Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me...

{This was a weird, cool, "freak of nature" peach to find in our box! This nature-branded "A" was a sign... that the peaches really belonged to us. ???}

Listen to the "Peaches" song, by The Presidents of the United States of America. Thanks Deb, for reminding me of this group recently! Anyone else remember them?

Well, I finally finished off those peaches. Actually did about a week ago. Ya, I'm finally getting around to posting about them. I only want to post this for me anyway. Next year, when I get peaches I just know I'll be trying to remember all that I did with the peaches from 2009. So I'm just saving myself some trouble. Right?!

Anyway... here's what I did with approx. 60lbs of peaches:

1. Ate them, washed, straight from the box. Ate them cut up. Ate them blanched, peeled and then cut up.
2. Made peach-apple sauce. (mixed with some existing apple sauce).
3. Made some fruit leather. (twice). Pureed peaches mixed with apple sauce.
4. Peach-mango salsa. YUM! I made two batches of this and I finished it so fast. I say "I" because I was such a pig, and literally I ate most of it... with chips, while no one else was around! SO YUM!
5. Dehydrated peach slices. These went fast... I mean we ate them fast. They take so long to dehydrate, though. We eat them faster than they take to make. We dried about 8 racks full.
6. Peach pie in a jar. (twice)
7. Frozen peaches. Six, gallon sized bags.
8. Peach crisp (cobbler? I never know which one to call it.) The one with the oat mixture on top. Yummy.
   
9. Peach syrup (so yummy on german pancakes, or regular pancakes).
10. Is that all? Really? I feel like I'm missing something.

Next year I'd like to try canning some and I am looking forward to trying my friend's peach-strawberry jam recipe!!

(The "Pie in a Jar" didn't turn out as pretty as I had hoped, but it was so good. I think I just needed a different crust recipe. ...maybe...)

Two Posts: Sprouts and Peaches

This morning I went out to the garden to finish planting the seeds (thanks to my wonderful husband who watched my little helpers - inside - while I was in the garden. Thanks, Hun!) When I pulled off the burlap covering the garden boxes, this is what I found!!! Wow! I only planted the seeds five days ago! I really wasn't expecting sprouts yet! Maybe I wasn't even expecting them at all! I was so freakin' stoked! I ran inside to tell my husband. I was almost as giddy as I was when I first learned to stipple a quilt.

My yellow squash sprouts. Woohoo! The peas still haven't made an appearance, but that's okay. I have enough excitement for one day! (Oh, wait... I also have peaches!! That's pretty darn exciting, too!)

Here's one more. It's blurry. Sorry. I mean, you get the idea, right?! K- enough about my sprouting squash!

Peaches: Ah... mmmm... Utah Peaches!

My sister-in-law ordered these through her mom. My husband picked them up last night. We have approximately 60lbs (well, now maybe only 58lbs) of peaches in our possession. Yikes! I better get busy!

They smell so wonderful. So does my house. These peaches are so soft, juicy and sweet, with the right amount of tartness. Yummm! I've already had three... or four today. So I don't really know what I'm going to do with all of them, but I need to decide soon, before they go bad. I'm thinking: blanch, slice and freeze some, fruit leather, dried peached, can (if I can find someone who can help me), peach pie filling(?), peach syrup, and of course eat a bunch. {Cobbler, peaches 'n' cream, peaches on cereal, in oatmeal, etc.} Are the possibilities endless? I guess. But whatever I do, I need to get creative and BUSY!