Veggies, courtesy of our school garden!

The middle school where I teach has created a community garden.  I just think it's fantastic, and I'm so excited for their first harvest.  Both the corn and the zucchini here are products of our staff's and students' farming.  I think it's an awesome way to teach kids that they can help sustain their families without processed foods.  This squash was gigantic, so much so that I sliced it into about 1" wide circles, sprayed with a little EVOO, and sprinkled with Tajin seasoning.  Same with the corn, then grilled them both.  The boneless pork chops I marinated in a dry rub for 5 hours, then grilled them, and added a little side of rice pilaf (I do it easy, by using the Rice-a-roni version, but I use nonstick cooking spray (butter flavor) instead of the recommended butter to cut fat and calories. 

I still have enough zucchini left to make bread, too, I think, because it was HUGE! Here's a photo of the two squashes I brought home.  That butternut hybrid is currently roasting in my slow cooker.  Easy-peasy... no water, just put the whole squash in for 6 hours, and you're golden!

Cream of Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

1 roasted butternut squash ( you can slow cook a whole squash 5-6 hours)
2 cooked carrots
Small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
Salt to taste.

Sauté onions & garlic. Heat broth. Purée veggies in food processor , then add to broth. As it begins to boil, add salt and cream. Simmer until thickened. Only 1.7 WW points per 1/2 cup.

Summer Wurst

It's too hot to use the kitchen. So brats and coleslaw it is!

Peach Crisp

While in Spokane, WA, we took my family to a local orchard in Green Bluff to pick fruit.  Peaches were the only thing available, and Yaryans' farm was the only one picking that day.  The peach Nazi was overly protective, asked my brother if he'd ever used a ladder before (because orchard ladders are different somehow??), and we had quite the day of laughter.  The experience yielded us many memories, and lots of peaches to use up quickly!

With so many peaches left, we had to use them up quickly. So we made summer peach crisp.  

Ann Burrell's Peach Crisp

RECIPE
Ingredients
For the filling:
5 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut into chunks
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins
Pinch kosher salt
For the topping:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pea sized pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Pinch kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Special equipment: 6 (6-ounce) ramekins
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

Toss the peaches in a large bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Divide the filling evenly between the ramekins.

For the topping:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is clumpy but crumbly.

Top each ramekin with the topping. Be sure to loosely sprinkle the topping and not pack it down. The idea is to look very crumbly and craggy.

Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping, brown and crispy.

Note: This is great served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Pork Loin Roast

2# roast
16 oz carrots
1T oregano
1 Bay leaf
Onion or shallots sliced
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp Red chili pepper
16 oz beef broth
2 cloves garlic minced
Corn starch

Rest roast in dutch oven. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, chili pepper, garlic. Add carrots around roast. Cut slits in roast and press in shallot slices. Pour broth in around roast. Cover & cook 2.5 hrs at 325 degrees.

Banana Bread

Bananas we're going bad so I had to do something with them.

Here's my take on banana bread:

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (*I used Stevia as a substitute and my son had no clue... he ate half the loaf!)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 bananas, finely crushed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and crushed bananas.
3. Combine well.
4. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
5. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
7. Keeps well, refrigerated.

Jello Flag Cake... American Artficially Sweetened & Colored Tradition!!

Make 2 packs of strawberry jello (sugar free), let sit 5 minutes, then 

spoon over slices of Sara Lee Pound Cake:

Cool for 4 hours.  Then spread with one tub 

of Cool Whip (Light).

Slice strawberries in halves. Let your kid

help you make a flag with berries. Emphasize

that there is not enough room for 13 full stripes.

Slice and eat.  6 points per slice out of 18 servings, for you WW peeps out there!