The Fresh Pioneer Takes Over Your Weekend. (Do not fear...)

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I'm PRETTY sure I'm supposed to be here today. If not... Enjoy the double post, hahaha!

  Seriously, I'm taking over the weekends so now you'll get two full days of The Fresh Pioneer! (No gifts, thank you. If you feel moved, make a donation to your local charity. You're welcome.)

This means there will be more of this.

And blackberry cobbler like this!

And tarte tatin  like this!

And fresh mulberry sorbet like this! 

(This post was July 2012. I can't believe I've been at the cafe almost two years!)

And Italian secret recipe biscotti like this!

But there will also be more of: 

Farm fresh blueberries, and all the ways to eat them.

Crazy food like cactus

Picked from the side of the road blackberries and all the best recipes.

Fresh picked raspberries and simple recipes to highlight them.

Ok, there may not be a lot of salsa recipes

But I may do another round of ratatouille

Or another hash brown and ham quiche.

Or another cast iron cast iron roasted chicken with fresh mushrooms

Chicken enchilada soup.

And there will certainly be more...

Banana phone!

"waddya lookin' at" teens!

Waiting for the cinnamon rolls boys!

And crazy writer on a deadline posts.

So, as we go forward, I'm stocking up on posts. I have ready (tried and tested and maybe approved) for the next few weeks:

LILAC JELLY (Here's Edna, posing with our bounty, before we cooked it.)

(stockimages.com free use)

HOMEMADE PESTO (it wasn't that hard!)

(Doesn't this look delish?  Photo credit and recipe is from one of my favorite blogs: Yes They Are All Ours)

And fool-proof (oh yeah) sweet tea syrup that will fool all your friends and neighbors into thinking you are Southern! It's a secret recipe and I had to pry it out of my friend, so you KNOW it has to be good. (Secret recipes always are!)

So, stay tuned my friends! We're going to have a wonderful time together during the weekends!

Forced study break and blackberry cobbler!

Helllooo, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I was recently forced out of my cave. Well, I was lured by a large mocha and the promise of some company in the kitchen. My friend Mindy told me she was coming. Just like that. I had no choice about the matter. I was going to have to actually brush my hair and put on a shirt without stains.
 (Okay, that's a slight exaggeration. I brushed my hair that morning.)
                                          
 Since we were out of bread and milk and peanut butter and all the other food that children live on, I went to the grocery store before she arrived. And there, I saw blackberries on sale! Score!
 When my college roommate visited a few years ago, she made Pioneer Woman Cooks blackberry cobbler and it lives in my memory as a dish of sugar-crusted perfection. She also gave me her cookbook, along with a picture of them together! Whoohooo! She's met Pioneer Woman!
Since we had everything we needed, we decided to throw it together while her boys and my kids were chasing each other around the house with mini laser guns. (Thanks, Christalee. I'll get even with you someday...)

 Ok, doubling this recipe because... you know... lots of people.
2 sticks (1/2 lb) of butter
2 1/2 cups sugar, and 4 TBS extra
2 cups self rising flour (or normal flour plus 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder per cup)
2 cups milk
2 cups fresh blackberries

 Mmmm. Sweet cocaine.

 Melt the butter and whisk in the flour and the sugar.

 Add the blackberries and sprinkle with sugar.

 Into the oven they go at 350F for one hour!

 This is about 30 minutes in, and they're starting to puff.

 This is about 45 minutes in to the cooking. About now, you can sprinkle the remaining 2 TBS sugar over each one. Or you can misread the directions and do it before they start cooking, like I did. Apparently it doesn't make much difference.

 MMMMM.

 The picture is fuzzy. Probably because I was elbowing kids out of the way so I could take the shot. Suddenly, everybody was in the kitchen!

 After it's cooled about 10-15 minutes you can dish some out and add any leftover berries. It was plenty sweet enough that it didn't need any vanilla ice cream, but PWC says you can add any toppings you so desire.

Closer, closer... YUM. This is probably the easiest recipe I know for a dessert and next time I'd like to try a peach version. Not sure how it will be but I'll keep you updated!

And speaking of updates, here's a final picture of the book nook. I think the last time I posted, we weren't quite finished...

So, the bean bag arrived and at first I was worried. It was about 1 ft square and rock solid. The directions said to cut it out of the wrapper and put it in the inner bean bag pouch. It supposedly would start to expand over the next few days. Huh?? The bean bag was going to grow? 

But, it was true! The environmentally friendly bean bag material indeed started to expand and soon, within hours, it was two feet wide.

By the next morning it was 48 inches wide and completely soft. We placed in the book nook, right under the origami dragons. (Here is Edward looking at St. George and his shiny sword.)

With all that reading, little boys need a bit of a nap. Minutes later, there was quiet snoring. Ahhh, double duty book nook! Napping and reading, what a life!

One more picture of the before, for contrast:

I do believe this wasn't a Pinterest fail, for once! Also, the kids had a great time working together to make their ideas happen. Okay, until next time!