Blackberry Cobbler - from Sally

Sally sent me this recipe last week from Ree Drummond (see her recipes on foodnetwork.com or at her blog, The Pioneer Woman) and said it was great!  She used half blackberries and half raspberries.  I love cobblers in the summer and can't wait to try this one!

Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup whole milk
2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries
Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter.

Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream . . . or both!

Beat the Chefs!

I'm just passing on a recent flyer that was emailed to me... could it be your time to win??

Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots, Parsnips & Pears

Photo from finecooking.com

Kent found this recipe on finecooking.com after we had bought a large bag of pears and were looking for a way to use them.  This was a really interesting recipe with a lot of different flavors.  My only complaint was that the parsnips were a little tougher than I would have liked.  I would advise cutting them much smaller than the carrots so that they can cook a little more.

Glazed Pork Roast with Carrots, Parsnips & Pears
Ingredients:
One 2-lb. center-cut boneless pork loin roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 Tbs. Dijon or grainy mustard
1-1/2 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh sage
1/2 lb. carrots (3 or 4), peeled
1/2 lb. parsnips (3 or 4), peeled
2 firm but ripe Bosc pears, quartered, cored, and stemmed
1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil; more for the pan

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil the bottom of a medium roasting pan or 15x10-inch Pyrex dish and set the pork in the center. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, and half of the sage; spread on the top and sides of the pork. If the carrots and parsnips are thick (about 1 inch or larger around), cut them in half or quarters lengthwise so that they’re all roughly the same thickness (about 1/2 inch thick at their thickest part). Toss the vegetables and pear wedges with the1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil and the remaining sage, season with salt and several grinds of pepper, and arrange around the pork.

Pour 1/2 cup water into the pan and roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 145°F, 30 to 45 minutes. (The cooking time will vary widely depending on the thickness of the roast; start checking early, and check frequently once the temperature reaches 130°F.) Transfer the pork to a carving board. (If the vegetables and pears aren't fully tender by the time the pork is done, return them to the oven until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.) Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly. Serve with vegetables, pears, and pan juices.

Cooking Light Tips

I just found this amazing site through the Cooking Light website!  It shows 43 of the most common cooking mistakes and how to avoid them in the future.  These are great tips, so definitely check them out!

On a separate note, I saw this ecard below and knew it was made for me.  Kent will definitely appreciate it - I turn into a crazy lady when I get really hungry... it's not pretty!