My Moms Cobbler!

Recipe from my mom's blog.  :)

This cobbler receives rave reviews every time I serve it. Dish it up with ice cream for 
an extra yummy treat.

Fruit Cobbler

5 cups fruit

Batter:

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp flour

pinch salt

1 cup boiling water

Place fruit, fresh or canned in a 9 x 13 pan. Thoroughly mix all batter ingredients and pour 
over fruit (I soften the butter in the microwave). Combine sugar and flour and salt; sprinkle 
evenly over top of batter.  Do not mix in!! Carefully pour boiling water over all. (I usually 
put the fruit with batter and topping on a cookie pan and then pour the water so there 
are no accidents) Bake one hour at 375 deg.

This is an amazingly easy and delicious cobbler!

Monsters in the closet

"There's no such thing as monsters", that's what our parents told us.  But today when I was getting dressed I found 2 monsters in my closet!  (I don't know about you but I definitely think that a 2 and 5 year old could be classified as monsters).

Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon, no I am not french (much) but this is one of favorite dishes.  I first became interested in this recipe, after watching Julie and Julia, which I thought was a pretty good movie (who am I kidding I love Amy Adams!).  I decided to try it so I googled Julia Childs recipe and gave it a shot.  It had some pretty antiquated techniques and it didn't seem very healthy so I tweaked it a bit and I think my way is easier (and a bit healthier).  So if you like Beef stew you will probably like this, it is richer but Oh so good!

Preheat oven

Slice 3 carrots and 1 onion

Cut a Chuck Roast into 2 inch pieces and brown in 2 tbsp of Olive oil

Make sure to dry beef before putting in oil so that the meat browns properly.

Brown the Beef in batches and then remove from pan and set-aside

Next add the veggies and cook until the onions are soft

They should look like this

Add the beef and 2 tbsp of flour and stir it all around coating all the beef and veggies

place it in the oven uncovered and cook for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir again 

place back in oven for 4 more minutes then remove.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next add 3 cups of wine (which is about a bottle) and then add enough beef broth to cover

meat and veggies about 2-3 cups.

Add 1 bay leaf and a spoonful of tomato paste.

 Reduce heat to 325

Cover pot and place in oven.  Cook for 3-4 hours, check the meat

and when it easily is pierced with a fork it is done.

After you take the Beef Burgandy out of the oven, sautee mushrooms in butter and olive oil about a tbsp of each.  Add the cooked mushrooms to the stew.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Bon Appetit

Ingredients
2-3 lb Chuck Roast cut up into 2 inch chunks
Olive oil
3 Carrots Sliced
1 Onion Sliced
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Bottle Red Wine (I use Merlot)
2-3 Cups Beef Broth
2 Cloves of Garlic-mashed
1 Bay leaf
1 Spoonful of Tomato Paste
Mushrooms

Pumpkin Patch

Norah recently had her first school field trip and boy was she excited, not about going to the pumpkin patch but about riding the bus!  I think if that had been the field trip she would not have been disappointed.  This year her school went to the Willamette Valley Fruit Co. and we were given a tour of the facility.  We took a hay ride, got lost in a corn maze that was super muddy, and some of the kids did the zipline.  What a blast!  You see that slide a couple of pictures down?  I have an awesome picture of Norah's teacher coming out of it but I decided to spare her.

Comfort Food

It's fall and that means comfort food!  I am looking forward to using my fall cooking repertoire.  These are a few of my favorites.

Clam chowder
Swiss steak
Stroganoff
Beef bourguignon
Corn chowder
Beef stew



 I will also be trying some new recipes such as pulled pork.  What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

Warrior Dash

That's right we are the Warriors!

 Pre-Dash

 2 bee stings later and a pit of mud!

 So much fun!

Our reward: Beer and Turkey legs

(for a more detailed account check here)

First Day of School!

It's official.  My little girl is in school.  This was not a milestone I was looking forward to and it really sneaked up on me.  On her first day I took her to her class and we had a good look around.  Mrs. Wilson offered to take a picture of us and I could feel myself choking up,(I kept it together).   Norah found her cubby all by herself and she loves her teacher.  

 I love you Norah!