Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Peachy Possibilities! With Summer upon us, nothing is more refreshing than fresh peaches. And the options for devouring them are endless! At first sight, you may be tempted to sink your teeth into the juicy sweet fruit as its nectar drizzles down your chin. But if you keep your willpower in check, the benefits are rewarding.  
Here are a few ideas:  

* Adding fresh peaches to your favorite salsa intensifies the flavor. It’s a perfect compliment to spicy jalapeños and tomatoes. 

* As you prepare nutritious oatmeal, dice part of a peach, then sprinkle it with cinnamon before preparing the cooked cereal in the microwave. It’s also a convenient shortcut to peach cobbler. 

* For that afternoon pick-me-up, toss a couple of frozen peaches, bananas, and strawberries in the blender. Simply add milk, a splash of orange juice, and ice cubes. Voilà, a Smoothie. 

* For the ambitious baker, see yesterday’s post for Old-Fashioned Blueberry Peach Galette a là mode! Who doesn’t love fresh peach pie with vanilla ice cream?
Whichever way you choose, enjoy this peak seasonal fruit. Before you know it, it’ll be gone. 

Keep Calm and Have Fun! 🍓 “POST A QUOTE” Challenge

Greetings! Now here is a challenge that provides a pleasant diversion from regular posting. It has no thought-provoking questions to answer and no need to dig any deeper than the tip of your tongue. Whether your blog is fashion, food, art, poetry, photography, fiction, or non….everyone has quotes that impact them, in my opinion. Perhaps you will take a moment to share those quotes with others by accepting this challenge. It’s really very simple, actually.
I have Shamira to thank for this well-deserved break. Her blog, http://smilingnotes.wordpress.com  is like a breath of fresh air. She spreads joy as she shares her love of food and travel. Ask Shamira about her famous Chicken Tikka! 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
The Rules of this Challenge are:
– Post 1 quote a day for 3 days (can be your own or from other sources).
– Nominate 3 bloggers to participate per post.
– Thank the person who nominated you.
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
My Nominations are:

http://coteetcampagne.wordpress.com
http://francoiselaprune.com
http://agika.me
Keep Calm, Eat Chocolate, and Post a Quote! 🍓
Gail  http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Old-Fashioned Blueberry Peach Galette! For a rustic dessert that is sure to please, this classic French pastry is a perfect blend of natural fruit sweetness complimented by a flaky butter crust. No need for a pie plate, it is oven baked on a sheet pan. *Note: Be sure to prep the pan as directed. Otherwise, you may need to replace it. 

OLD-FASHIONED BLUEBERRY PEACH GALETTE 
Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2-3 tablespoons ice water

3 cups peaches, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries 

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon apricot preserves, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons almonds, sliced
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Then line it with parchment paper. Make a 9-inch pie crust: cut butter into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry cleans the side of the bowl. Gather pastry into a ball; shape it into a flattened round on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9-inch crust and place on parchment paper. Combine sugar, blueberries, and sugar. Beginning in the center, arrange fruit into a fan, spiraling around the pie. Be sure to leave a border. Fold edges of dough toward the center, pressing gently to seal. The dough only partially covers the fruit. Brush the melted preserves over the fruit and along the edges of the dough. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° but do not remove the galette. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the galette from the baking sheet by lifting it with the parchment paper. It needs to cool on a wire rack to keep the bottom from getting soggy. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Serve warm. 
* *Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

Keep Calm and Have Fun! “Post a Quote Challenge!”

Greetings! Now here is a challenge that provides a pleasant diversion from regular posting. It has no thought-provoking questions to answer and no need to dig any deeper than the tip of your tongue. Whether your blog is fashion, food, art, poetry, photography, fiction, or non….everyone has quotes that impact them, in my opinion. Perhaps you will take a moment to share those quotes with others by accepting this challenge. It’s really very simple, actually.

I have Shamira to thank for this well-deserved break. Her blog, http://smilingnotes.wordpress.com is like a breath of fresh air. She spreads joy as she shares her love of food and travel. Ask Shamira about her famous Chicken Tikka! 

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
The Rules of this Challenge are:
– Post 1 quote a day for 3 days (can be your own or from other sources).
– Nominate 3 bloggers to participate per post.
– Thank the person who nominated you.
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
My Nominations are:

http://churchmousec.wordpress.com
http://offmotorway.wordpress.com
http://lifewithdrea.wordpress.com

Keep Calm, Eat Chocolate, and Post a Quote! 🍓

Gail http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: No-Bake Hazelnut Bars! Here you go. A delicious nutty chocolate treat that can be a dessert or a snack. And there is no need to heat up the oven during the Summer months. This combination of dietary coconut fiber and heart-healthy hazelnuts are sure to become your personal favorite. One bar may provide the nutritious energy boost you need to keep going strong. But the question is…..can you stop at just one?

NO-BAKE HAZELNUT BARS
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 milk

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup coconut, flaked

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 13-ounce jar of Nutella Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
Instructions:
Boil butter, milk, brown sugar, coconut, and cracker crumbs in a medium saucepan for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in vanilla extract. Line a 9″x13″ pan with club crackers. Pour the filling over crackers. Top another layer of crackers. Warm Nutella in microwave for 20 seconds. Spread over all. Garnish with nut meats. Cool in refrigerator until firm. Cut into squares.

Top of the World

“After your first day of cycling, one dream is inevitable. A memory of motion lingers in the muscles of your legs, and round and round they seem to go. You ride through Dreamland on wonderful dream bicycles that change and grow.”

~H.G. Wells, The Wheels of Chance

We Are the Champions! 👠👠”Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award!”

We Are the Champions! 👠👠”Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!”

It just keeps getting better and better! 👠👠To be accepted into the blogosphere is so thrilling! Just like a pair of traveling jeans, every award that lands on my doorstep fits perfectly into my circle of friends. As the circle expands beyond my horizon, the world becomes a little bit smaller and a little brighter. One person I have to thank is Stephy of    http://stephysweetbakes.com who nominated me for my second “Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!” Stephy’s blog is a bakery of pastry delights! When your sweet tooth kicks in, step over to her blog.
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THE RULES FOR THE AWARD:
1. Thank the blogger for nominating you and post a link to their blog.
2. Put the award logo on your site.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Nominate seven blogs.
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MY NOMINEES ARE LISTED BELOW:
1.  Kristina

2.  Carla

3.  Catherine

4.  Ginger

5.  Li Jiun

6.  Audrey

7.  Emory
INQUIRING QUESTIONS:
1. In one word, how would you like your readers to describe your blog? 🍓Captivating!
2. Which is your most favorite among your blog posts? Why? 🍓 “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet” simply because everyone loves food!
3. What, who inspires most of your blog posts? 🍓 I give credit to God for gently nudging me through my husband, family, and friends.
4. What do you wish to accomplish this year? 🍓 I wish to move in the direction of compiling a cookbook.
5. What do you aspire to learn this year? 🍓 I aspire to believe I can fulfill my heart’s desire.
6. What is your favorite book and why? 🍓 The Holy Bible is my favorite book. No matter what challenges I face, the answer is there.
7. What is the most courageous thing you have ever done? 🍓 I followed my heart.
8. If you could be a superhero, what would be your super power? 🍓 I would be the Invisible Woman so I could help others without them ever knowing it was me.
9. Who is your female role model? 🍓 The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Mother Teresa.
Now is the time to Pay it Forward.
Blessings! 🍓 Gail of http://snapshotsincursive.com

In Celebration of Independence Day

🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 

“I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the Republic

for which it stands,

one Nation under God,

indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.”

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Mushroom Caps! It you like mushrooms, you’ll be happy to know this is a meal in itself. If you wish to be the star of the next gathering, fix a platter and it becomes a very impressive appetizer to share!
MUSHROOM CAPS 
Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh white mushroom caps, stems removed

1 box of Low-Sodium Stove Top Stuffing 

4 tablespoons butter

1 pinch parsley

1 pinch rosemary 

1 pinch thyme

1 pinch sage

1 stalk celery, chopped finely

1 10-ounce can chicken breast in water, drained
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare stuffing mix according to directions on box but add extra herbs when preparing. Once the dressing is finished, gently add the celery and cut-up chicken breast pieces. Mix well. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange in a shallow baking dish, cavity side up. Bake 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through. The mushrooms should appear golden on top. Serve warm.