Rainy With A Chance Of Fruit Cobbler

Beach House, RI

Beach House Patio, RI

The fact that my life revolves around food was never more apparent than on my visit to Sunny & Russ' beach house in Rhode Island. My husband and I spent 3 1/2 days with our good friends talking, laughing, cooking, eating, cooking and eating, oh and the ladies....drinking Chocolate Martinis.

We arrived just after 9 PM on Thursday, unpacked, then relaxed with coffee and chocolate chip cookies. We said our good-nights just after midnight, Sunny and I knowing that we needed to conserve our energy for the chat-fest ahead.

Lobster On A New England Roll

Friday began with cantaloupe, blueberry pancakes, bacon, orange juice, & coffee. It was a good, hearty breakfast to start our day. Sunny and I went to noon Mass at the college chapel...giving thanks for our blessings including the few days we would have together. We did some shopping which included Belmont-Market Place. The gourmet jars of sauces, jams, honey, herbs and spices delighted the foodie in me. The New England specialty that I brought back to the beach house was lobster meat...succulent and fresh and waiting to be stuffed into a New England roll.

Beach House Kitchen...Heartbeat of the Home

It was a hot, bright blue sky day and a cold Mike's Hard Lemonade went great with the lobster roll. The men went to Home Depot, of all places, while Sunny and I yakked the afternoon away, and before we knew it...it was time to start supper. I made her famous corn pudding (see Sunny With A Chance of Corn Pudding), while she sliced tomatoes we bought at a local farm and added onion to the roasted potatoes. The BBQ spare ribs were already prepared and in the refrigerator--and all that was left was putting the baked beans in a dish. We ate this finger lickin' meal on a softly lit patio overlooking the beach. It was dark by the time we pushed away from the table and Sunny headed for the kitchen to pull the Blueberry & Peach Cobbler out of the oven. The cobbler was a huge hit. It was buttery and brown sugar sweet, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Sunny and I got a second wind and didn't turn in until 2 in the morning. 

Back Porch Overlooking the Ocean

So we started Saturday with old-fashioned bacon, eggs, and home fries with red/green peppers & onions. We mopped up the eggs with raisin studded scones. While the guys took Rhody, the Maltese, to the groomer, Sunny & I headed to a quaint village called Wickford. The village had a myriad of specialty stores, antique shops and eateries. We watched the clock because we had supper reservations at The Dunes Club at 6:30 PM...and the men hated being late. Dressy outfits, suits and ties is the dress code. H'orderves were served in an airy bar overlooking the ocean. An hour later, we sauntered over to the main dining room...how could you go wrong with a choice of Filet Mignon or Panko Crusted Halibut? Everything was prepared to perfection. We no sooner finished our meal when the lights dimmed and a lovely cabaret singer took center stage. We completed the evening where we had started it...at the bar for a final round of cheer.                           

Sunday the skies opened up and the rain was relentless with gale force winds beating on the window panes. That didn't stop us from attending Mass, then head for a local favorite, The Breakfast Nook. While everyone had the usual breakfast fare, I chose Lobster Benedict...Oh my, was that delicious, but decadent. I was in heaven. Back at the Beach House, the men relaxed, read the newspaper and watched sports on TV. Sunny and I sat side by side on the couch with our laptops, reading emails, sharing jokes and messages and downloading photographs. Outside, the waves crashed against the shoreline, the wind howled and surfers rode the huge swells. No words can describe the shades of gray and white and the wild beauty of the scene beyond our window.  It was actually the perfect Sunday and the perfect day for a manly man's supper...steaks, baked potatoes (sour cream, butter & chives), sweet corn on the cob, tomato salad and of course Chocolate Martinis for the ladies. Sunny isn't a big fan of beef, so she skipped the steak and made an Arugula and Tomato Pizza no red sauce, but ricotta and mozzarella. Yes, I had a slice...a small one and

Breakfast Casserole

 took a few home in a doggie bag. Although, we were exhausted doing nothing most of the day, Sunny had the good sense to suggest that we put together a breakfast casserole for the next day. We didn't want to spend our last morning together preparing a meal, so at midnight we dragged ourselves into her kitchen and set about the task. We dubbed the casserole, While You Sleep French Toast Casserole. It consisted of apples, cranberries, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, French bread, milk, eggs and vanilla. The casserole "marrys" overnight, the eggs seeping into the bread and the sugar/cinnamon into the apples. Deeeeelicious! Sunny sent us home with all kinds of goodies, telling me not to cook that night....just enjoy the leftovers. It was time to leave and I was as relaxed as if I'd been in a first class hotel on Paradise Island for a week. We said our farewell amidst hugs, kisses and last minute reminders of when we'd get together next. Steve and I stopped off at the local farm before we got on the highway buying homemade cherry jam, corn on the cob, blueberries and peaches. Yes, I'm going back on my eternal diet, but not before I bake my Best-Forever-Friend's mouth-watering, senses-reeling Fruit Cobbler. 

Cobbler

   

Blueberry & Peach Cobbler

½ cup butter

1 cup flour

¾ c sugar

2 t baking powder

½ c milk

2 c fresh peaches sliced

2 c blueberries

another ½ c sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Melt butter a baking dish (approx. 11X7 inch)

Combine flour, ¾ c sugar, baking powder. Add milk and stir

Pour batter over butter (DO NOT stir). Smooth evenly in the pan

Combine peaches & blueberries with ½ c sugar

Put on top of batter. (DO NOT stir).

Bake at 350 for 45-55 min.

Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream
Oh, and this is our Chocolate Martini!

Cheers!

Remember To Make Memories At The Table

**Recipes for Arugula Pizza & While You Sleep Breakfast Casserole will be posted on CookEatShare.com, eventually