretty)
3. Add 2/3 water in the bottom and sprinkle sugar all over the peaches.
4. Cover the peaches with the dry cake mix.
5. Cut up the cold butter and place all over the dry cake mix
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon
7. Bake at 375 for 45  minutes (should be brown and bubbly)

Don't let it sit alone very long, join in with a bowl,

 a great big spoon. 

and a big dollop of whip cream or vanilla ice cream! 

Zucchini Garden Chowder

I am loving the hints of Fall .... the carpet of color in the mountains, peaches and tomatoes on every corner, and the sightings of sweaters and boots.

 I absolutely love Fall (I absolutely love every season that isn't Winter - honestly) - but there are so many things to look forward to this time of year.

 One of them is soup season!
Thanks to Emily I made a soup last night that quickly made its way to the top of the list. Tom and Zac kind of loved it too! The fact that we were eating soup and homemade wheat bread while watching "The Middle and Modern Family" kind of made it all the more delicious!

Zucchini Garden Chowder

• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cups water
• 3 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
• Pinch sugar, optional
• Additional minced parsley, optional

In a stock pot, saute the zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in butter until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the flour, salt and pepper

Gradually add the water and bouillon. (I used 3 cups of chicken stock instead)

Add the lemon juice; mix well. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.

Add tomatoes,milk and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender and soup has thickened.

Just before serving add the cheeses; stir until melted. Add sugar and garnish with parsley if desired.

Now sit back and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe from Weight Watchers and are the best and easiest pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ever!

2 pkgs Spice Cake Mix

1 large can pure pumpkin

1 pkg chocolate chips

Yup! That's it

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

I have been searching for canned pumpkin for months and all of the grocery stores kept telling me there was a problem with the pumpkin crop last year and they hadn't had any pumpkin shipped in over a year. I looked everywhere and had my family on the lookout as well. So... last week Summer came bounding into the house with three cans of pumpkin from Costco. I screamed like a child at Christmas!!! (Thanks Summer!) Don't you love Costco!!! Then Tom came home with a case from Costco, as well. So... I'm just sayin... you might want to pick some up on your next trip!

Miracles...

One week ago  Rachel gave birth to her little baby girl Paisley! Even typing the words it seems unbelievable. Ever since Rach was a little girl she has wanted to be a 'mommy.' She cared for her dolls with precision. She bathed them, and combed their hair. She wrapped them in their blankies and cuddled and rocked them. When anyone asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up she would always say 'I'm going to be a mommy!'

Now her dreams have found reality. She was admitted into the hospital last Sunday, September 12 at 7:00 am. She was in active labor- but more than that she was present, and calm and ready. I was prepared for her to be scared, and nervous... but I wasn't prepared for the peace. There she lay, completely calm and enjoying every moment. With her 'blankie' cuddled around her she was drinking

in the experience. Everything progressed quickly, and still the calm stayed put. Summer and Jenna arrived with anxious support. Summer brought with her cupcakes to celebrate Paisley's entrance into the new world.

Her room began to fill with lovely women... London, Hayley, Emily, Jacey, Chris,and  Jesse's mom and sister. For some that would seem overwhelming, but for Rachel it was perfect. Things were as they should be. 

As you can imagine the room had a tangible spirit with excitement and laughter but more importantly love and support. Rachel said she had the opportunity to look into each one of those women's eyes and she was strengthened by their steadiness. 15 minutes after this picture was taken we met Paisley...

I can not put into words the spirit in the room as she took her first breath and looked into her mommies eyes for the first time. What a gentle moment!

Others began to trickle in and that little girl was welcomed to the world by a room full of people who instantly loved her. With a toast to Mommy and baby girl the world has been changed forever!

Welcome to the world our baby Paisley!

Blueberries

I love blueberries! They are beautiful and enticing and plump and delicious. I love them plain, I love them on my favorite Kashi cereal in the morning, I love them in muffins, and in ice cream and I just made a blueberry crumb cake that just made me joyful.










Blueberry Crumb Cake
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp (additional) butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

For the topping:
3/4 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir and set aside

Cream 1/2 stick butter plus 1 tablespoon of butter with cinnamon and sugar. Add egg and mix well until combined. Add vanilla and mix

Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated. Don't overbeat! You want your batter to be lumpy. Stir in blueberries, be gentle, until evenly distributed

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour in batter

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together with a pastry cutter or a fork works fabulously as well!

Sprinkle over the top of the cake!

Bake cake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream or whip cream or a little milk. It is sooooooo good!