It's a So Long Summer Party!

It's way too early to say, "So Long Summer," but you're invited to one last holiday bash before we "Flutter Into Fall!"

Bring on summer ideas you'd like to re-share and ideas for your Labor Day BBQ.

(No Party Crashers: etsy stores, giveaways, or linky party advertising may be posted, it's a party...you understand!)

The linky will be up Thursday, September 2nd at 12:00 AM and will close Monday, September 6th at 11:59 PM.

Please post our button on your blog and get the word out...
the more the merrier!

Gnee of Singing With Birds and I look forward to partying with you for one last summer blast!

Corn Bread Tarts with Green Zebra Tomatoes

I really wanted to plant some heirloom tomatoes this season. I put off ordering the seeds and then it was too late to plant. I've been happy with the tomatoes I planted, especially my romas. You see so many varieties at the Farmer's Market. These caught my eye. I liked their unique and beautiful colors.

I found this recipe for Corn Bread Tarts on Epicurious. In my never ending quest to use it up, this recipe was perfect. There was leftover ricotta from these Roasted Romas in the fridge. Instead of mini corn muffins, I baked these in a smaller regular size muffin tin.

I liked the tartness of the tomatoes, the smooth richness of the ricotta and the slight sweetness of the corn muffins. These would make a great appetizer for a buffet. Easy to put together and so pretty.



Corn Bread Tarts with Green Zebra Tomatoes
Recipe from Epicurious
1/2 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 Green Zebra or other heirloom tomatoes (10 ounces)—halved, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh

1.Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter three 12-cup mini-muffin pans. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal with the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the milk with the egg. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, add the melted butter and stir to combine; don't overmix. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the pans to a rack and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the muffins out to cool completely.
2.In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, Parmesan, basil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper and mix well.
3.Using a small knife, slice off the domed tops of the muffins. Top the muffins with the ricotta and the tomatoes and serve.

Make Ahead
The cooled corn-bread muffins can be stored in an airtight container overnight.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Blueberry Crunch

Blueberries are my favorite berry. Have you ever picked blueberries? When I lived in Kansas City, we would equate Fourth of July with blueberry season. We would go early on a Saturday morning, before the heat of the summer day, and pick buckets of blueberries. The berries were huge. The berries would be covered with the morning dew and taste amazing. Since I moved to Nebraska, I've been in search of a berry farm. There aren't any close by so I have to settle for the ones in the grocery store.

This recipe from Tomatoes on the Vine reminds me of my sister in law's cobbler recipe. You could substitute any fresh fruit for the blueberries. I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup and just used a sprinkle in the topping.

Blueberry Crunch
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 can crushed pineapple, 20 ounces, do not drain
3 cups fresh blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Butter a 9X13-inch baking dish
Layer 1: Put crushed pineapple on the bottom of the pan
Layer 2: Pour blueberries over the pineapple
Layer 3: Pour dry cake mix over blueberries
Layer 4: Sprinkle 1/4 sugar and chopped pecans on top
Layer 5: Pour melted butter over top
Optional: Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar in between each layer ( if you like it really sweet!)

Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes
Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping

Hello Snickers!

No SMS for me this week. This weeks recipe, Sweet Almond Cake, is presented by the talented and creative Katiecakes.

Instead I am sharing a recipe I found on my blogging friend Gnee's site, Singing With Birds. If you haven't been to her site, check it out. She takes amazing photos and shares the best recipes.

What’s your favorite candy bar? Mine is Twix. My husband’s is Snicker’s. He loves to keep the mini ones in the freezer for a cool summer treat. These cookies had Tim's name written all over it.

This recipe is so fun and easy to put together. My only challenge was unwrapping all of the caramels, which took much longer than I anticipated. Tim said his mom used to put them in the freezer. They would unwrap easier when frozen. A concept I plan to try next time. I had a little trouble getting my caramels to melt smoothly. In turn, I had a few spots in the bars with a piece of hard caramel.

These are delicious! Almost too delicious, I had to put the last piece together like a puzzle in order to have a picture to post!!

Hello Snickers!
Recipe courtesy of Singing With Birds

1 stick butter
1 cup chocolate wafers, crushed
1 cup caramel, melted
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Melt 1 stick of butter in a square 8x8 pan. Layer over this chocolate wafer crumbs, caramel, peanuts, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, (350 for a glass pan). Cool and cut into 16 squares.

Sour Cherry Soup

Do you like cold soups? My first experience with cold soup was at a tea room in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I loved the creamy texture. A bowl of cold soup is almost too much to serve with a meal. A small amount, however, is a refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

I had a few leftover cherries. When I told Tim I was making a cold soup, he gave me one of those looks. In the end, he liked it and said he would eat it again. If you're looking to try a cold summer soup, give this one a try. It has a nice, not too sweet flavor with a hint of cinnamon.



Sour Cherry Soup

4 cups sour cherries, with pits
1/4 honey
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
Blueberries or peach slices for garnish (optional)

Place cherries, sugar, cinnamon and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cherries have softened and relinquished their juices, about 20 minutes.

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound and Souper Sunday's.

Overnight Baked Oatmeal

Did you like oatmeal as a kid? I didn't but my mother made me eat it. The worst thing was I had to sit there till I ate it. As much as I didn't like it hot, it was really bad when it got cold. Now as a grown up, I like oatmeal. My morning schedule doesn't give me time to make anything but instant oatmeal. When I saw this recipe for Baked Oatmeal over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen, I couldn't wait to give it a try. The best thing is you make it the night before, put it in the fridge and bake in the morning!

Tim and I both loved this oatmeal. I made it on a Monday morning and we enjoyed it for breakfast several days during the week. It kept well in the refrigerator and can also be cut into squares and frozen. If you're a mom on the run or just a two person working family, this recipe is for you. This would also be great made with peaches, raisins or even dried cranberries.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal - Adapted from the Benhase Home
Courtesy of SnoWhite of Finding Joy in My Kitchen

3 C Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 C honey
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C milk
1 egg
1/2 C applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
2 apples, chopped

Start by mixing together the dry ingredients. Then, add in the wet ones.
Lastly, fold in the apples {I used up some frozen apples for this}.
Spread into a 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, uncover the baking dish. Then, place the cold dish into the oven. After the dish is in the oven, turn the oven on to 350 and bake for 40ish minutes, until the baked oatmeal is no longer runny and it is set and lightly browned.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

In My Garden