Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler : TWD

I'm starting to fear that my friend Joe has infiltrated Tuesdays with Dorie, offering bribes to hosts in hopes that they will pick cobbler week after week.

I like cobbler.

But my like pales in comparison to Joe's downright passion for the baked delight. So much so that he has threatened (more than once) to not let me visit without a cobbler in hand.


Thankfully, they are pretty easy to make, in the spectrum of baked goods. So with a looming BBQ in the distance, I was glad to see a cobbler assigned for this week. I was even more excited when my supermarket had Northwest Cherries on sale for $1.99 a pound. Lets just say I all but added cherries one by one to the bag until I was just at the 5 lbs max. And then I went back later in the week knowing they'd be sold out, but seeking a raincheck... then I was downright giddy when the cashier accidentally gave me TWO rainchecks instead of one. Lets just say I hightailed it for the door before she realized why I was so happy.


I've never baked much with rhubarb, but the tart veggie sounded like the perfect accompaniment to the plethora of sweet cherries. So I kept true to Dorie's recipe, aside from doubling it to fill a 9x11 pan for the party, and for lack of having it onhand, used all white flour instead of white and whole wheat.

The batter came out stickier than I'm guessing Dorie meant for it to... there was no way I was going to be able to form 'biscuits' from it, even after adding a little more flour. So I opted for the method I tend to use with another of my cobbler crust and just kind of glop it on in an even layer. Hey. Its rustic. Cobbler is a very rustic dish.


The cobbler baked up in 45 minutes, coming out a nice golden hue. I only had a chance to snap a picture of the whole thing baked before heading out to the party where it was summarily devoured. Joe and everyone else was in 7th heaven. Multiple sets of thumbs up all around, I'll definitely keep the rhubarb combo in mind when I go to redeem my rainchecks.

The recipe for Dorie's Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler Can be found over at Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake, or in Baking: From My Home To Yours, written by Dorie Greenspan.

PS- if you are a member of TWD and are approached with a bribe of a game of naked twister by the gentleman at the top of the post, just say no. ;o)

Cheddar Cranberry Scones : TWD

I admit that I was quite giddy when they opened up the new 'super' stop and shop only a couple miles from my house. Aisle upon aisle of tasty treats, fresh produce, meats, etc. It made the other two grocers in the area look wimpy and outdated in comparison.


Sadly, I must now report that the 'super' store has failed me. I circled the aisles three times, and still could not find a package of dried apples. My frozen veggies were going soft, so rather than track down a stock boy who's worked there all of 1 month (time the stores been open) to try and find some, I opted for the next best dried fruit I could think of. Cranberries.


Other than the lack of apples, this week's recipe was pretty straightforward and came together quickly. I liked the idea of mixing the 'sweet' of the fruit with the savory of the cheese. But I couldn't help also wondering how tasty a cheddar jalapeno scone might be. Maybe next time.



I opted for the quick 'spoon' method of portioning, and took them out at the 22 minute mark. They sat until this morning where I warmed one up a bit in the toaster oven, topping it with butter and some strawberry jam. Two thumbs up for taste and ease!




This week's recipe can be found over at The Floured Apron.

Review: Peapod by Stop and Shop

Checking the stop and shop website for the weekly specials, their 'peapod' service caught my eye. I'd looked at grocery services like fresh direct before, but no one covered my area. With the opening of the new local 'super' stop and shop they just opened, they seem to have expanded their coverage area.

I'm a little ocd at times about picking out my groceries. Usually its an afternoon consuming process of checking the sale circulars, making up a detailed list, sorting coupons, then going to the store where I pick through produce with a discerning eye.

I worried, if I send my order off to a faceless computer system, will they use the same discerning eye? I decided it was worth giving it least one try to see.Picking out the food was pretty easy. I entered my shopper card, and it automatically gave me the ability to view my past shopping trips to quickly add my staples of milk, yogurt, eggs, etc. Next, I went through the sale section and added the things we needed that were on sale. Finally, with a mental recipe inventory of what I wanted to cook this week, I filled in any gaps of what I still needed.

Because we're trying to keep meals healthy, a good chunk of my basket was fresh fruits and veggies. This would be the true test. With a quite full list, the total came in at $117.42 plus 2.25 in tax. Add in $6.95 for shipping, plus $1.28 fuel charge, Then subtracting a 10$ discount for being a first time customer, my total came in at $117.90. Pretty good. If I had picked items that I had coupons for, I could give them to the delivery man, and they would be credited to me as well.

Checking out, I was given a choice of delivery times. Some of the 'prime' slots come with an up charge, and the more flexible spots come with a discount. I opted for a middle of the road slot of 10am-1pm.

Right on schedule, the truck pulled up around 11 am. The guy took some time sorting things out in the back before carrying everything in, and by everything, I mean he made one trip to carry in every single bag of my order, minus the 20lb sack of dog food. I don't blame the second trip for that, I have trouble even lifting them.

Overall, everything was pretty top notch. The only downside, I would say, is the bagging. I usually shop with reusable cotton bags. So this was a bit of letting go to let them do the bagging in plastic of all things. To top it off, some bags, they only put one item in. After everything was said and done, they used well over 15 plastic bags to deliver my stuff. Far to many for someone trying to cut down on waste. I saved the bags and will drop them off in the recycling bin at my next store trip, but this is supposed to make my life easier, not add more work.

As for the produce, it can out pretty well. While the avocados were a little on the small side, they picked some of the largest plum tomatos I've ever seen. Everything was fresh and unblemished looking.

Overall, I'd give them 1.5 thumbs up - good marks on quality and ease of use, but definatly lost ponts with the plethora of plastic they delivered with my groceries.