Peach Cobbler

Nothing excites me more at the end of August than the arrival of Utah peaches! They are the best and I look forward to them every year. I decided to bust out a cobbler the other night and man was it good! I got this recipe from good 'ole Paula Deen. I even liked it better the second day! And third. And...

Step 1:
5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
Put all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
6 Tbs. butter
Mix flour and sugar together. Add milk slowly to avoid lumps. Melt butter in 3 quart baking dish in oven. Pour flour mixture over melted butter. DO NOT stir. Spoon peaches on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired. Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 min. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

*If you do not have self-rising flour (like me), mix 1 cup flour with 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking powder. I did this then halved it for the half cup.

Tamale Pie

This recipe is slightly different from the tamale pie recipe that Holly put one here a while back. Both are good, both are easy, so it's a win-win. You can't really go wrong with tamale pie.1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped green pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (15oz.) tomato sauce

1 can corn, drained

1 Tb. sugar

1 Tb. chili powder

dash of salt

dash of pepper

1 c. shredded cheese

Topping

3/4 c. cornmeal

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. water

1 Tb. butter

*Brown meat, onion, pepper and garlic in skillet. Add tomato sauce. Add rest of ingredients, except cheese. Simmer 15 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour into a casserole dish. On stove, combine cornmeal, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens up a little. Add butter until it melts. Pour mixture over meat mixture and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls

I got this recipe from the Sister's Cafe blog and it has been my favorite roll recipe ever since. The best part about this is that you can keep the dough for up to 7 days in the refrigerator and have hot, delicious rolls without making a mess. I roll the dough in a circle, cut with a pizza cutter into triangles, and roll them from the large end. I promise you won't be disappointed. Thanks, Sisters Cafe. BTW, they have GREAT recipes!!

Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls
**Half recipe below

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
½ cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and kneed for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

** 1 ½ c. room temperature buttermilk
1 ½ c. flour
½ T. yeast dissolved in 1/8 c. warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
¼. C. sugar
2 eggs beaten with fork
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. flour (sometimes need ½ c. more—don't make too sticky)
¼ c. oil
½ t. baking soda

Creamy Risotto

I got this recipe from the lovely Pioneer Woman. It was oh so good and oh so creamy! We had it for dinner with a salad. I'm making an effort to eat less meat, you see. It would go great with grilled chicken or steak too. I've never made risotto before so it was fun to try it out. Definitely a fan!!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. arborio rice
7 1/2 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium
1 cup cream
2 cups Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Put oil, butter, onion and garlic in a saucepan. Cook until onions are soft. Add rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Next, add 1 cup broth. Stir until liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step adding broth in 1 cup increments. When finished, add cream and cheese. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fabulous Coconut Cupcakes

I am a big fan of coconut. I'm also a big fan of cupcakes. In fact, my favorite cupcake at Srinkles (only been there twice) is the coconut one. It is something, I am telling you. So when I saw this recipe on Hold the Onions, I couldn't wait to try it. The fact that there is a total of 6 sticks of butter in the recipe tells you that the cupcakes are going to be amazing. And they were. Thank you Bradshaws.

Toffee Fruit Dip

I saw this recipe laying on the kitchen counter at my inlaws house. I glanced at it and then took a double take when I noticed the 5 yummy ingredients. I am all about simple and delish. This dip is both. 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup toffee chips

*Mix well and chill before serving with apples or fruit of your choice. If making the night before, add toffee chips right before serving. They can dissolve if refrigerated too long.

Freddy's

The other night, we decided to try out a new custard place in town called Freddy's.  We only had the custard.  They have burgers, hot dogs, fries and onion rings too but we were in the mood for dessert.  The hubby and I shared a strawberry/banana concrete.  It was good.  I couldn't help but compare it to the one and only Nielsen's Frozen Custard - the best,  in my opinion.  Freddy's custard is softer and not as rich.  The strawberries aren't fresh.  Although Freddy's is a little bit cheaper, the taste does not compare.  Neilsen's is still the best in my book!  But I'm willing to give Freddy's food a try. I'll keep you posted....