Ode To Peach Bread

I discovered this Peach Cobbler Bread, made by the Bungalow Bread Company in Beaverton (Bungalowbread.com) about 2 months ago. I love this Peach Bread. So much that i am willing to ignore the six dollar price tag in order to buy it every week. And eat a slice of it every single morning with a cup of tea.

Peaches have always been my favorite fruit, and i am a huge sucker for anything peach flavored. I remember my Dad introducing me to Peach Snapple when i was younger, and it quickly became my favorite beverage. Peach Yogurt, Peach Pie, Peach Ice Cream, I love them all. Yet none of these are as delicious as this Peach Bread. 

Bryan and I are moving to Salt Lake City early next year, and i find myself most concerned about how I will survive even a day without it. Bryan thinks i should just learn how to make it myself, however i find half of the joy of the bread comes in not having to actually do any work to enjoy it.

 Peach Bread, I Love You.

-Kelly

Pear and Brie Pie

Since Bryan is allergic to both pears and apples unless they have been cooked, it was decided that we would make a Pear Pie. To spice things up a bit, we decided to add chunks of Brie atop the pears before putting the top crust on. This turned out to be a great idea. Fruit and cheese is always great together, however they are even better together when baked into a hot pie. Try this.

We did not use a recipe for this pie, we just looked up an apple pie recipe as a template, substituted pears, and topped it with Brie. Improvising can be delicious.

Next, instead of making more pumpkin cheesecake bars, i decided to keep with the pie theme and make a Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie. Yum!

-Kelly

Rye Meatballs & Pasta

Alaskan Winter Ale (with spruce tips, yum!)

The only bread I had was Rye, so I put a few slices in the oven at 175 for about half an hour. I then ground them to crumbs in a food processor. They came out very tasty, the bread really added a lot of depth to the flavor.

Next time I'll use more breadcrumbs, I think they could have been a bit more tender.

-Bryan

Bars, Bars, Bars

This weekend I went Bar-Crazy. Grab-and-Go desserts have always been a favorite of mine, they are usually pretty simple to make and are super convenient. I can throw a few in my lunch for work, or grab one or two for a midnight snack.  Here are a few of my favorites!

Lemon Blueberry Bars

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Carrot Cake Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This was the first time I ever baked with pumpkin! They came out rather well, however not as sweet or as dense as I would have liked. Perhaps because I used whipped cream cheese instead of regular. I will probably tweak this recipe a few times before Thanksgiving until its perfect.

-Kelly

Chocolate Mousse

The first time I made Chocolate Mousse I vowed never to make it again without a Kitchen Aid.  It is hard, and it hurts. Whisking egg whites into peaks is no easy task. After one failed attempt, two borrowed eggs, some Google research, and over an hour of vigorous whisking (you're not supposed to stop once you start!) I finally had peaks. And my hands hated me. For the next 2 days my wrists were in pain. But it was the most delicious chocolate-y dessert we had had in quite some time. And would probably never have again...

...until I realized I already had a Kitchen Aid, and his name is Bryan! Four days later we decided we needed more Mousse. He promised to do all of the whisking, and so we promptly left for Trader Joes. But Trader Joes was out of the delicious semi-sweet chips we had used before, and so we settled for the insanely bitter alternative. Which did NOT have a recipe for mousse on the back like the other bag did. So of course we dug the other recipe out of the trash, added double the sugar and butter, and crossed our fingers.

It was great! Especially when put over home made Mango Ice Cream and Raspberries, and topped with Blackberries and Blueberries. We're already planning our next Mousse...Watermelon! I assume we will make it whenever Bryan's wrists recover.

-Kelly

Leftovers:

Roasted Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Garlic Hummus, Roasted Red Peppers soaked in Vinegar, and Arugula

Roasted Chicken

The last time I tried to roast a chicken I used the high heat method for crispier skin, but the veggies got a little too blackened on the outside. This time I decided to salt the chicken two hours beforehand and let it sit in the fridge. I then put the chicken in @ 450º F for 15 minutes and then took it out and added veggies to the pan, laid some thick-cut applewood smoked bacon strips over the top, and turned the heat down to 325º for 20 minutes per pound. It came out pretty great. The veggie mixture was just red and russet potatoes, carrots, red onions and garlic, with some garlic and onion stuffed inside the cavity. Both Kelly and I cannot remember ever having such tender, rich chicken. It was perfect. I think the Pink Himalayan salt makes a huge difference.

I was also too lazy the last time to use the bones and giblets for stock, which is really almost a crime. You can freeze some for flu season chicken soup, use it in chili, stew, gravies, etc.

Looks kind of gross, but it will be quite useful. We'll update with pictures of the chicken sandwiches we'll make! :)

-Bryan