We interupt this blog visit for a quick detour. If you have a baby, want a baby, or just need a gift for someone with a baby, take a look at strapoose.com. These wonderful Amish Made baby carriers are the perfect handsfree way to carry a baby up to 35 pounds! They are super comfortable for both mom and baby.
~SD
Peach Blueberry Crisp
Get your timer ready, because this throw together dessert is so quick and easy to make! I try to keep frozen fruit on hand for a last minute dessert fix. The great thing about this crisp is you can use many different fruits like cherries, apples or blackberries. Of course, they can be fresh or frozen, depending on the season.
2 cups Peaches, sliced
1 cup Blueberries
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Flour
Dash Cinnamon
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Oatmeal
1/2 stick butter, softened
Combine peaches, blueberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Place in a medium sized baking dish.
In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and softened butter- with your hands. Spread over top of peach mixture, bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes.
Please note… my favorite part of this crisp is, well… the crisp. I put extra on and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. It is life changing. Try some tonight!
~SD
As the sun begins to warm up, and May is just around the corner, this can mean only one thing! To most it means summer, sun bathing, beach going and lawn mowing. To me, it means Ramps! A ramp, by definition is a wild onion that grows in cool spring climates. If your springtime means drizzly rain, warm days and wet ground. You are likely to be able to find ramps in the woods in your area. If your spring means increasingly hot days, tank tops and dry weather, sorry you may have to go to your gourmet grocer to find this treat! If you are unable to obtain ramps, this particular recipe can be made with green onions. Sadly.
If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where ramps grow wild (they can also be called wild leeks), they are simple to harvest. Take a walk in the woods and look for lush patches of wide green leaves. They resemble mini corn stalks. Like this:
I know that if I had an Italian Grandma she would frown on this recipe. Unlike a traditional, homemade red sauce this sauce can be made in under an hour! While most sauces are simmered for hours, this simple meat sauce has a fresh tomato flavor that will suit any palate. With only three main ingredients, the flavors (and grape tomatoes!) burst in your mouth.
Baked Rigatoni with Simple Meat Sauce
1 lb Ground Beef
1 16 oz Petite Dice Tomatoes, with juice
1 pt Grape Tomatoes, whole
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
4 quarts Water
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
½ lb Uncooked Rigatoni Pasta
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Cook ground beef over medium heat in a medium saucepan, or tall sided sauté pan. Drain grease from meat, when meat is cooked. Stir in canned tomatoes, and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for ½ hour. Season to taste and add olive oil and vinegar.
While the sauce is simmering bring 4 quarts of water and kosher salt to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse with cool running water.
Toss pasta with sauce and place into a 9×13. Top with grated cheese.
Bake pasta at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
This pasta is lightly sauced, but each time you bite into one of the warm cherry tomatoes the flavors is so intense. In just under an hour you can prep and serve this simple pasta dish, try it for dinner tonight!
~SD