Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Cookies

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I just cut up an entire watermelon. It was a large watermelon, so now I have a giant bowl of watermelon pieces in my fridge. I get really happy every time I think about it in there. So exciting.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies I have really been trying to buy fruits and vegetables that are outside of my normal repertoire, like watermelon and pineapple and beets. Not that I don’t like those things, I love them. They are just a little more high maintenance than my typical apples, blueberries, and cucumbers. You know, you have to cut them up and then there is juice everywhere and you have to clean it all up. BUT the delicious payoff is totally worth all that work.

Go buy a watermelon if you haven’t this year yet. Knock on them and pick out the more hollow sounding ones. These are the best ones, just FYI.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies Anyways, I’m not here to talk about watermelon. I was just excited about it. I’m here to talk about these chocolate orange pistachio cookies.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies That was a quick transition between too semi-unrelated things, but hey, it’s Saturday. Just go with it.

These are basic chocolate drop cookies with chocolate chips, orange zest, and pistachios added in the mix.

IMG_2565 This cookie dough is then rolled in more sugar, orange zest, and chopped up pistachios before being baked to perfection. So you know, all good things.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies I will warn you: the dough can get pretty sticky and messy. I recommend keeping it in the fridge, then grab out small portions at a time to roll into dough balls. This will somewhat help save you from having a huge mess. It will still be messy, just not as messy as it could have been.

Again, the delicious payoff is totally worth the work.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Cookies
 
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Chocolate cookies with an added bonus of pistachios and orange zest.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons pistachios, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the egg, vanilla, and the remaining tablespoon of orange zest, beat well.
  5. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Stir in the chocolate chips and roughly chopped pistachios.
  7. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  9. When chilled, roll the dough into balls (about a heaping teaspoon). Then press the balls into the sugar/zest/pistachio mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet with a few inches in between.
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The dough can get pretty sticky and messy when rolling into balls. I recommend keeping the dough in the refrigerator and pulling it out and rolling it one-third at a time.

The recipe was slightly adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.

The thing about pistachios: you can’t eat just one. The same goes for these cookies.

chocolate orange pistachio cookies
Ok. Now I’m going to go shopping. I hope you have a great Saturday and eat lots of watermelon and cookies (after you exercise)!

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Summer Chopped Salad with Garlic Scape Hummus

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This is my first year joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I am a few weeks in and I absolutely LOVE it. A box of fresh, locally grown vegetables every week? Yes, please.

These veggies. They are just so beautiful.

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus My friend and I are splitting a half-share from Stone’s Throw Urban Farm, which is the perfect amount of produce. Every Tuesday one of us stops by the beautiful micro-farm located right in the middle of a little neighborhood south of Minneapolis. They have a u-pick herb garden where you can load up on fresh herbs. It’s amazing. Mint, basil, oregano, chives, lavender, thyme. Jeez. I now put herbs on everything.

At first this whole CSA thing was slightly overwhelming. I had to read up on cleaning and storing vegetables to make sure they stay fresh. Luckily The Kitchn came to the rescue with their Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables. Every Tuesday evening I have drying produce scattered all over my counters. It’s kind of a beautiful disaster. Also, I tend to do my meal planning and grocery shopping on Sundays, so the Tuesday pick-up throws me off a little bit, especially when I don’t know what I will be getting in that week’s box. But then I got over all of that.

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus The awesome thing about joining a CSA is that it has exposed me to vegetables that I wouldn’t normally purchase, like fennel, and also some that I never even heard of, like tat soi. It’s been so fun to experiment with these different things. I have been trying to challenge myself with new recipes, but a lot of the time I just end up sautéing them, which is still super delicious. Not complaining.

One of the really fun vegetables to play with is garlic scapes. Have you heard of them before? They are essentially the stalks of garlic plants and are swirly and green. Really pretty. They are kind of like a combination of garlic, green onions, and asparagus. You can do lots of fun things with them: throw them in pasta or stir fry, grill them, blend them into pesto, etc. I decided to make this week’s bunch into hummus. It was a great idea. Chickpeas, garlic scapes, some lemon juice, salt, and pepper all blended up. Super simple. Super tasty.

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus I decided to take this hummus and dump it on a summer chopped salad with cucumbers, red peppers, yellow squash, and grilled chicken breast. It was another great idea.

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus This week I also received a bunch of fresh dill. I have never purchased or used fresh dill before and, let me tell you, it is a game changer. Dill is strong and packs in a ton of flavor. I love it. So, so much. I mixed it with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice for a simple vinaigrette to top my salad.

This salad. Oh man. It makes me super happy. It’s fresh, bright, easy to prepare, full of flavor, and very good for you. Oh, and it’s delicious.

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus Feel free to sub the vegetables with anything you have on hand!

Now go get your hands on some garlic scapes and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Summer Chopped Salad with Garlic Scape Hummus
 
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Utilize all the fresh summer veggies by throwing together a chopped salad. The star here: garlic scape hummus.
Author:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
Garlic Scape Hummus:
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 3 garlic scapes, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Lemon juice from 1 ½ lemons
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette:
  • ½ cup olive oil (check other blogs for ratios)
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • Lemon juice from ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Summer Chopped Salad:
  • 7-8 cups mixed greens (I used a mix of romaine, spinach, and kale)
  • 2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into ½” pieces
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 large cucumber, chopped
  • 1 large yellow squash, chopped
Instructions
  1. To make the hummus: place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it reaches desired consistency.
  2. To make the lemon dill vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a mason jar, shake well.
  3. To assemble the salad: combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix it up, and divide between 2-4 bowls. Add a dollop (2ish tablespoons) of hummus and a few drizzles of the vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!

summer chopped salad with garlic scape hummus

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Browned Butter Ginger Peach Blondies

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Browned butter. It’s nutty, flavorful, and adds a completely different dimension to baked goods.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
Have you ever cooked or baked with it before? If not, you should go change that right now. Get out a stick of butter and start melting it! Or maybe wait until after you are done reading this. Sometimes multi-tasking is hard and you really don’t want to burn it.

Browned butter is exactly what it sounds like: butter than has been browned. Go figure.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
You essentially melt butter in a saucepan and whisk it until the milk solids are cooked and toasted. This is what makes the butter brown and gives off that nice, nutty aroma. It’s amazing. But for how amazing browned butter is, blackened butter is not. So watch it carefully and do not burn it, hence my previous warning about multi-tasking.

I am going to add this browned butter into blondies.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
Now let’s think about this: dishwater blonde is a hair color that is blondish-brownish. So if I use browned butter in blondies should I call them “dishwater blondies”?

That’s a hypothetical question. I am not going to call them that.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
Plus, along with the browned butter we are also going to add in some ginger and peaches. And what would you call that? These ingredients just throw an entirely different dimension into this hair color analogy, so I’m just going to stop. After all, this isn’t a salon. It’s a kitchen.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
Oh, and pecans. I can’t forget about the toasted pecans!

browned butter ginger peach blondies
So we’re just going to stick with this: browned butter ginger peach blondies.

The name is a bit long, but the product is a lot delicious.

browned butter ginger peach blondies

Browned Butter Ginger Peach Blondies
 
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Browned butter give these blondies a whole new flavor dimension, but then adding ginger, pecans, and peaches turn them into one extremely delicious bar. They are packed with flavor, soft, and incredibly satisfying.
Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 15 tbsp unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), melted and cooled
  • 1 ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 firm peaches, one diced and one sliced
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of foil and place them perpendicularly in a 13x9” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the blondies can easily be lifted out of the pan. Grease foil with butter or oil.
  2. To toast the nuts: spread pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Stir them around occasionally (every 5 minutes or so) to ensure they are not burning. Once toasted, chop roughly and set aside.
  3. To brown the butter: melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk the melted butter until brown specks appear at the bottom, it will froth and foam a bit. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. Place browned butter (should yield about ¾ cup) into a heatproof bowl and let cool slightly.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Toss in the diced peaches. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the nuts (feel free to save some to sprinkle on top).
  6. Spread batter into the prepared pan, place the sliced peaches on top, sprinkle with the remaining pecans and a few dashes of ginger. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
  7. Cool completely before removing bars from the pan.
Notes
The peaches make these bars super soft and moist, so a good, firm peach is ideal for this recipe. Pat the sliced and diced peaches with a paper towel before incorporating into the recipe to draw out some of the additional moisture.

I know you are probably prepping for a huge 4th of July picnic right now. I apologize for not bringing you something in the red, white, and blue color scheme. But at the same time, I don’t apologize at all. These are so, so good.

browned butter ginger peach blondies
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Fruit & Coconut Water Ice Pops

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Frozen yogurt. Ice Cream. Popsicles. Frozen treats. I. Just. Can’t. Get. Enough.

fruit & coconut water ice pops It’s summer. It’s hot. Let’s eat a lot of cold things.

Let’s not only eat cold things, let’s make our own cold things. It just tastes way better. And it’s really fun.

Last week I made this chunky monkey frozen yogurt. I have also been experimenting with some no churn ice cream (coming soon, it’s so good). Both of those things are great. Delicious. However, sometimes I just want a fun little frozen treat on a stick…

Popsicles!

Actually, I should refer to them as “ice pops”. Popsicles is a registered trademark of Unilever. I don’t want to infringe on that, soo….

Ice pops!

fruit & coconut water ice pops Ice pops are so darn simple to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. A couple of weeks ago I made Hungry Girl por Vida’s Creamy Coconut Ice Pops. If you are a coconut lover (as I am), try them out! They were a perfect post-dinner snack.

This round, I wanted to make something fruity and refreshing. And then it came to me: fresh fruit + coconut water. What is more refreshing and hydrating than that?!

fruit & coconut water ice pops I do know that coconut water can be an acquired taste. I personally love it, but I know a lot of people who do not. Give it a try if you haven’t!

Last year when my friend and I were in Rio we had coconut water straight from the coconut. They would puncture a hole and put in a straw. We would enjoy it on the beach. Perfection. Especially after a night of a few too many caipirinhas…

Bringing me to my next point: coconut water is high in potassium and electrolytes, low in calories, and a great way to stay hydrated during these hot summer months. These ice pops are perfect to eat after coming in from a hot and sweaty run. Or after a late night out on the town.

They are so simple I can barely even call it a recipe, but I will anyways.

Get your molds.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Get your fruit.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Fill them up the molds with fruit.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Add in the coconut water.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Freeze and eat.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Easiest thing ever, right? Yes.

You can use any fruit and any flavor of coconut water that you desire. I went with peach & regular coconut water as well as blueberries & chocolate coconut water. Both are ridiculously good.

fruit & coconut water ice pops fruit & coconut water ice pops However, I will warn you that they are not super sweet. If you do want to make them a little sweeter feel free to add in some honey or fruit juice. Some brands have flavored coconut water like pineapple or peach, which would probably amp up the sweetness a little bit as well.

Fruit & Coconut Water Ice Pops
 
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Fruity and refreshing ice pops, perfect for a hot summer day!
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups fruit, diced
  • 2 cups coconut water
Instructions
  1. Fill up the ice pop molds with fruit, about ¾ full. Add the coconut water. Freeze and enjoy.
Notes
The amount of fruit and coconut water you need will depend on the size of your molds.

fruit & coconut water ice pops

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Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt

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Sometimes I find myself at the grocery store just staring at the ice cream aisle. Staring. And wanting.

The aisle is placed too conveniently close to the checkout line. Sometimes the end caps advertise ice cream sales. I see these advertisements on my way to checkout and then end up stopping and staring and contemplating. It is a dangerous situation.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt My thoughts: Should I get some? It is on sale. Well, let me just open the freezer door (open door). Nope, too cold. Ok. If I did buy some, what flavor would I get: Chocolately, fruity, caramely, nutty? Hmm… well, I better get frozen yogurt since it is a little bit less unhealthy. But oh man, gelato. Maybe I’ll just get a small container. Then if I eat the whole thing in one or two sittings I won’t feel as bad. Ok, what the heck. I’ll get it. (put it in cart). Shoot, no. I better not. Self control. (put it back in the freezer and pull myself away from the aisle). Self control.

It’s usually a five-minute internal battle of me staring at the shelves, reaching out, pulling back, thinking. Then I read labels. This is usually what helps me resist.

If I was a person that could buy ice cream, take one or two scoops from the carton, and put it back into the freezer for another day, it wouldn’t be a big of a deal. I could live with ice cream in my freezer. But I am not that person. I have a weakness and therefore ice cream is not allowed in my condo except for desperate times or special occasions.

Also not allowed: chip & salsa.

At least I can recognize my weaknesses.

But hey, splurges are ok every once in a while too. Let’s live a little. Let’s also make our own frozen yogurt. It is as fun as it is delicious.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt I have a deep love for chunky monkey. You just can’t go wrong when bananas are mixed with chocolate and walnuts. So take those ingredients, mix it with some Greek yogurt, and freeze it up.

It is easy and quick to put together; however, the start to eat time is about 6 hours. Mixing it up with a mixer every 90 minutes helps it freeze with a better consistency. I recommend tasting a spoonful or two (or five) between each mixing session. You know, just to make sure it still tastes good.

Chunky Money Frozen Yogurt
 
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This combination of Greek yogurt, bananas, dark chocolate, and walnuts make for a tasty, frozen treat that you don't have to feel guilty about.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 24 oz full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 frozen bananas, sliced
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, process the frozen bananas until they are smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the Greek yogurt and blend until combined.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pulse a few times. Pour into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.
  4. After 90 minutes take the yogurt out of the freezer and mix with an electric mixer. Repeat this about 4 times until the mixture is completely frozen.

Another great thing about this frozen yogurt is that it is so versatile! Make a breakfast parfait by layering it with your oatmeal. Don’t forget to put it in a mason jar, it’ll taste better.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Make a rice cake frozen yogurt sandwich for your afternoon snack.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Or just scoop some in a bowl for a post-dinner guiltless treat.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Please don’t make fun of my poor scooping technique. It was still too frozen and I just couldn’t wait any longer. I’m learnniinnggggg……

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Bourbon Peach Crisp: A Dad Dessert

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I feel like it’s not truly summer until you bake and eat (or just eat) your first fruit crisp of the season.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe I wanted it to really be summer, so I made one.

Yes, I know technically the real first day of summer is next week. I’m a little ahead of the game. BUT after a lonnggggg winter full of too many below zero days I think I (and the rest of Minnesota) deserve summer just a few days early.

Totally 100% fair.

Also, I wanted to bake a dessert for my dad for Father’s Day and I feel that fruit crisps are good dad desserts: simple and fuss-free, also delicious without being super sweet or too rich.

Plus, peaches? The epitome of summer.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe I planned to meet my parents at our cabin this weekend. We would hang out all weekend, maybe do some work on the cabin, and celebrate Father’s Day on Saturday evening. We would grill, drink wine and beer, and I would bake this delicious bourbon peach crisp. We would invite over our neighbors (we have the best cabin neighbors), chat, laugh, and have a grand ole time.

Sounds like a great plan, right?

Right.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe This plan for the most part happened. Actually, it all happened. However, my dad wasn’t there to enjoy it. Why? Because he got sick yesterday morning and had to stay at home. Super sad. Also, it was cold and rainy all weekend.

My mom was sick earlier in the week on her birthday and then my dad got sick Father’s Day weekend. Terrible, terrible timing for both of them. So unfortunate.

I will plan to celebrate his amazing fatherness from afar and catch up with him at a later date… probably over a beers and burgers.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Despite my dad not being able to join us I still made this peach crisp. Because, peach crisp. It.is.so.good.

First, peaches and bourbon. You just can’t go wrong with this combo.

Second, as I already mentioned, fruit crisp desserts are as summer-y as they get and we could all use some summer in our lives.

Third, it is so easy to make – simple ingredients and simple baking tools. Perfect for cabin baking (our kitchen isn’t fully stocked here).

bourbon peach crisp #recipe

Speaking of cabin baking. How great are our orange countertops? So classic.

Peel and slice peaches. Mix them with some bourbon and maple syrup and throw them in a baking dish. Stir together some flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, and butter. Sprinkle it all over the peaches. Bake for 40 minutes. Pull it out of the oven. Stare at it for a few minutes mentally willing it to cool down just enough to eat. Scoop some on a plate. Top with ice cream. Give your dad a hug and a kiss (or a mental hug and kiss if he is not nearby). Eat and enjoy.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe

Bourbon Peach Crisp
 
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Juicy peaches mixed with bourbon and maple syrup and topped with a delicious, crispy crumble. A perfect summer dessert.
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the peaches:
  • 6-7 peaches
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
For the crumble:
  • 1⅓ cup oats
  • ⅔ cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture until everything is moistened and evenly distributed. You may need to use your hands for this. Set aside.
  4. Peel and slice the peaches and place them in an 8x8” baking dish. Add the bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a few sprinkles of the crumble mixture. Stir together.
  5. Top with the crumble mixture and cover with foil.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crisp is slightly brown.
  7. Let cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
To easily peel peaches boil them in water for about 30 seconds and the skins will peel off. My mom taught me this trick!

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Also, I just can’t let you go without giving you the top 10 reasons why my dad is the best:

  1. He sends the best texts and emails. Seriously, the best. During my freshman year of college he went through a phase where he sent me daily Anchorman quotes. Then we went through a phase where he sent daily emails to my siblings and me. It started out as Bible verses, then switched to presidential quotes, then switched to dumb things I have said. Now every once in a while I will get a picture text with a quote, signed “just b.lee”. See what he did there? So clever.
  2. He enjoys drinking Hamm’s beer and the occasional pomegranate martini. “Cheers, bitches!”
  3. He is not an outgoing person, but is really good at making small talk with waitresses and cashiers. Since he is more of the strong, silent type my friends growing up were a little scared of him, but now they all love him.
  4. He is the funniest person he knows. He laughs at all his own jokes. Sometimes he’ll laugh at other people’s jokes, but it has to be the right place, right time type of situation. I always laugh at his jokes, because they are hilarious and sometimes not even real jokes!
  5. He is “not about fun”. That is a direct quote. Personally, I think that he is more about fun than not. Especially now that my parents are empty nesters. Maybe have four children running around at home is a stressful fun-suck?
  6. He is a stud and is a pro at “The Body” (AKA Jesse Ventura) strut.
  7. He has been mistaken for Brett Favre, Dennis Quaid, Harrison Ford, and George W. Bush.
  8. He is the coolest farmer ever and grows a pretty awesome moustache during “hunting season.” It always looks good and I tell him this much to my mom’s dismay. Fun facts: our farm has been in our family for over a century. I grew up in the house that my dad did and my parents still live there. However, the house has changed significantly over the years.
  9. He taught my siblings and I the value of hard work, dedication, and persistence. I am very grateful for all of these lessons. They helped shape me into the person I am today. From him I also received my stubborn-ness and inability to be idle.
  10. He is a stand-up man. The best man. My favorite man. I love him and always always will.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Happy Father’s Day to ALL the amazing fathers out there. Also, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my grandpa. Another tremendous man whom I love deeply.

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