fresh-picked pancakes

What do you do when your daughter gives you delicious fresh peaches and your friend gives you scrumptious fresh raspberries from her backyard?

You make whole wheat pancakes with fresh fruit filling. Mmmmmm. Give it a try.

peach perfection

Peaches have been fabulous this year. They are so juicy and sweet...I can't resist them. I've been adding them to everything. My latest obsession is fresh peaches cooked with oatmeal (topped with brown sugar of course). I realize it has been 90+ degrees outside, but in my air conditioned house this oatmeal hits the spot. Give it a try.  

soups on

In an efffort to keep up with this month's health challenge, and because I have it coming out of my ears, I've been adding squash to everything. It's especially good sautéed and added to roasted red pepper and tomato soup. I topped it with a little fresh parmesan cheese and some garlic croutons. Mmmmm. Can't you just taste it? Makes me excited for Fall.

OH WHAT A FILLING!!

My friend Tami 

brought me over some beautiful apples 

from her apple trees this week.

They looked almost too good to eat.  Almost . . . .

  After I took a few pics of them,

I  started thinking about my sister's delicious apple pie filling. 

I decided to try my hand at making some of my own.

I started out peeling the apples by hand with a paring knife.

Then I remembered this fancy little apple peeler/slicer thing

I had tucked away in my storage room.  

It worked like a dream!  

All of my little slices were perfectly even 

and just the right thickness for my taste.

 

It wasn't long before I was filling the jars 

and putting them in the canner.

One box of apples made about 12 quarts of pie filling.

Bring on the crust!!

 

Thanks for the apples Tami!

And, thanks for the delicious recipe Sis!!

OLE'

There are few things I enjoy more than my garden tomatoes.  

Every year I look forward to picking them by the bushel and making my yummy salsa. 

This year was no exception.

My jars have been waiting. . .

and the tomatoes are finally ripe and ready.

First I remove the skins of the tomatoes.

Then, I chop them up in the food processor

 and put them in a large stockpot.

Next, I add plenty of onions, bell peppers,

 jalapeno peppers,

and garlic, of course,

It's a lot of chopping and by now my eyes are watering like mad!!

 I cook the salsa out on the BBQ burner 
so my house won't smell like salsa for a week.

It takes a couple of hours to thicken up good.

Into the jars it goes.

It's sealed and processed in the canner for 30 minutes.

Mmmm! I love my garden fresh tomatoes!