Six weeks to go...

Not quite yet a Momma, I am starting this blog in order to help pass the time as I wait for my son to finish baking. I have six weeks to go, getting more and more tired and cumbersome as the days go and finding myself staring at way too much pointless television.

Let me start by saying I love to cook. I love to eat. I love food like artists love art, musicians love music and some guys love porn. I am addicted to good food, so much so that I dream about it, salivating over the images of imaginary dishes I create in my mind during my work day. It is easy to find me engaged in a creation while I go about my day, secretly mincing, dicing, sauteing and adding my own flair to another recipe that I crave. I crave food ~ and once it is in my mind, there is little that can bring the image, scent, taste and feel of it from my mind. Yes, the word obsessive does come to mind...

As I prepare to become a mother, I want to share my passion of homemade food. I want to prove to other mothers out there that you don't have to resort to pre-made, processed foods because of the lack of time and energy when dealing with a newborn. Sure, it takes a lot of energy and time, but for a fabulous well made meal it is worth it. Not only is the flavor a million times better, it is cheaper and healthier. The level of salt, fat, and lovely "extras" the food companies add to our prepackaged food is insane when compared to what you can make at home.

Please let me state that I am not wealthy, I am not a "Whole Foods" shopper and you will not see me picking up a twenty dollar organic chicken for our supper. I am a coupon clipper, sale searching real wife who shops at our local grocery stores and discount shops. I try to buy local vegetables and fruits when in season not because they taste better (even though they do) but because I am cheap and it is less expensive. Yes, I happily admit that I am cheap, I am always looking for ways to stretch our budget and now that this little guy is coming, I am always looking for ways to get a second meal out of the first.


I find that the best way to get a wonderful dish is to use fresh, simple ingredients. Tonight, I got a craving for a peach tart, and, as I said before, once in my mind it is hard to get it out. August is a wonderful time of the year for peaches, and here in Oregon we are lucky to find local ones. It is amazing how such simple ingredients such as flour, butter, eggs, sugar and peaches can make such a complex and mouth watering item. I took pictures before it went in the oven, salivating as it baked and had seconds once it was served. I am in heaven.... maybe I need thirds?

Summer Peach Tart
Pate Sucree:
1 1/3 cups flour
5 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp lard
5 tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
filling:
3-4 fresh peaches
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
sliced almonds as a garnish

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder. Rub lard and butter into the flour mixture until it resembles large pea sized lumps. In a small bowl, mix egg, water and vanilla with a fork and add to flour/butter mixture. Mix until dough comes together, pat out into a disk and place in plastic wrap for minimum of one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out chilled dough and place into tart shell. Gently stretch dough to fit the sides and pinch off over edge of shell. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or beans, bake for 15 minutes and let cool.

Boil a medium sized pot of water to a rolling boil. Add peaches and boil for 10 -15 seconds, remove and cool until you can handle them. Peel off skins, cut in half and remove pits. You can slice them or leave them in halves, depending on what you like best.

Sprinkle 3 tbsp of sugar over bottom of crust, place peaches in a pretty pattern over sugar until tightly packed. Top with remaining sugar and dot with cold butter. Place on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 or until the fruit is slightly browned and juices are syrupy.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Serve warm or cool. Yummy!!!