Cinnamon Sugar & Vanilla Roasted Peaches

As summer is packing its bags, I wanted to enjoy the last fruits of its bounty.  My favorite this summer has been stone fruits – specifically, peaches.

My first experience with peaches – were from a can.  And, I loved them.  I’m not ashamed of my love.  Sweet and juicy without any fuzz, canned peaches were all I knew until we got older.  And, I hate to say it but there’s still a place in my heart for the syrupy peaches in all its almost-candy-like qualities.  As I’ve gotten older, I cannot remember the last time I bought fruit of any kind in a can.  Yet, I still find myself remembering school lunches where the fruit was canned peaches.  Take that how you will.

Wanting something similar but much much better, roasting seemed to be a great way to bring out the fruit’s flavor.  I was right.  The word is caramelized.  Peeled blanched peaches mixed with warm flavors highlights this most succulent fruit without being overly sweet.  While you can eat it all on its own, why not pair it with fresh whipped cream or ice cream?  Share with friends as it comes together so very quickly with ingredients that you most likely have on hand.

Just like summer, this dish won’t last long.

Cinnamon Sugar & Vanilla Roasted Peaches

adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ripe peaches

Directions:

1. Blanch the peaches:  Score the bottom of the peaches with an X and put them in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Peel, remove pits and halve. Place in a bowl.  Reserve juice.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. In a large but shallow baking dish whisk together the butter, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and the reserved juice from the peaches.
4. Add peaches and turn them to coat well.  Arrange them cut side down in a single layer.
5. Roast until peaches are tender and the liquid is thick like syrup, approximately 20 minutes, brushing the peaches with the liquid half-way through baking.
6. After the syrup has thickened, turn the peaches around, cut side up and put under the broiler for a minute until browned.
7. Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream or both.  Drizzle with the remaining liquid.

The Second Cousin

So, I missed my cousin’s graduation party.  Except she was my mom’s second cousin’s daughter and I really don’t even know what that means.  Do you?  If so, don’t explain.  I have read about it, heard about it and different people have given me 15 different variations on it, but I still don’t get it.

But, they are at all the family get-togethers, so I just call them cousins.  And, I missed her high school graduation party.  This was totally my scheduling error and not the error of a careless school (sorry, Ameena).

If I had gone, I would have gotten her money.  Because, let’s be honest.  A high school graduate doesn’t want a pen as much as she wants money.  This also applies to a college graduate and just about any person.  Maybe I’m projecting?

I also understand the impersonal nature of handing someone money with some exceptions.  If you attend a party/get together and hand the money in person, then all is well.  There is some personal-ness to it.  However, if you missed the graduation party and just send money, it might seem a little distant.  Right?  (Mind you, I would accept money with no care but others may care.  Except from Binks – wherein homemade and/or thoughtful are requirements.)

I’m sure this follows no rules of etiquette as I clearly have none, but hey, that’s how I roll.

So, I’m going to mail her a gift package with the following: pens, pencils, highlighters, a desk organizer, cookies, and of course – money.

I was most excited about the cookies.

Specifically, snickerdoodles.  (Recipe)

I love snickerdoodles.  The light and crisp (yet chewy) texture is perfect for a summer treat.

Who knew cookies could be seasonal?

Snickerdoodles are in the same family as sugar cookies to me, just with a bit more pizzazz.

They’re probably second cousins.

Are you a fan of snickerdoodles?  What do you usually give to a high school graduate?

The Amazing Grass Challenge – Completed Plus

A few weeks ago, I told you I was doing the Amazing Grass 2 week challenge.  Well, it’s been more than 2 weeks.  Forgive me.

Why did I forget?

Because, I’m still doing it.

So, what did I do?

Well, Amazing Grass sends you a meal plan and if you review it, nothing is lacking.  If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can pretty much customize the plan to fit the lifestyle.  If you are a meat eater, there are plenty of options for you as well.  It’s a great system and it really just fit with good wholesome whole-foods eating.  It’s great for anyone in my opinion.

One of the main things lacking in health-related programs is the option to choose or to customize.  I don’t want to feel deprived of anything  as it makes me want it even more.  In the Amazing Grass Challenge plan, I really felt like I could mix and match so long as I was eating whole foods and filling up on fruits and veggies.

I didn’t follow the meal plan to a T because there were some things I just did not want to eat.  Specifically, I personally cut out the following for two weeks – refined sugars, white bread, white flour, and red meat.  Honestly, out of the list, the white flour based products were the hardest.

So, what did I eat?

I drank/ate a lot of smoothies – all delicious and all different.

I ate a lot of healthy and filling grain-y breakfasts.

I loaded up on my favorite summer fruit.

I incorporated super foods that I don’t usually cook with or eat often enough.

I usually don’t use cinnamon that much as it isn’t my favorite spice.  But, I have been sprinkling it on my morning cereals, which have been fantastic.

In addition, Amazing Grass is pretty much full of super foods (spirulina, chlorella, etc.) so I was getting it that way too!

So, how did I feel?

Great would be an understatement.  Mind you, I was having the Berry Superfoods mixed with organic apple juice pretty much 3/week prior to the challenge.  So, adding a smoothie/drink every morning with the Amazing Meal was just perfect.  I really didn’t miss the candy/cookies/cake and really indulged in fruit in place of it.  I didn’t miss white flour products as really there so many different options out there these days (Ezekiel bread, etc.).

I really felt great overall.  I had less gas and bloat (pardon me), felt lighter overall (less weighed down), and wasn’t hitting my usual tiredness and declines during certain portions of my day (usually after eating).

Summary

Trust me when I say that I’m not one to stick to anything.  Especially when the anything is something related to my food intake.  I hate feeling limited or that I cannot eat the things I want.  Once I started, I really thought I was going to hate it or miss things.  I didn’t.  When I was done, I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t have this M&M cookie.  I only had one – b/c that’s all I wanted.  But, this challenge really wasn’t about dieting or restrictions for me.  It was about changing my eating habits (especially after vacation), and getting back on the road to good eating.

And, that my friends, is why I still do it – because it’s an addition, not a subtraction.  And, in addition, when I’m incubating another person inside me that eats what I eat, I want to make sure it’s full of super foods and free of crap – well as crap free as I can be.

I am human after all.

🙂

How do you incorporate super foods into your diet?

Green With Yummy

It has been my goal as of late to make efforts (substantial efforts) to get rid of things in my pantry/fridge before I go grocery shopping.  For instance, do you know what I can do with a gallon of raw milk that I cannot finish by the expiration date?  Well, I figured it out – so tune in! 😉

In this case, it was spinach.  I usually use it up with green monsters, salads and the like, but I had some extra to use up.

This is where Diana and her Green Monster Muffins enters the scene.  I have had this recipe printed and bookmarked since early early 2010 (I have to stress the early).  With that said, this was definitely not the first time I have tried one of Diana’s recipes (here).

And, like her cookie dough balls, the muffins were another hit!

*The only change I made was to add orange zest instead of lemon and I only had cinnamon apple sauce.  Loved every bite!

Moist, fully flavorful with a hint of the orange, and an excellent crumb.

And, I did eat every single one of those crumbs.

My review of these chic muffins:  très bien!

Have you tried Diana’s Green Monster Muffins?  How do you make efforts to use things up in your pantry/fridge?  Do you enjoy grocery shopping?