“Peaches now!” The handmade sign on foam board leaning against the pickup in a mall parking lot declared we are in peach season. Everyone is looking for great recipes to use the bounty. This spicy peach salsa fits the bill and is absolutely gorgeous! The combination of deep colors is beautiful, The delicious blend of sweet and spicy flavors makes it a wonderful addition to simply prepared fish, chicken, or pork dishes. For best results, make this salsa the night before serving so the flavors have a chance to blend. This will also soften the peaches and onion to a nice consistency. Shallots have a milder flavor than onions, including scallions, aka green onions. They are just the bulb, from which you remove the end and the skin before chopping. I don’t know why, but I seldom see ... [Read More]
Condiment
Cranberry Pear Sauce
Colorful and delicious Cranberry Pear Sauce will be a hit this holiday season! It is super quick and easy to make with no refined sugar. Its sweetness comes naturally from ripe pears and a touch of real maple syrup. It is a superb accompaniment to turkey and other poultry as well, as pork tenderloin or pork roast. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never look at store-bought cranberry sauce the same. What kind of pear to use? Bartletts hold their flavor but break down and become "saucy" when heated so they are a good choice for this recipe. They have a true “pear shape” with a large, rounded bottom half that tapers to a smaller curved neck with slender stem. Bartletts come in two colors, red and yellow, that are unique in the pear world in that they darken as they ripen. Bartletts ... [Read More]
Cinnamon Pickles
My recipe card for Cinnamon Pickles, stained with red food coloring, always makes me smile at my friend's distinctive handwriting. Cindy was my north star for a short time. You know, the kind of friend that comes into your life and points a different direction. I became a stay at home mom when my job I loved ended due to budget cuts. The notion of being at home with my sons was not entirely unwelcome since Wheels and I “sort of” planned that lifestyle, but the adjustment of being ONLY with them was challenging, to say the least! I come from a large family, I love people and had always been with a group of friends and coworkers most of the day. And the constant responsibilities of a newborn and a toddler ---- I was a professional but no amount of “professionalism” was going to get ... [Read More]