quarantine cooking Archives

10 Summertime Peach Recipes

Posted on August 5, 2020 by shopkick

One of the best parts of summer is definitely the fruit that is in season! As we celebrate August, we have a new fruit season to celebrate too: peach season! This sweet, sometimes tart, and always delicious summertime fruit is wonderful for both sweet and savory meals, desserts, and (of course!) drinks. We love the great variety offered by peaches.

We also love that many pick-your-own farms present you with the fun opportunity to pick your own bounty with your family. During a time when family outings (or outings in general!) feel a little more complicated as we try to keep our social distance, a visit to a farm to pick fruit combined with a recipe challenge offers a fun and memorable way to spend a day, night, or even a full weekend.

Keep reading below for 10 summer recipes you can make with peaches!

10 Summertime Peach Recipes:

Raspberry Peach Lemonade:

Lemonade is a classic summer drink, and Damn Delicious ups the fun with her take on Raspberry Peach Lemonade. Your kids will love this summery drink!

Easy Homemade Peach Jam:

We couldn’t share a post about fruit without finding a great recipe for jam. The reason why we’re intrigued by this Easy Homemade Peach Jam recipe is because Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom makes it without pectin (an ingredient that can sometimes make jam feel complicated to master).

Easy Baked Peaches:

We have talked about grilling peaches in the past, which you can definitely do. But, we also wanted to highlight a great recipe for baking them. I Heart Naptime shared this recipe for Easy Baked Peaches that also introduces cinnamon sugar topping. We definitely recommend following her lead and completing this sweet combo with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a wonderful summertime dessert.

Peach Wine Slushies:

To make your glass of wine more fun and summery, turn it into a slushie! Of course, it’s even more delectable when you add peaches. These Peach Wine Slushies from Dessert for Two take minutes to make.

Spicy Peach & Avocado Salad:

We’re fans of summertime salads, and this Spicy Peach & Avocado Salad from Country Living sounds like a great take! It combines peaches together with avocados and a Fresno Chile pepper for a great kick. If you don’t love spicy foods, we think the salad would be equally as tasty sans pepper.

One Skillet Peach Glazed Chicken:

Meals that can be made in a single pot, skillet, or pan are always up our alley. When we spotted this One Skillet Peach Glazed Chicken recipe from The Seasoned Mom we added it to our “to make” list right away! The prep time for this dinner dish is 5 minutes. Need we say more?

Peach Mango Coconut Oil Banana Bread:

Our passion for banana bread continues, and Averie Cooks shared a Peach, Mango, & Coconut Oil Banana Bread recipe that combines three amazing fruits together! The great news is this recipe includes coconut oil for a healthier option.

Turkey, Brie & Peach Panini:

A panini is a wonderful way to make lunch more fun, and Foxes Love Lemons created a Turkey, Brie & Peach Panini! It combines all of the flavors you would think, plus arugula, brie, and Dijon mustard.

Slow-Cooked Peach Salsa:

The summer is meant for salsa, and it’s always fun to create your own. Taste of Home shared a recipe for Slow-Cooked Peach Salsa that makes plenty of servings (11 cups!) after cooking for three hours. This would be excellent for a Mexican themed taco night!

Georgia Peach Homemade Ice Cream:

Rather than purchasing ice cream from the grocery store, why not try your hand at creating your own at home? This Georgia Peach Homemade Ice Cream recipe from All Recipes has over 400 positive reviews, and the results sound incredible.

We can’t wait to hear about the peach recipes you make! Fill us in on Facebook, and make sure to share any peach recipes you love that we have yet to discover.

12 Foods to Always Stock at Home

Posted on May 29, 2020 by shopkick

Because we have been enjoying many more meals at home (and we think this will continue for the foreseeable future!), we thought we would share the foods we have been keeping on hand to make meal and snack prep simple and quick. Keep reading below for 12 foods we’ve learned to always keep stocked in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer!

The Pantry:

1. Pasta and Jarred Sauce:

Pasta is part of many of our weekly meal plans, and it’s a quick and easy meal that almost always allows for leftovers. Consider adding ground meat or vegetables to your pasta, and stir in sauce from a jar in order to keep your meal prep simple.

2. Rice:

Rice has a long shelf life, which means it’s likely to not expire before you use it. Plus, it pairs well with many different lunch and dinner recipes. Consider mixing it into taco bowls for a Taco Tuesday!

3. Soup:

Rainy days make us crave soup and grilled cheese no matter the season, so we always like to keep it in our pantry. If you’re looking for a challenge, try making your own soup from scratch!

4. Prepackaged Snacks:

If you have kids, think about dedicating a shelf (or a few!) to snacks your kids can reach and enjoy on their own. Prepackaged snacks work wonderfully for kids because they’re already portioned, which means there’s not a need for them (or you!) to portion out the proper serving size. They’re also helpful for adults too, especially now when multiple snacks throughout the day has become part of the norm.

5. Boxed Baking Mixes:

Baking has become one of our go-to hobbies while at home, and sometimes it’s just as fun to whip together a boxed mix as it is to create a recipe from scratch. We love having a box mix for cake or cupcakes, brownies, muffins, or cookies on hand for a fun treat that’s also serves as an activity.

Refrigerator and Freezer:

1. Yeast:

We mentioned in this post that we have been baking bread often, so we’ve found it’s helpful to keep yeast on hand. Yeast does keep for a while, so you won’t need to worry about it expiring. Plus, you will always be ready to bake your next bread recipe!

2. Sliced Fruit:

There are preferred ways to store your fruit, and it’s best to only cut up what you plan to eat in order for it to keep and not spoil. But, if you know you will be eating your fruit quickly, keep it prepped in your refrigerator, so it’s ready for you to grab and go!

3. Cut Vegetables:

The same notes about fruit we mentioned above are also true about vegetables. But, we all do feel more encouraged to snack and cook with vegetables that are washed and cut in advance. One great trick for vegetables is mini carrots! Most are snack sized already, and they’re also already washed.

4. Salad Mix:

If you’re looking for a new option for lunch, consider adding prepackaged salad mixed to your refrigerator. Some even have dressing and other ingredients, like nuts, cheese, or dried fruit, included, so your salad will be ready to serve and enjoy in minutes.

5. Meat:

We like to keep meat, like ground beef and chicken, on hand. You will want to make sure to defrost it in advance, which does involve thinking ahead, but meat does keep longer overall if it’s frozen.

6. Pizza:

We like to enjoy pizza on the weekends, but it’s fun to do an impromptu pizza night during the week too! As a result, we always keep a pizza or two in the freezer that we can heat in the oven with a moment’s notice. You can still add toppings to frozen pizza too, so don’t be afraid to add those ingredients to your shopping list.

7. English Muffins or Bread:

If you’re not planning to bake bread or you would prefer to keep other ready made options available, consider storing your bread in the freezer where it will stay fresh longer. As a note, English muffins are wonderful for breakfast paired with eggs, plus you can also make sandwiches with them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And, they’re the perfect base for English muffin pizzas – a favorite among kids and adults alike!

Let us know how you are stocking your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer on Facebook!

5 Lunch and Dinner Recipes for Kids

Posted on May 15, 2020 by shopkick

Whether your kids are dreaming of becoming a chef or you’re hoping they become more willing to try new things, we’ve learned most kids, no matter their age, love to help in the kitchen. To encourage this activity, especially right now when we’re all spending more time at home, we thought we would share five recipes (and themed night!) that are hands-on for you and your kids to make for lunch or dinner with you.

Pizza:

There are plenty of fun ways to make pizza together. Purchase premade dough and pick up cheese, sauce, and toppings. Then create individual pizzas so each member of your family can add their own preferred mixture. If you want to skip dough, try English muffins or bagels.

To try a completely different type of pizza recipe, we also spotted these Pizza Skewers! They remind us of kabobs, and they’re perfect for kids to make with you because they can create the order of the ingredients on the sticks and even what’s included.

Tacos:

Tacos are an obvious choice for a themed night, and Tuesdays are typically a go-to. Consider creating platters you and your family can pass around your table so each person can add their go-to toppings, or create a taco bar on your kitchen counter where all of the ingredients are lined up for easy serving. If you want to bypass the typical chicken or beef fillings, try making Breakfast Tacos!

Sandwiches:

Sandwiches are a quick and easy option for lunch and even dinner, but we wanted to find recipes that reinvented this classic option. Weelicious shared eight Savory Toast recipes, and they all sound delicious. Plus, they all represent recipes your kids can help to prepare. Additionally, we spotted these Chicken & Bacon Rollups, which present a great way to use up leftover roast or rotisserie chicken. We’re also drawn to these Peanut Butter Granola Pinwheels!

Breakfast for Dinner:

We mentioned creating breakfast tacos for dinner, which of course fall into this category too. But, we also thought about creating parfaits, and we added these Apple Yogurt Parfaits to our “to make” lists. Omelets and eggs made any style also fall into this category, and you can always make pancakes or waffles. There are plenty of options to create a fun breakfast menu at night!

Pasta:

Why not try your hand at making your own pasta? We went live with Sugar Beet Schoolhouse on Facebook Live, and Cheryl walked us through the (relatively!) easy steps to create pasta at home. You only need one egg and one cup of all-purpose flour for this recipe, and we think it’s a fun one to try over the weekend.

Which recipe will you and your kids try to make together? Chime in on Facebook and keep sharing so we can all uncover new ideas!

3 Easy No Knead Bread Recipes

Posted on May 1, 2020 by shopkick

Have you made bread while quarantined at home? We have been adding new recipes to try to our ever evolving lists, and we have to admit how much fun we have been having in our own kitchens, not to mention watching other people embrace making new recipes in their own spaces. We have tried a few bread recipes over the past few weeks, and we think we’ve narrowed down the three easiest options. Below, we’re sharing all of the details so you can check “bake bread” off of your list (and likely add it right back on once you taste the results).

1. No Knead Focaccia:

In our book, you can never go wrong with a recipe from Bon Appetit. We spotted this No Knead Focaccia recipe on Instagram and set aside a Sunday to bake this bread. It quickly became a family favorite! The bread will rise once inside your fridge and a second time on your counter, so we recommend starting to prep the dough early in the morning. Serve it with pasta for a fun Italian dinner night meal or cut slices in half for delicious sandwiches!

2. Brown Sugar Banana Bread:

If you have never baked bread before, banana bread is a great place to start! You will not need to purchase yeast to make this recipe come to life, and it’s a great way to make sure to use bananas even if they have become a bit too ripe to eat. The ingredient that makes this recipe different is in the name: brown sugar. Serve for breakfast or enjoy a slice (or two!) as a snack in the afternoon. Your family will love this recipe!

3. No Knead Bread:

This No Knead Bread is another tested and loved recipe by the Shopkick team! Oftentimes, bread needs to be kneaded, which makes the process of prepping it feel a little more daunting. This bread makes a classic loaf once baked, and there is no kneading involved. You’ll want to start prepping the dough the day before you want to eat it, so keep that in mind. Also, the author of the recipe walks through the steps of using a Dutch Oven and not, so the post is definitely worth reading.

Happy bread baking, Shopkickers! Share your results on Facebook.