Bajoo's Easy Cobbler

My father-in-law (Bajoo as the kids call him) makes a super yummy, insanely easy cobbler (he picked it up from a roadside peach stand in NC back in the late 70s). You can use what ever fruit is in season (or has been frozen at the peak of freshness).

Ingredients:
3 cups fruit (suggestions that are always super tasty: peaches, strawberries, blueberries)
1 1/4 cups sugar (divided)
1 stick (113.4 g) butter
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk

Take 3 cups of fruit and mix with 3/4 cup of sugar. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Put the butter in a deep baking dish (I use a 9x9 pan that has a lid to store any leftovers) and melt the butter in the oven as it preheats.

In a separate bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and milk together.

When the butter is melted, remove from the oven, pour batter on top of butter. Place sugared fruit on top of the batter.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Monday's Moment: Wine!

Chronicles of Georgia

So on another hill across the city from us we can see this dark stonehendge looking monument....so today we went exploring.

The Chronicles of Georgia tell some of the history of Georgia, as well as, stories of Jesus. I was able to better identify the stories associated with Jesus.

So we parked and headed up some stairs. About 1/3 of the way up there was a landing. We were able to point out to the kids where our house was (and they were able to recognize our street/their school). We are about to head up the rest of the stairs.

I was really tempted to try and photoshop myself into that picture....lol.

At the top of the stairs, there was a group of 13 statues.  Mason thinks they may have been aspostles (plus Jesus). They were all holding different items (one even was holding a Georgian style church) so that makes me think they are Georgian Orthodox saints or Georgian kings.

This looks like when Jesus washed the apostles feet before the last supper.

Here's a view of the Mtkvari River out of town (towards Mtskheta).

Lots and lots (and lots) of Soviet style apartment buildings.

Clarissa is about 1 meter tall.....just for reference as to how tall these pillars are.

The Chronicles also overlook the Tbilisi Sea (a water reservoir, not really a sea).

Jesus fishing with some apostles.

Science dork in me is curious who the guy with the globe is.

We saw several Mary images, but I don't think this woman is her. Maybe Joan of Arc or Queen Tamar?

Jesus and the Devil? (you can see horns on the winged individual).

A scene of Jesus carrying the cross past Roman soldiers and a mocking crowd.

At the front, there were some stone scrolls. Those, as well as, inscriptions written by images were in Georgian. I think it would be much more interesting to go with someone who could read/translate them.

There was also a small church by the monument. It was closed though. The site isn't mentioned in any tour books but made for a nice morning adventure (before the temperatures got up to the forecasted 37℃ (aka 98℉)).

Monday's Moment: Cheers

Monday's Moment: Sandcastle Fun

Pasta Con Broccoli

….its from my favorite restaurant in St.Louis…The Pasta House Co. Every pilgrimage I make to St. Louis I go there (remember last year when I went, I took my bestie there for her birthday) at least twice. Back when I was in high school the recipe for this favorite dish of mine was published in the newspaper....except we think there was a typo....It called for 4 sticks of butter....it was way too much....as in a pond of butter was floating on top.....so here's the tweaked version!

Pasta Con Broccoli

1 pkg (16 oz ) medium pasta shells

1 1/2 sticks butter (which converted to 170 grams….which I think was a little too much…I might tweak next time I make it)

1 quart half and half

3 cups of chopped broccoli (I go with the florets…when I can find them)

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup spaghetti sauce

Cook Pasta (I do if for a minute or two less than al dente recommendations since it cooks more as the sauce thickens). Drain and set aside. Melt margarine. Add garlic. Simmer a few minutes. Add broccoli, parmesan cheese and spaghetti sauce. Mix. Add half and half. Mix. Add cooked noodles. Cook uncovered, over medium heat until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Almost ready, needs to thicken just a bit more!

You can also make it in the crockpot (at the school I used to worked at, we did a luncheon for students….I’d mix it in the morning and it’d be ready for lunch).

Cook noodles, throw everything into crockpot. Mix. Cook at least 3 hours, start low 1 hr, high 1 hr, low 1 hr.

You can also cut everything in 1/2 and it makes about 4 servings....

It will be so good that your father-in-law who wasn't very hungry after a large lunch will not only have a bowl-full but also finish off what's left in the pot.....

Monday's Moment: Jacksonville Beach