Pork Chops & Chicken

Triple Berry Crisp

After making Chocolate Berry Rum shakes the other day I realized I still had a ton of these frozen berries to get rid of. Now that they have been thawed, they can't be refrozen. Another situation with ugly fruit and what to do about it.

Since it's July 4th, I thought abut making something American and simple. A crisp. Well I don't know how "American" the origins of a crisp actually are, and since it's a patriotic day, I will just pretend it's all American. The south seems to think it originated there, so why not? Lest we forget the Apple pie isn't American at all, but we like to say it is.

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com.

Triple Berry Crisp

by Polly Giebler

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
4 tbls sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter

*My frozen mixed berries worked just as well as fresh berries. Just drain off the excess juice from the berries before adding them to this dish.

Preheat oven to 350° F.



In a large bowl gently toss together berries and white sugar and set aside.



In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.



Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.



Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble on top of the berries.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Chocolate Berry Rum Shakes

Through someone talking about shakes on Twitter, this idea morphed into a good idea for an afternoon beverage, liquor fix, chocolate fix. Plus there is berries in it. Chocolate, mixed berry, rum shakes.

I had these frozen berries I bought from Costco intending to make a quick pie with. Once you freeze berries they are never the same afterward. They are like vegetables and turn to mush due to all the water in them. I had to get rid of them. Blender and ugly fruit? Bingo!



Ingredients:

1 pint of rich Chocolate Ice Cream
1 to 2 cups frozen Mixed Berries
1 cup Dark Rum (1/2 cup if you are a light weight) Not Meyers rum. Use a darker golden dark rum like Thomas Tew or Pussers. Captain Morgans will work too.
1/3 to 1/2 cup Milk
2 tbls Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Chocolate Syrup, or Hot Fudge Topping
4 to 5 medium to large sized ice cubes



Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Make sure milk and rum are on the bottom. Without a good liquid base it won't blend very well. Oh and don't forget to keep that blender lid on tight. Everyone I know has had at least one blender accident.



Serve with straw and enjoy.

*Disregard my choice of using Frozen Yogurt in the picture. Stonyfield Farms is very yummy and very rich tasting, but milky, creamy ice cream is a better idea.

Bad Ass Red Sangria

 

2 Bottles of Cabernet Savignon (the $5.99 el cheapo kind. I also try NOT to use blends like cab/merlot blends ect.)
1 orange sliced
1 lemon sliced
1 lime sliced
1 apple peeled, cored, and sliced or diced
2 cups of apple juice
1 1/3 cups of cranberry juice (2 cups if the wine is sweeter)
2 cups of orange juice
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of triple sec (Edit: Cointreau and Grand Marnier work just as well. Grand Marnier is a little alcoholic hot though on the palate so play around with the measurements.)
1/2 cup to 1 cup or sugar (depending on how dry the wine is.)

*Fruits may vary from strawberries, blueberries, blood oranges, and pears. For this particular batch I used Pears, Oranges, Lemons, Limes, and Blueberries. I had Apples ready, but the Pear was enough and the pitcher was already too full for more fruit.

 

Slice citrus fruits and muddle with sugar and triple sec in pitcher.

Add wine and juices and apples and all other fruits and stir nicely. Let sit for 4 hours up to over night. Serve on ice with soaked fruit from the Sangria.

 

Quick and Easy French Bread Pizza

Just like when you were a kid. Easy dinner idea and fun to make with the kids.




Ingredients:

1 Long French Baguette cut in 3rds and halved
1 Green Pepper Sliced
1 Onion Chopped
5 Large White Mushrooms Thinly Sliced
6 to 8 Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
Tomato Sauce/ Pasta Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

*Toppings can be whatever you like. Just have a tomato sauce base and cheese to top it with.

Preheat oven to 375°F.



Place bread on cookie sheets and begin to top them starting with tomato/pasta sauce as base.





Top with mozzarella after toppings. Push the bread together to allow more of the cheese to stay on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden on the edges. Remove from oven, let stand for a few minutes and serve.

Serves 3 to 6 people.