Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Sweetie Pie

Not really pie. Pop tarts. Or, specifically, whole wheat toaster pastries! I came across a recipe on one of my favorite sites, 100 Days of Real Food.

It was one of the first sites I started following when we decided to change the way we eat. I like the way she breaks down her recipes. I like that she uses real food ingredients (she better with a name like that!). And I even like the lunches she packs for her kids. They make me wish I was her kid and going to school!

We have a big trip coming up and I have no clue what the farmer's markets or organic selections in the grocery stores are going to be like. I know there's a big box store close, but I'm looking for things that will travel well. I already have a list of things that we'll be taking from our organic co-op, but it won't last the entire time we're gone.

This past weekend, hubby and I and 2 of the 3 kiddos went blueberry and peach picking. It was a ton of fun! There are so many u-picks that have sprouted up around us (see what I did there? Sprouted? Get it?) and this one had the 2 fruit items we were after. We went early, trying to beat the heat. Well, we tried anyway...


The baby picking peaches.
 
 
The branches were so heavy with peaches, they would just dip under the weight and sit on the ground.
 
 
That is a good looking boy right there. He is my fruit eater, but managed to pick more than he ate. Well, peaches anyway. Blueberries, now that's a different story.
 

The baby picking blueberries. She stayed on the outside of the bushes. They were packed pretty tightly together and the idea of spiders and other crawlies made her say no, but thank you.
 

 
These gorgeous creatures were on the other side of the blueberry field and came to say hello.
 

 
Grilled peaches, y'all! Just say yes...
 

  
Berry sauce. I got this from the same website as the toaster pastries. The recipe called for frozen berries, but I have almost 15 pounds of fresh, so that's what I used. I poured some of this over my grilled peaches. Oh, my giddy aunt!
 
 
Ok, so back to the pop tarts. With an abundance of fruit I needed ideas of what to do with it. I had looked at this recipe before, and decided that now was the time. I can make these ahead of time and they will travel well. But, of course, there's always a trial run. I'm not going to post the recipe, but you should look it up. Here's my take on things.
 
  • You can use fresh blueberries, but I suggest you mash them first. The first batch I didn't and lost a bunch of berry juice to the pan. It's ok, though. They were still delicious.
  • They are amazing if you use chocolate chips. I used a semi-sweet because that's what I had, but for the trip, I'm using dark chocolate.
  • I used hubby's stand mixer and I'm glad I did. I have a Ninja, but the dough blade only fits the smaller container. Not recommended for this since I almost blew it up. I am not even kidding.
  • I rolled the dough out in batches. If you have a bigger working space, you could roll all at one time. I found it easier in smaller batches, but it took a little longer.
  • Mine didn't really golden up like the pics on her website, but that didn't stop anyone from eating them. I had to make a second batch because we ate almost the whole first batch and hubby would have been left with crumbs. And berry juice on the parchment paper from the first batch of blueberry.
 
I'm thinking of making a peach and cinnamon version tomorrow. The dough isn't sweet, so you could use it to make a homemade hot pocket style snack/meal. Everybody said yes to that. Most of the blueberries are going in the freezer so I can make muffins and more pop tarts for the trip. We'll have a small kitchen to use for part of the trip and hubby and I have already discussed some quick meals that will feed many. I just won't have the room or equipment to make these tasty treats for the travel home. Good thing I can make more when I get home!
 
Have a great day.