A day off to shop, but I'm back!

Since we are currently hosting a Swiss student at home, I've been having some wonderful girl time with her, getting to play the all-knowing tour guide as we wander up and down the California coast. Friday I was lucky enough to be off work so we went shopping and showed off our rather large malls nearby, and then Saturday we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I'm always a little anxious about going there because it's always SO crowded, but there were some new displays up with flamingos, penguins and the CUTEST little sea turtles I've ever seen in my entire life. I was having serious ticking-biological clock problems with the cuteness surrounding me.

But somehow I managed to avoid making any serious mistakes (like kidnapping a little sea otter and taking it home with me...) and thoroughly enjoyed our time in Monterey. As is tradition, we at at the Fisherman's Grotto on the pier and my dad and I both ordered broiled scallops (something I tend to avoid because they're not always fresh), and they were absolutely heavenly! I am still dreaming about them now, hours later because the ginger-lime sauce they came in was just perfect.

But anyways, here is the simple recipe baked up for us before our drive down to the bay. It's really a wonderful way to showcase any fruit you like, and the apricots that had been sitting on our counter for a few days, along with a couple fresh, juicy and tangy nectarines was the perfect send-off.

Apricot-Nectarine Crumble

Ingredients:

• 6 apricots
• 2 nectarines
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons oats
• 3 tablespoons ground
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash fruits and dry thoroughly. Pit fruits and cut into cubes. In a medium bowl sprinkle granulated sugar over fruit and mix to combine.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, ground almonds, brown sugar and salt.
4. Add melted butter and mix until a crumbly mixture forms.
5. Pour fruit into a square 8x8 inch pan and spread along bottom evenly.
6. Pour crumble mixture over the top evenly.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and fruit juice is bubbling.
8. Let cool for 20 minutes and serve slightly warm. :-)

Happy Baking! (And adventuring!)

Jessica