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You are a Peach card

By KariV on October 20, 2013 in Paper Crafting, Uncategorized

This week I just had to put a peach on my card since it’s Peach Week! Here’s my card using Paper Smooches “Fruitastic” stamp set.

The challenge was focused on this designer draft:

Originally, I was going to use the funny face that came on this peach, but I decided it took away from my card design. Here’s what it looks like with the funny face:

Unfortunately, due to a glitch with my computer…I didn’t get this entered into the contest in time. I will not ever know if this card would have even placed. Ah, well! Next time!

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Peach Jam (Halloween Style)

By KariV on October 19, 2013 in Peaches, Recipes

Homemade Peach jam is one of life’s best! And it lends itself well to this time of year…with that beautiful orange/peach color! In honor of Peach Week and Halloween…how about some Peach Jam Halloween Style?!

I’ve made a lot of peach jam in my life. And the BEST jam that always turns out is the one using SureJell. My recipe I share today is the one I love the most using that pectin, which can be found at most grocery stores.

Start out getting all your ingredients together:

4 cups Diced peaches (I used about 5 large peaches), 2 T. lemon juice, 5 1/2 c. sugar, 1 box Sure Jell pectin (not pictured).

I like to dice my peaches in a large dice…I find that the peaches cook down enough to make delicious jam, but still leave a few fresh peach bits in the jam. That’s the way I like it. But you can cut your peaches smaller if you prefer a smoother jam.

Have your jars ready to go. I sterilized mine the day before in the dishwasher…here they are clean and dry and ready to go.

Also get your lids ready by boiling some water, then put the lids in and turn the heat to warm. Keep them warm while you are making the jam.

See that magnet that I’m getting the lid out of the hot water with? That little tool is SO valuable and I got it years ago in a canning kit. It makes getting those lids out so much easier!

Now, let’s get that jam cooking! Put the diced peaches, lemon juice, and Sure Jell pectin in a large pan. Stir continually until it comes to a full rolling boil (it still bubbles even when you are stirring). This will take a few minutes. You will see that the peaches start breaking down during this process.

After it reaches that full boil, add the sugar quickly and stir. Cook until it comes to a full boil again…then cook at this boil for a full minute. I set the timer to make sure it’s fully cooked.

Now it’s ready to jar! Spoon it into your jars using a wide-mouth funnel. Fill the jars up all the way to the top (leaving about 1/8″). Get a lid out from the hot water, dry it off and place it on the filled jar. Add the bands. And process them according to the instructions in the pectin box. (This depends upon your altitude, etc.)

Isn’t it beautiful?!

There’s nothing better than homemade peach jam served on homemade bread! And wrapping them up with some orange ribbon and Halloween spiderweb fabric (from JoAnn’s) is the perfect neighbor/friend gift! Have you ever made homemade peach jam before?

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Fresh Peach Spiced Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel

By KariV on October 18, 2013 in Brunch, Dessert, Peaches, Recipes

We’re talking peaches during Peach Week at Sunshine In My Pocket. I couldn’t leave out these Peach Spiced Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel…they are delicious for breakfast and lunch, but they also make a fabulous dessert!

I love these muffins because they have cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in them (that’s the spiced part), and they are not TOO sweet…and with that brown sugar topping, they have the feel of a breakfast coffee cake. But the BEST part are those fresh bits of peaches inside the muffins! It’s like little gold mines with each peachy bite. Ok, that might be dramatic, but if you like fresh peaches…these muffins will hit the spot!

Start with the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them all together.

Then add the wet ingredients, stir it up, and dice the peaches right on top. Slowly and carefully mix those peaches in the batter.

Then divide it up into your muffin tins. I love this recipe because it makes A LOT! Not only will it make up 24 muffins, but also 3 mini loaves of peach bread. Perfect for gifting.

Sprinkle a little brown sugar on your mini bread loaves and your muffins and pop them into the oven.

Your kitchen will smell FANTASTIC…and the baked goods should look like this.

Just look at those juicy peach bites in there! Fabulous. The batter is a bit darker from the brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. I almost believe these are *good* for you. I’m going to try them with freshly ground soft white wheat flour to attempt a “healthier” muffin and I’ll let you know!

Here’s the recipe!

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Peach Mango Salsa (for Salad or chicken!)

By KariV on October 17, 2013 in Cooking Light, Peaches, Recipes

Today I am sharing my favorite Peach Mango Salsa recipe. It is delicious with chicken or on salad…and I serve it a lot with a simple grilled chicken over a bed of greens. It is so easy to make and adds a big flavor punch!

I don’t know what it is about this salsa that makes me want to break out into a latin dance every time I make it! Ha! But really, doesn’t this picture just make you happy?!

I use a special tool to cut all the pieces into the perfect little dice, and it makes this job SO FAST. It’s called a food chopper, and I got mine for such a deal at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (I don’t get paid to tell you this…I am only telling you because I LOVE this tool so much, and I use it for this peach mango salsa, fresh bruschetta, and my garden salsa ALL the time!)

Here’s the beautiful ingredients that go into the Peach Mango Salsa. First, chop up the onion and pepper using the small grid:

See how small and perfect each little piece is? That would take FOREVER if you did it by hand…unless, of course, you are a super-fast knife chopping sous chef, maybe. You can see a picture of the chopper there…it’s formal name is “Vidalia food chopper.”

Then, chop up the tomatoes, peach, and mango using the large grid:

I usually also add something green like a green pepper or a jalapeno from the garden. The jalapeno gives it a little kick, which is fun sometimes. Today I used a small green pepper. I cut them into half…or just small enough to fit on the chopper and then let the tool do the rest of the work.

Next, squeeze the lime over the salsa. Here’s another tool that I love:

Have you ever used one of these juicers? You put the cut side down over those holes, then squeeze the handles together. Pretty easy. Now, sometimes if the fruit is a bit too tart, I will add a teaspoon or so of sugar over the salsa and mix it all up. Today I didn’t add any sugar. Those Utah peaches are divine!

Here’s the complete recipe:

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So here’s a chicken salad I added the Peach Mango salsa to. It adds so much flavor!

It’s also delicious with chicken. Or Salmon tacos. Or chicken tacos.

Or just dive in with some chips! I hope you enjoyed our fresh ingredients turned into a tangy, sweet salsa today.

Comments { 3 }

Individual Peach Cobbler

By KariV on October 16, 2013 in Dessert, Peaches, Recipes

I’ve been cooking up a storm with my PEACHES from Utah. So this week I am going to share with you some of my very favorite peach recipes! It’s PEACH WEEK at Sunshine in My Pocket.

This first recipe is an all-time favorite around here. I started making them individual sized because of all the “fights” over how much peach cobbler each family member would get…it’s that good! This size is perfect and everyone feels like they get their very own cobbler.

It starts with fresh peaches, of course. Slice them up and put them into a pan with water and a little sugar. (Full recipe to follow) Allow the mixture to come to a boil, and keep it warm on the stove while you are preparing the rest.

Mix up the egg and butter and sugar, then add the other dry ingredients. Put this batter into greased mini bowls — I use these small pyrex dishes that are oven-safe. You can also use a square baking dish for this recipe.

Now add the cooked peaches to the top. And pop into the oven!

This is where the magic happens. See all that liquid and peach mixture on the top…and the batter is on the bottom. Well, in the oven the liquid “disappears” and the batter comes to the top. I like to point this out to my little nephews…and they are amazed every time! Here’s the perfection that comes out of the oven when they are done:

Serve them up with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Seriously, they are so delicious and fresh that they don’t NEED a topping. Sometimes we even eat these for breakfast all by themselves!

Here’s the recipe in full for you!

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