"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

     When I decided to come home for the month of August to escape some of the stress of grad school living, I planned on doing as much as I could in that short span of time. The beach, camping, and a quick jaunt to Boston/Portland were all in order. Then Robin Williams died. The only other celebrity death I have ever cried for is Whitney Houston, and it's a strange sensation. You don't personally know them, they didn't rear you, you didn't grow old with them...but, they taught you. They had the humility and talent to open themselves up to the world, and truly change it for the better. Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day, or what we think we're supposed to be doing, and we forget to really, really reflect on the things in life that are most important. So, instead of running around this month, I'm going to sit right here, spend time with my family, and be grateful that I can, in fact, choose to do nothing and be happy with that choice. After that, I'm sure I'll be back to my old, maddening ways, but until then, I'm just gonna hang out with my little, old pooch and make some crisp.

Peach & Blueberry Crisp 

(Edited by Lindsay Farrell)

     To start off, peel the peaches and slice them into a large bowl. Some suggest blanching the peaches first to release the skins, but I really don't mind peeling. Add the orange zest, sugar, salt, and flour and mix well. I also added about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the blueberries and toss lightly. Cover this mixture and set aside. 

    Since I'm normally in it for the carb component (think cake sans icing, pasta without add-ons... I decided to make a 1 1/2 portion of the crisp recipe. I thought about doubling it, but I need to at least pretend like I don't want to die from overeating. To make the crisp, cut the butter into the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. It should be slightly crumbly, but ideally not too dry.

     Pour the fruit mixture into a 11x13 dish that has been greased. Evenly distribute the crumb topping, making sure to hit up the corners. No one likes wimpy corners. Bake at 350 F for at least half an hour to 45 minutes. Depending on the depth of your pan, you will have to adjust this time frame.

(Edited by Lindsay Farrell)

     Recipe

     (Adapted from Ina Garten's filling and crisp recipes) 

     350 F 30-45 min

     FILLING

     10-12 large peaches (4-5 lbs) sliced

     zest of half an orange 

     1 1/4 c sugar

     1 c light brown sugar, packed 

     3 tbsp AP flour

     1 pint blueberries

     1 tsp cinnamon 

     1/2 tsp salt

     CRISP

     2 1/4 c AP flour

     1 heaping c sugar

     1 heaping c light brown sugar, packed

     1 tsp salt

     2 c old-fashioned oats 

     3 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced

     1 tsp cinnamon