Tomato and Zucchini Pie

This is the time of year for homegrown tomatoes.  I personally am a terrible gardener...just ask my husband, but fortunately, I have friends that garden beautifully.  With a few homegrown tomatoes and zucchini...you can put together a delicious pie to serve as a main dish for a light summer dinner.

Here's the recipe!

One pie crust
About 4 tomatoes sliced, salted, and well drained.
1 zucchini with pulp removed and sliced into bite sized pieces
1 handfull of fresh basil
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup 4 cheese Mexican cheese mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

Place well drained tomatoes into an unbake pie crest.

Layer sliced zucchini on top.

          

Add chopped fresh basil.

Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and then add a drizzle
of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Mix cheeses with sour cream and mayonnaise
and spread on top of pie.

 

Cook at 350 degrees until golden.

Serve warm and enjoy.

Tye Dye Cake

Like mother like daughter, my 16 year old daughter Emma is the cake maker for all of her friends' birthdays and special celebrations.  Emma recently introduced me to her specialty - Tye Dye Cake!  She made this cake yesterday to celebrate her boyfriend Chaz's birthday (which is ironically the same day as her daddy's).  Below is a pictorial of how to make the cake.

Step 1:  Make the cake batter.  Emma uses a vanilla cake mix or you can make yours from scratch.  Divide the batter into about six bowls and individually color each bowl of batter a very bright color.

Step two:  Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or into 3 9" pans using the pouring method below.

The batter should look about like this before

you put it in the oven.

The cake fresh out of the oven.

The finished cake. 

The inside of the cake.

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches

It's summertime and the living is easy!  But what makes summertime even better is a huge box of fresh peaches.  This week I bought a box of peaches from Carroll Farms in Woodberry, GA.  They are sweet and juicy and best of all freestone!  So far....we have enjoyed the peaches on cereal, in a peach crisp, and then yesterday, I made 14 jars of peach jam! I can hardly wait for Christmas morning to enjoy the peach jam on warm buttermilk biscuits!  Get in the kitchen and make something wonderful today from all of the locally grown fruits and vegetables. 

Peach Crisp Recipe

About 8 peaches peeled and cut into slices

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick softened butter

Cut peaches and put in a prepared 8 x 8 dish.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Combine flour, salt and cinnamon.  Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture.  Mix well. Chill slightly.  Crumble the topping mixture over the peaches and bake at 350 until top is crispy and the peaches are bubbling.  Serve with either vaniila ice cream or fresh whipped cream (not the stuff out of a tub or can). 

Blueberry Picking Day!

This morning I spent about an hour picking blueberries at a friend's farm.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the bees were buzzing about.  The grass was still wet with dew and the property managers chickens were clucking in the hen house.  I love going out first thing in the morning to pick fresh berries.  They will soon be in the freezer for us to enjoy all winter long in muffins, cobblers and in our morning cereal. 

If you get a chance....head to a local berry farm and pick your own supply of fresh berries.  You will be glad you did this winter!

Happy 50th Linda and Jim

My dear friend Jan recently planned a 50th wedding anniversary party for her parents Jim and Linda Price.  Jan lives in Florida....I'm in Georgia...and her parents are in North Carolina (almost to the Virginia line).  This cake made it from Georgia to North Carolina in the very back of a Mini Cooper.  Keeping Jan company during the 8 hour drive was her trusty dog Chance....Thankfully the cake made it in one piece and Chance never even thought about taking a lick!

This is Chance......sweetest dog in the world....you see the concern with him riding 8 hours with a cake this size!

Bowling Party

Well if you are going to have a bowling party.....make sure the cake has a bowling ball and ten pins on it.  This was a really fun cake to make and the birthday boy really enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

My precious daughter Emma wanted a BIG cake for her sweet sixteen party and this is what she got. Pink ribbons, gum paste Gerber Daisies, and tons of vanilla buttercream frosting decorated this lemon pound cake.

Game of Life Birthday Cake

My father-in-law celebrated his 80th birthday with a huge birthday bash given by his children.  I had a ball making this cake.  The game spaces were filled with memories of his life.

Wedding Cake for Lucinda

Happiness is making a cake for someone you love and admire.  This wedding cake was made for a dear friend for her wedding this past spring.  Congratulations Lucinda and John!