Zucchini Cake

My daughter make this zucchini cake today and it was delicious! We are planning on shredding up a lot of our surplus zucchini tomorrow and freezing it in 2 cup baggies to use in the winter in both this cake, some muffins with walnuts and raisins. I made a simple powdered sugar, vanilla and drops of milk icing and it is perfect! As you can see by the picture below, i didn't get to it in time before my family ate a bit of it.

The recipe is from The Family Homestead by Crystal Miller

Zucchini Cake

2 cups Sucanat (i used white sugar)
3 eggs
1 cup olive oil (i used melted vegetable shortening -was out of any kind of oil)
2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
1 T vanilla
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (i used regular white unbleached)
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
½ t baking powder
1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray. With a mixer beat eggs until foamy. Add oil and Sucanat, zucchini and vanilla. Blend well. Add flour, soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour.

While still warm spread a powdered sugar glaze over the top.

Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

This is delicious. It reminds me of Chicken Marsala. I served it over buttered spaghetti noodles and a side of steamed broccoli. I found the recipe on All Recipes.

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken
breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms,
sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS:
1.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
2.
Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
3.
Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

My changes:
1. I didn't dredge the chicken in flour, i don't like the slimy texture to chicken that has been floured and then cooked in a sauce. To still get the same effect (thickening) of the flour, i mixed the 2 tbl of flour into the chicken stock and balsamic vinegar, along with the ground thyme. i made a slurry of sorts. Then i poured the whole thing in when it said to add to the stock. it worked wonderful.

2. I was a bit leary of the vinegar taste, so i only used 1/8 of a cup of the Balsamic vinegar and filled in the rest with chicken stock. it was perfect this way, imo.

3. I used an aged balsamic vinegar.

4. I didn't have fresh mushrooms, so i used two small cans of sliced mushrooms. Worked wonderfully.

My family really enjoyed this. I think it would go great with alfredo pasta.

Popovers

This is one of our favorite breakfasts! They are so yummy, you eat them slathered in butter and topped with honey!!! It is sinful it is so good!

That one end got a bit too brown for my taste and they do fall once they are out of the oven for a few minutes, because the insides are hollow! they create the perfect spot to stuff all the butter and honey into :)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk3 eggs

2 T sugar

½ tsp vanilla

In a blender, beat all ingredients until smooth. Pour into WELL-greased and floured muffin tins, filling cups 3/4 full.Bake at 425* for 10-12 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Serve with butter and honey (When you turn the popover upside down, there will be a small hole --most of the time-- I stuff the butter and honey through this hole so it gets all warm and melted inside). These are so light and fluffy, you can literally eat half a dozen of them in one sitting!

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

This is sooo yummy and such a nice change from rice krispy treats

in a sauce pan, mix together:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup

Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves and then boil for one minute longer.

Add to mixture:

1 cup peanut butter
2 cups rice krispies

Mix well and drop by spoonfuls on to wax paper.

You can add 1 cup of butterscotch chips or you can dribble chocolate or almond bark (melted, of course) on the tops.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1 box powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pecans

Cream this all together and add the pecans last. Yummy!!!

White Icing

I don't use white icing much, as i prefer cream cheese icing, but that doesn't go with all cakes. Here is my white icing recipe:

2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter (can use Crisco, but i hate that BLECK feeling on my tongue!)
2-3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla

cream together to desired consistency.

Wacky Cake

This is my all time favorite chocolate cake. it is moist, it is yummy, it stays moist forever! Also, it is easy on the pocketbook as it calls for no eggs and no milk, which when it is those last few days until pay day and you may or may not have run out of both of those things, you can still make this yummy dessert.

Sift together:

3 cups flour
6 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 tsp soda

Add in:

2 cups cold water
3/4 cup oil
2 Tbs vinegar
2 tsp vanilla

Stir well, it will be on the "runny" side, but that is what you want. You will see bubbles forming from the vinegar mixing with the soda. ( i love that part!)

Pour into a well greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan (or you can do a layer cake with this)

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you use a glass pan or a dark, nonstick pan, lower the temperature by 25 degrees.

Frost with this frosting.

Chocolate Cake Icing

This is my favorite Chocolate Cake icing recipe. I use it the most on my Wacky Cake recipe.

2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup butter, softened
2-3 Tbl milk (more or less)

Cream this all together until smooth, adding more milk or powdered sugar to get the desired consistency.

First Day of Summer Break - Homemade Ice Cream

We had a blast!! Dh and i got the grill and smoker ready for a weekend of cooking out. We spent the day filling up the pool (started last night), grocery shopping and cleaning the house. Tonight, we cooked some bbq pork steak, baked beans, sour cream potatoes and onions and green beans out on the grill. it was sooooo yummy!

We also made our first batch of homemade ice cream of the summer. We all decided we wanted Banana Nut ice cream so that is what it was. I have the makings for some strawberry after we eat all the Banana Nut all gone. Oh My, it was heavenly!

Here is my basic recipe for homemade ice cream. After you get this mixed up, you just add whatever you want to it:

6 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint of heavy whipping cream ( can use half and half, but i prefer the heavy whipping cream)
2 tsp vanilla
enough milk to add to the fill line.

Beat the eggs and add in the sugar. add in the sweetened condensed milk, heavy whipping cream and vanilla and mix well.

This is your basic ice cream mix. You pour it into the ice cream container and add enough milk to just come below the fill line.

for other flavors, you just add what you want BEFORE you add in the milk. Tonight, i added in 4 large super ripe bananas sliced up small and about 2 cups of chopped pecans and walnuts. Delicious ice cream!!! unbeatable!!!

This weekend is going to be laid back and relaxed. No traveling, no errands, no nuthin' but hanging out at the house, cooking out in the pool and if the water warms up for us old folk, hanging out in the pool!

We have some ribs with their rub on them waiting to be smoked tomorrow along with a chicken. This will be our first time smoking. i will try to get some pics. i picked up some batteries for my camera today, so i am back in the picture taking mode.

We also got some really good cajun sausage to cook out along with some hamburgers and such. we plan on cooking all suppers this holiday weekend out on the grill and/or the smoker.

For the rest of the week, we will be eating :

italian sausage rolls with marinara dipping sauce
spaghetti and meatballs, bread and salad
skillet chicken breasts, veggie, something else
chicken casserole, salad
ham steaks, veggie and potatoes.

Hope ya'll have a great holiday weekend!!!

Onion Cheese Bread

Onion Cheese Bread

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup finely diced onion - can use any type, red, white or yellow. The white or yellow "looks" more appetizing.

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups biscuit mix

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley leaves or italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the milk and egg to the biscuit mix, stirring just until the mix is moistened. Fold in the onions and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Spoon the dough into a greased 8-inch round cake pan (or cast iron skillet, i always, always use my skillet if i can). Mix the onion salt into the melted butter and drizzle the mixture over the dough. Sprinkle the bread with chives or parsley and bake for 15 minutes.

Top the bread with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until the bread is cooked through and the cheese top golden, about 5 minutes longer, and you get the bread shown at the top. It is yummy!

Bacon Ranch Potatoes

These are my husband's almost favorite way to eat potatoes. it is very yummy! This is just a guide, not a real recipe. If you don't like the Ranch flavor (not strong in this dish, it is just that extra little 'sumpin') feel free to leave it out and just use sour cream only.

grease a baking dish and preheat oven to 375

peel and slice as many potatoes as you need for your family. I think i used about 8 or 9 smallish ones. Slice in 1/4 inch slices, or thereabouts.

Dice up as much onion as you like. i used about half of a red onion, but you can use white, yellow also, i have used it all, whatever i have on hand. sprinkle onion over the sliced potatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Pat on lots of butter, for this sized dish, i used a half stick of butter.

Cover with foil and bake until fork tender, usually at least an hour, depending on how "thick" you have it in the pan. So, if you need it to cook faster, use a bigger pan and make the layer thinner.

When fork tender, here is where the fun starts. You plop in a big scoop of sour cream, at least 1/2 cup, if not 3/4 of a cup. and then squirt all over the top some Ranch dressing, again, at least a half cup. Sprinkle over it all 1 cup of shredded cheese (can use more) and 3/4 of a bottle of Baco's bacon bits. Take a big spoon and stir up the entire thing. The potatoes will break apart into slightly smaller peices, which is what you want, but don't stir so hard that it turns to mashed potatoes, use a light hand when stirring this up. When it is well mixed, taste test it....does it need more Ranch for flavor, more salt, more pepper? now is the time to get it to taste perfect! Smooth out of the top and sprinkle all over the top more cheese, covering the entire top. Sprinking on the remaining bacon bits left in the bottle and for looks you can either sprinkle on some italian seasoning or do like i did, and go out to your italian parsley plant and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top.

Stick the pan back in the oven now to melt the cheese and slightly brown.......

Grandma E's hot rolls

Makes 24 rolls 400 degrees

1 pkg yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup water with 1 tsp sugar to proof.

I have this neato handy-dandy spoon that is a yeast spoon, one scoop equals 2 1/4 tsp....no measuring!

here is the yeast mixture proofed and bubbly.

In a large bowl, beat one egg, set aside. (didn't get a pic)

in saucepan, scald:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp salt

Let cool until warm.

I put mine in the freezer to hurry up the process...about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dump yeast mixture into beaten egg, stir. Dump in cooled milk mixture to yeast/egg mixture. stir. I did it backwards, here are the pics:

Slowly add in 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups flour (how much flour will depend on how humid the air is).

Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

When it is smooth and elastic

Place into a bowl with 1 tbl oil, turn to coat dough.

cover with a damp towel and let rise until double.

punch down and shape into rolls. i roll two ball sized peices and put into muffin pan, i like how it looks and breaks apart for buttering.

Okay, so i only got 23 rolls out of this batch, some are bigger than others :)

Cover and let rise a second time. These rose nicely.

When you take them out of the oven, immediately brush them with melted butter or a mixture of honey and butter. it is delicious!

You can roll into larger sized balls and place into a greased 9x13 pan or even shape into loaves and bake in loaf pans (two).

I always make these when i make homemade chicken and dumplin's. these get made every year at Thanksgiving also and sometimes, when dh is wanting it, i will make two loaves of this bread and he will eat it with butter or toast it and put PB on it.

Garlic-Herb Crusty French Bread

I made this bread to go with our lima bean soup tonight and it was out of this world! I just used my regular crusty french bread/pizza dough recipe and added in the herbs and spices. It came out great! Here are some pics.

Recipe:

2 1/4 tsp yeast
1-1/2 Cups warm water, divided
1 Tbl honey
2 tsp salt
1 Tbl olive oil
4 Cups all-purpose flour (can use half whole wheat, yummy)
1 tsp granulated garlic (this is to make it garlic-herb bread)
1 tsp italian seasoning (this is to make it garlic-herb bread)
Cornmeal (optional)

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup water with 1 tsp sugar, let it proof. Add honey, salt, oil and remaining water; stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until you can knead it. Knead for 6-10 minutes or until it is elastic and smooth. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise n a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down. Divide in half; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 10" x 8" rectangle. Roll up from a long side; pinch edge to seal.Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tips with cornmeal. With a very sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf, about 1/4" deep. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400* for 20 - 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

You do not need the cornmeal if you use a W pan.

Here is the dough, oiled and ready to rise.

Here it is risen:

Here it is punched down, shaped and ready for second rise:

It has doubled and ready to bake!

Finished results! It was a BIG HIT! The entire family ate every piece of it! Dh i think ate 3/4 of one entire loaf. I put four slices in a baggie to go with his lunch tomorrow. You can see in this picture that after i took it from the oven and ran to get my camera, some little bread thief had been by.......my family loves homemade bread. this is such a great savory bread. You gotta try it! It went great with the Lima Bean soup!

My menus for this week

I am not really doing a formal menu, but i will post what i have done so far, we are eating from our freezer this week, so it might ecclectic :) I got stressed yesterday and so i spent lots of time in the kitchen, cooking and baking from scratch. it is my stress outlet....at least my family benefits from that :)

Sunday - my version of Chicken Tetrazzini with broccoli and mushrooms. I seasoned the chicken with a new seasoning i just got. it was lovely and yummy! If you get the chance, go get some Herbs De Provinc seasoning. I found it at Reasor's. Smells wonderful when cooking and tastes even better!

Monday - Beans, cornbread and hot spanish rice (out of potatoes).

Tuesday (stressed day and no, NOT from taxes, LOL)- Homemade chicken and dumplin's with homemade hot rolls (Grandma E's recipe, will post pics and tutorial for that when camera quits acting wonky), and some strawberry shortcake. (will post recipe tonight - keep forgetting). I can't believe i made 23 rolls and all but 3 were eaten last night!

Wednesday - Lima Bean Soup with homemade crusty french bread. We have made this recipe many times and it is so yummy! Hint, make it up earlier in the day and let it set for a while to thicken up (that is, if you don't like soupy soup :) ) We are using leftover ham from Christmas in this dish.

Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Shortcake

I made this at the end of March, when the really good strawberries were in the stores. It was SO YUMMY!

Now, in my family, we just can't stand that yucky spongy mess of grossness that they sell in a package of 4. We have always made this dish with pie crust laid flat on a cookie sheet sprinkled with sugar and baked. It was much better....but this recipe was off the roof good! Real, homemade with love, shortcakes! It was so easy to make and so yummy!

My son decided since he helped me cut the strawberries, he had to get the first dessert :) We ran out of strawberries before we ran out of shortcakes, so we ate the shortcakes like cookies!

Vegetable Quiche Cups to go - SBD recipe

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
3/4 cup liquid egg substitute ( or eggs)
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheese
1/4 cup diced bell peppers
1/4 cup diced onions
3 drops hot sauce, optional.

thaw and drain spinach. line a 12 inch muffin tin with papers, spray with Pam. combine all ingredients and fill cups. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

These can be frozen and reheated. any combination of veggies and cheese can be used.

Weber's Kick'N Chicken Seasoning

My new favorite all purpose meat seasoning!!!! I have used it so far on most of my meats, like the hamburger, chicken, and pork steaks. It is really yummy. It smells soo yummy cooking. here is what it looks like. If you don't have some already, go run to the store and pick you up a bottle, it is worth the extra trip!

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

from Maggie at Hillbilly Housewife

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup Biscuit Mix
3 medium eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt (need waaaaaaay more in my opinion)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Get out a 10" iron skillet. Cook the hamburger and onion in it over medium heat. Break the meat up into smallish pieces with a fork and cook it until there is no more pink showing. Drain off the fat if necessary. While the meat is cooking get out a medium sized bowl. In it combine the milk, biscuit mix, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix very well with a whisk, or you can combine it in a blender. (it is thin). You want it pretty smooth. When the meat is well cooked and drained, pour the batter over it in the hot skillet. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake the dish at 400° for about 35 minutes, longer if need be. It should be puffed up and brown on top when it is done. Remove the pan from the oven and cut it into 8 wedges.

My variations: ---- i only added about double the salt and i could have added a bit more, i salted, peppered and garlic'd my meat and then i also added the 1/2 tsp of salt....could have used at least 3/4 tsp, in my opinion.

I only cooked mine for about 25 minutes.

I used a Colby/Jack blend.

This is my plate.....it was good, a tad bit on the plain side but dear husband loved it...i think he got all the way up to Thirds :)............that empty spot on my plate is where i placed my salad.....yummy!

Now, just as i was putting up this post, i had intended for this leftover peice below to be part of dh's lunch...but i decided to reheat up about half of it...........boy, it is BETTER after being in the fridge for a few hours...now it was Really good!

This recipe is what i would call a comfort food, simple, plain, easy and yet pretty tasty. I am thinking of some things i might add to it the next time around, maybe some mushrooms, some swiss cheese.....some spoonfulls of salsa maybe? just to jazz it up a bit.

i say, with just that leftover, the meal was a hit :)

Strawberry Cake (with real strawberries)

This is so yummy! Dh loves it! And, it is perfect for the month of February, pink cake for Valentine's Day. This would be totally cute if done in a two layer cake, with the layers shaped as a heart...

Strawberry Cake

1/2 cup hot water

1 small pkg strawberry Jello

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup fresh/frozen strawberries ***thaw and drain VERY well if using frozen.

1 pkg yellow cake mix

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pan. Mix ingredients in order they are listed, except for the eggs. Mix them well in a stand mixer until very well mixed. Mix in one egg at a time and beat well. Pour into cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until done.

Icing:

1 box powdered sugar

1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen *** if frozen, drain and thaw well, if not drained well, you will end up using a ton of powdered sugar

1/2 stick of melted butter

Mix well and add enough powdered sugar until nice and thick. Spread on cake. Enjoy!

Monterey Chicken

Yummo! This was a big hit tonight. It looked wonderful on the table (we all know we eat with our eyes first) and the taste totally was enormous! i will post the recipe and then add my "changes" at the bottom. the *** denotes where i have made changes.

Monterey Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 lbs. total

1/4 tsp. salt ***

1/8 tsp. pepper ***

1/3 cup bottled barbecue sauce - Head Country is the only BBQ sauce allowed in my home!

4-8 slices cooked bacon, according to your taste preference ***

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - i used a monterey jack/colby blend.

4 scallions, trimmed and sliced

Heat oven to 350 º.Place chicken in a single layer in a greased baking dish.Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon on the barbecue sauce.Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until all pink is gone.Top each breast half with 1 or 2 slices of cooked bacon. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake in oven 5 more minutes.Top each breast half with fresh scallions.

*** I used Weber Kick'n Chicken Grill Seasoning as an all purpose seasoning..tasty and pretty!

***I did not cook my bacon first. I just wrapped the breasts with one piece of bacon per breast, you could do more, i thought it was plenty. This added so much flavor, both to the chicken and most importanly, to the pan drippings/broth that was in the bottom of the dish.....that yummy goodness was heavenly with spooned up over the plain Jasmine rice i had made as a side dish....wow, that rice was almost as good, if not better, than the chicken itself!!! You can see the rice below on my plate with the yummy pan goodness on top of it!

**** you want to make sure you do NOT drown the breasts in the BBQ sauce. I just lighted brushed the tops of it well, not very much even drained down to the bottom. Just pretend you are basting the tops of the chicken in the sauce, don't drown it, as i think that would ruin the taste, because the end result you do not taste it and say "hmmm.. this is BBQ", it is a very subtle flavor.