Peach Crisp with fresh, sweet juicy peaches and a cinnamon, brown sugar topping served warm from the oven is a bowl of deliciousness.

Warm peach crisp is dessert perfection when topped with homemade vanilla ice cream. I am not sure there is a better combination.

Peach Crisp

Confession time – baking with peaches used to make me slightly crazy because of the way the peach flesh would attach to the pit. It was never easy to get out and I always felt like I was squishing the peach to do it.

Then I learned the difference between freestone and clingstone peaches. Now I always look for freestone whenever they’re available, which means the peach flesh is not attached to the pit and it pops out easier. I get it, it sounds silly but it was a game changer.

I have also learned that ripe peaches will smell, sweet and peachy. While that seems obvious, it wasn’t until I was able to find peaches at a local farmers’ market that were truly fresh from being picked that I really understood this difference.

Living in Ohio vs. Arizona I have really come to appreciate what we can get fresh from the farm here in Ohio. The freshness is like nothing I experienced in Arizona and I am definitely here for it!

When it comes to peeling peaches, it can be a pain if they aren’t perfectly ripe. Sometimes when baking I just don’t peel them.

If they are slightly difficult to peel and I don’t feel like letting them get a bit riper. I will go ahead and slice them skins and all and my dishes turn out just fine.

If I really want to peel them and the skins aren’t sliding off easily a quick blanch will do the trick. Just drop them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then immediately into an ice bath. The skins will literally slide right off.

Peach Crisp from Fresh Peaches

Fresh is my favorite way to make these but you can use frozen. If using frozen make sure they are thawed or adjust your cook

Cinnamon Crumb Pumpkin Bread Recipe

The most perfect pumpkin bread recipe topped with a cinnamon crumb streusel topping, which is the best topping imho!

I don’t really have any memories of pumpkin bread growing up. It was always pumpkin roll and I never ate it. But I do have very distinct memories of the smell and warmth of the kitchen. I can see perfectly the warm cake bits and powdered sugar stuck to the kitchen towel as mom rolled up the cake and placed it in the fridge to rest.

It doesn’t feel like the holidays to me unless something is pumpkin and since I tend to lean more towards the quick breads I just knew a pumpkin crumb bread was bound to make it onto the blog one of these days. 

I think I’ve made a million pumpkin bread recipes, but last year when I finally found the best, the most moist, the absolutely most delicious pumpkin bread recipe ever I immediately had to make a crumb topping. And then it flopped and flopped. And flopped. 

Too little butter, too much butter, too heavy a topping for a good rise, and on and on kept me testing away for almost an entire year. But this is it, the recipe that had my entire family begging for slice after slice. 

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Loaded Vegetable Quesadillas start with warm crisp tortillas layered with melting cheese and then filled with an abundance of vegetables. They’re absolutely irresistible for snacking or for a meal on their own.

Vegetable Quesadillas

A number of years ago, I was running late with starting dinner; so I decided to throw together some quick quesadillas with what I had on hand.

It took less than 5 minutes to prep everything and get the quesadillas started cooking. If you’re lucky enough to have a bunch of leftover roasted vegetables in the fridge or some fresh or frozen vegetables you can toss in the skillet to quickly saute, you’re all set.

The first time we made these, I had marinated tomatoes on the counter, so naturally, I included them. The tomatoes did a terrific job flavoring sauteed onions and zucchini, all wrapped in melting mozzarella cheese.

In the years since I’ve made these quesadillas with just about every combination of vegetables that you can imagine. The photos were in need of an update, so these were shot with some leftover grilled asparagus, red peppers, and zucchini.

These Shishito Peppers would be an excellent quesadilla option to try one of these days too. I have them on my list to try soon.

Loaded Quesadillas

My family loved the quesadillas so much the first time I made them, loaded vegetable quesadillas have become a regular thing on our dinner menu.

Loaded Quesadillas have become my favorite way to use dinner leftovers for lunche

My New Favorite Granola Recipe

I tried olive oil in my granola for the first time and I’m sold for life! This simple homemade granola is going to be your new favorite too! And you can totally add your favorite mix-ins!

I am OBSESSED with granola, but as I only buy coconut oil for granola and otherwise it sits stagnant in my pantry, I started testing out other options. With time I fell in love with olive oil and upon a quick google search discovered I wasn’t the only one. I eventually adapted my original strawberry almond granola with fOOD 52’s recipe and it has been the best granola I’ve not only made, but eaten!

Ingredients for the Best Granola

A good granola only needs a few ingredients and it’s so customizable! Here is the list of ingredients:

• Oats – old fashioned oats work best, they give the granola structure and are also heart-healthy
  • If you want gluten free granola, be sure the oats are gluten free.
• Pumpkin Seeds – add a great texture to the granola and are a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals
• Almonds – adds protein and healthy fat
• Maple Syrup – natural sweetener, honey works great too
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the fat that holds the granola together and gives it that awesome crunch
• Brown Sugar – adds the perfect about of sweetness and flavor
• Kosher Salt – don’t skip this, it enhances all the flavors

The measurements for each ingredients are listed in the recipe card below. See the section below on options for other mix-ins.

How to Make Homemade Granola

Another spectacular thing about granola, aside from it being delicious, is that it’s super easy to make:

1. Preheat the oven and prep a baking sheet.
2. Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl and spread on baking sheet.
3. Bake, stir and bake some more.
4. Let it cool completely before breaking it up and storing.

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! The kids are back in school, mornings are growing cooler, leaves are starting to fall and I am so very excited about all of it.

ON THE BLOG this week: Spicy strips of chicken, bell peppers, and onion are cooked together in this oh-so-easy crock-pot recipe for Chicken Fajitas. Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a meal that you can start in the afternoon and they’ll be ready by the time everyone is hungry in the evening.

Rosemary Potatoes are everything I want in a side dish – easy, delicious, and loved by my whole family. We eat these as a side dish for breakfast or for dinner.

To say this Blueberry Coconut Bread is a huge hit every time I make it, doesn’t even begin to express how much we enjoy it. The contrast of the berries and the coconut made this my newest favorite banana bread from the very first bite.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make these chewy, Reese’s filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. Inspired by everyone’s favorite old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, these very simple to make four-ingredient peanut butter cookies have been a huge hit already. 

It may still be warm outside, but fall is definitely approaching. Luckily, we can still celebrate pumpkin season when we combine pumpkin with heavy cream and sugar to create this luscious, rich pumpkin ice cream.

This recipe for Roasted Asparagus Pasta has made me fall in love with asparagus all over again. The rich flavors of butter, garlic, and lemon come together with the earthiness of fresh asparagus to create a dish you will immediately crave again. I have never had leftovers when making this recipe.

A splash of cream combines with Parmesan cheese to make a rich, delicious sauce for this creamy cheesy sauteed corn. The nuttiness of the fresh parmesan along with the sweetness of fresh sweet corn will have you going back for seconds.

What I’m CRAVING: I adore a sweet chili sauce, so when this recipe for Korean Fried Chicken crossed my path this week, I immediately saved it to share with you. I can’t wait to try it!

My FAVORITE THING this week is my new splatter guard for cooking on the stovetop. It may not sound all that amazing, but after about 15 years, my old one was in need of a replacement and this one has a couple of tiny little improvements that absolutely thrill me. 

This is a surprisingly st