Almost Peach Barbecue Sauce

I used fresh peaches the first time I made this because it was September in Utah, the end of the beautiful, sweet peach season.  But if it's February in North Dakota where you live, first,  I hope you are reading this beside your blazing fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and warm, fuzzy slippers because I can't bear to think of you there any other way, and second and more to the point, I would totally use frozen peaches for this one if I didn't have fresh peaches. 

This isn't a barbecue sauce, but it's a sweet, smokey sauce we like.  I looked at the bbq bottle with 11 grams of sugar (just shy of 1 tablespoon of sugar) for a 2 tbl serving.  Eek!  Half sugar! I just couldn't do it but wanted a smokey sauce for chicken.  I haven't managed to make it without liquid smoke yet, but hey good, better, best and this is definitely better than bbq sauce on that scale.

2 lbs peaches (about 4 medium) diced and cooked down until thick and reduced by 1/3 to 1/2
1/2 tsp hickory smoked salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
6 drops liquid smoke. 

Combine ingredients to make sauce.  I drizzled over frozen chicken breasts and baked.  Called it smoked peach chicken.  Not BBQ sauce but a little sweet and a little smokey. 

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs - It's That Time Again!

I think the beautiful colors and earthy tones of naturally dyed eggs are gorgeous. And then there were the botanical eggs, wet leaves and grass adhered to the egg, wrapped in nylon and dyed to leave designs. I was so intrigued that yesterday I spent my morning dicing cabbage, pulling onion skins, boiling spices and scouring the yard for herbs to use as decoration. Did I mention that my children were at school? I was dying eggs alone

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Peach Sweet and Sour Sauce

I've been experimenting with a peach sweetened bbq sauce (not ready for the public reveal quite yet but promising). Then I had the idea to try peach sweet and sour sauce and boom roasted, total success.

Creamy Italian Dressing

1 cup olive oil
1/2 c soaked sunflower seeds
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp pink salt
Dash of black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8-1/4 c water as needed


Combine all ingredients in blender and blend til smooth. If it's too thick add water as needed.


To soak sunflower seeds, put seeds in warm water and leave for 8-12 hours. Measure after soaking.

Crock Pot Herb Roasted Potatoes

 There are totally days when I look at my schedule and wonder when we'll eat dinner, let alone how I will have it ready.  Today was one of those days.  I pulled out 2 crock pots (I've finally accumulated 3 large crock pots and some days I use them all)   One for a whole chicken I'm roasting for dinner (and then I'll use the bones for broth) and the other I tried these potatoes and score!  The house smells a little KFC-ish in the yummiest sense.  They aren't as crispy as oven roasted potatoes but they will do very nicely on a work day, a mom's in the car driving everyone everywhere day or just because you want to read a book so dinner needs to take care of itself.

Jalapeno Ranch Dip for my I.C. Sisters

I can't take credit (or blame) for this recipe.  I got it from my good friend at Pettingill's Fruit Farm.  I made it for a recent family gathering and it was a hit.  So I'm sharing here for those family members who asked for it. It has not been tweaked to be healthier, it's as is.  I'll work on a healthy version another day. Enjoy!