Peachy Keen

Last weekend we took the kids peach picking. We have been blessed by beautiful weather here lately, very atypical for August, and have been enjoying as many humidity-free days as we can outside. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for our orchard time. We gave the kids each a bucket and off they went.

Eva had climb up high to get the "perfect one" she saw.

The farmer encourages snacking while picking, so Lance taking full advantage, spent most of his time walking around supervising his sisters while alternating chomps out of his right hand, then his left. At one point when he was thoroughly dripping in peach juice from his upper lip to mid t-shirt, I asked him which one was better. He raised his right hand and said, "this one, by 13 percent!"

Lance and Eva walked together for sometime holding hands, I think that they were actually stuck together from an ample coating of peach juice on each little palm.

So with bushels of peaches now awaiting a fate on my counter, I had the kids turn them into yummy peach dumplings!

I altered one recipe into a very kid friendly one, and with the exception of the cutting and boiling, they made these dumplings all on their very own. We all gobbled them down fresh from the oven. They came out of the oven just before dinnertime, so me in my selfish desire to eat them immediately declared it "backwards dinner night". The kids know what that means. Simply put, it means we eat dessert first:)

Mmm. Now if we can only finish the other 6 bushels before it's time to pick apples.

Kids Make Em' Peach Dumplings
4 fresh peaches, peeled and halved
1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Open up pastry sheets and press out seams. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. Mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll each peach half in the sugar mixture and place hole side down on pastry square. Bring opposite corners of pastry together, pinch together, moisten and crimp to seal sides. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Bring 1/2 cup sugar and water to boil, pour over peaches and sprinkle with remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with ice cream.