(Enter Your Fruit Here) Casserole

Last year my family (finally) became part of a local CSA and started receiving a summer full of yummy fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies.  I loved it so much we signed up for winter shares as well (unfortunatley because of nasty pregnancy-related nausea, it didn't seem so yummy to me then).  Anyhow, one of the fruits we received a-plenty were plums.  What can you do with pounds and pounds of plums, you ask?  My friend Jen does some fantastic canning.  I would love to do some fantastic canning but it just isn't something I have dived into yet.  Soon!

But, this is what I did...and do over and over again...

Cream of Wheat and Plum Casserole

I actually got the recipe from the CSA website, which called for semolina and cherries but stated any fruit can be used as well as cream of wheat and grits.  I make mine with cream of wheat and plums.

Moira calls it plum casserole.  I don't think I have ever seen her eat anything as fast as she eats this.

I call it plum-wonderful-yumminess.  I find myself craving it.  I can't wait for more fruit (and a free moment) so I can make more.  It is just so good.  I have made it a couple of times already this season.

We eat ours warm with a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt for breakfast.  I even drizzle mine with honey sometimes, not that it needs to be sweeter or anything.  I would eat it every day.

And with plums and cream of wheat...it is packed with iron.

Enjoy!

Cream of Wheat and Fruit Casserole


2 1/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup cream of wheat
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp lemon zest
2 cups diced fruit (we use plums-with the peels on, I have used peeled apples)
2 Tbsp sugar for topping

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8x8 baking dish or comparable casserole dish with cooking spray.

Bring milk, sugar, butter, and salt to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Add cream of wheat in a stream, whisking to avoid clumping.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cool.

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Stir yolks, lemon zest, and fruit into cooled cereal.  Add 1/3 egg whites to lighten, then fold in the rest.  Pour into prepared dish.  Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

:)
Anne

  

Grilled Pizza

If there is one thing I learned about cooking dinner when nursing a newborn and potty training a toddler, it is don't do it!  At least don't try to attempt anything more than throwing a hot dog on the grill and some baked beans in a pan...which is great in the summer...just not every night for dinner...

However, with a new grill, warm weather, and a longing to be back to my culinary playtime, I just couldn't resist giving the whole meal preparation thing a shot.

Last night's meal:

Grilled Pizza

I checked out some tips online for grilling pizza.  I am not going to lie, I was really nervous.  I could just envision the pizza dough falling through the grates and baking itself onto the burners of Steve's brand spankin' new grill.  With the help of  this little tutorial on YouTube that I (mostly) followed, pizza on the grill was a breeze.

I topped the pizza dough with a balsamic-olive oil-garlic concoction, blue cheese, caramelized red onion, steak, "pizza" cheese (in that order), and when finished topped with some arugula and grated Parmesan cheese.

Doesn't it look yummy?

The husband loved it...I loved it...Moira loved what she ate of it before she got in trouble.  There were no left-overs.

A couple of tips...
-Have all of your ingredients ready to go and a clear work space near your grill.  I took the dough off the grill, quickly assembled, and returned back to the grill.  It worked very well.
-Split one whole pizza dough in two.  This made it easier to handle.
-Make sure you flour (or use cornmeal) your parchment/wax paper when stretching your dough.  Otherwise it will stick when you flip it over onto the grill and then your are risking burning your fingers as you try to pull dough off of paper.
-Get a pizza peel.  We don't have one.  It is on my wish-list.  It would make my life easier and I won't come dangerously close to frying my digits every time I take dough off of the grill.  If you don't have a peel, tongs work...but watch those fingers!

No more 500 degree kitchen in July when I'm in the mood for pizza!

Next on the grilled pizza menu:
Prosciutto and fig.  A local restaurant serves it and I don't think I ever go there and not order it.

:)
Anne

Flower Tote Bag

It's official...I can't think about much else other than this baby coming.  Hence the last week off from Circus Berry.  Now let's be clear, it doesn't mean I have stopped cleaning, baking, crafting, etc.  I think I may have even gone overboard with some of the cleaning as if I was trying to induce labor or something.  I just can't think of what to do with what I have cleaned, baked, crafted...etc...and with my mother being here for the week to help out with 'stuff', my hours were filled with fun Grandma, Mommy, Moira things to do.

I finally decided to share my Flower Tote Bag I whipped up a couple of weeks ago, since I seem to get lots of compliments on it lately.

It was super easy and cost very little to do.

Besides the straw tote from Target's dollar section I used (it cost me $2.50), I gathered some scrap fabrics, random beads, and my hot glue gun, of course.

A tutorial for the flowers can be found here, but any fabric flower should do.

I attached some beads to the center of the flowers, hot-glued, and ended up with a cuter-than-I-ever-realized straw tote for the summer.  Now, don't you want one to coordinate with every outfit???

:)
Anne