Peach Spinach Salad

I linked this salad a few weeks ago and said it was my favorite salad of 2011.  I am now thinking that it could be my favorite salad of the decade.  I want to make it for every meal.  So in case you are not a link-clicker, I decided I had better put the recipe on here so you will make it and love it.  It's from Trainer Momma.

This salad is perfect for all those amazing Utah peaches we are enjoying right now.  I look forward to peach season all year and it's finally here!  If you live in Arizona, please go to Nielsen's frozen custard and get the fresh peach concrete or the homemade peach cobbler.  But don't blame me if you get addicted and spend way too much time and money there.

baby spinach (enough to fill your serving bowl)
fresh peaches, cut up (2 or 3)
fresh blueberries
cucumber, peeled and diced
green onion, sliced
asagio or parmesan cheese, shredded
dried cranberries
candied pecans or sliced almonds

*Toss these together in the amounts that you like.  If you don't have one or more of these ingredients, it's ok...it will still be good.  Toss with white balsamic vinegar dressing right before serving.

Dressing:
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

*Shake up really well until it's all combined.  I don't use all the dressing because the spinach gets too soggy and wilted.  The flavor is great and you don't need a lot.

Gak

 When we went to check out a pre-school for my son, Griffin, they had a station with gak.  Griff went right over to the gak and started playing with it while I talked to the teachers.  That was back in May.  He hasn't stopped talking about the gak since!  Every time I would bring up pre-school, he would say, "I can't wait to play with the gak!"  Since gak is only a special occasion thing at pre-school, we decided to make some of our own.  I just googled gak and found this recipe.  DO NOT EAT IT!  It is only for play.  It was super easy and kept Griffy busy for hours!!  Can't beat that.

j

Gak

1 8oz. bottle Elmer's Glue

warm water

1 tsp. Borax (found in the same isle as laundry detergent)

1/2 cup warm water

Pour glue into a mixing bowl.  Fill up empty bottle of glue with warm water and shake.  Pour water over the glue and mix well.  Dissolve 1 tsp. Borax in 1/2 cup warm water.  Add to glue mixture and stir until it thickens and becomes gak.

*You can add some food coloring to glue mixture to color gak.

Avocado Chicken Salad

I thought a car was the worst thing to be without.

I was wrong.

The worst thing to be without is a computer!

Ours has been "in the shop" for a week and it has been the longest week of my life.  Sad but true.  I had to keep calling Holly to ask for my own recipes that I can't remember because I throw away the hard copies when I put them on the blog.  I have to admit, though, that I sure got a lot more done around here without the computer to sit down in front of.  Who knew I could survive without Facebook, recipe blogs, and all those other fun things I "have" to look at everyday??? 

Enough about my computer woes.  Here's a really good recipe that you are going to want to make.  I went to a church meeting where there was a tasting table (love those) and this was one of the tasty dishes.

chicken, cooked and shredded
avocado
mayo, just a little
green onion, sliced
cilantro
lime juice to taste
salt/pepper to taste

*Sorry there aren't any measurements.  I just asked what was in it and then made it to my liking.  I probably had 2 cups of chicken and then just threw the rest in until it tasted good.  I only used 1 avocado but if you really love avocados, you could use more.  I loved the lime juice, so I kept adding more of it little by little.  You definitely need a little salt, but the pepper is just if you want to.  I used a lot of cilantro and a moderate amount of green onion.  Probably 2-3 of them.  You can serve this in pitas or just eat it with chips.  We loved it and it was really good leftover, too.

Peach Cobbler

Last week, I got together with some friends to can peaches.  FYI - I don't know how to can peaches.  I was the peeler and slicer.  I ended up with 9 quart sized jars of peaches.  And I've already used 2 to make peach cobbler.  My friend, Dani, emailed me this cobbler recipe that she found on the Food Network website.  I made it last night and we loved it!  It has no white sugar, just brown sugar which gives it a caramel effect.  The crust is like a sweet, tender biscuit that goes perfectly with the peaches.  We had it with vanilla ice cream, of course.  It was a great way to end our Sunday!

  

Peach Cobbler

Cobbler filling:

• 4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the skins) or use 4 cups of canned peaches, drained
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon flour

Cobbler crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping 

 Butter a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish.  Place the peaches in the dish and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and vanilla.  Mix gently and spread evenly.  Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and butter in a bowl.  Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to make the mixture like coarse crumbs.  Add buttermilk and stir to form a soft dough.  Spoon batter over warmed peaches and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon brown sugar.  Return to hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Mexican corn on the cob

Another great recipe from my friend Ashley. Don't let the ingredients throw you off. We don't really care for mayo in our house but we love this. Easy and great for spicing up your BBQs!

Mexican Corn on the Cob

4 ears corn
3 Tbsp. mayo
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4-1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp. chili powder
tiny pinch kosher salt
1 cup fresh parmesan cheese

Cook corn by method of choice (I grill it, but you could boil it, etc.). While it’s cooking, combine mayo, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and pinch of salt. Store in the fridge until ready to use. (For even better results make the sauce ahead of time).

Grate parmesan cheese with a fine-hole cheese grater and place on a plate.

When corn is finished cooking, immediately spread sauce all over it and then roll corn cob in grated cheese.

Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and extra chili powder or cayenne sprinkled on top, if desired.

**Make sure to squeeze a lime wedge over your corn at the end... this really makes it yummy.

Chili's Fajitas

 My husband and I have lived in a few states where good Mexican food is hard to find.  So, we usually end up eating at Chili's for chips and salsa and fajitas.  Although, we are now quite fond of Chipotle.  But that's beside the point.  I've had this recipe in my file for years and finally decided to pull it out and make us a fajita dinner.  It says it's the recipe Chili's uses for their fajitas.  Whether that's true or not, I'll never know.  What I do know, is that these fajitas were fabulous!  We absolutely loved them and could.not.stop.eating.them.  Husband said they are the best he's ever had.  That's big time.

Chili's Fajitas

2 lbs. flank steak, skirt steak or sirloin steak or chicken
1 red bell pepper
2 green bell peppers
1 onion

Marinade:

1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup water
3 1/2 Tbs. honey
4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger


Combine all ingredients for marinade in a bowl.  Put meat in ziploc bag and pour half of marinade over meat to cover.  Seal and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Can do overnight as well.  Slice onions and peppers and cook over medium heat in a saucepan until tender.  Pour a few tablespoons of marinade over onions and peppers to flavor.  Cook meat on stove in a skillet or grill pan until done.  Place meat and vegetables in tortillas and top with sour cream, cheese and guacamole.  

The Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 My name is Holly Gibb

and

I'm a peanut butter addict.

I eat peanut butter every single day.  On my apples, bananas, slathered across a graham cracker, on toast, and sometimes just with a spoon.  I love it and can't get enough of it.  A couple of days ago, I wanted to bake and I wanted peanut butter and chocolate to be the key ingredients.  I searched the web and found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen who got it from the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC.  Hello- I knew it had to be good!  The dough was divine and the cookies were the best peanut butter cookies I've ever tasted!!  Seriously.  The best.  They went like hotcakes around here because you can't eat just one.  My friend called them, "amazing."  You get the picture.  

The Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I used natural chunky)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup chocolate chips
sugar for sprinkling

Cream butter and peanut butter until fluffy.  Add sugars and mix well.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk.  Mix then pour in dry ingredients.  Add peanut butter and chocolate chips until combined.  Roll into balls and sprinkle with sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 2 minutes then place on cooling rack to cool completely.