Dinner (& Wine Mixer): Grilled Pineaches (& Chardonnay)

I have done it! Not only do I have a recipe that works with dinner, but I have a recipe that makes a great wine mixer, too. (Wine is amazing, but Wine Mixers are just so fun to create!)

I call this grilled pineaches [pine-E-chez], because I had a bag of peaches and a bag of pineapples. . (And because I still take pleasure in combining two words to make one rediculous word.) 

Disclaimer: I call anything I put in a skillet, grilled. No grill was used. 

Directions: 

I let my frozen fruit thaw at room temperature for two hours.  

By dinner time, they were pretty soft.  I threw them in a skillet with a 1/4 cup of juice ( I used Passion Fruit Lemonade, because that's what we had on-hand), 2 tablespoons of  brown sugar,  3 tablespoons of  ground cinnamon, and 2 pinches of ground ginger,

I cooked them on medium for 30-45 minutes, stirring regularly.  And sprinkled nutmeg on top when they were done. That's it. An easy, quick side,

These sweet and savory grilled fruits added some balance to our somewhat spicy fried chicken and potato wedges.  And they weren't too sweet or too bitter, so the husband didn't mind eating them with dinner, and the boys ate them without question or complaint.  

After dinner, the grilled pineaches were absolutely perfect when I added 1/2 cup of them into 1 cup of Chardonnay, and blended it.  It helped cut the bitter after-taste of the Chardonnay.

And although I did not try it, I think these would be wonderful with vanilla ice cream. I will buy some ice-cream tomorrow, and top it with the leftovers and let ya'll know! 

Because of their flexibility and catchy name, Grilled Pineaches just may be my new favorite recipe. 

Kitchen Creations: Sweet Potato Mash

I've taken on a lot of new projects this new year! Trying to get the boys in social settings more often, starting school, and I'm helping with a few things within the community.  Since I've got a lot more on my plate, I will only be blogging regularly Monday through Wednesday.  I'll probably still blog some on Thursday, Friday, and even some Saturday's; but I won't be blogging regularly on those days.

...

Since this year has begun, I have either been sick or on-the-go.  Some days I feel like I have to squeeze time in to make dinner! But luckily, I have quick(ish) and easy go-to recipes. Like last week, I made my sweet potato mash. We are the southern family that eats applesauce with our pork chops, but sometimes I want something more "dinner-y" than applesauce, so I make my sweet potato mash.
This recipe feeds 3-5, depending on how big of servings you eat.

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
3 cups of applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened)
Cinnamon to taste

Like 3 Pinches of Ginger
2 Crushed Peppermints (*optional)
Brown sugar to taste (*optional)

Instructions:
1. Clean & shank/stab the sweet potatoes 10 or 45 times. I really dont think it matters how many times you do it, just make sure it's a good bit.

I was lazy the other day, and microwaved my sweet potatoes for about 24 minutes (at 7-8 minute intervals). But I usually bake them about an hour at 400. You can also boil them.  Just cook the sweet potatoes, it doesn't matter how.

2. Peel the skin off. It is always easier for me to skin the potatoes when they are still warm, and have been cooked. But you can do this first, if you prefer.

3. Mash the sweet potatoes.

4. Add apple sauce, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar*, and peppermint*. Mix together.

5. Serve warm!

Makes a sweet, easy side with all the health benefits of the sweet potato.

Kitchen Creations: Steak Bites & Sides

I'm going to give you guys the entire dinner recipe today. Because some days I feel like I belong on the food network. 

I bought stew meat because it was on sale. But let's be honest here, it is literally cut up steak.  So I threw the stew meat in the crock pot (that's what it's made for!) and made a delicious, tender steak dinner.  

With the stew meat, I seasoned it to taste, added butter, and put it in the crock pot for two hours. I did one hour on high and one hour on low, because those are our only two settings.  I imagine you can just do two hours on medium.  This made the meat tender, pink, and juicy just like we like it. Obviously, if you like your steak well-done you'll have to cook it longer. 

I paired our meal with unsweetened applesauce. I warmed up my applesauce for a minute in the microwave and sprinkled cinnamon on top. My husband ate his plain and cold, like his soul. (Ha, I found that funny!) Seriously, y'all applesauce is a very versatile side dish, especially without the added sugar. It's slightly sweet, but not too sweet and it genuinely compliments most of our meals that aren't chicken or pizza. I love having it with dinner! 

Balancing out our applesauce we had no-bake baked potatoes. This idea came from my husband's awesome cousin! We boil the potatoes for 30 minutes (or until you stick it with a fork and it'a soft in the middle) and then microwave them for 5 minutes. The inside is perfect and soft, and the microwave gives the outside a slight crunch and makes it so easy to peel (if you don't eat the outside). It's quicker than a regular baked potato and just as good! 

And there you have it: Medium steak bites, baked potato, and cinnamon applesauce. From your wannabe bootleg food blogger of the day, Kayla. Enjoy!