Peach Upside Down Cake

Grandma's homemade peach upside down cake

I spent most of the weekend in the kitchen and loved every minute! My canner was on the stove from Friday night through Sunday afternoon. I canned peach jam, peach butter, mint jelly, blueberry jam, pickled banana peppers and dilly beans. My basil was getting out of control in the garden so I picked enough to fill a basket then made and froze pesto. We visited the local farmer's market so I froze enough sweet corn, Simply Freezing Sweet Corn to take us through the winter months. I bought 2 lugs of peaches and had some left over so I froze about 6 quarts, Simply Freezing Peaches. Three peaches were left on the counter so I pulled out Grandma's 1929 cookbook and discovered a peach upside down cake recipe. I love the old recipes and once again the taste testers said it was the best ever!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2-3 fresh sliced peaches
Cake Dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar ( I used organic cane sugar)
1/4 cup butter, softened not melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup milk
Directions:

• I started with a 9 inch round cake pan and buttered the sides.
• In a small pan I heated the butter and brown sugar over medium heat on the stove just until the brown sugar was melted.
• Pour the melted sugar and butter into the cake pan.
• Arrange the peaches in the bottom of the pan over the melted mixture.

• In a medium size bowl, mix the cake dough ingredients together and beat on low with a hand mixer until all of the ingredients are combined. 
• Using a spatula, spread cake batter dough over the peaches. It'll be too thick to pour.

• Bake in a 370F oven for 30-35 minutes. The cake will spring back when touched with the finger.
• Cool 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
• Place a large serving plate over the top of the cake and turn upside down. Lift the pan off the cake.

And there is your beautiful cake! This makes 8 delicious servings. Serve warm and enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Quick and Easy Mini Pizzas

My daughter gave me a great idea for a quick meal. You can choose your own ingredients, use gluten free, organic, homemade, fresh from the garden...the list can go on and on. These little pizzas only take a few minutes to put together and they are delicious!
Ingredients:
English muffins or bagels
2 T Pizza sauce or pasta sauce per serving
1 tsp garlic powder
Mozzarella cheese, fresh is the best
Tomatoes
Fresh basil

• Toast muffins or bagels
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce on each half of muffin
• Lay 1 slice of fresh mozzarella cheese over the sauce
• Lay 1 basil leaf over cheese
• Slice tomatoes and place on top
• Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and salt and pepper 

Heat muffins until the cheese melts. If you use the microwave, it takes about 30 seconds. These are great for camping too so if you have a grill, just place them on a hot grill for a couple of minutes.
Have a great weekend and enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Pasta and Veggies in 15 Minutes or Less

This is a great little recipe when you don't have much time to cook, or if it's a little too warm to start the oven. My supply of fresh ingredients is running low so I experimented with what I had on hand. Use your favorite fresh veggies for this healthy recipe. I used gluten-free penne pasta and my family grated some fresh parmesan cheese over the top.
Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, I use the tips
12-14 grape tomatoes
2 cups sugar snap peas
2 T olive oil
Garlic, 1 clove, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 c vegetable stock
Fresh basil, I cut 2 leaves
Penne pasta (12 oz box)
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated cheese, optional
Directions:
Boil the pasta in salted water about 7 minutes, uncovered. In a skillet, add the other ingredients, garlic and oil first, then the stock. Add the fresh herbs and veggies to the skillet and heat over medium heat about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add the veggie mixture. Stir and enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Grilled Orange Roughy

My favorite food choices are often related to family memories, so I wanted to share one of our favorite grilled fish recipes. Our Dad used to take us fishing and we grew up eating the fish we caught ourselves. Then came the time when we had to start buying fish, I searched for types of fish that didn't taste too "fishy". It's hard to accomplish that in the Midwest, we don't always have many choices. We were introduced to orange roughy during a trip to San Diego where my great-uncle treated us to some of the most wonderful seafood we had ever eaten at an establishment called Anthony's. It was the first time we had eaten orange roughy and it was white, flaky and not too fishy tasting. After a few experiments, this is my favorite method to prepare it at home. Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers!
Ingredients:
4 orange roughy fillets
1/4 c fresh cilantro, I use a small handful
* if you are not a cilantro fan use fresh dill, about 1/4 c chopped
2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, quartered
1 lime, quartered
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse the fish fillets with water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Spray or rub olive oil on a large piece of tin foil.
3. Place fish on the foil and cover with cilantro or dill.
4. Sprinkle with garlic or garlic powder, salt and pepper.
5. Using your fingers, lightly pat the seasonings into the fish.
6. Squeeze the lemon and lime juice over the fish and place the fish in the foil wrap.
7. Fold the foil over the fish so it is sealed on all edges.
8. Use another layer of foil so the juices stay inside the foil wrap while grilling.
9. Place the foil packet on the grill and cook on medium for 10 minutes on each side (or until flaky).

My garlic secret? I buy the best garlic and garlic powder from Annie's Garlic.


Enjoy!

Love and peace,

~ Simply Tammi