Fear of Firsts

I'm feeling a little anxious.

And it's still just September.

See, my family and in-laws are going on a ski vacation at then end of November.

Did I mention yet that I've never gone skiing and have barely seen enough snow for someone to ski on even if they wanted.

I also have a problem with cold weather. I'm not really a fan. I'm more of a beach gal or cool 70 degrees weather gal.

BUT...I'm going to suck it up. I'm going to try, I think. Unless I get a better offer.

BUT...I'm super excited to see my men in their snow gear. How cute will O be. I bet he'll be sledding with the pros by the end of the weekend.

BUT...if all else fails, I'll be sitting cozy inside some coffee shop sipping some hot chocolate or whatnot watching the snow fall by a nice warm fire. Now that, I am not anxious at all about.

Anyone else have any weird fears of firsts?

A Day of Labor in the Kitchen

We had a great Labor Day holiday around Fort O'Brien. My parents came in, Jennifer and Jamie came over and we had a great time just hanging out.

For our festive meal, we prepared PW's Braised Brisket, homemade potato salad, baked beans, corn AND an awesome dessert.

And this is the dessert, I wanted to share with you today. It's another Pioneer Woman recipe, and it is sooo good. I love a good peach cobbler. Sometimes, it's a little too bland of a crust or seems to take too long. This is a perfect compromise! It has a great crisp on top, sweet peaches and a super surprise to go on top!

PW's Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

Your cast of characters:

• 5 whole To 6 Whole Fresh Peaches (best When Not Overly Ripe Or Soft)
• 1 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
• 1/2 whole Lemon
• 7 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup, Divided
• 1-1/2 cup Whipping Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

Preparation Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut butter into small pieces and gradually add to flour mixture until evenly mixed.  (I just use my hands here...seems to go a bit faster.) I actually accidently added a bit of maple syrup on this step the last time and I think it tasted pretty good too!

Peel peaches into a bowl. (Give skins to hungry kid that won't leave your side.) Add the zest from half a lemon. Squeeze juice from lemon half and stir in with peaches and zest. Add 2 tablespoons real maple syrup to peaches, stir well.

Pour peach mixture into a small pan (8” or 9” square) and cover evenly with crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top. I also turned on the broiler to crisp up the top at the end of baking.
Maple Cream Sauce:

Pour whipping cream into a saucepan. Add 5 tablespoons real maple syrup, 3 tablespoons corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, approximately 15 minutes. Refrigerate mixture until it is cold and thick, or set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice (the ice will melt and turn into ice water). Stirring your mixture, it will cool and thicken in about 15 minutes. Drizzle sauce over peach crisp. Serve warm. Then try to find everything and anything else to put sauce on. OMG! Also, if you have some on hand...a wee bit of rum in the sauce is aawwwwweeesooommmmee!!
Thanks PW, for some stellar recipes for a wonderful day with the family! Make, eat, enjoy!!