Purple Beauties!

I have no idea what these Purple Beauties are...but they've been a part of my flower gardens for approximately 12 years. Perhaps they were gifted to me by one of our local birds as they visited our feeders or birdbaths...did you know that can happen?

These flowers are so easy. They come back every year. They bloom early and continue through the hottest summer days as long as you "dead head" the spent flowers which quickly go to seed pods that look like brown ball shapes about the size of a baby pea. Then you can distribute the seed pods wherever you like. They will grow in sun or shade. If the seed pods mistakenly start to grow in a place you don't want ... just dig up the plant and move it to another place.

This is a very forgiving plant and will reward you with months of blooms!

Easy Peach Melba Pie

Are you looking for a tasty and easy pie recipe? This is the perfect pie for your family or a pot luck dinner. In my opinion, most pie fillings are just too sweet but the tartness of the raspberries solve that issue. Top a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...well need I say more? Aw...come on seriously...just try it...I promise you'll love it!

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Easy Peach Melba Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients:

Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust (2 Crust Package)
use 1 pie crust at room temperature to hold the pie filling
place the 2nd pie crust in the refrigerator so it stays chilled

2 Cans of Peach Pie Filling
1/3 Cup Frozen Raspberries
Cinnamon/Sugar (1 tsp sugar + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)

2 sheets of Wax Paper or Parchment Paper about 12x12 inches

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Fill the room temperature pie crust with the Peach pie filling.

Top off the pie filling with the frozen raspberries. (I scatter the raspberries here and there on the top of the pie filling.)

Roll-out the chilled pie crust between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper (that way the crust won't stick to your work surface and you don't need to add flour). You only need to roll it out to measure 1 inch wider than your filled pie crust.

Now cut the rolled out pie crust into strips. Lay the strips criss-cross over the pie and crimp the edges together. As you can see in the photo I like a rustic looking pie and besides this pie never lasts long enough for anyone to notice if the strips aren't perfect.

Bake the completed pie in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. If the pie crust edge starts to brown too fast...cover the crust edge with 2 inch wide strip of aluminum foil - just fold it over the crust edge. Return the pie to the oven and continue baking.

After it has baked for 25 minutes, carefully remove the pie from the oven, remove the aluminum foil strips from the edges and sprinkle the entire pie with the Sugar/Cinnamon mixture.

Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream if you'd like, and it's even more DELICIOUS! And nobody needs to know just how easy it is!

Here's a close up...mmmm look at that perfect crust, the peach filling and wow look at the raspberries!

Recipes / Cheaters Chili with Sweet Cornbread

So do you ever have one of those days...it's cold outside, you're busy, the family is hungry and someone needs to get something on the table that's tasty, quick and economical to make?

Here's my solution...Cheaters Chili...I know chili purists will not be pleased with this recipe but that's why we have diversity in the kitchen. Right?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 - medium onion, minced
1 - 14.5 oz Can of Ranch Style Beans
1 - 14.5 oz Can of Pinto Beans
1 - 14.5 oz Can of Diced Stewed Tomatoes

salt to taste - I use 1 to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons
pepper to taste - I use 1 teaspoon
Chili powder to taste - I use 1 & 1/2 tablespoons
Cayenne Pepper - to taste - I use 1/2 teaspoon
Comino seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Minced Garlic - to taste - I use 1 tablespoon


LET'S START COOKING!

Brown the ground chuck, rinse off any fat from the meat and the pan. Then put the cooked ground chuck back in the same pan.


Add the minced onion and cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent.


Add the Ranch Style beans, the pinto beans and the diced tomatoes...including the liquid in each can...not to worry it won't be soupy...it thickens up just great.

Next, add all the spices. Stir, cover the pot with a lid, turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes or up to an hour. Keep your eye on it, stir once and awhile and then....

TA-DAA YOUR CHEATERS CHILI IS READY TO EAT!


I serve ours with dollops of sour cream and sprinkle on grated cheese. I also serve another family favorite with the Cheaters Chili... my "Sweet Fluffy Cornbread"...you will find the recipe below.

If there's any chili left over...I freeze it and when I need a SUPER QUICK MEAL...I pop it in the microwave and TaDaa...dinner is served!



SWEET CORNBREAD RECIPE

I guess it's a Texas thing but my family loves sweet cornbread. If you're interested...it's easy...tasty...so here we go!



Ingredients

1 package of cornbread mix
1 package of biscuit mix OR 1 Cup of Biscuit mix
2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like it REALLY sweet)
1 egg
Milk...the cornbread package defines 2/3 cup

Now with the additional biscuit mix added to this recipe, the milk measurement will change...so this is how I calculate the amount of milk to add...After adding the egg to the dry ingredients...I add 2/3 cup of milk and carefully add one tablespoon of milk at a time until I get the mixture to the right consistency. Similar to a thick cake batter but definitely not runny...clear as mud right? If it gets too runny just add some more biscuit mix a tablespoon at a time until it thickens up.

Then pour the mixture into a greased pan and bake according to the cornbread package directions.

My oven cooks really hot! So, I heat the oven to 400 degrees while I'm mixing the cornbread up. Then when I put it in the oven, I lower the baking temp by 375 degrees. It bakes till the sides are turning light brown and the center is firm. To be absolutely sure it done, I check it by sticking a toothpick in the center of the cornbread...if it comes up clean...it's DONE! Can you see the hole in the center of the cornbread?


We love it...it's light, fluffy, sweet and delicious...and compliments the HOT of the chili! I hope you like it too!