Beer Fruit Cocktail Sangria inspired by Warm Bodies

Let's talk zombie fiction in the form of the movie Warm Bodies today. There are two types of zombies in Warm Bodies, and neither are your typical brain-dead roamers. First we have what seem like the typical slow-moving, grunt-to-communicate zombies, but via the magic of the voice-over, we find out that there really are thoughts going on inside their heads (or at least in the head of our main character, "R"). However, they've sort of accepted their station and rove around in packs looking for food (aka humans) outside of the airport where they've taken up residence.

When these zombies consume the brains of their victims, they absorb their memories. "R" enjoys eating brains because through these memories, he actually feels more alive. One day his group runs into a group of humans and actually feels the human emotion of attraction for the first time since the zombie apocalypse began. During the fight between R's hoard and the group of humans, he unknowingly kills the boyfriend of Julie (the one that caught his clouded eye), and as he's eating his brain, gets glimpses with her in them.

Peach Iced Tea | The Innkeeper's Sister

Welcome to the TLC Book Tours stop for The Innkeeper's Sister by Linda Goodnight! This is book 3 in Goodnight's Honeyridge Novels series, but the first (and only so far) one that I've read. I actually didn't even realize it was a part of a series until I'd finished it, which means it definitely works as a stand-alone book. When I went to look back at the descriptions for the first 2 books, they are connected by location (Honey Ridge, Tennessee), but focus on different main characters. Those characters also play a part in this book, so I'm looking forward to going back and reading their stories.

Spiced Sour Cream Peach Pie | Gilmore Girls Coffee Klatch

So, last Wednesday came and went without a coffee klatch post (on my blog, but do check out Chef Sarah Elizabeth's coffee cake muffins and discussion). It was just a bit of a crazy with Halloween on Monday and my birthday on Thursday; most of the week I didn't even know what day it was. But I'm back today to discuss the final episode of Gilmore Girls.

Technically I finished the episode almost 2 weeks ago, but I've watched the episode over no less than 5 times since then. While there was some finality to it, there wasn't quite enough to leave me feeling satisfied. It felt a bit rushed—let's call it open-ended closure (a very fine oxymoron).

Peaches 'n Cream Stuffed French Toast

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Land O' Lakes, Inc. All opinions are my own.

Summer...lounging by the pool, fresh produce everywhere you turn, glowing skin, cook-outs and bonfires...longer days to connect with family and friends. Sunshine and beautiful days are glorious things. But there's a dark side too all of that sunshine too, and it manifests itself in butter dishes on kitchen counters across the country in the form of a pool of melted butter.

Peach-Rosewater Earl Grey Granita inspired by Unearthed | #UnearthedParty

Nature has a way of grounding us, helping us get back to the basics and connect with ourselves. In the newly released Unearthed, a memoir by Alexandra Risen, we see a neglected garden used to represent Risen's journey of understanding and accepantance. While the description of the memoir is "How an Abandoned Garden Taught Me to Accept and Love My Parents", I think, though real, the garden is actually a representation of history, growth, mystery, nurture, and understanding—and that true acceptance can only come with time and age. Unfortunately, we don't often get to that point until it's too late to say goodbye or share our growth with loved ones. But we can still make peace with ourselves.

When it comes to memoirs, I usually wind up on one extreme or the other (love 'em or hate 'em). It's usually a question of interesting versus boring. Fortunately, this one was on the love side for me. As someone who feels entirely disconnected with her past on one side of the family, I could identify with Risen. I know next to nothing about the paternal side of the family because similarly, they never talked about the past.

Fresh Peach and Whiskey Ice Cream

I've got a double-whammy to share with you today—Eat a Peach Day and this month's round of she made, ella hace with my friend Leslie from La Cocina de Leslie! Two reasons for one delicious post. Well, I guess it's actually two since both Leslie and I are sharing a recipe. Hmmm, so maybe it's a triple-whammy. Or would that make it a quadruple-whammy? I'll let you ponder that (or not) while I turn my attention to PEACHES!

My kids went back to school this past week, but we still have another month of summer to go—that means tons of fresh produce is still rolling in. My kitchen looks a little ridiculous right now. My counters and table are overrun by tomatoes, chiles, zucchini and yellow squash, corn on the cob, and green beans. I'm not even the one with a garden, my neighbors are. Not that I'm complaining (much), but I find myself without any space in my teeny-tiny kitchen to prepare or put it all up!

So what do I do? Hit up the market and roadside stands for deep ruby plums and fuzzy peaches. You know, so I can fill in the tiny gaps and form teetering pyramids. The fruit disappears in a flash, though, so I had to snag a couple of those peaches to make this ice cream. Yeah, I'm still in full-on ice cream mode, too.

Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles (with or without Peach Bourbon)

I originally shared this recipe in a post that I wrote for Mrs. Happy Homemaker just after she unexpectedly lost the love of her life. The popsicles are made from ingredients that reminded me of the time I had just spent with Crystal two months before...along with her husband Michael.

That being said, these popsicles are a refreshing frozen summer treat - with a Southern twist that anybody can enjoy, but if you have a few moments, I hope you'll drop my original post at Mrs. Happy Homemaker to read about the inspiration behind these Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles!

Peach-Rosemary Shrub Syrup

I've been meaning to try making (and drinking) a shrub for at least 3 or 4 years now. I'm not really sure why I've waited so long, seeing as they couldn't be any easier to make. So, when you think shrub, does your mind automatically go to the bushes outside your childhood home? Or, if you're like me, a little TLC song might start playing on a constant loop in your head. (Yes, I know it's scrub, not shrub. I can't help the way my mind works.) What I'm really referring to are the shrubs that are also known as "drinking vinegars".

Basically, you macerate fresh fruit or berries with sugar until the fruit is soft and the sugar is dissolved, then you add vinegar and allow the mixture to infuse for several days. You can add fresh herbs or spices for different flavors. Once the mixture has infused, you strain out the solids and use the resulting sweet and tangy syrup to flavor things, usually drinks (though you could use it in vinaigrettes or sauces, as well).

Blueberry Peach Pie w/ Cornmeal Streusel and Crust | #FridayPieDay

'Tis the season to snatch up all the ripe, juicy fruits and berries I can get my hands on! Seriously, I go a little nuts when I hit the farmers market and see stacks and cartons piled high with beautiful jewel-toned orbs, big and small. My thinking switch turns off, and my impulse switch gets stuck in the on position. That's all fine and dandy until I get home and realize what I've done.

We do our best to eat that bounty before it gets too ripe, but oftentimes, I still find myself wondering how to use it all. Kidding! I'm making pie every time. Fruit pies put smiles on people's faces and sunshine in their souls. Duh.

And, since today is the last Friday of the month, that means it's time to celebrate Friday PieDay here at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but I neglected to share a pie with you last month; don't even get me going on May again (aka hell month). I think this blueberry-peach pie will make up for that.

Spiced Blueberry Peach Streusel Muffins

I'm super excited about two things today: delicious muffins (I'm super picky about muffins...weird, right?) and an amazing giveaway—both of which are related to a book that you have to get your hands on if you don't have it already, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. As you may have guessed, this comes from the same people who brought us The Flavor Bible, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.

If you're not familiar with either, they are both very useful, working books. Not so much cookbooks, because they don't contain recipes, but rather tools. The Vegetarian Flavor Bible has around 550 pages...the first 90 or so are an introduction to a proper vegetarian diet. You'll find vegetable protein sources. as well as tips on how to maximize flavor. Plus, there's an extremely cool timeline of Vegetarianism Through the Ages. Even if you do not adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, there is so much to inspire in the first 90 pages alone.

Moving on to the remaining 450+ pages, you'll find ingredients listed alphabetically from Acai to Zucchini Blossoms—this is where you'll turn to match flavors. Under each ingredient is listed most (or all) of the following things:

• Season: peak growing season for ingredient
• Flavor: ingredient's primary taste
• Volume: relative flavor, or "loudness" of ingredient
• What it is: a brief description of less common ingredients
• What's healthful about it: nutrients, health benefits, etc

Peach Riesling Buckle

This summer has absolutely flown by. It's so hard to believe that Labor Day is lingering just around the corner. Although it's not the official end of summer, it's always been a marker of sorts to signal that the long lazy days we've been relishing are coming to a close. When I was a kid, we didn't head back to school until after Labor Day, so I'm sure that plays into my mindset. Of course, by the time it rolls around these days, my kids have already been back in school for a few weeks.

School or no school, we try to enjoy one last hurrah over the long weekend. You can bet that grills are fired up; coals sizzling as fat melts down...smoke clinging to the humid air. But there is also tons of fresh produce on display, like tomatoes so ripe and flavorful that you can eat them like apples, to peaches that streak your chin and arms with sticky sweet juices, to corn so sweet it's like eating sugar from a cob. Those are some of my favorite things about the tail-end of summer.

Well, today the Sunday Supper crew is joining Gallo Family again, and we're bringing you a menu filled with Labor Day Entertaining recipes. So, of course, my mind was turning over all sorts of riffs on that produce that just screams summer in my ear. Both of the wines that we are featuring this month are sweet and light bodied. Either would compliment a Sunday Supper under the late-summer sun. The first is Sweet Red, and the second is Gallo's newest varietal, Riesling.

Peach Amaretto Jam + 106 Peach Recipes to celebrate EAT A PEACH DAY!

There are some (okay there are many) food holidays that I can't resist. One of those holidays falls today, August 21. Yes, it has to do with my love of the late summer that is soft and fuzzy on the outside, and sweet and juicy on the inside. HOWEVER, it's not "National Peach Day" or "Peach Pie Day", it's one better. It plays not only to my "foodie" side, but also to my affection for music, specifically The Allman Brothers. Today is EAT A PEACH DAY!

Eat A Peach is the name of my favorite Allman Brothers album. With classics like Melissa, Ain't Wasting Time No More, and Mountain Jam, just listening to the album conjurs up warm summer nights and peaches picked straight from a Georgia (or Michigan for me) tree.

So, in honor of Eat A Peach Day, I really wanted to make some peach jam and call it "Mountain Jam" (like the song). Now my local SW Michigan peaches aren't plucked from trees in mountain orchards, so I suppose I can't rightfully call it that. But secretly (or not so secretly), I'm still going to.

Peach, Maple, and Bourbon-Glazed Ham Steaks

Growing up, we always piled into the car on holidays and headed to my grandparents' house. As the grandchildren got older started having children of their own, there were more card tables and folding chairs pulled up from the basement to accommodate everybody. As the family got bigger, so did the bird or the ham that was roasting in the oven.

As the house filled up, the noise level grew right along with the inviting scents wafting out of the kitchen. If you happened to be one of the last ones to arrive, a blanket of warmth and comfort enveloped you the moment you opened the door.

Grandma and Grandpa are getting older now, and though they usually still invite everybody over on the holidays, sometimes we just aren't able to make it. Between my kids getting older and having activities that (yes) overlap with the holidays, unpredictable work schedules, scary road conditions, and the overwhelming desire to hunker down in the house for as long as we possibly can, we often wind up celebrating and making meals for a smaller crowd. A much smaller crowd. Usually just the 5 of us.

Peach Focaccia

Although I constantly proclaim cherries to be my one-true summer love, in actuality, my heart is torn in two.  You see, I can't actually remember who I loved first...cherries or peaches.  Growing up in Michigan, the dog days of summer meant many things.

Summer meant swimsuits worn thin by long days in my grandparent's pool.

Summer meant beach trips in which our car was filled to the brim with brightly hued towels, plastic buckets and shovels and rakes, ice-packed coolers, and squirmy kids itching to run down the sand and splash in the waves.  Ending the day, of course, with sand in places sand should never be, and skin that was five shades darker than it was when we rolled out of bed that morning.

Peach-Coconut Paletas {#SummerOfThePopsicle Guest Post: Muy Bueno}

Hooray for Wednesday!  Why, you ask?  Well, if you have to ask, that means you've been missing out.  Every Wednesday since the last week in May, I've had the pleasure of welcoming some of my incredibly talented blogging friends to girlichef - and they come bearing popsicles!

Who's Holding the Stick: Today, please help me welcome the stunning Yvette, one third of the mother/daughter blogging trio behind one of my favorite blogs, Muy Bueno Cookbook!

It's summer time and the kiddos are out of school on summer vacation. Make it fun for them and take this opportunity to get them involved in the kitchen. Paletas are an easy way to introduce them to fresh summer fruits in season and get them to help you in the kitchen and have fun doing it.

I love summer and all the fruits in season this time of year. I live in Colorado and Palisade Peaches are so sweet and juicy here, and I knew I needed to come up with a peachy surprise when girlichef invited me to share a paleta recipe. My kiddos and I headed to the farmers market and came home with a handful of peaches and lots of inspiration.

I couldn't decide if I wanted a fruit based paleta or a fruit and milk based paleta, so I came up with a happy medium. This paleta is so refreshing – it’s like biting into a cold, juicy, fresh peach, and the light creamy coconut milk gives it a hint of a good old-fashioned creamsicle. What I love about using coconut milk is that it is dairy-free and the addition of diced peaches also adds a super fresh flavor. These paletas are perfect for eating on a hot day, and your kiddos won’t be begging you for money and chasing down the ice cream truck down the street.

Buen provecho!

Peach-Coconut Paletas

a guest post from Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack of Muy Bueno Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes (+ time to freeze)

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: dessert snack vegan soy-free nut-free low-sodium gluten-free dairy-free coconut milk peaches popsicles frozen summer

Ingredients (8 pops)

• 3 medium peaches, sliced
• 3/4 cups coconut milk
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup peaches, diced

Instructions

In a blender add sliced peaches, coconut milk, and sugar. Blend until smooth.

Add diced peaches into the mixture and pour into ice-pop molds. Insert a popsicle stick into each mold and freeze until pops are solid, about 6 hours or overnight.

To release ice pops from molds, run the bottom of the molds briefly under warm water.

Ripe, juicy peaches are such a source of nostalgia for me, and next to cherries, are my favorite fruit!  I know that I will be making a batch of these beauties very soon - thanks Yvette!  If you're not acquainted with Yvette and the other Muy Bueno ladies, I recommend heading over there stat to enjoy some of their wonderful recipes - from the ones handed down through the generations to modern day fare.

You can also follow Muy Bueno on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  Plus, they have a fantastic cookbook that was released towards the end of last year (you may remember seeing a Cookbook Spotlight here on girlichef devoted to it) that lover's of Mexican cuisine need on their bookshelves!

Peach & Strawberry Crisp/Crumble

I think I've mentioned before that when given the choice: Pie or Cake...I'm gonna choose pie 97% of the time.  I just love a warm slice of pie (especially a fresh fruit pie...although I can't turn down a slice of pecan) with a cup of coffee.  A la mode, usually.  And I've always considered cobblers, crisps, crumbles, bumbles and the like in the same category as pies.  Whether right or wrong, it's just the way I think of them.  If you're not one to make pie crusts...or if you're in a hurry...making a crisp is a fantastic option.  You still get that warm, oozing fruit but without the extra time and patience it takes to make a crust.  Not that I think making a crust is especially difficult or time consuming, but I know there are those of you who do.  Plus, this version uses the sweetness of the fruit and nothing else but a minimal amount of sugar in the crispy topping, so it's kinda like eating health food and not even knowing it.  Wouldn't you agree?

Peach & Strawberry Crisp/Crumble

While I used peaches and strawberries for this crisp, you can use 4 cups of any fruit or berry you like or a combination.  You can also use frozen fruit in place of fresh, if that's what you have...but you may need to tack on another 10-15 minutes of baking time if you do.

adapted from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 4-6

2 c. sliced peaches (peeled, if you wish)

2 c. strawberries, larger ones halved

¼ c. + 1 Tbs. whole grain spelt flour

1 c. rolled oats

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temp.

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Toss your fruit with the 1 Tbs. of spelt flour in a 9" pie plate.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bow and mix with your hands until it comes together in pea-sized crumbles.  Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and bake for ~45 minutes, or until the top has browned and the fruit juices are bubbling up around the edges. 

This is awesome served warm with a scoop of cold ice cream.  And personally, I don't even mind serving my kids a big plate of this for breakfast.

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