Elizabeth Obsesses...

Delaware City Peach Pie Delaware City Peach Pie Start with fresh peaches I hadn't planned on baking a pie but as I was running errands yesterday I came across the most beautiful, ripe peaches I have  ever  seen.  I couldn't pass them up so this just  had  to happen! I know that when most people think of peaches, they probably think of the Georgia Peach.  What many people don't know is that Delaware was the one of the country's leading producers of peaches during the early part of the nineteenth century.  Between 1840 and 1880, Delaware City, in particular, was famous for providing most of the East Coast with peaches.  The would ship right from Major's Wharf in Delaware City to ports all up and down the coast.  Isn't that cool?  So in honor of our beautiful little city, I am calling this recipe Delaware City Peach Pie. A pie is a great "go-to" recipe for when you're Peeled and sliced peaches expecting company or going to a potl

This week in Mrs. Kane's Kitchen It's going to be a busy week, so I have to be sure to plan everything in out well in advance.  I've planned some easy nights (deli night, two crock pot nights, and grilled chicken) to help me get through it all.  Don't forget to check out the recipe for Delaware City Peach Pie. As always, please respond in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions.   Sunday Home made stuffed shells in Marinara sauce topped with fresh mozzarella and julienned basil.  Garlic bread on the side.  Dessert is fresh Delaware City Peach Pie .  Monday Chicken quesadillas on pan fried flat breads served with fresh salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and tortilla chips on the side. Tuesday Flank steak tacos in the crockpot served with fresh salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Wednesday Deli night served with oven-warmed potato chips and creamy barbecue dip Thursday London broil in the crock pot served with mashed potatoes and dinner ro

It's all about the WiFi My babies spending some quality "family time" together a few years back We’re having a crisis of WiFi at our house, and I’m afraid the kids might not make it through.  While I admit, the following story might not have unfolded  exactly  like this, perception is a funny thing.  If you ask me, this is how it all went down. As I’ve said before, I have children coming out of my ears.  Two upstairs, two downstairs.  There are kids just about  everywhere in my house!  Thankfully,  I'm usually able to sit for a bit after dinner and get lost in internet travels on my phone while I wait for the dishwasher to finish up.  Lately that's not been possible. Over the past few weeks, we've had problems with our Wifi dropping connections randomly, and my peaceful evenings are when it seems to strike the most.  Just the other day, I was sitting on the couch blissfully surfing away while my husband was working on his laptop.  Out of the bl

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup There is no better way to welcome Autumn than with a nice hot bowl of homemade soup.  So in honor of the first day of Fall today, I made a big pot of this comforting, hearty soup.  The thing that makes this such a great recipe to fall back on (no pun intended) is the simple list of ingredients.  I almost always have these staples on hand and can throw it all together with very little effort. Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup All you need is some chicken, broth, noodles, and a handful of onion, carrots, celery, parsley, and rosemary.  That's it.  Yes, I'm serious.  Ok, I'm done talking to myself now. Sautée  Mirepoix in a stockpot with butter Start with the veggies.  These three veggies, when used together are famous.  They are referred to as a Mirepoix.  I threw about 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (not shown in photo) in the stockpot and let it

This week in Mrs. Kane's Kitchen... While I didn't get this posted as early as I had hoped to, here is the next installment of family dinner ideas.   Here in Delaware, the weather is just on the edge of turning into full-blown Autumn, and I am trying to push it right over the edge with a few cool weather favorites mixed in with the standard weeknight fare. Sunday Homemade beef stew,  a fresh French baguette, and blueberry coffee cake Monday Savory roasted chicken breasts, green beans, apple-sausage dressing, and dinner rolls Tuesday Grilled sliders served with thinly sliced red onions, shredded lettuce, pickles, and hand cut french fries.   These fries are labor intensive, but oh-so-worth the effort!   Wednesday ~ Survivor Night!~ Thursday Garlic and herb roasted pork loin served with the Pioneer Woman's  Crash Potatoes Friday Chicago style grilled hot dogs, fresh fruit, and potato chips Saturday Soup and sandwiches

The Best Smelling Homemade Laundry Soap / Detergent Homemade laundry soap with scent beads Laundry Soap can get expensive in a house with four children, two of whom are teenage girls.  The only people on earth who make more laundry than teenage girls are teenage  boys  and I have one of those, (as well as a preteen) too.  Needless to say, we go through  a lot  of laundry detergent. I've tried the generic brands as well as the store brands but they just don't do it for me.  I'm addicted to the fresh fragrance of clean clothes, and those cheaper brands just don't have any fragrance in my opinion once things come out of the dryer.  So about a year ago my sister and best friend, Tiff turned me on to her version of homemade laundry detergent.  While I loved it, and it's fragrance, I've upped some things, and left out others out completely to optimize it to my taste,  but I will forever be grateful to her because I estimate she has saved me over

Deep Dish Apple Pie (recipe below) I'm really in the mood for Autumn to hurry up and get here, so I'm trying to encourage it by doing Autumn-y things like putting out my fall linens ad decorations in the dining room and baking Apple Pie. This Apple pie is so easy to make and tastes delicious - equal parts tart and sweet with the perfect balance of cinnamon. Truth be told, I never use a recipe for pies of any kind - I just throw it all together and hope for the best.  I admit that this is not the best approach.  While most turn out just fine, I have had my share of soupy pies. The trick of it all is to trust yourself and know how it's supposed to look at the various stages. Step one:  is always start with fresh apples.   I prefer the tartness of Granny Smith for my pies, but I have been known to throw any kind of apple into my pies if they're on hand. I slice each apple off of the core into about 4 large pieces then peel the pieces. I feel like they

This week in Mrs. Kane's Kitchen... One of the things I do to keep my sanity with this big family is to plan my menu a week ahead of time.  Honestly, between field hockey, football, orthodontist appointments, and work there is no time for floundering around trying to figure out what to eat.  Not to mention that the kids don't want to hear how busy your life is.  They just want dinner on the table.  The alternative to having a plan is to have quick junk food or fast food - something I hate to do .  We call convenience foods and fast food plastic food in my house because of all the chemicals, stabilizers, and preservatives in it.  Have you ever seen photos of a McDonalds hamburger and fries that have been left out for years ?  It looks the same - because it's fake food! When I create my menu each week, I start with a digital photo-frame that has something to do with the season or a birthday we're celebrating.  In the frame I write the days of the week and their co

Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze Oh my god!  This cake is so good.  I was looking for an easy "go-to" cake recipe that didn't come from a box, but used things I often have on hand.  This cake fits that bill perfectly. The best thing about this recipe is that you can change it in so many ways and completely alter the outcome.  For instance, you can substitute almond extract for the vanilla for an amazing almond cake.  I have also added lemon extract and some lemon zest to the vanilla when I want to focus on the more citrusy flavors. I have substituted sour cream and 1% milk for the buttermilk when I didn't have any on hand, and it still came out delicious.  You're only limited to your own imagination here, so go wild! I have to say, that the above photo was my first attempt at this cake, and I allowed the glaze to cool off too much before putting it on the cake - it turns out much nicer when the glaze is really warm.  I also didn't kn