Peaches!

It’s peach season here in Michigan and we love peaches!

Every August when peaches are ripe we head to the local orchard to pick peaches, and the girls and I had to refrain from picking more than I knew this downsized clan could eat. They were so ripe and juicy and just waiting to be picked and put into our baskets. I LOVE peaches, seriously!                      (This year only last 2 girls home yet, this mamma is gonna miss this ♥)

If you have peaches in your area, I encourage you, take an afternoon and go pick some peaches with your kiddos, oh what a memorable time you will have! Through out the summer months we pick cherries, both sweet and tart, we pick peaches —Oh I LOVE PEACHES (did I say that already), and we pick lots and lots of apples come fall. So Peach time is now! And you know what, if you don’t have a peach orchard near you, head to the farmers market and find a basket of them to bring home to enjoy their fresh sweet taste!

Ok so when we got back home with our baskets of peaches, we enjoyed them lots of yummy ways.

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First, we simply enjoyed  fresh sliced juicy peaches! They are so yummy! To skin them, I drop them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes remove them and next instantly drop them into icy cold water. The skin will just slip right off easily. Slice them in half, remove the pit and then slice the halves thinner into a bowl. Thats how easy it is. They were so sweet and juicy they didn’t need anything else!

Next: I diced some up and made a yummy peach bread and drizzled it with a powdered sugar glaze. This was so yummy you have to try this recipe. And of course, I had to try them made into muffins so we would have a peach treat for breakfast the next day!

Peach Muffins or Bread

Ingredients:
4 C flour
1 ¾ C  white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. celtic salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 2/3 C orange juice (or half juice and half milk)
4 Tbsp. palm shortening – softened  (or real butter, ghee or coconut oil)
2  farm eggs

Beat together until well mixed on low (or just stir well). Last gently stir in 2 cups fresh diced Peaches (slightly drained).

Bake at 325 in greased pans (makes 3 mini loaves or 18 muffins). Bake for 35–45 minutes until toothpick tests done. Don’t over bake, you want them moist. Cool well and glaze if desired, with a thick glaze of powdered sugar and water.

Another favorite is peach soup served in a pretty fruit dish and swirled with a heart shape of strawberry puree (the berry puree can be quickly made in the vitamix with just a handful of strawberries).

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Peach Soup

Ingredients:
3 C fresh or frozen peaches, thawed
10 fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 C peach nectar
1 C plain yogurt
¼ C  white cane sugar or sweetner of choice
¾ tsp. real almond extract

I make the strawberry puree first: place strawberries in Vitamix blender with 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; put lid on and process until smooth. Put puree in a frosting/pastry bag but don’t cut the tip yet; place in refrigerator until serving time, now this is ready and when your ready for serving the soup you’ll just squeeze this puree easily on top of the chilled soups.

Now for the peach soup! Just give a quick rinse to your Vitamix blender container and now place pitted peach halves and lemon juice in the Vitamix blender; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in nectar, yogurt, sugar, and extract. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Now for garnish, pipe on strawberry puree in a heart shape or make other fun swirls on top. The soup and puree both can be made the day ahead and stored in the refrig until serving time. Makes about 8 servings of a half cup each, which fills a dessert cups about perfect.

Fresh peaches are yummy all by themselves or with a scoop of cottage cheese for a snack. My husband’s favorite is fresh peaches ladled over a dish of vanilla ice cream! (whom I kidding it’s my favorite too:)

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However you decide to eat them, enjoy some fresh peaches in season!