Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner

Woo hoo! Bring on the sugar ~ butter and peaches!


After eating this peach crisp, you'll be dreaming about it in your sleep!




This is undoubtedly the shortest post I’ve ever written ~ and this is undoubtedly the best peach crisp I have ever eaten!

It’s Laurie's simple easy recipe from here that's pretty close to perfect!






It's peachy keen!



Peach Crisp with Sweet Topping
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

6-7 peaches, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ to ¾ cinnamon (I used 1 teaspoon)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter 

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Grease an 8” baking dish.
Mix the sliced peaches with the almond extract and pour into the baking dish.
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top of the peaches.
Bake for 45 minutes until peaches are tender and the topping is evenly browned  (I baked it for 1 hour).
Serve warm with ice cream


Enjoy!

You’re familiar with the old rule of thumb, you should drink eight glasses of water per day, some experts say more… 





That seems like quite a grind to me most days, but here’s the catch:  You don’t have to drink all that water...

Roughly 20% of our daily water intake comes from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Cucumbers have the highest water content of any solid food at 97%, and they truly do have a cooling effect on the body, so there is some truth to the phrase, “cool as a cucumber”.

While it’s still important to drink plenty of water, especially on hot days, eating cucumber is a great way to get some of that fluid into your body and quench your thirst at the same time.

But, the great refreshing cucumber taste is the best part, and this slightly adapted Country Living recipe provides the proof ~






It’s a fresh, crunchy, tasty salad of cucumber, celery, and onion; enhanced with a touch of dill and seasonings,  swimming in a creamy tangy dressing coating.    

It’ll perk up your …

Nothing beats grilling in the summer and this is  another great recipe  for your grill!


Super simple, is this recipe that comes together quickly and easily, all the better for you to enjoy another summer evening!






Lemon juice and herbs are exactly what puts this shrimp over the top.  Serve it with fresh steamed broccoli, corn on the cob or rice, or grilled veggies, the choices are endless.






You may prefer to peel the shrimp before grilling; however, cooking the shrimp with the shells on makes them remarkably flavorful ~ just peel and dig in at the table!


Garlic-Herb Shrimp on the Grill
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds large unpeeled shrimp
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Method:

Using kitchen shears of a paring knife, cut through shells along the back of each shrimp.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and place in a resealable plastic  bag.
Seal bag, making sure all shrimp i…

Fresh and sweet summer corn  has a short season here, I like making the most of it!




Those were the days ~ growing up on the farm, running outside to our own sweet corn field, picking a few earsfor Mom to boil quickly for lunch or dinner, maybe even breakfast, if she had her way!

I definitely took the abundance of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat for granted and didn’t realize how lucky I was until years later.

By the way, as you're driving down the road here in the Midwest, and you're seeing acre after acre of corn, don't assume you can leap out of the car and grab a dozen ears of sweet corn for your next meal.  Chances are, it's field corn...




Sweet corn and field corn are cousins with very different tastes, different purposes. 

Sweet corn is harvested when the silks at the top of the ear are brown, when the kernels inside are fully developed.  The leaves wrapping around the ears are nice and green, with a little brown at the edges maybe.  Perfect for any meal!







Field corn, …

Woo hoo!  You cat lovers,  today is...
 ~ International Cat Day ~
a day to recognize one of humanity's  oldest and  most beloved pets!

And here's Bucky stylin' for the occasion:





Now, on to dessert for any occasion ...




First you have to take a whiff to determine if it’s sweetly fragrant, next you give it a little gentle squeeze; it shouldn’t be too hard, best if it’s soft to the squeeze, then remember that the color tells more about what variety it is than its ripeness. 

That’s the way I find the best peaches at the farmers’ market!

We’re in the swing of peach season here in the Midwest now, and they are juicy delicious and fragrant this summer.  

They’re great eaten fresh just as they are with all the sticky juice running down your chin and fingers.

But, when you want to gussy them up, here you go…

Southern Living did it again ~ published a recipe I couldn’t resist!

Any recipe that begins with 2 sticks of butter, and turbinado sugar has to be good!



Turbinado sugar is “sugar in the raw,” m…