Sweetie Pie

Peach Pie Parfaits

So easy, so delicious.  Peaches are best enjoyed fresh, so let's talk about a great way to serve them with a little flair. 

Peach Pie Parfaits

Peaches

Fresh Mint

1 lime or lemon

vanilla yogurt

pie crust cookies*

Pretty serving cups

Peel and slice the peaches into a large bowl.  Chop or tear the mint and squeeze about half a lime over the peaches and stir to coat.  The acid in the lime juice will help prevent the peaches from turning brown.  It's also delicious.

Spoon some peaches into the bottom of each serving dish, add a dollop of vanilla yogurt and top with a cookie.  Repeat the layers until you reach the dop of the dish and top off with an extra cookie and sprig of mint. 

* Pie crust cookies are made by rolling out pie crust, cutting it in shapes and sprinkling with sugar.  Bake the cookies in a 425 oven until golden.  You could use any other type of cookie too, like a vanilla wafer or even gingersnaps.  If you want to eat dessert for breakfast, substitute some granola for the cookies.  Yum.

 

Insalata Caprese

Salad in the style of Capri

Fresh tomatoes, sliced thick

Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Optional:

Cracked black pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella in alternating slices on a plate. 

You can either place whole basil leaves between the tomatoes and cheese or make thin sliced confetti to sprinkle on top.  To slice basil or any other large leaved herb, stack the leaves and roll them tight.  Place the roll seam side down on the cutting board and slice super thin. 

Wait until you are ready to serve the salad before chopping the basil because it will bruise and turn brown quickly.  Drizzle a good quality extra virgin olive oil over everything, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.  I also added cracked black pepper and balsamic vinegar, but this isn't strictly traditional.  So yummo  - add some fresh bread and it's an easy summer supper.

 

 This salad comes together in just a few minutes.  It's perfect for those busy days when you would rather be outside playing with the new puppy than laboring in the kitchen.

 

Got Zucchini?

I don't plant zucchini in my garden because people are always trying to get rid of it.  You plant a few of this green squash, and the next thing you know you're begging total strangers to take some of it off your hands.  Turn your back on one of these plants and you'll return to find a zucchini as big as your thigh. 

So here's a recipe for everyone out there trying to think of what to do with some of the green and squashy bounty.  Transform your zucchini into a delicious cake!

Click through for the recipe from David Lebovitz.  It's an easy and dairy free zucchini cake with crunchy lemon glaze.  You might want to drain your shredded zucchini in a seive for a few minutes before baking with it if you want the cake to be fluffy.  Also, this recipe works great as muffins.  Since we're talking about Mr. Lebovitz, his recipe for Lemon Yogurt Cake is also wonderful...

Although I've baked these recipes more than once, I don't have any pictures because we ate 'em up too fast.