Blackberry and Peach Cobbler

Ahhh. Sweet and delicious Blackberry cobbler. I've been wanting some of this for a few days now and finally got around to making it. It's another Pioneer Woman recipe and it's easy as pie... actually, easier! Check it:

1 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flower
( mix these together)
1 cup milk ( whisk it in baby)
1/2 cup melted butter ( that's one whole stick- add it in there! Now whisk it! Whisk it good!)
Put the cobbler mixture in a buttered baking dish
2 cups Blackberries ( of the fresh or frozen variety- Just throw them on top)
1/4 cup more sugar ( sprinkle over the top of all that beauty)*
Bake for an hour at 350 degrees. That's that.

* This is "all that beauty" before it gets sprinkled with sugar and popped in the oven.
For an extra tasty alternative I made one with peaches and blackberries. I'm usually not one to brag but this was the best cobbler I have ever had. No joke. You may kiss my ring.

Grandma Sylvia's Delicious Chili Beans

I finally tried to make my Grandma's Chili Beans which are my favorite thing in the world to eat at her house. They remind me of summers spent watching "The Wonder Years," playing with fabric scraps making quilts, embroidering, and scrapbooking together. Basically, delightful childhood memories. Without further ado:

3 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 finely diced medium sized onion

1 1/2 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1 mounded tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. ground beef

1 can stewed tomatoes

4 tsp. of chili powder

1. Sort and rinse beans. Add beans, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic in large pot. Cover with water about two inches above the ingredients. Simmer on medium heat for 2 hours. *

2. Brown meat, season to taste. Do this step just before the beans are done.

3. Add meat and stewed tomatoes to the beans

4. In a separate dish, mix some of the bean juice with the chili powder to make a paste. Add to beans.... blend well.

5. Simmer on low heat for "a while" and serve.

* Be sure to check the water and make sure it isn't running low. I thought I could run to the grocery store...bad idea. I took it out on Aubrey which was also a bad idea!

I tried again, determined to make these beans ( albeit for dinner now instead of lunch). I screwed up again because I added 4 tablespoons of chili instead of 4 teaspoons. I wouldn't recommend this. Also, next time I would actually measure the salt...two shakes didn't do it.

Moral of the story? Pay attention and listen to your Grandma! I have a sneaky suspicion that even if I followed the instructions perfectly, they still wouldn't taste as great as they do while curled on the couch with a steamy mug and continuously turning down the offers for more ( knowing more is on the way anyway=).

Spork Theory

This probably exceeds the amount of acceptable posts for one day but I have to share this deep conversation with Aubrey regarding my new found pleasure in blogging...

Amanda: I should get a spork to use in my pictures for my blog. You know, to round out the theme.
Aubrey: Yeah....
(small pause)
Aubrey: Yeah, you could get like 20 of them in a package.
Amanda: No, I want a titanium one to match my hip.

P-Dub Dinner

One of my favorite bloggers is The Pioneer Woman (http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/) or, as I like to call her, P-Dub. P-Dub selflessly expresses her love with tons of butter and bacon grease to her cowboy husband, Marlboro Man. Turns out, bacon is a good expression of love to any man. I made "Marlboro Man's Second Favorite Sandwich" for dinner tonight and received approximately 112 bacon-grease kisses. I didn't take a pic because I was too busy devouring it but this is a very close approximation to mine. To feel a little better about all that bacon and cheese, I made an herb salad with fat-free dressing to go with it ( baby steps to health here).

The complete recipe can be found here:http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/2007/06/marlboro_mans_s.html

So, was it as delicious as it looks?

Aubrey gives it his top smile rating. Aww, my heart soars...

Berry Blues

These little beauties are from the Pikes Place Farmers Market in Seattle. I am completely consumed in a daydream of piping hot berry cobbler right now as I look out my work window and see sleet and a dead bush. MUST MAKE COBBLER!

Made for each other....

I've found that everywhere I go, I come back with more pictures of food than anything else. I also find that no matter how many hobbies I pick up, I always stick with cooking and exploring new things. Well, like fork and spoon, travel + food = a new blog to store my tasting adventures in and out of my own kitchen. Aubrey is loving this idea...