I didn't name it - he did. Here's the email Tom sent me, with all his wonderful recipes included. I wouldn't mess this up with one bit of editing. His version is completely delightful, just as it is. Enjoy!

======================================================

Try if you dare

BarBQue Sauce and Solvent

1 - 18 oz. bottle Kraft Thick n' Spicy Barbecue Sauce - Original
1/4 cup honey
3/4 to 1 cup ketchup
1 cup Country Time Lemonade (dry powder) Mix (6 scoops if using spoon in package)

I add to measuring cup in order listed above. Sometimes I add a little garlic salt, when I remember. For those that don't like ketchup, cut Country Time accordingly.

I use this when grilling to get the grill marks (think from sugars in sauce) and to keep from drying meat out. I use on chicken, steaks, burgers, and ribs.


Back Ribs

Been buying boneless back ribs from Sam's (have used country style boneless ribs before - not as lean).


I have been using the following "dry rub" recently on ribs, steaks, and skinless chicken breast.

Ribs
Cut into manageable size - 2 to 3 ribs, trim any excess fat

Wet (wash and leave moist), sprinkle with Adolph's Meat Tenderizer and Emeril's All Purpose Essence spice (all sides). Wrap in saran wrap (couple of pieces per saran wrap). A ziplock bag would probably work. Blame this inane step on Emeril, I am impressionable. It does seem to season and tenderize meat effectively. Usually like to let set in fridge overnight, but a couple hours will suffice.

Place ribs in backing dish, place a coating of bbq sauce on top - bake covered 2 to 3 hours at 260 degrees. Low and slow. Drain off grease.

Coat with bbq sauce and put on grill (medium heat). About 5 to 6 minutes per side. I usually try to get a little char / grill marks. Baste with sauce each time I turn.


No pride in authorship, change as it suits you all.

==========================================================

See? See why we're crazy about him? Recipes from a man, straight out of the hills and hollers of Kentucky, who didn't cook at all three years ago and now he's watching Emeril. How could we not love him? I promise - every one of these will be worth trying your hand at, and 'changing as it suits you all' as he so perfectly puts it. Thanks, Tom.

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

I love 'kicks', and I think it's genetic. The proof is that my daughter, Sarah, loves them more than me, so obviously it's bad genes happily passed down the family tree. When Sarah started talking about Super Foods, I knew any subject that started with capital letters was a prime candidate for going overboard. Where's the plank, let me on the boat! I've done 'kicks' of just about everything you can think of, and cooking hasn't been spared, but this one seemed better for our overall family health than the 'make homemade ice cream which costs way more and is twice as fattening than Hagen Daas purchased at 9 p.m. at the grocery'. So I was game. I'm always game.

As I walked into Barnes and Noble to buy a book on Super Foods, Sarah phoned me, telling me I might as well go ahead and pick up another book, called Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day, because it would save me a trip later, after I heard all about it. So $73.00 later, which did include renewing my membership so I can save all sorts of money at the bookstore, I drove away excited as heck about my three new books, two Super Foods and one Cool Bread Book to go with Super Foods. Where's the kitchen? Let me at it!

It took me two days to get around to making the starter for the bread. I had to warm the oven with the pizza stone and a broiler pan of hot water in it, at 450 degrees. When the fire alarm went off, DH ran up the stairs to see what on earth the Little Missus might be up to, and there I was standing waving the back door open and closed to get the smoke out. A more familiar scene than I like to admit to. So he decided to be helpful and open the front door and set it to stay that way. After we got the smoke alarm to shut off, (and good night don't they always take forever to stop!), I look up and the puppy is in the front yard, happily lopping toward the street and an oncoming car. So I present myself to the entire neighborhood with tons of class by running out in the yard screaming my head off for DH to come and H.E.L.P. M.E. get the dog, before he runs to his death. At least nobody came outside, I'm sure they were all standing behind their drapes watching to see if one of us was going to stab the other, and make tomorrow's front page.

When he comes back into the house, and the kitchen, he quietly asks what on earth am I doing? As if it should be completely obvious, I tell him, "I'm baking bread." I can only imagine what he was thinking. Dear God, thank you for a DH who can keep his thoughts to himself, as it has likely saved our marriage many times over.

Back to the kick/project - even though they suggested I let the dough (sludge) sit in the fridge at least 3 hours, or better yet, a day or so, I couldn't wait any longer, so I followed the directions, which was to cut off a grapefruit size hunk of it and shape it onto a pizza pan. Right. The glob of goo oozed out onto the pan, looking more like a funnel cake at the fair, but I figured it'd do it's thing in the oven. Not so much. It WAS a pretty color, the 1/2" tall 'loaf' (and I use that term loosely) looked like something you'd see in the streets of a tucked away village in Italy, being sold by toothless women with cloth wrapped around their heads. It was not exactly the look I was going for. For me or the bread.

Out of the oven, I sliced a piece of it to see if it could be used as bread with dipping oil. The top layer was wet and ucky, so I took it out onto the patio and the birds and squirrels have been enjoying it for days. Apparently they don't really care if their bread has any yeast action going on.

So today was attempt #2 and I was convinced since I'd left the dough in the fridge as directed, the bread gods would smile on me. Not so much. The dough did have shape to it, but Sarah had told me not to worry, just throw it in a loaf pan and it'll hold it's shape better. So I did that. I also tested the yeast which is only two years old, and after very few bubbles appeared it is now living at the bottom of the trash can. There were a few bubbles, and my expectations were low, but I figured I may as well give it a try. So I warm the oven, place the bread in the loaf pan with a pretty green spring towel over it to let it rise. When the timer went offf twenty minutes later, I turned the oven to 450 to let it warm up.

Five minutes later, with smoke pouring out of the oven, I open it to see that the green towel is now burned a nice toasty color, the bread is just sitting there in shock I guess. I pull off the burned up towel, honestly thankful there are no flames in the oven, because I can't even imagine having to call DH and tell him I've done it again. I figure I may as well continue the test, and bake the stupid bread. Thirty minutes later it came out, the same size it went in. I don't know if the yeast was just exhausted or the bread had a breakdown from trying to rise at 450 degrees.

So I don't know about this current kick. I've purchased new yeast, made a new starter batch and will give it another shot. Whether I can actually make the dough, chill the dough, shape the dough, let the dough rise, and then bake it in the oven at the right time for the right amount of time without burning the house down or killing the dog, I'm not at all convinced. I do know what my birds and squirrels are eating for dinner, again, and I have a new-found respect for the Little Red Hen. Maybe she could make better use of my Barnes and Noble membership card. I don't remember a single part of that story that said anything about almost killing another animal or burning the place to the ground.

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups a.p. flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just til moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or til muffins test done.

The recipe calls for filling 12 muffin cups. I do six, and I pour that batter plumb to the top. What comes out is something that looks like it should be behind the counter at Starbucks, costing $2.50 a pop. The zucchini was from the Farmer's Market last August, but you can still get fresh zucchini at the grocery. Just shred it skin and all, and dump it in. It gives the muffins some umph to keep you going through the morning, and makes them nice and moist too.

The chocolate chips and walnuts? Makes you forget you're eating something relatively good for you, and whether we exchange gifts or not, everyone needs a little bit of chocolate on Heart Day.

Labels: Girl Talk, Slavin' Over the Stove

So this is the final wind up - the final recipe which finishes the final answer: Susie, at Pink Carnation in Bloom asked for the three recipes that are standard fare, sure hits at our house. I knew before I even opened my cookbook which three they would be because, well, they're standard fare. I could make them without recipes - all three of them. So the last one is pure comfort food - it doesn't require china and linen napkins. This should be served around your kitchen table, where hungry family and friends have pulled up on a cold night. You could serve it to 'company', and they might just love some good old fashioned comfort food. I don't know where I got the recipe I've had it so long. And of course I'm changing it up a bit. To keep from being confusing (like I was on the pot roast recipe) I'll just tell you what I do, every time.

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

I promised Susie, at Pink Carnation in Bloom, three recipes that are standard fare at our home. #2 is Paula Deene Pot Roast. "Back in the day" Mom would put a pot roast in the oven before we left for church, leaving it to cook for hours to tenderize the inexpensive meat. By the time we got home and all six kids had changed out of church clothes, Sunday dinner was on the table, looking and smelling wonderful. Mom didn't have what Flylady calls "The Secret Weapon" - a crockpot. It's a lifesaver for me at least once a week, and I can't remember the last time I actually put a pot roast in the oven. The tougher and less expensive the meat, the more ideal it is for a nice long visit to the crockpot. This recipe can be put together in 15 minutes or less, and it'll be ready when everyone walks in the door that evening. That's why it's such a favorite for us.

So here it is - pot roast by the Queen of Cooking in the South - Paula Deene. This recipe is from her "Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook". Paula doesn't mention adding the potatoes and carrots, but I throw them in because it provides the entire meal - the roast, the potatoes and carrots, and the gravy for the top.

You need:

1 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
3 bay leaves
3-4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 - 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 - 1 /2 cup chardonnay wine, optional

Sprinkle roast on all sides, with pepper, salt and garlic powder. In moderately hot skillet brown roast on all sides in oil. Place roast in crockpot. On top of roast layer onion, bay leaves, crushed beef bouillon cubes, crushed garlic and cream of mushroom soup. Add chardonnay. Add just enough water to cover all ingredients sufficiently. Cook on low setting approximately 8 hours.

I add a small bag of baby carrots and 1 potato per person served, scrubbed and chopped into chunky pieces. The gravy from this roast is fantastic! If you want to make this a bit more healthy you can use low sodium beef bouillon cubes, the lower fat / lower sodium mushroom soup, and spray your skillet with pam instead of using oil to brown. Cooking wine can be substituted for the chardonnay if you don't keep wine on hand in your home. I generally just throw in half a glass of whatever we're sipping on that night. f

Note: I've gotten several emails, so to clarify: if you do my version, put the pot roast in, then add the carrots and potatoes on top, then the soup mixture right on top of that. Hope that makes it clearer when to add what!

Add bag salad and some crusty rolls and this is a great meal for having friends or family over. Even the boss maybe if his wife isn't much of a cook. There aren't that many homes these days where Mom is up early putting a pot roast in the oven before heading the kiddies off to church, so it just might be a warm fuzzy memory for him or her! I didn't add a photo because it's a pot roast, and anyone, with some effort, can conjure up what Mom's Pot Roast looked like. I promise - this one will be more tender, and much less work.

PS. Be sure to remove bay leaves before serving. They should not be eaten.

PSS. If you don't own a crockpot, buy one! I actually own three, a small one that cost $9.99 at Walmart - perfect for the two of us, or for making side dishes. The second one is the huge Cuisinart for $99.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond - I used the coupon! It holds enough chili to feed an army, and you'd be surprised how often I drag it out. Both of those have removable liners for easy cleaning. My older crockpot, the one I've had forever, is in the camper. I often make this potroast when we camp, and after a day on the trail or the lake, we come home to Cub Sweetheart and you can smell this pot roast cooking long before we get to our campsite. Crockpots abound at garage sales and thrift stores. It's even nice to keep them on hand for taking a meal in. Make the meal early, drop it off at the home, plug it in, and their dinner will be ready when they are. A nice big piece of masking tape with your name on it will ensure that it makes it back to your home eventually, and since it's a spare there's no hurry returning it.

I still remember after having our third child a girlfriend, Deone from Washburn, North Dakota, showed up at my door. Her husband owned the local grocery and she had in her hand a hunk of raw meat. She told me, stick this in your crockpot! She wasn't much of a cook but she didn't let that stop her from 'taking in a meal'. Funny that I don't really recall what anyone else brought us, but I'll never forget the raw roast that was delivered to our door. Much appreciated and it taught me a valuable lesson - help when you can, where you can, how you can, but help!

Labels: Girl Talk, Slavin' Over the Stove

My last question was from Susie, at Pink Carnation in Bloom, who was sweet enough to be happy I'm moving to Texas soon. She wanted to know my three most standard recipes.
I like to cook and bake. I just don't fuss a lot. When the kids were little it wasn't worth it - dinner took less time to eat than dragging out all the ingredients did. Now that our nest is empty we tend to eat pretty simply. I'm going to put the recipes in three separate posts over several days at least, but you can bet any recipe I give you is easy, a sure-fire winner, and not terribly expensive.

My #1 favorite thing to make: Chili Burros. The recipe from my friend Connie when we lived in Washburn, North Dakota 27 years ago. I'm still making it as do both my daughters.


This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated right before guests arrive. It can also be made and frozen, thawed and reheated. I generally make a pan of it and freeze it to have during holiday busyness. It serves 6 adults, and I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't like it. Key lime pie makes a nice dessert to cool off the tastebuds afterwards.

Surefire hit recipe #1 - enjoy! I don't have a photo of it - just imagine a plate full of spicy, oozy goodness.

Labels: Girl Talk, Slavin' Over the Stove

She used to be Johnny-on-the-spot, getting her Christmas list ready in plenty of time. This doll, that toy, and as she got older, those jeans or that pair of cool tennis shoes (which I got miserably wrong and she has since forgiven me.) Times change, and little girls grow up. Now she's a mother of three little ones, who are busy making their own lists, so hers doesn't get much attention.

This year, however, she phoned me and gave me hers. "Popcorn balls tinted pink, and fudge, cut into little pieces", each with a walnut on the top, and placed between rows of waxed paper in used Russell Stover boxes. Every year we could count on a box arriving a week or so before the big day, and nestled inside would be a much used candy box, packed with See's Fudge. Popcorn balls used as packing would tumble out, and we'd gather them up and place them in a big bowl on the family room coffee table. As the days wound down to Christmas the pile of popcorn balls would get smaller and smaller. My husband would keep count every evening - don't even try to eat more than one in a sitting! Much like your favorite Girl Scout cookie, they only arrived once a year, and he didn't want them all disappearing too quickly.

His mom is now 95 years old and the days of making treats and mailing them in Christmas packages has passed by. Sarah gently suggested that I pick up the ball, or popcorn balls as it would be, and continue on the tradition for her children, and our other children and their children to enjoy. We rarely finished the fudge. What mother in her right mind would let her kids eat a whole box of fudge, knowing she'd have to pick them off the ceiling to get them into bed that night?! Sometime after December 25, I'd pack the uneaten fudge in the back of the fridge and after the New Year passed, I'd eventually throw it out. You can tell I'm not a chocolate lover...

This year I headed to the local grocery and bought three boxes of inexpensive Russell Stover chocolates, opened them at sewing group and asked my girlfriends to help me out by eating them all. I don't really like chocolate, unless it's a light coating over coconut or toffee. Getting ahold of those three empty boxes cost me $14.25. If I'd known that, I'd have saved the ones we received year after year. Next time I visit my mother-in-law I'll be sure to ask her if I can carry home a few or a dozen of her candy boxes, which are surely still tucked away in a closet.

So if you have anyone on your list who has to have fudge to keep their Christmas memories intact, this one is easy to make, and was a sure hit in our home for over 20 years. There are many variations, this is just the one my mother-in-law gave me, and traditions can't be messed with, I'm sticking with this recipe, no substitutions!

Labels: Family Affair, Slavin' Over the Stove

Last week, my daughter Sarah did several posts of her system for menus, grocery shopping, everything associated with keeping a family well-fed, with minimal fuss. I had a system. Hers is better. I've been working on tweaking mine to mimic hers. What's not to love when you raise the kid, they surpass you in an area and in turn they teach you?!

One of Sarah's pointers was to choose a few cookbooks to work from. She mentioned she likes to try new recipes. I second that. I'm easily bored, and figure the price is right for our guests, no matter what I serve. If we entertain I choose a new recipe. If it bombs I don't make it again, and pray our guests will have short memories.

After studying Sarah's post, I headed to our local library, walked down the aisles with my head cocked sideways, til I came across several cookbooks that looked good. After dragging them home, and spending some time going through them, I settled on these three:

House Beautiful: Welcome to the Table (Simple Recipes for Gracious Dinners and Parties). Author is Barbara Scott-Goodman. I was able to order this one, hardback, for under $2.00 at Amazon, with shipping it came to around $6.00. The author not only shares very doable recipes, but tips on setting the table, centerpieces, how to get everything served hot all at once, etc. It's a not-too-thick book that flops open easily on the countertop so I don't have to set heavy bowls or whatever on it to keep it open. For the most part, the recipes didn't require weird or overly expensive ingredients.

Perfect Recipes for Having People Over, author Pam Anderson. Pam is a pastor's wife, which makes me automatically like her, she wrote a previous book called Perfect Recipe which won the Julia Child Award. I paid $11.84 for this book plus s/h. It's fabulous! She starts with the main entree, explaining that most people choose that first, then she gives you menu suggestions (from recipes in the book) to go with it. She adds tips on serving, what season, what occasion, even if it can be prepared ahead of time, and what to do with the leftovers. Her recipes were very doable, some were more elegant for dining room guests, and others were spur of the moment food. I liked this book so much I not only ordered it, I ordered a copy of Perfect Recipe for $2.50. I fully expect it will be good also.

Finally, if you want something to hold the kitchen door open, then you should get this one: The Best of Cooking Light: over 500 of our all-time greatest recipes. Published in 2004 by Oxmoor House. It's a big book, alas it does not stay open easily, but it has great recipes in it. I was able to choose a week of menus very quickly by browsing it's pages. While the previous two books don't give nutritional information, all Cooking Light books do. If you're a Weight Watchers member, you can take the info and easily convert it into points. This one also had a whole section on meatless main dishes. They weren't weird, and not all of them were covered in cheese. We try to eat meatless once a week, but only one member of our family of two is very enthusiastic about doing so. Hence, a really good recipe is pretty important. Since the whole point is to cut cholesterol, throwing cheese all over something meatless seems pointless to me. This one ran a bit more, around $15.00 but it's huge and I expect I'll be able to use it enough to justify the $18.00 it ended up costing me. And there's always a door ajar, right?

It may still officially be Summer, but here in Pennsylvania Fall is creeping across the front doorstep. Rain comes easily, and today is much like a monsoon. Perfect day to cook! I used the Cooking Light cookbook yesterday to make homemade tomato soup with all the tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter. It was wonderful and tickled my husband who actually grew the tomatoes! I know you can buy a can of Campbell's for about 75 cents, but that's not the point. I loved the feel of the whole process of peeling, chopping, seeding the tomatoes, running them through the blender, and watching the soup bubble away. When we ate it for supper, we both noticed it's much more filling than the canned version, and of course the sodium content was much better too. I think I used six large tomatoes to make a large kettle of soup.

Today I'm going to use a recipe I found on Dianne's website, Unfinished Work, to roast some of those tomatoes and later this week they'll find their way into Veggie Lasagna, Sloppy Joes and Meatloaf. All recipes are from these three books. It also feels like bread should be baking, so maybe tomorrow when the rain lets up enough to get something to rise, I'll try one of the bread recipes in the Cooking Light. (Note: Dianne's recipe for roasting tomatoes is linked at the end of the scone recipe. And yes, I'm making the scones tomorrow to serve my sewing group on Thursday.)

I also finally opened an email account at Google, replacing the one I had on yahoo. I ran into a lot of trouble with spam on my computer, and $350 later several people suggested I use gmail instead. They promise 'less spam'. Junk email or that smushed psuedo-ham stuff in the can, less of either is a good thing! The google email link is in my profile.

BTW, tonight is the Season Premier of "Biggest Loser", 8 pm Eastern Time on NBC. My absolute favorite reality show - hope, drama, defeat, triumph, along with motivation to eat more healthy myself - what's not to love? Happy cooking!

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

Now and then little items seem to pile up in my brain. Today seemed a good day to set them out, sort them out, and share them with you - in no particular order -

#1 More important than most of the rest of this list, Happy Birthday Barb. Hope your birthday is wonderful.


#2 Look what arrived in the mail! Shawna at Scamp's Place sent me this wonderful assortment of scrapbooking supplies. I think I forgot to tell anyone I'd won something in the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway. I used some of the stickers to make a 'Good Things' notebook. Thank you, Shawna. Way, way more than I'd hoped for.

#3 For some reason, we're not seeing deer in our backyard much this summer. I've caught a peek or two at a doe with fawns, but for the most part they're staying under the cover of all the growth in the woods. However, the fact that every morning more and more of my blossoms have been nipped off right at the base tells me they are out there. Grrrrrrr.....Maybe my SIL Jeremy has the right idea, shooting them. At least those with petals hanging from their mouths.

#4 Don got his veneers finally this week, after three months of planning, prep work, etc. They look wonderful, so I guess they were worth the five hours he spent in the dentist's chair. We're going out tonight for dinner, to celebrate the fact that he can eat again. Nobody should have to sit in the dentist's chair FIVE hours. Yes, he said it was grueling.

#5 I forgot to tell anyone ahead of time, but there was a show of shooting stars this past Monday night. 40-60 shooting stars were visible per hour, so I was crazy and got up at 2:50 a.m., to sit on the deck in my pjs and watch. I saw five beautiful shooting stars! The only background noise was that of crickets and what sounded like one big frog in the creek out back. I didn't make wishes, but it was worth getting up for. Whatever this shower was, it comes around late July - early August every year, so maybe next year I can remember to put the word out. You'll all be dying to wake up your kids in the middle of the night, I know.

#6 I have a very fun surprise for my husband this next week, for his 9th no-smoking anniversary. We bought him a new fishing rod, we're going out for crablegs Friday night (his choice) and there's one more item to pick up Thursday evening. Can't quite tell yet, just in case the word would slip. I'll tell you later next week. I'm excited!!!!!

#7 I've been quilting up a storm lately - and am amazed how quickly I've gotten rusty. The points are getting a bit nipped, things don't line up so slick, but with practice I should get better. I'm just about to cut out Landon's first birthday quilt - the fabric is "woodlands walk", caterpillars in jars, lady bugs on leaves, dragonflies. I can't wait to get started with it. Maybe someday his son will have it. It'll likely be less than perfect, but stitched with love. I'm taking a little class on binding tomorrow with Dianne's mom, Mary Ann. She's a fellow Sew and Sow.

#8 Kite Runner was a truly beautiful book. There's a scene early on in the book that is painful to read, involving s*exual abuse of a young boy, but it's critical to the book. I was amazed throughout the read, not only by the writer's ability, but the heart that book would come from. It was his first book, incredible. I expect it'll be made into a movie someday. He has another one out, and I've requested it from the library. I'm reading now, at Sarah's nudging, Silas Marner by George Eliot. I'm struggling a bit to get through it, but she promises me it's worth the effort.

#9 The mood to cook is still going strong. If I don't make banana bread tomorrow morning, we may as well turn the place over to the fruit flies. Here's the recipe I'm going to use, for Sarah, who requested it. I like this one because it added oatmeal to the typical banana bread recipe, which doesn't stave off hunger for long:

Labels: Family Affair, Girl Talk, Slavin' Over the Stove

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

Women tend to fall into one of two camps - either they love spending time at the grocery store, or they amble up and down every aisle 'in search of inspiration' as my mother-in-law would say, finding it a necessary evil. I'd say I'm in the first camp most of the time. I'm intrigued by the olive bar, since up until about three years ago I thought there were only two kinds - black pitted and green with pimentos stuck in the ends. The organic section is full of strange and wonderful things, and the ethnic section is great when I have no idea what to make for dinner. They stack all the ingredients for a meal right next to each other, making it easy to whip up a dinner worthy of placemats and fabric napkins. Add to that a fantastic deli, and a prepared food section, and what's not to love?

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove

This is the one I baked this morning, fresh out of the oven. The kitchen smells fabulous!


FILLING:
4 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 2 lbs)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

BATTER:
6 Tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, about 5 1/2 ounces
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (substitute brown if need be)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling, combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. To prepare batter, place butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Place dish in oven 5 minutes or til butter melts. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through dash of cinnamon) in a medium bowl. Combine milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter over butter, spreading evenly (do not stir). Spoon peach mixture over batter, gently pressing peaches into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake an additional 10 minutes or til crust is golden. - serves 8. 6 points on Weight Watchers, 294 calories per slice (Fabulous with ice cream on the side, just add additional points if you're counting!)

Labels: Slavin' Over the Stove