4th of July Celebration 2016

Spending 4th of July at home has become somewhat of a tradition for us. We can easily see the Lake Julian Fireworks from our neighborhood so there's no need for us to travel very far.  A walk down the street for a better view is all it takes for us to celebrate. With a newborn and a husband who needed to be at work at 4am the next day, I'm so thankful!

Food always plays a major roll in our day and it started with brunch.  A late breakfast ensures we can skip lunch and eat an early dinner. I was inspired by Biscuit Head and HenDough (our favorite brunch spots) to make this smothered biscuit topped with a poached egg. It was my first time poaching an egg. I turned to Alton Brown for a quick lesson! Check it out, here. They turned out fairly well, but next time, I'm going to take them off the heat sooner. I didn't listen to Alton completely like I should have! 5 minutes IS all that is needed. We prefer them to be a little more runny. Overall, though, they turned out great! Usually, I would try to make homemade biscuits and gravy, but with a newborn I opted for Pillsbury and a gravy mix. Shhh....

This year, we had one family over -- the Bagamarys. They have two sons, Joshua, who is Keira's age and Jackson, who just turned a year old.  I didn't get too many pictures, because Evangeline was in the middle of her 5-8pm freak out session!  It started with us trying to get her to nap in her crib. In retrospect, 4th of July probably wasn't the best time to try and transition her.  She lasted maybe 15 minutes! 

Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time in the bedroom feeding and/or consoling her and when I wasn't with her, I was prepping food.  I did manage to get a few good pictures though!

The dads grilled, while the children played. It looked like it was going to rain so we set the pool up in inside the porch, rather than outside. It's crazy how a little pool can bring so much joy! They could play all day if we let them.

Jackson & Evangeline hung out with the moms in the kitchen. Thankfully, Evangeline calmed down just enough for us to finish prepping all the food. Sweet Jackson kept trying to give her his Batman water bottle.

And now for the food! We had gone to a couple get-togethers the week before the 4th of July and at each one, I gained a new recipe or two from friends. I'm passing on the favor and sharing them with you today!

Keira's friend had a birthday party and his mom made this mac & cheese. It's the best mac & cheese I have ever had. Ever. Ever. Ever. You'll be hooked! Get the super easy, cheesy recipe here!

A couple days later we gathered with work friends. I learned that devilled eggs are not devilish enough without bacon, sour cream & chives. Purely addictive. Courtesy of Trisha Yearwood (and a friend from work), get the recipe here.

At the same party, watermelon never looked so beautiful. Ditch the salt, for more adult ingredients! I don't have a link for this recipe but it's pretty simple. Cut watermelon slices, sprinkle chilli powder, fresh mint & feta generously so they look like watermelon pizzas. Delish!

After dinner, I put Evangeline to sleep (let's all sigh with a bit of relief) and we waited until night fall to walk down the street to watch the fireworks with our neighbors.  Ryan stayed behind with the baby.  Don't worry, we didn't leave her alone!  

Keira was terrified as we walked down the street!  I had to beg her to open her eyes.  Neighbors where doing their fair share of very loud fireworks before the main show. She snuggled her head in my neck almost the entire time! She & I were a sweaty mess by the end! I was the same way when I was her age, though, so I completely understand her fright.  New Year's Eve in Hawaii would bring out the same reaction in me that I was seeing in Keira.  She's so much like me!  Once the real fireworks started, the ones in the neighborhood went quiet and luckily she was able to relax and enjoy it.

Once we got back to the house, our friends left and it was time for bed. Surprisingly, both girls slept through the night!  

The next day, I realized, we didn't get a picture of Keira on the back porch like we had the two years before. Why break tradition?  We got one the next day in her USA themed gear.  She's growing up so fast!  Until next year...

  

I'll be your huckleberry - the recipe.

After our hike to Graveyard Fields, I was on a search for a good huckleberry muffin recipe.  I came across one on Pinterest... of course, right?!?  There are some talented people out there and I am grateful that they share their secrets so openly! What I liked about this recipe, in particular, is that I already had most ingredients in my cupboard and fridge.  And while I love cooking with buttermilk (a usual in muffins), for a tiny recipe I didn't want to have to buy a whole quart and have most of it go to waste.  I was happy to see this recipe called for regular milk, which I happen to have a gallons of because of Keira!

These muffins turned out amazing!!! Because I made these so late in the day, I'm not ashamed to say that Ryan and I ended up eating a few (each!) in lieu of dinner.  I say eat, but what I really mean is devour.  You start with the perfect streusel top followed by a moist lemony muffin sprinkled with the perfect amount of sweet from the  huckleberries.  YUM!  If you don't have huckleberries, these would work with blueberries, blackberries and maybe even apples.

So, here's what you need to make Wild Mountain Huckleberry Muffins by the Rowdy Baker:

Huckleberries (and a few blackberries) we picked from our hike at Graveyard Fields!

For the Muffins

• 1 3/4 Cup Flour
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 2 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Peel
• 3/4 Cup Huckleberries 
• 1 Egg (beaten well)
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1/3 Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

For the Streusel (yes, yummy streusel!)

• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Butter (melted)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Note: The original recipe also includes an icing, but I didn't think the muffins needed it, especially with the streusel.  To find out how to make the icing visit The Rowdy Baker.

Be sure to pre-heat your over to 350 degrees before you start!

Step 1

Mix all the ingredients for the streusel topping & set aside.

Tip: Pack the brown sugar!

Step 2

In a large bow, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.  Sift twice.

Tip: There have been many times, I've skipped the sifting, mostly because of time, but since this was my first time attempting this recipe, I tried to follow it to the T.  It does make the mix very fine, which probably attributes to the end result in some positive way!

Step 3 

Add lemon zest & the berries to the flour mixture & toss.  

Tip:  It's easier to use a hand held grater rather than this big one.  One day I'll buy one, but until then...

Note: So, I misread the recipe and add all the berries at this point.  The original author, however, held some back and dropped them on top of the muffin before adding the streusel.  I always misread at least one step!

Step 4

In a medium sized bowl, mix the egg, milk (I used whole since I had it.), oil, and vanilla.  Make sure to mix well.

Step 5
Poor the wet mixture into the flour mixture, folding gently just until the dry mixture is evenly moistened.

Step 6
Divide batter evenly among 12 lined muffin cups.  This is the first recipe I've done where it actually made just 12 muffins.  I usually come up short!

Tip: The batter is very thick.  I ended up using one spoon to scoop the batter and another one to push the batter off the spoon into the muffin cup.

Step 7
Gently cover muffins with streusel mixture.

Tip:  The muffin will expand!  Try to keep the streusel more towards the middle of the muffin.  I didn't and some of my outlying streusel got kicked out of the muffins as they grew!

Step 8
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.  The tops of the muffins will be slightly browned.

Step 9

Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then enjoy with a glass of milk! 

Check out where the berries came from, in my post titled, "I'll be you Huckelberry!" 

Movin' to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches!

Summer and peaches go hand in hand in the South!  I'm convinced that South Carolina, in particular, produces the best peaches in the world!  I've never tasted a better peach anywhere else.  Peach season runs May through August, but in our experience August seems to produce the best fruit.  During this time, they're so juicy that if you eat it off the pit you almost have to bend over so that the nectar doesn't end up on your face or your clothes. They're so good, so refreshing, so summer!  Needless to say, we've been counting down the days until August since, well, last August!  Now that it's here, it's cause for celebration in the Felten Household.

Peaches are Ryan's favorite fruit.  He happens to be allergic to a lot of fruit in their raw state like apples, cantaloupe, watermelon and cherries. Yes, I tease him all the time... poor guy. Thank God, peaches aren't one of them, making this time of year all the more sweeter!  Keira takes after her daddy in many ways, so it's no wonder she loves them just as much as he does.  In fact, the first couple times we fed them to her this year, she'd have both fists full of little slices, stuffing them in her mouth one after the other even if she hadn't swallowed the first ones yet.  We'd have to hold some back and tell her to SLOW down. Needless to say, it looks like peaches will continue to be a Felten tradition as long as we live in Asheville!

This summer we found that the best place to get them is at the WNC Farrmer's Market in West Asheville.  We LOVE this place, not just for peaches, but for fresh, local produce. I usually leave $20 poorer but it's totally worth it.  Coates Produce is my go-to vendor.  They're very nice, and conveniently take a card.  All their peaches (I believe) come from South Carolina and because the market is so close, we usually stop by to get a week's worth after church on Sundays. They've definitely come to know my face.

A couple Sunday's ago, in addition to our weekly supply, I decided to get an extra bag for peach pie.  Oh, believe me, peaches are good all by themselves, but peach pie is just a must-do.  Hands down, of all the pies in the world, peach is my favorite kind and coupled with my Grandma Emma's 'Never' Fail Pie Crust Recipe, it'll knock you off your feet!

I'll walk you through the recipe.  First, let's talk crust.  If you like flaky pie crust, then this recipe is perfect for you.  My grandma told me the secret ingredient is vinegar!  I don't know the science behind it, but it works.  Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients for the crust:

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Shortening
• 5 Tablespoons Water
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Vinegar
• 1 Egg

For the filling:

• 6-8 Medium Sized Peaches
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Butter

Step 1

Blend flour & shortening with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is crumbly, about the size of peas.   

Tip: A pastry blender is not necessary.  This is the first time I've used one.  I usually just used a fork with the same results, however, I will say a pastry blender makes the process quicker!

Step 2
Mix the water, salt, vinegar & egg in a small bowl or cup.

Step 3
Add the liquids to the flour mixture, tossing lightly with  fork.  The mixture will be VERY sticky.  

Tip: At this point, to help with the molding I cover the dough with plastic wrap & stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, but it's not necessary if you are in a rush.

Step 4

Now it's time to mold the dough and get it into the pie pan!  You can use considerable amount of flour to help shape the pie crust.  

You will need a rolling pin and a clean counter top or dough mat.

The dough mat is helpful in that most having sizing charts and can guide you roll out to the right size.  Whatever you use, be sure to layer out a good amount of flour so that the dough doesn't stick to the surface.

Tip: This time around, I used a pie crust bag I bought at Kitchen & Company to help me shape my crust.  It's a 9 inch zippered bag. I had my doubts, but it worked like a champ!  

Just roll the dough out until it fills out the entire bag, unzipper, place in the glass pie pan and peel the bag away slowly.  I did flour both sides of the bag to make sure the dough didn't stick.  The result is a perfectly round pie crust.

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Step 5
It's time for the peaches to make an appearance!  At this point be sure to pre-heat your over to 425 degrees.

Remove the pits and slice the peaches in to slim and even sized slices.

Tip: Some recipes call for you to peel the peaches.  I don't even bother and the taste is the same, at least to me.  It may come down to preference & time.

Step 7

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together & arrange in the prepared pastry lined pie plate.

Step 8

Roll out the top pastry.

Step 9
Place over the top of the pie and flute the edges shut.  You also need to slit four holes in the top of the pie to allow the filling to vent.

Tip: The pie crust is not very sweet, so I like to brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle a little bit of sugar across the top.  It also helps give the pie a nice brown color once it's baked.

Step 7
Stick the pie in the oven at 425 degrees  for 45 minutes or until browned.

Tip: Some advise foiling the crust until the last 15 minutes.  I didn't do that this time & it turned out fine.  Just keep an eye on the pie as cooks.

45 minutes later this is the result!

The only bad news is that you MUST let the pie sit for at least two hours to allow the filling to solidify.  BUT if you're like Ryan & I, you won't be able to wait!!!  It tastes just as good an hour out of the oven (not to mention the perfect temp), however you may need to remove a little bit of extra juice out of your pie the next day. 

Either way, peach pie is best served warmed up with a side of vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!