Secret Ingredient: Peach Cobbler

     Is there anything more summery than a bowl of warm peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream? The warm crispy edges are my FAVORITE! Peach cobbler has always been one of my most-loved desserts, and it's one of the easiest desserts to make! My Mom always had a little something special she would add to peach desserts, so really, the credit for this Secret Ingredient recipe belongs to her. *blows kiss to mommy*

     First things first, for an extra delicious cobbler, use FRESH peaches! You can always use frozen peaches that have been thawed, or canned peaches. But there really is nothing better than a fresh peach! I leave the skin on my peaches because I don't mind eating it, and I think it gives such a nice pop of color in the cobbler. If you prefer no skins, feel free to peel them before adding them to your cobbler.
     Now for the secret ingredient. Almond Extract. !!! I add some to the batter and also drizzle it over the peach slices. It is amazing the added layer of flavor that the almond extract gives! You will love it. I promise! :-)
   

Secret Ingredient: Peach Cobbler

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. almond extract, divided

3 c. sliced, fresh, peaches (about 3 peaches)

     Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place butter in a 9x13 pan and put it in the oven. Let butter melt completely and brown slightly. While the butter is melting, mix sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the milk and 1/4 tsp. almond extract and stir until the batter is smooth. Set aside. Slice peaches, peel if desired, and drizzle remaining almond extract over the slices. Once the butter is melted, pull the pan out of the oven. Pour batter over the melted butter. Do NOT stir! Place peach slices on top of the batter. Bake for 40 minutes or until the batter is slightly browned. Serve warm with ice cream. :-)

     Hope you enjoy making this easy and satisfying peach cobbler! Don't forget to add the secret ingredient! Would love for you to comment and let me know how you liked it. :-)

All Natural Silverware Cleaning Method

     A dear friend recently gave me a set of silverware. YAY! It was very tarnished and definitely needed some work. I wasn't about to spend hours polishing silverware that would only be used a few times, so I decided to research a bit to find a better, easier way to clean my sad silverware.

     I have already done a similar post on how to clean your jewelry with items from your kitchen, and I wanted to clean the silverware with something other than harsh chemicals, so I used *almost* the same method, with a few adjustments.

     All you need is a sturdy pan, (preferably made of glass), aluminum foil, baking soda, and a big pot of boiling water.

1. Line the pan with aluminum foil. This method of cleaning WILL NOT WORK without the foil!

2. Lay out your silverware in a single layer, then sprinkle with baking soda.

3. Pour boiling water over the silverware, making sure that it is all submerged. 

4. Watch your sad silverware turn into happy, gleaming silverware in seconds. 

5. Use tongs to carefully remove the silverware from the pan. It will be hot!

6. Buff with a soft cloth and enjoy your beautiful silverware!

       Isn't that ridiculously easy? I loved that I didn't have to go out and buy some expensive polish that was full of harsh chemicals! If some of your pieces end up with a little bit of a white film, just rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth again. I had a few pieces do that, but I think it was just excess baking soda that had dried on there. 

      I would love to see some before and after pictures of pieces that you've cleaned using this method! Feel free to follow me on here, or also on Pinterest! Happy Cleaning! :-)

Trusting during the hard times

     Trust. Not a strong point for me. I want a plan. I want to know what the plan is way in advance. I don't want unknowns. I want to be in control. 

     God has been stretching me lately! He knows that I need to work on trusting Him. Oh it hurts sometimes! This verse has been an encouragement to me in times of not knowing what the future holds. 

          Joshua 1:9

     Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

     "WHEREVER you go", HE will be with me! MY God. The comfort in those words! I don't need to be anxious about the unknowns because God knows already! If I could just give up control to God my stress level sure would diminish! God knows our troubles, He is a safe place to run to, He is our refuge!

Psalms 62:8

Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Thanks for letting me express my feelings and struggles here. :-) What are your favorite encouraging verses? I'd love for ya'll to share them with me! :-)

Are you ready to go No 'Poo?

     I really want to share the journey I've embarked on trying to cut some chemicals from my life. For a long time I've been frustrated with shampoo and how my hair felt after using it. I knew that shampoo AND conditioner had tons of chemicals in them but what's a girl to do? Have gross greasy hair because I didn't like chemicals? After reading TONS of articles and how-tos on taking a different route to hair and skin care, I decided to take the plunge.....

     The way I got started happened by accident. We traveled to my Mom's house for Christmas and baby and I were able to stay a week longer while the Music Man went back to work. Sweet of him to let us spend more time with my Mom huh? Anyways, since I wasn't planning on staying for 2 weeks I ran out of my shampoo and conditioner. And then I decided that now was as good of a time as any to start using something different for my hair.  

     

                                  *In walks the magical ingredient: Baking Soda!* 

     Yes, plain old baking soda. I've already been using it as a face wash for awhile so I had some with me. So I put a couple tablespoons of baking soda in my hand and made a very thick paste with a little water from the shower. Then I start applying it to just my roots. Massage into your roots for a minute or two until you start to feel the baking soda start to dissolve. Then rinse your hair well.  Now here's the part that most people have a problem with. The apple cider vinegar conditioning rinse.
     I personally use a 1 to 1 ratio of ACV and water. After washing my hair with Baking Soda, I spritz the ACV on all of my hair and let it set for a few minutes. I just finish the rest of my shower, making sure not to let the water rinse out the ACV too soon. After a few minutes, thoroughly rinse out your hair. Some people complain of a smell from the ACV. But I PROMISE there is absolutely NO SMELL if you rinse your hair!!! The only thing you will notice immediately after using the ACV conditioning rinse is your hair feeling clean and oh-so-soft!!! I couldn't believe how wonderful my hair felt after just one time trying the "No 'Poo" method!!! 

     After going "No 'Poo" for 2 months, I have noticed an increase in my hair growth, fewer flyaways, and my hair is softer! Right now, I use the Baking Soda to wash my hair every other day. And just wash with water and spritz with the ACV on the non-wash days. Let me assure you, my hair is not gross OR greasy like I had feared it could be. The Music Man even commented how soft my hair was! So, going "No 'Poo" is Husband approved! Yay!  So....Are you ready to get rid of the 'Poo??? :-)

     I'd love to hear of other all-natural beauty routines that I could add to my list of things to try!!! 

DIY Christmas ornament

     This year is Little Girl's first Christmas!!! I really wanted to find just the perfect "first Christmas" ornament for her. You know, something adorable, yet unique, something she could take with her when she has a family of her own.  *sniff*     However, on my search I found two problems. One, all ADORABLE ornaments were waaay out of my price-range. Two.....ok really that was the only problem. I can't justify spending $20 on an ornament!! So, I decided to make my own! 

     After a quick trip to Michael's, I walked out of there with a 2" by 2" wooden block.  Anything else I needed I had on hand. So, at about $1.50, this ornament is much more affordable, and completely personalized since I made it!  

     Using scrapbook paper I had, I cut 2 inch squares for 5 of the 6 sides. Then, I cut a photo of her down to size as well. A layer of mod-podge, slap the paper down, smooth all the air bubbles out, then a layer of mod-podge on top! The hardest part about this project was waiting for everything to dry so I could admire it! :-)

     I decided to add her birthdate and weight and so on to 2 sides of the block. On another side I added the verse "...for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Lastly, I marked the center of the top side of the block and attached one of those hook/screw thingys. Yes, that is the technical term for that. :-) 

     After it was all done, I sprayed clear sealer all over it, let it dry again for a couple hrs, then tied a ribbon through the hook! It turned out so great! Now all we need is a Christmas tree for it to hang on! 

     The cool thing about this ornament is that you can completely personalize it! Attach pictures of the grandkids for a grandparents Christmas gift. Or, use pictures from your wedding for a First Christmas Together ornament! I would love to see what kind of ornaments this inspired you to make! Happy Christmas Crafting!

A Daily Blessing From God

     So we all know that God blesses us each and every day. But do we really realize it or even think about it? Worse yet, do we even acknowledge the fact that God has blessed us beyond our imaginations? I'm really speaking to myself here. I know that I am blessed, I know that God takes care of me and my family, but I forget to thank Him for that!
     Just in the last 7 days God has blessed us in ways that are so apparent that it has made me stop and say, "Wow! Thank you God!!!".  Last week when I went grocery shopping, almost every single item I needed was on sale! Then I saw a cart full of cans that had the labels ripped or the cans had dents in them. They were almost all what I was needing! For a third of the price!! I KNOW that was God providing for us!
     The end of last week we were blessed when someone paid to have the battery replaced on one of our vehicles! On Monday we were blessed that we finally got our Jeep title transferred to Texas. Yay! It's legal! Today, I really wanted Starbucks and I even had a 50% off coupon for there! Long story short, the barista ended up giving me a free drink AND the 50% off the second drink because he made a mistake. Thank you God for the free Starbucks!!!
     I know that being thankful for things during the month of November has almost become cliche, but really stop and take time to thank God for all the blessing in your life! Even if it's not something so clearly from God as someone paying for an expensive car part, take time to search for and thank God for the big AND little blessings He gives you each and every day! Just so happens that my daily blessing from God was a free Pumpkin Spice Latte. What are some of your daily blessings from God?

Perfectly Wicked Pear Preserves

     Imagine a lazy saturday morning, a hot cup of coffee, your family sitting around the kitchen table, and a steamy plate of pancakes. But wait, something's missing! The only thing that could make that scene any better is if you added a bowl of homemade pear preserves! YUM!
      My in-laws have a pear tree that produced like crazy this fall! They graciously gave us tons of pears. So far I've made pear crisp, pear sauce, and of course, pear preserves. I didn't know that I loved pears so much until this fall.
     This pear preserves recipe is what I came up with after reading numerous old recipes and then giving them my new take on it.  Oh! Let me just say, don't be overwhelmed with preserving fruits and veggies. Yes, peeling those suckers takes awhile, but take your time. I turn on some Pandora and just relax. That way a HUGE bowl of pears doesn't seem intimidating, but rather an invitation to belt songs from Wicked for a good 20 minutes because I have to do something while peeling all those pears! right? :-)

     Perfectly Wicked Pear Preserves

1. In a large pot, mix 1/8 c. lemon juice and 1 cup water. (This prevents the pears from turning brown) Peel, core, and slice about 12 cups of pears and add then to the pot.

2. Drain the water mixture off the pears. Add 1/4 c. lemon juice over the pears. Measure out 2-3 cups of sugar and pour over the pears. I give the pot a good shake to make some of the sugar sift down in between the pear slices.

3. Put the lid on the pot and place in the refrigerator overnight.

4. After setting overnight, there should be a good amount of juice from the pears and sugar. Place pot on stove over medium-low heat. Heat to boiling. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until pears are translucent and a pinkish color. You may cook longer if you want the syrup to be thicker as well. Make sure there is enough liquid throughout the cooking time so that you don't scorch the pears. Add a little water if necessary.

5. Prepare your jars and water bath. Place the lids and rings in a small pot of boiling water, and wash and rinse the jars. Put the canner on the stove and heat the water to boiling over high heat.

6. Once the pears are done cooking, add 1 tsp. ground ginger and 1tsp. nutmeg, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Turn off heat.

7. Ladle pear preserves into prepared jars. Leave 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar.  Wipe rims clean and firmly screw on the lids.

8. Place jars in the boiling water and process for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool for 24 hours.

9. Remove rings from the jars, label, and enjoy within a year!


Hope you give my Perfectly Wicked Pear Preserves a try! Do you have a favorite jam, jelly, or preserves recipe you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you!

And here's a song from Wicked for you to enjoy! :-)