I Have Fruit, Then THIS Happened

I am not a huge fan of fruit except when it comes to summer fruits. Peaches, plums, nectarines- all so refreshing for those long, lazy days in the sun. I am also a fierce advocate that no food should be wasted, ever. Food allergies and budgets are even trickier than no food allergies and budgets so when there is a food, there is a way to use it up. Sometimes, it even turns into multiple foods. I like when that happens.

It's my messy kitchen and I can cry if I want too ~

My friend had one too many peaches. Her kids had had enough of them and she was like "They're really soft, mushy even" so of course I immediately chime in "I'll take them." Hey, a food allergy mom does what she must to feed her family and this means never being too proud to take advantage of some free food. Especially healthy free food.  Luckily, I had a box of Glutino Gluten Free Muffin Mix in my kitchen pantry so I prepared the mix as directed and added 1 1/4 cups pureed (peeled) peaches. But I was feeling like peach muffins just weren't enough. I did make some but I decided to see what else I could do with these lovely peaches. Enter, my newest #KitchenGeek item that I don't know how I lived without- a doughnut tin.

Trying to steal my food?
Doughnut even think about it!

Why A Doughnut Tin Because it's very easy to use. Because you can transform muffin mix or other recipes into delicious rings of yumminess. Because...because have you ever Googled allergy-friendly doughnuts?! Not only are they difficult to find free of the top 8 allergens but then finding one that actually tastes like a real doughnut- next to impossible. (I do remind everyone as previously mentioned that you should consider having 2-3 doughnut tins to be able to bake all of your mix at once, rather then fill, bake, cool, wash, refill, bake) The end result- although the doughnuts may not look as pretty as all of the food advertising, once you remove them and cover them, they are perfect! To Make Peach Doughnuts drizzle Winona Pure Coconut Oil in each doughnut area, cover thoroughly by using your finger to coat the cooking insert and fill. Bake 8 minutes or until the doughnut seems firm enough to remove without being too crumbly. Use a plastic frosting spatula to remove it, cover it with cinnamon & sugar and allow to cool.

Cake! I Want Cake Too! Yup. After I had a small batch of peach muffins and doughnuts, why not cake? I took a small casserole dish, sprayed it with some Popcorn Butter Spray, added the rest of my prepared batter and topped it with some crushed Glutino Yogurt Covered Pretzels. I covered it with foil and baked it for about 30 minutes (or until a toothpick came out clean). Talk about an easy, delicious, summery rustic peach cake! It has a hint of vanilla and crunch on top. This cake is tasty alone but it's also really good to have with your favorite frozen desserts. Just remember to cover the dish with foil (not covering it will cause the yogurt pretzels to burn) and that would be a waste of food, which is exactly what this post is trying to prevent).

Easy-peasy

Nope, Not Done Yet And still, I had a bit of pureed peaches. My brain was frantic on how to use them up. I opened the fridge and found a container of So Delicious Coconut Yogurt that needed to be used up. I started to grab a bowl but no! This was an easy, all-in-one-no-extra-bowl-needed kind of recipe. I added the peaches directly into the container, added a teaspoon of raw honey, mixed it and scooped it into small cups for
popsicles. And yes, I topped some with more of those crushed yogurt pretzels. In this case- those yogurt pretzels made these popsicles taste just like those typical ice cream man choices (Of course better since we know what the ingredients are and how much healthier they are).

Yes,it's ok to lick the crumbs off the plate

Leftovers! Honestly, this is always the best part, right? It's like the light at the end of the cooking tunnel. A bit of extra work here and there pays you back by leaving enough food so that you don't have to cook later on. These muffins went from snack option to frozen for when I need muffins in a pinch. Just be sure and seal them in an airtight container and label them to avoid any confusion and to eliminate a possible allergic reactions. Leftovers are good but leftovers that are clearly marked are best.  

What is your favorite summer fruit and how do you prepare it?