Birthday Peach Cobbler and Vegan Month of Food 2013

Welcome to my first post for Vegan Month of Food (and Blogging)  - "VeganMofo 2013".






For the month of September, many fellow blogger-vegan sorts like myself are super-posting wonderful recipes and vegan food-themed stuffs all over the Internet. Aiming for five posts a week!
My blog entries will usually be posted very late in the day, Pacific Time, so most of you in other time zones will probably see them the next morning.

Since this month of blogging is also my birthday month, AND since I'm celebrating a rather "big" birthday milestone this year, I decided the theme for my ramblings would be: "This Is What 50 Looks Like"! (Click here to read more about why!).

Don't expect anything too deep, as I wrote last week, these are my random thoughts on turning 50, thoughts which I'll probably elaborate on a bit over the next month:
"...Is 50 the new 30, as I've heard?
Or is it the dreaded "middle ages"?
Well, I'm not sure, since I don't actually TURN the big "Five-Oh" until Tuesday.
But I DO know..... 50 looks like this (and I am pointing to myself).
Fifty is simply what you are, and what you make of it.
Sure, 50 can be exhausted and worn out (so can 30).
50 can be old (so can 30).
But…how do I see 50?
50 is alive!
50 is vibrant.
50 is healthy.
50 is content.
50 is confident.
50 is experienced.
Ultimately, 50 is just a number.
Life isn't going to change drastically in three days when I blow out birthday candles..."

I am blessed - because my Mom and I share the same birthday, September 3rd! And for almost every one of my 50 years on the planet, my Mom and I have shared a family dinner full of our favorite things and celebrating OUR special day! So for this first day of September, and this first day of VeganMoFo, I'm going to leave you with my very favorite recipe, one that's been "accidentally vegan" all my life, and the recipe I ask my Mom to make EVERY year on my birthday.

(This recipe works with any stone fruit or berry. My Mom has always made this as Peach Cobbler for my birthday though, because peaches are in season in early September, they're our favorite fruit, and I'm just not a fan of cake. I discovered after I went vegan that she has always used margarine in this recipe, no changes needed to make it vegan!!)

Birthday Peach Cobbler

¾ - 1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
a few DROPS vanilla* extract
(*or almond extract if using apricots or pitted pie cherries)
tiniest pinch of salt

Heat oven to 400°.

In a large saucepan, mix cornstarch with water. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring with wire whisk.
Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.

Add 4 - 5 cups peeled, sliced peaches, berries or other fruit of your choice as well as any accumulated juices.

Stir gently.

Pour fruit into 1½ - 2 quart baking dish. (an 9 X 13 glass pan or similar, you don't want it too full or it will bubble over).

Dot fruit mixture with a bit of margarine (And I usually add a bit of cinnamon if I'm using peaches)


Make the topping:

1 cup flour of your choice (sometimes I use 1/2 whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. coconut oil (My Mom always made this with margarine - this is the only change I've made, use either)
½ cup non-dairy milk

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut in coconut oil until mixture looks like crumbly 'meal'.
Stir in milk.
Drop dough by Tablespoons-full over hot fruit mixture.
Cover as much of the top of the pan as possible, it will spread during baking.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until cobbler top has puffed and browned.
Serve warm - WITH your fave vanilla dairy-free ice cream!!