Peach Pie

It's not peach season, it's not that I saw peaches on sale this week, it's not even that I was craving peach pie. I have been doing spring cleaning which for me means EVERYTHING gets cleaned out. I admit I am a clutter bug when it comes to magazines. I save them and clip through them when I get a chance. Saving little bits of information as if I am going to make every single recipe I cut out or that we're going to vacation at each spot I keep or that my gardens will be overflowing with all the ideas I find. I made this pie a few times last summer and came across the recipe yesterday while filing stuff away. Here it is:

Peach Pie Makes 6 - 8 servings

1 egg white
1 unbaked pastry shell (9")
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
6 c. sliced peeled fresh peaches

1. Beat egg white until foamy; brush over the bottom and sides of the pastry shell.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugars; cut in butter until mixtures resembles fine crumbs.
Sprinkle two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the pastry shell; top with peaches.
3. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs onto the peaches.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and peaches are tender.

Johnny Marzetti

My Father says that they used to serve this at Beavercreek High School in the early 60's (when he was a student). I myself always have called this macaroni with meat sauce. I don't remember my Mom calling it "Johnny Marzetti", but maybe she did and I don't recall. Either way; it's a very filling meal and very inexpensive to make. I suggest making it in (2) 13 x 9" pans and putting one pan into the freezer. I looked up why it's called Johnny Marzetti and found out that it originated at the Marzetti Restaurant in Columbus Ohio; but who really knows. Here it is:

Johnny Marzetti

3 T. olive oil
1 large onion
3/4 c. sliced mushrooms
2 lbs. ground beef
3 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 1/2 lbs. cheddar cheese
1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

1. Saute onion in oil; 3 minutes; add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove onion and mushrooms from the pan (place into a bowl).
2. Place beef into saute pan; brown beef; remove from heat and drain the fat.
3. Add onions and mushrooms back into pan with beef.
4. Add tomato sauce to mixture in pan. Stir in all but 1 c. of the cheddar cheese; add macaroni; stir.
5. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13" baking dish (I use 2 of these and freeze one). Top with 1 c. cheese (if I am freezing a portion, I will add more cheese when I bake it).
6. Bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

*** I have also seen recipes that call for no mushrooms but green pepper. This is also yummy, but my kids don't care for green peppers. The above recipe I change 2 things. (1) I omit the mushrooms and I add a can of diced tomatoes. ***

Quiche Lorraine

I have been craving quiche lately. I don't quite know why. I could come up with all sorts of combinations right now: ham and cheese, bacon and cheese, sausauge and cheese ... oh the combinations I could come up with. Here's the best little recipe ever for Quiche.

Quiche Lorraine

4 eggs
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
6 oz. swiss cheese, shredded (my family prefers cheddar cheese)
8 oz. bacon, crumbled
1 c. heavy whipping cream
dash of pepper
1 - 9" pie crust, unbaked

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl; beat eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper with a whisk.
3. With a fork, prick the sides and bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
4. Make 2 layers of cheese and bacon in bottom of pie shell.
5. Pour egg - cream mixture over the top.
6. Bake 45 - 50 minutes or until quiche is golden brown and puffy. Allow to cool 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.
7. Refrigerate any leftovers.

** Some other great add ins for quiche ***

6 oz. diced ham
6 oz. shredded cooked chicken and black olive slices
6 oz. cooked sausage, crumbled
6 oz. cooked sausage links, sliced thin like pepperoni slices