Sweet Summer Recipes (and a sweet giveaway for YOU!)

Summertime is more than just fun and sun -- it's also about enjoying some of our favorite summertime treats.  I'm sharing with you a couple of our all time most loved recipes (and at the end of this post there is a sweet treat giveaway for you!)

Summer Fruit Cobbler

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4-5 cups of your favorite fruit (sweetened to taste)

(we like to use peaches, berries, and sometimes we even mix it up and make multi-fruit cobblers)

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lightly grease pan with cooking spray

add fruit

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make the batter--

1 stick margarine

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 T vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

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**(if I use a large pan like the one pictured above - I always double the batter recipe.  But if you are using a 9 inch pan, a single batch is fine.)**

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Pour batter over sweetened fruit mixture.

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Mix one cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Heat in microwave until the sugar is dissolved. 

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Lightly pour the syrup over the batter -- trust me on this!

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Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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**not all ovens are equal - so check at about an hour - you want your cobbler to be light brown and crusty.

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as soon as I take the cobbler out of the oven, I dust the top with vanilla sugar, bourbon sugar, or raw granulated sugar. 

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OF COURSE you will want to eat this with ice cream -- but our favorite is to buy vanilla yogurt from McDonald's and pile it on the cobbler while it is hot.  

"First Prize at the Fair"

Zucchini Bread

(you know this is a beloved recipe when it looks as worn as this!)

~(this recipe was taken from a 1990 Better Homes and Gardens magazine -- and I have added my own additions.)

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(I really did win first prize at the county fair with this recipe -- but I can't find my ribbon to prove it to you -- LOL!) 

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3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

(honestly -- I do not measure this -- I just dump in a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chopped pears - I use a 16 oz can (drained) and put it in the food processor

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups finely shredded zucchini

1 cup cooking oil

3 eggs

1 T vanilla

1 cup raisins**

**(before you begin the recipe - soak the raisins in a strong tea mixture)** 

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Spray 2 (8x4x2 inch) baking pans with non stick coating. 

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Mix together the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder,

 and salt. Set aside.

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Mix the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  

Mix in the pears.

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Add the flour mixture and mix well.

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With a spoon mix in the zucchini and raisins (drained).

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Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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Remove from oven --

while the bread is still hot and BEFORE removing from the pans~~

I make a glaze of xxx sugar and almond flavoring

and pour this over the breads, allowing it to soak into the bread and down the sides of the pan. 

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 Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

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**Accept all compliments graciously - your friends and family will think you are a rock star when they taste this bread!**

Do you remember these cookies from this post earlier this spring?

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My Sweet Summer giveaway

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A lucky winner will receive a miniature

version of these cookies.

Baked fresh and delivered to you!

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(this time -- the winner will need to live in the US-- but don't worry, another giveaway will be here soon and that one will be open to everyone!)

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To enter -- just leave a comment here. That's it.  Make sure that your contact info is connected with your comment.  If  you are registered as anonymous - then you will need to leave your email in the comment.

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 The winner will be announced RIGHT HERE 

on August 15. 

UPDATE -- the winner of the cookie giveaway is 
Missio Terra Blog
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Congrats!!
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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

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A little news-- my world is a total explosion of PINK right now! If you visited my Sacred Yarn room in the "Where Blogger's Create" post-- well, it does not look like that now!  The Breast Cancer Awareness nests are well underway and this craft room is a total disaster!  I'm running around in PINK circles right now! Look for a tiny little preview of the nests on my community facebook page next week. 

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Those of you who pre-ordered some of my knitted wraps will be very happy soon!! They are knitted and I will be adding the beads and fringe soon (as soon as the nests are done.)  You will most certainly have them before the first fall winds blow!  (Seriously -- I can't even think about fall yet!)

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Coming up next -- a little something I knitted -- just wanted to share it with you all~

xoxo,

Vicki