Our Eccentric Projects - Obstacle Course

People have told me we should have our own reality tv show.  We wouldn't want any part of a tv show intrusion into our lives, but I do want to share some of the things we do that make people think that way.

Our roots for doing eccentric projects go way back.  My Dad built a jeep from parts he scavenged from  "The Dump", but is now called a refuse facility.  My inventor hubby grew up with very little supervision and was always into something.  Now he is always tinkering with some kind of project in his spare time.  Here is one of hubby and son's current projects, it is part of an obstacle course.

More details as the project unfolds.

Yes, that is his new chainsaw, he wanted it pictured front and center, lol.

Cherry Pie Filling and Sugar Cookie Easy Cherry Tarts

Nothing quite says summer like cherry pie...especially homemade cherry pie.  Lip-smacking, kissed by the sun, sweet delicious cherries baked up in a flaky crust, oozing with homemade goodness.

No time to bake a pie, and still want an impressive, knock your socks off dessert?  Try making my 3 ingredient cherry tarts.  After one bite your family, friends and neighbors will be begging you to make more.

Wow, that's alot of cherry pie :)

We planted four Montmorency (sour) cherry trees about 20 years ago.  Our trees have blessed us over the years with an abundance of cherries.  We are doubly blessed because birds that usually eat our crops leave our sour cherries alone and eat the sweeter wild mulberries that ripen at the same time.  This is a huge relief to me because as a kid I was a human scarecrow for our family cherry tree.  I remember sitting by the home-place kitchen window pulling a string to ring a bell, (made out of a tin can), whenever birds landed in my Dad's cherry tree.  Now, I know my kids don't look forward to cherry picking time, but oh, they love to eat them and I am sure they appreciate not being human scarecrows.

Last year and the year before we had a very rainy spring and then very dry summers.  Our cherry trees looked terrible, and produced no fruit at all for two years.  We were quite upset thinking our beautiful cherry trees were dying.  My husband planted fertilizer stakes by the trees, and this year, spring was just right for growing stuff and our cherry trees are again loaded with an abundance of fruit.

In anticipation of a great cherry crop, I purchased two cherry pitters that replaced a worn out, old Pampered Chef pitter I had.  After pitting a few gallons of cherries, I am loving the the OXO pitters.  There is less spatter, and now that I have two there is an extra pitter for a helper.  Today my son and I played a game to see who could pit cherries the fastest.  Here are the rules to our cherry pitting game: minus twenty cherries if you have a pit in your cherry pile, and minus ten cherries if you have a cherry fall on the floor.  Our game sure made cherry pitting alot more fun.

Having cherry trees produce fruit right outside of our door and enjoying cherries in time honored family recipes have become a ritual and tradition for our family.  I hope you enjoy this recipe for cherry pie filling as much as we do.  Keep reading because below I am sharing my secrets to making an awesome cherry pie.


Very Firm Cherry Pie Filling, enough for two pies
6 cups pitted sour cherries
6 Tablespoons tapioca (not pearl)
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup of sugar

Bring the ingredients to a boil and stir until thickened.


My secrets to a spectacular cherry pie: brush the bottom pie crust with raspberry jam, it will help seal the bottom crust so it doesn't get soggy, and sprinkle the top crust with sanding sugar before baking.  For a very easy pie crust, try this recipe for Vinegar Pie Crust.

Here is the 3 ingredient Easy Cherry Tart recipe.  I started tinkering with this recipe at Easter time.  I was planning on making strawberry pie for Easter, but when my husband went to the store for ingredients, he came home with premade sugar cookie dough...which I think was a hint not to make strawberry pie, lol.  Add any fruit you like for filling, the first time I made the tarts I used strawberries and blueberries.  Since cherries are in season now, I am making tarts using my homemade cherry pie filling, but for the 3 ingredient easy tarts, use canned pie filling.

Easy Cherry Tarts using Sugar Cookies
1 package of refrigerated Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
1 can of cherry pie filling
Optional: Favorite whipped topping for garnish, I use Cool Whip since it holds up better than whipped cream
Makes 12 tarts, but count on one breaking, so if you need 12, buy 2 packages of cookie dough.  Bake cookies in a muffin tin to form a cup shape, top with canned cherries and whipped topping.

For pictures and directions on how to make the tarts scroll down a bit or click to see my blog post Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts


Mmmmm, I can almost smell it baking now, can you?  Thanks for stopping by today, have a great summer!

Banana "Ice Cream" with Sweet and Salty Roasted Almonds Two Ways

Yes!  You can make healthy ice cream with frozen bananas and a food processor, or a Yonanas machine. Great news if you are cutting back on sugar, dairy, or eggs or just want a healthy treat.

We have been enjoying our Yonanas machine a lot since the warm weather rolled in, so when I spotted this recipe for  Banana "Ice Cream" with Almonds by Gwyneth Patrow in USA Weekend magazine, I couldn't wait to try it. 

I loved it! Not only does it taste delicious, but it is super good for you.  According to Bottom Line Health, bananas and almonds are super foods that help control blood pressure.

I am posting the original recipe using a food processor and my revised recipe using a Yonanas machine below.  Serve this up for dessert then surprise and amaze your family with the recipe.  Of course, they all ready know you are pretty AH-Mazing!
  
Banana "Ice Cream" with Sweet and Salty Roasted Almonds Using a Food Processor
by Gwyneth Partrow, from "It's All Good"

4 ripe bananas peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted almonds
2 teaspoons plus 2 Tablespoons good-quality maple syrup divided
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy or cow's milk), cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Freeze the banana slices in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with parchment or wax paper. 
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the almonds with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and the pinch of salt and set the mixture aside.
• Combine the frozen banana slices, the cold almond milk, the remaining 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup and the vanilla in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of soft-serve ice cream, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Don't worry if the mixture is not totally smooth at first, once the bananas start to break down and defrost in the food processor, they'll give in, and the "ice cream" will take shape quickly.
• Spoon the banana "ice cream" into bowls immediately and sprinkle each serving with a bit of the almond mixture.

The Yonanas Frozen Dessert Maker (Google Affiliate Ad) turns frozen bananas into deliciousness that looks and tastes like real ice cream.



Sweet and Salty Ice Cream with Almonds Using a Yonanas Machine

To 4 frozen bananas that have been pulverized by my Yonanas machine I add the following:
1/4 cup chopped almonds roasted with sea salt
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup (we have some that a friend made)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish with chopped almonds

Enjoy, and have a great summer!

Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts

There should be a law against so much goodness for so little effort.  This dessert just sort of happened when dear hubby brought home unexpected ingredients for a fresh strawberry pie I wanted to make for our church's Easter brunch.  A little experimenting here and there and presto-chango a beautiful, impressive dessert appeared.  Thanks to dear hubby for dreaming up the idea for a fruit tart, he's one smart cookie.

The first attempt at making these little fruit tarts was ok but not great.  I used strawberry spreadable fruit for a glaze, and for garnish I topped them with Redi-whip which disappeared within 5 minutes into a melted mess.  The tarts got snatched up and eaten anyway, despite their looks.

Since the tarts got eaten so quickly, and dear hubby really liked them, I thought a second attempt at making them was in order.  I made a few modifications to the recipe and now folks, we have a keeper recipe.  Easy, four ingredient dessert with an impressive presentation.



Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts
1 package of refrigerated Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
1 package of fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered
1 package of fresh blueberries, rinsed
Raspberry spreadable fruit, about 1/4 cup
Optional: Favorite whipped topping for garnish.  I have been using Cool Whip since it holds up better than whipping cream.
Makes 12 tarts, but count on one breaking, so if you need 12, buy 2 packages of cookie dough.

Slice cookie dough into 12 equal pieces, form ball, flatten a little like a pancake, place in teflon coated muffin tin sprayed with a good squirt of butter cooking spray, and push the dough with your fingers to make a cup shape.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, do not over bake, lightly browned is good.  Remove from oven and run sharp knife around cups, but do not remove until cooled, they will break if you do.  Place 3 pieces strawberry on each cup, then follow with blueberries, filling in any bare spots.  Heat spreadable fruit in microwave to melt, about 30 seconds, and put on one teaspoon over fruit.  Then use a pastry brush to glaze all of the fruit.  Top with your favorite whipped topping and enjoy!

Notes: the sugar cookie dough will puff up while it is baking...don't worry, keep cooking it and the dough will deflate.  If you under cook the dough the cookies will be difficult to remove from the pan. If they are a little warm and break while you are removing them from the pan, you can push the cookie back together.  Also, I have found that after they cool, if I cut around them again and twist at the same time, they seem to release easier, also if you use a good squirt of cooking butter spray they release alot easier.

More goodness, if you like cherries, see Easy Cherry Tarts

Chili and Corn Bread Waffles

Dear hubby spotted a recipe for Cheddar Cornbread Waffles on Pinterest, and has been salivating for it all week.  He didn't have to ask me twice to make them, I was onboard with the idea right away; chili and cornbread just naturally go together, like peanut butter and jelly.

Our version of Chili and Corn Bread Waffles is easy enough for a week night meal, so what's not to love...quick, easy and yummy, mmm-mmm, win-win!


Cornbread Waffles:
1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk

Preheat waffle iron. Stir the ingredients together, batter will be a little lumpy.  Spray hot waffle iron with butter flavored cooking spray. Pour mix into iron and cook until golden brown, or about 2 1/2 minutes.  Note: makes 2 large belgian waffles, or 4 servings as shown in picture above.

Chili
Favorite chili recipes in these parts are subjective like pizza recipes and tend to get one's dander up; friends like to argue over who has the best chili....or pizza.  So make up your favorite batch of chili.  We saute onion and garlic, brown hamburger, add tomato sauce, then add 1 can of each: diced tomatoes (or rotel), Bush's medium chili beans, red kidney beans and black beans.  Season with garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, a bit of paprika, cumin, celery seasoning, and salt.

Top warm waffle with chili and cheddar cheese.  

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

My dear friend Jean gets asked for her Rice Pudding recipe alot!  It is a comfort food from way back.  I will have to ask her the history of how she starting making rice pudding, the origin of her recipe, and maybe get a sample :)

Story coming soon...until then, enjoy!

Rice Pudding

Measure into heavy saucepan~

• 1 cup rice (not instant)
• 1/2 cup margarine
• dash of salt

Cover rice, just barely, with water.  Cover pan, cook slowly until water is gone.  Stir to keep from scorching.  Add 2 quarts of whole milk.  Cook this mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally for about 1 1/2 hours until mixture gets very, very thick.  You will be able to make a path through with a spatula.
Beat together and add slowly to mixture, stirring constantly~

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla

Pour in bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Best served warm.

Baked Panko Parmesan Chicken

I love the crispiness and the texture of panko and I especially love that this recipe is baked and not fried.  Baked Panko Parmesan Chicken is a slightly modified recipe from the Great Value Brand Italian Seasoned Panko bread crumb container.

Baked Panko Parmesan Chicken
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup butter melted
2 cloves minced garlic, or about 1 1/2 teaspoons
1/4 cup dijon mustard
5 thinly sliced chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of a baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, and parsley.  Set aside.  Mix melted butter, garlic and mustard.  Coat chicken in the mustard mixture on both sides.  Dip both sides of the chicken in the crumb mixture to coat.  Lay chicken in baking pan, and bake about 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Serve with a fresh spinach salad, yum!