Summer 'Mater Sammiches

I just can't go on without sharing this experience.  It seems simple for some, but it is just so satisfying and simple...and of course for me, it brings many great memories back to the surface. 

Wheat bread, juicy maters, southern Duke's Mayo, salt and freshly ground pepper...that's all you need to experience this creamy, salty and acidic goodness.

Bubbly Summer Apple Triple Crust Cobbler

The refreshing yet warm, country smell of apple cobbler reminds me of Fall, only a little bit early...cinnamon, brown sugar, and of course, the crisp yellow apples.  

To me, the best thing about a cobbler is the crust.  If you agree, you would love, love, love this!  It has a soft bottom crust, a crisp top crust, and an extra crispy crust drizzled over the top before baking.

This extra crispy, thin crust is what makes this cobbler delish.  Made of equal parts brown sugar and butter, and a little flour, it gives the apples a caramel kiss of flavor.  You can almost eat it like a cookie, sopping up all of the melted ice cream and applesauce that has left its mark on your plate.

The second best part has to be the home grown apples.  They are the bigger and better this year, the best I have seen in the 8 years I have lived here. I am still unsure what type of apples they are, other than a gracious, soft, yellow apple, not too sweet, and not too tart.  They seem a little mealy, but nothing a little cooking can't fix!

And last but not least, the cobbler must be eaten warm with a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, slowly melting down the sides.  After this scoop of vanilla, I just might have to switch to the butter pecan...hmmmmm.

The end product is a warm, thick, and bubbly cobbler, with a cool, creamy melting ice cream, tart summer apples, and lots of homemade love in my tummy!

The "O" Balls

Last year, for the holidays,  I decided that shopping for gift after gift was a bit too much of the norm.  I wanted to give a gift that had a "bite" of a special touch. Let's just say I felt like Willy Wonka and the Keebler Elves had visited my home.  I made all kinds of cookies, breads, candies, and spiced nuts for friends and family.  And then there were these...oreo balls.  I was surprised when I was told by my step dad (Ken) that these were his absolute favorite "sitting-at-the-computer-late-at -night-snack."

These "preciouses" consist simply of oreos, cream cheese, white chocolate, and of course, a little bit of love.  The sandwich cookies are lightly crumbled, mixed with cream cheese, and then covered in creamy white chocolate.  I had no idea these would be soooo tasty. With a crisp white chocolate shell, and a soft, cakey, dark chocolately filling, its was a match made in heaven. One can only imagine why Ken calls them "O" Balls...of course it's because they are made with oreos...ha ha.

I made a couple dozen upon request for one of my husband's friends...the result...no other "brownie" is allowed to replace the oreo balls in their house...

So who knew something so simple could start such conversations, deliver such smiles, and create such memories?  Especially something that my very own hands created...

P.S.  I wonder what would happen if I accidentally spilled some mint extract into them next time? Hmmmmm.....

Crabapples are such a yummy treat!

The low branches were hanging full!

The center contains seeds like an apple.

These tiny and tart fruits are similar in appearance to apples.  They grow in bunches with a stem similar to those of cherries.  They have an extremely tart flavor, comparable to lemons.

Crabapples are grown normally for their ornamental abilities.  But I was curious.  Since they were an edible fruit, I figured there had to be some way to utilize the bearing fruit.  The only recipes that I found were for jelly, chutneys, or cooked in addition to another ingredient, mainly because they are inedible by themselves.  They are packed with a natural fruit gelatin called pectin, which is the ingredient that causes jelly to thicken.  When cooked with sugar and pushed through a sieve, they produce this wonderful, flavorful, vibrant, ruby jelly.

Crabapples are very labor intensive.  I spent about half an hour plucking these delights from the tree.  I was accompanied by the sound of a gray dove somewhere in the distance, and a light breeze to keep me cool.

Wonderful as an afternoon snack!

Next I took them inside, removed the stems (which was no easy task), and thoroughly washed them to remove the bloom ends.  They were then cut, cooked, and strained.  Sugar was added, and the pulp was reduced once more.  Then it was poured into a glass jar and allowed to cool overnight. Definitely well worth the wait...even Charles enjoyed it!

From my very own tree!

There is absolutely nothing better than harvesting your own fruit to fill your own tummy and fridge...

Cooking for Someone Special...

Out of all the people I have fed or prepared food for, the most intriguing has been my husband, Charles.  The poor guy is the guinea pig of my cooking and testing...but it turns out he likes more things than he thought he did!

Me and Charles

One day we had a conversation on the food that we grew up with, and he told me his fondest memories of his mother cooking homemade biscuits every night to go with the fried pork chops and pintos, or meatloaf with tomato topping and mashed potatoes.  So I felt like it was my calling to reproduce these meals that were obviously so near and dear to his heart.  Preparing meals for Charles in the same way his mother used to, who is now deceased, fulfills my passion to share my love for food with the ones I love.

We both agreed that I will never be able to reproduce these meals exactly the way she did...her hands were so different from mine, and I don't own the wooden "biscuit bowl" that she used to make those lovely, rounded top biscuits.

But I sure was going to try...

The smells and sounds in my warm kitchen while I cooked the fried porkchops reminded Charles of times when he himself would prepare this meal down at the old white house he was raised in.  He pointed to a burn scar on his hand where the grease popped and burned him.  To him, and I guess to just about every home cook, a "fried" pork chop is dusted in flour and seasoned with "just salt and pepper,"  and then fried in a cast iron frying pan.  The smile on his face reminded me of why I love to touch someone's heart through food.

Delights from My Garden--Part 2

As the summer continues, my cupboard continues to fill with lots of tasty things, some with a childhood memory attached, and others left open to start new beginnings.  I will begin with the grapes.

"I heard it through the grapevine.."

Their twisty, curly vines wrap around the man- built frame, supporting tiny bunches of premature grapes; accompanied by the sweet smell and honeysuckle.  The grapes are a new and exciting venture for me, I can't wait to see how these tiny bundles of joy grow!

Honeysuckle contains a sweet, edible nectar. 

 Next up are the famous wild blackberries.  To me, summer just isn't summer without them.  I spent many summers picking blackberries in the dark until my fingertips turned purple...now that's love!

Looks like the critters enjoy them too!

I enjoy eating them just as they are, right off the vine, or, rinsed and chilled (if they make it back to the house). But, my all-time favorite would still have to be homemade blackberry cobbler (right out of the oven), topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.  Summertime lovin'...lovin in the summertime!

The blackberry "bush"

Delights from My Garden--Part 1

German Johnsons are going to be here soon!

Wow! I have quite a few delightful treats in my garden this year!

First and foremost, the German Johnson tomatoes...I can't wait...and the Marion heirlooms right beside them.  I can't wait to fight for that tangy juice from the bottom of the bowl, to be able to make a sloppy sammich with just salt and pepper, or to simply eat one like an apple...dirt and all.

 There's also quite a few different varieties and colors of summer apples-red, green, and yellow.  It is such a joy to watch them grow and mature into a tasty morsel...whether eaten raw, in a cobbler, cooked to perfection in a cast iron frying pan, or pureed into homemade applesauce.  Nothing better than shaking the tree to have them fall from up above...like pennies from heaven.

Apples in the morning dew

Apples from 1 of about 8 trees in my yard

 Last year I had all of 1 peach from my tree.  I distinctly remember my mom trying to tell me that there was a ripe peach on my tree.  I didn't believe her...it had been very dry, and none of the trees had produced anything all year. But sure enough, there it was, a beautiful piece of art. I carefully plucked the single peach off the tree.  As I bit into it, I realized it was the freshest,  sweetest, juiciest, peach I have ever put in my mouth...too bad it was the only one :(.

...gonna eat alota peaches." 

"Movin to the country...

So this year I have 2 trees hanging full of 'lil peaches, and I am hoping that we are granted with enough sky juice to once again produce these flavorful, ripe, fuzzy  peaches.

 ...yes Juli, I remember the 6 hour tour...with all the peaches!

Blackberries...Take Me Back To The Good 'ol Days

Sitting here eating blackberries...soft yet crunchy, sweet yet tart...takes me directly back to my childhood. I vividly remember picking wild blackberries in the edge of the woods on a hot, humid summer night. Most of the time it was a treat after a long day of hauling corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, squash, potatoes and butter beans to the house from Gingi's garden. The sound of tree frogs and crickets in the background, the setting sun (if it wasn't already dark), sweat dripping down from Gingi's sweat band ,and the smell of honeysuckle. There was nothing better than sticking your already dirty hand into a prickly bush, and finding that big fat juicy berry. The end result...purple stained fingertips and seeds in your teeth...yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tummy!


I will also never forget the red bike tire tracks I received while picking blackberries...;)