Friday, September 3, 2010

just peachy

my little sister crystal and i picked 23 pounds of peaches last week.
she'd only eaten canned peaches, so it was exciting to see crystal try her first fresh jersey peach!
we also picked a few pounds of gala apples. what i wouldn't do to have a peach and apple tree growing in my own backyard...my dad grew up with both!
neighborhood fruit is a site that shows where you can find public fruit trees in your area. there are a few apple trees listed in philadelphia i plan to check out. how nice it would be to get free, local apples! i've read apples can be stored up to four months wrapped in newspaper and placed in a cool, dark spot.
the apples were a little bland, but the peaches were out of this world! perfectly sweet and juicy. i planned to make crepes and cobblers, but as my sista' krista said, they're too good and should be eaten just is.=)

fyi - i have one younger sister, krista (pictured below with her fur baby, bear) and a "little" through big brothers big sisters, crystal (seen above). i named krista when i was 3 and have been crystal's "big" since march '09. i also have a brother craig (below with his daughter, alaina) who is just 13 months younger than me. god bless my mother!=)
back to the peaches - some made it into a salsa in our raw tacos with yummy raw ranch dip...
and i set lots aside for our second annual jam fest. this is just half of the peach and peach and pepper jam jars missy and i filled. peach heaven!
and this year we were joined by little miss marlie! (you can see more photos of marlie here.)
missy and i have been the best of friends since middle school. i'm truly blessed to know such sweeties! speaking of...i've still been reading your blogs, just not commenting as often because of my key issues. (i think biggles is trying to put an end to my computer habit!=)
 "stop blogging and play with me!"

i leave you with a tasty "burger" recipe you may want to enjoy on the grill before summer ends, and wishes for a safe and happy labor/labour day weekend!=)

spicy black bean patties
(serves 2)

the black bean burger recipe at can you stay for dinner? was my guide for creating the following recipe:

1 C. cooked black beans, divided
1/2 C. walnuts, divided
1/4 C. panko bread crumbs
1/4 C. carrot, chopped
1/4 C. any color sweet bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
chipotle powder, to taste (a few pinches goes a long way!)
few sprigs of cilantro (optional)
diced jalapeno (optional, for extra spicy patties)
salt, to taste

in a mixing bowl, mash half of the black beans with a fork or potato masher. add bread crumbs and the remaining beans, then stir to combine.

add half of the walnuts, coarsely crushed (you can do this with a fork). ground the remaining walnuts in a food processor until fine. stir into mixture.

heat olive oil in a skillet. add garlic, heat for one minute, then add carrots and green peppers. heat veggies over medium heat a few minutes, stirring often.

add sauteed veggies to mixing bowl. mix well.

form batter into two patties. spicy black bean patties can be served uncooked, grilled, baked at 400° for 20-30 minutes, or fried in a little olive oil, a few minutes on each side. be sure to handle the patties carefully as they crumble easily.

(you can refer to the black bean burger recipe for a picture tutorial on how to create these delicious mommajommas.)

enjoy!
=)

21 comments:

  1. I love today's blog and all the family pictures! Good lookin' bunch!
    The critters too. :)
    How fun to pick the fruit right off the trees. Tasty!

    Have a great weekend,
    gabriele

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  2. Beautiful post! yummy eats! :) i love learning more about you! :) Thanks for checking out my sisters blog!

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  3. wish i could have gone picking with you...would have been so much fun.

    love all of your girls...and your bro...bear is so cute i want to rub his ears...hehehehe...

    how do you make your jam? and lovely salsa and raw tacos...and of course that burger looks to die for...

    miss you girlie...hopefully biggles doesn't kill your pc...i would miss your updates and you, more than i already do!!

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  4. Those are killer looking peaches and apples. Someone takes very good care of that tree. There is a saying around here in western PA that a peach tree is just a myth. They do not do well here. Oh how I would love a peach tree also.

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  5. Love the peaches, apples, and a glimpse at your family. cute little baby!

    the bean burgers look so good! chris has been making some lately. good stuff.

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  6. Those peaches look fabulous..and that tree is totally loaded!
    I'm so happy to see your "little"!
    And your family is simply gorgeous!!thank you for sharing:)
    Nemo loves to sit on the computer too LOL! too funny! Nemo hit a key one time and I didn't get internet for awhile...so I just pushed down on all the keys just like he did..and it worked again HAHA!
    thank you for the burger recipe too!! It's been awhile since I made burgers!

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  7. Hi sweetie! Lovely post. I love peaches...what a great idea turning them into salsa! The tacos look fab! Big hugs xoxo

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  8. Cute posting. I feel honored to be on your blog. Your friends are so sweet! I had a blast the other day. I hope we can do it again soon.
    Love ya!

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  9. 23 lbs of peaches?! holy moly you were busy!!

    the jam....ahhh, memories of my childhood and my mom canning!

    your family is beautiful!! and yes, your mother when you kids were young, bless her!!
    xoxo

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  10. yum yum yum loving the peaches too! i got a peck of them on Tuesday, probably similar to your 20+ pounds. it's been a peachy kinda week! have a great weekend :D

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  11. Your food looks beautiful, your pickin looks awesome and your cat is adorable!! Our cat (my 13 yr olds cat actually) is so grumpy and doesn't like to be touched. Oh how I wish I had a cuddly cat!!
    That baby is soooo cute. What a precious blessing and miracle. All life is precious and this shows just how much!! Oh how I miss holding my newborns. There is nothing like it on earth.
    Congratulations to your family!!
    Peace and RAW Health,
    Elizabeth

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  12. loved the post and those peaches make me drool!!! thank you for the burger recipe, black beans are an absolute favorite of mine :-)
    have a lovely sunday kelli, much love xoxox

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  13. What a great post, Kelli! The pictures are beautiful! I've always thought about getting involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, but have yet to go for it. So awesome that you're doing that!

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  14. (((((Gorgeous!))))) I love all this, so much. The peaches. The connections. The love. You are so blessed, my dear! :o)

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  15. You are surrounded by such beautiful friends and family...love all the pics.

    Thanks for sharing this peachy post and awesome looking burger recipe, too!

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  16. I just loved reading your blog today! Peaches, Crystal ,Krista, Mr. Bear, Craig, Alaina, Missy, Marley, Piggy,and all the nice comments!

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  17. I knew you were a sweetie!! So awesome that you're involved in the big sister program. Looks like a fun day out picking peaches and apples. Love fresh peaches! Your family is lovely too (including Biggles of course). And the burgers sound (and look) amazing!

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  18. I love this post! Thanks for introducing us to your beautiful family :)

    And I can't believe you have so much wonderful fresh produce that you can just pick off the trees. Amazing.

    Hope your computer issues are fixed now xxx

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  19. Great post! Thanks for the shout out too! I'm so glad to hear you liked the burgers!!

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