Wouldn’t it be lovely to decorate with fresh summer produce year round!?  I loved filling my house with 52 pounds of peaches- the pleasant aroma and fuzzy texture.   The peaches adorned my shelves, cabinets, tables and bowls for just a brief time before turning them into delicious dishes for my family.  I intended to can some, but that never happened. Maybe there will be time for canned pears this year?

Don’t be deceived by the cute picture with my kids.  It was HOT!  There were BUGS!  (Completely forgot to pack my Young Living Insect Repellent)  The complaining was justified, but I didn’t want to hear it.  So the promises of peach cobbler, peach smoothies, peach oatmeal and of course peach ice cream, provided enough motivation to carry on long enough to fill two boxes.

If there were extra hours in the day, I would probably spend them cooking.  I do my best to keep my family from ingredients I can’t pronounce. My kitchen often looks like a few science experiments are taking place at the same time, i.e. it is a mess!  Cooking from scratch takes extra time but the results are worth it!

One of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen is milk- whole, raw and creamy from the farmer’s market.  I have no objections to the taste or the richness it brings to our meals.  However, I’ve discovered that my body needs occasional breaks from dairy, but I am not willing to forgo my ice cream.  So here is how I work around it…

Have you tried Coconut Milk?  It was once collecting dust in the “Ethnic Foods” isle of the grocery store.  Today more people are discovering the health benefits of coconut milk and are incorporating it into their recipes.  It can improve heart health, aid with weight loss and improve digestion.

With this short list of ingredients you can make your own ice cream or popsicles (as my children prefer).  Tovolo makes sturdy popsciles molds that I’ve been using for years.

Ingredients

10 Peaches, halved and pitted (I did not peel)
1/2 – 1 Cup Honey
Allspice
2  13.5 oz Cans Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Simply place the peaches in a baking dish, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with Allspice and cook for 20 minutes at 375⁰

Once the peaches have cooled, place in a blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Place in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to mesh.  Then pour into popscile molds or churn into ice-cream according to the directions of your ice-cream maker.  Did you know I hope you are enjoying peach season as much as we are!