Fairfax

DeLurker, mine were medium, ripe but not squishy -- firm enough to dice into small pieces roughly the size of my large blueberries, about the way peaches should be if those were being used. Really soft or really firm might not work well (for peaches either), since you don't want either mush or tough chunks. But this recipe seems pretty adaptable & the results look so beautiful, I hope you try it.

Grisgris posted this blueberry peach bread recipe in the Pioneer Woman forum & I tried it today with mangoes instead of peaches, which turned out very well. I did some tests in mini loaf pans & cupcake cups (full size & mini), all of which worked fine (reduced cooking time, of course). It doesn't rise a lot, so the pans should be filled at least 2/3 or 3/4 full. I followed the advice in one comment & sprinkled the unbaked loaves lightly with a mixture of brown sugar & turbinado sugar, which produced nice crispy tops -- the finished cupcakes were good with a small blob of cream cheese icing on top. The recipe calls for more sugar than I like, so I'll probably reduce that from 1 cup to 3/4 or 2/3 next time (1/2 cup might be enough to bring out the flavors of the fruits without making the bread too sweet). The result really is beautiful, as shown in the pictures on the website -- mangoes are as pretty as peaches, & apricots should work too -- someone suggested pineapple, which sounds great. What a nice, flexible recipe!

I made this blueberry peach bread today with mangoes instead of peaches & liked it very much. I did some tests in mini loaf pans & cupcake cups (full size & mini), all of which worked well (reduced cooking time, of course). It doesn't rise a lot, so the pans should be filled at least 2/3 or 3/4 full. I followed the advice in one comment & sprinkled the unbaked loaves lightly with a mixture of brown sugar & turbinado sugar, which produced nice crispy tops -- the finished cupcakes were good with a small blob of cream cheese icing on top. The recipe calls for more sugar than I like, so I'll probably reduce that from 1 cup to 3/4 or 2/3 next time (1/2 cup might be enough to bring out the flavors of the fruits without making the bread too sweet). The result really is beautiful, as shown in the pictures on the website -- mangoes are as pretty as peaches, & apricots should work too. Thanks very much for pointing out this good recipe, grisgris -- I'll try reposting it in the baking section so everyone can enjoy it. Sounds great -- should look beautiful too.

Thanks so much, grisgris -- that looks as good as it sounds. Blueberries from Chile are on sale this week & are excellent -- I have some beautiful mangoes to use up & will try subbing those for peaches. Tues is my baking day & now I'm looking forward to it even more than usual!

That sounds wonderful! If you'd be willing to post the recipe, I'd love to try it.

No, she's just fickle.

Yes you are -- wish I had a dishwasher!

The recipe is here. You can use the same amount of fresh tomatoes with their juices instead of canned -- you can use salted butter & omit adding salt. I don't discard the onion -- I save half of it for something else, & puree the other half in the blender with the tomatoes after everything is cooked. When I use the completed sauce later for meatballs or spaghetti, etc., I add garlic & basil &/or oregano to taste at that time. It is the best tomato sauce ever.

Don't bother writing Food Network about Sara Moulton, they fired her years ago because she wasn't "exciting". People like her & Ellie Krieger are better off with PBS, where the audiences appreciate their skills. Maybe Gesine Prado will end up there too, she'd fit right in.

When Amy Thielen's show was cancelled, I sent Food Network an e-mail urging that the series be renewed because it was worthwhile & fun to watch -- no response (not even a canned one) & no more shows. So I hold out no hope for any different result here. However, Food Network did enable me to learn about Amy Thielen's cookbook & blog, both of which I continue to enjoy. Genise Prado has those things too & I've bookmarked her blog & ordered one of her books from my branch library.

The "good outcome" (in my view), was an important change in English law that was largely caused by the sad case shown in the movie. At least it can't happen again.

I haven't seen the movie but did read the book -- the Christie case was famous in America when I was a teenager. I'm not sure how to do spoiler tags, so I won't post the background, just a link to the Wikpedia article about it, for those who might be interested. The criminal cases did lead to a good outcome (in my view).

I don't make meatloaf but I do use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in salmon cups (which is salmon loaf that's baked in muffin cups instead of a loaf pan). It seems a little bit healthier than bread & it helps to use up the copious supply of oatmeal that comes in the big box from Costco.

Is there a "Baking In Vermont" section (or topic or thread or forum, or whatever it should be called)? I haven't figured out how to find anything, but I do like that show (almost as much as I hate "Pioneer Woman").

Why does the young woman in the Poshmark ad (about how easy & profitable it is to sell the used clothes in your closet) talk in a gushy baby voice? It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in her judgment about business opportunities.

I was given a recipe for this in the '70s that used a 48 ounce can of tomato juice or V8 instead of stock -- reduce the juice by half & add a cup of water plus a bouillon cube (vegetable bouillon for vegetarians). I've added cubed tofu for protein, & those who aren't vegetarian have added cooked shrimp or sausage. Two cups of cabbage is required, but four cups of other vegetables can be whatever you like in any combination. It's good hot or cold & freezes well.

Lately, I've been seeing a pizza commercial that shows a woman in the car with her family, pondering whether she should go to Restaurant #1 (which offers pizza with lots of toppings), or Restaurant #2 (which offers "pizza with less toppings that costs more"). The other people in the car abandon her & rush to #1, but I like to think that it's her horrible grammar they're rejecting. Of course I don't remember the name of #1, because I'm always so distracted by the painfully bad grammar.

I used to have neighbors around the corner who kept a rooster in their backyard & he was my favorite alarm clock. One day, the crowing stopped -- I don't know whether the neighbors made soup out of the rooster or moved, but I miss waking up that way.

Aren't the horrible heartstring-tugging Salvation Army commercials supposed to be over now that it's past Christmas? The ones about pathetic poor children who don't have a warm coat or a toy or a meal or a home? Just like the abused/neglected animal ads, the cause is worthwhile but the message is so manipulative that it causes me to change the channel, not contribute money.

If a cutter tends to stick, I dip it in sugar. That's easily brushed off of the finished cookie & it doesn't toughen the dough.

I don't know what a hedgehog sweater is but it sounds intriguing.

I loved it too. PBS & NPR do this kind of thing sometimes & it should be more widespread & more often. Very glad to see it, & I hope she'll keep it up.

Inspired by the post above, I checked out Grammarly.com & was dismayed to find this mishmash of singular & plural: "If you’re looking for a greeting card for a friend, think about what makes them laugh. No matter how serious the situation, laughter can help – and a pedantic grammar nut loves to laugh at themselves!"

I get the store brand of English muffins at Grocery Outlet for 99 cents & they come in a plastic bag, no box. I think they're just as good as the more expensive brands.

Safe (assuming the freezer works right the whole time), but quality suffers after one year.