Fried Zucchini

Just trying to use up all the garden produce still.....I love fried zucchini. Yum. So I figured I could give it a whirl. It went something like this:

1 c bread crumbs (plain or Italian style- if using plain then add 1 tsp Italian seasoning)
1 tsp garlic (mixed into the bread crumbs)
vegetable oil
eggs beaten

I washed and cut the zucchini into spears. Dipped the zucchini into the egg then into the bread crumb mixture. Into the skillet with the veggie oil they went until they were crisp-tender (I believe is the trendy term). These are piping hot so let them cool before dipping them in, yes, you guessed it, ranch dressing. My friends who know me well know that just about everything in our gets dipped in ranch dressing.

The breading didn't stick so well so maybe doing the traditional breading style would work...the one where you put it in flour, then egg, then the bread crumbs.

note- other than the zucchini these probably aren't very healthy so if you're dieting, you probably don't want to make these!

Kale Sandwich???

Since I get asked for more and more sandwich ideas..here's a crazy one for you...ya, kale. You know I'm on this kale kick and well, I stuck it in a grilled sandwich...I grilled the chopped kale first a bit (removes the bitterness) and then stuck it in the sandwich. Yep, I liked it.

Featured Product- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Wow, is this stuff good! It really makes a gourmet sandwich with some robust flavor! This stuff would make some really good appetizers....

Fall Oatmeal

I made this yummy fall oatmeal by adding a half cup of mashed sweet potatoes with some cinnamon. You could also use canned pumpkin with some cinnamon.

BBQed Corn on the Cob

My daughter loves corn on the cob. It's one of her favorite foods. On nights when we BBQ it's easiest to just BBQ the corn right along side the meat.

First pull back the husk gently just enough to remove the stringy fibers. Fold the husk back around the cob and soak it in water for about an hour or so. Then drain the water and BBQ the cob for about 15 min. or so. Pull the husk back to be used as a handle, roll in a stick of butter, salt and it's ready to eat.

pssst.....

be sure to visit our family blog to find out what we've been cooking up in the way of a new business.....

Recipe for a homemade Christmas

I was putting this list together for some friends and thought I'd post it here as well. If you need some ideas for homemade Christmas gifts....here's a great list to start with. If you have ideas to share, please comment on this post! I should mention that most of these are really easy because I only do easy!

wood serving tray
gift in a jar recipes
dough ornaments
dough hand print plaque
apple cinnamon ornaments
hand print towels
stone coasters and trivets
pot birdbath
other birdbath ideas
child's coloring book from their own pictures
matching gardening gloves and apron
fleece kid's hats
fleece kid's hat and matching scarf
tea towel apron with matching bread basket made out of same tea towels but I couldn't find a tutorial for it
or a half size apron
baby bath apron
baby hooded towel
picture gifts from snapfish
dryer balls
embroidered hand print
pillow case dresses
another pillow case dresses
one more pillow case dress
homemade hot pack (I just fold a pretty washcloth in half, sew the edges, fill with barley)
child's size dish towel apron this goes well with a gift basket of mini cooking tools
pillow case apron
no sew pillow case apron
home made cloth napkins or table runners (personalize them with embroidery)
sew a Christmas tree skirt but put pockets all the way around it for someone without a fireplace to hang stockings

kits for kids:
tackle box- filled with fishing gear
cooking basket- filled with mini cooking tools and tiny jiffy cake mixes and apron
sewing basket- filled with a few yards of matching fabric, threads, scissors and other sewing accessories
art basket- filled with art supplies
tool apron- found at Home Depot or Lowe's filled with a tiny hammer, tiny screw driver, mini measuring tape, and child sized work gloves

Check these great sites for craft ideas:
Skip to my Lou
Crafty Crow
Bella Dia

Dining room table tip

I thought this was a great tip on how to keep your dining room table from getting cluttered. Or you can be like me and just not have a dining room! =0)

Veggie Pancakes

I'm trying to use up the bounty of my parent's garden while they are out of town for a month. My mom used to make these....here's my version:

4 cups shredded veggies (squash, zucchini, beats, carrots, etc.)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 large egg whites (or whole eggs if desired)

Spray skillet with olive oil. Mix ingredients together. Scoop onto skillet and flatten like a pancake. You can make these large or small. Flip when browned on one side. Be sure to cook through because of the egg.

Serve with sour cream basil recipe (I found from Eggs on Sunday) :
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil)
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (can omit)
1/2 tsp salt or less to taste
dash of pepper


Served warm and fresh these are amazingly good! Of course there is no way my kids will eat them or my husband for that matter. But I served them to friend and she and I slowly enjoyed devouring them. They can be served for lunch with a salad if made large enough OR you can make small appetizer ones as a nice little luncheon side dish.

I had so much squash and beets to use up that I made about 4 batches of these and froze them for some easy healthy lunch options for myself. But I have to admit they are much better hot off the griddle like regular pancakes!

Strata Loaf

I found this idea on the web and I loved it! It's perfect for bringing to a brunch or breakfast potluck. It's a sausage strata in a french loaf. It was pretty yummy too!

1 large french bread loaf (white)
olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c cheddar cheese (you can substitute jack)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c milk or half and half
2 c chopped (precooked) sausage (I used turkey sausage) or bacon/ham....
1 tbsp minced dried onion (or 1/4 diced onion or 3 chopped green onions)
(I used the dried onion so that my kids couldn't find the onion but it gave it a great flavor)

optional- throw in everything but the kitchen sink....diced bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, diced tomatoes, whatever you like.

Cut the top off the loaf and hollow it out with your fingers being careful not to break through the crust. Leave enough bread to have a good layer as your base. Tear the removed bread into 1 inch chunks and place in a bowl. Spray or brush the loaf halves with olive oil and place in oven on a cookie sheet lined with foil at 350 degrees. Let the loaves get toasted while you continue to prepare the rest.

Add to the cubed bread the chopped sausage and minced onion. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk and add the remaining ingredients until mixed well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage and combine well with a spoon.

Take the loaves out of the oven and evenly divide the egg/bread mixture between the two loaves. Spread the mixture out evenly in each loaf. Top with a little more grated cheese and bake for about 35-45 min. at 350 or until the egg is cooked through.

Slice in about 2 in wide slices with a serrated bread knife. Cover with foil and take to your brunch or potluck. Oh and it freezes really well too!

Kale Soup

My mom has been cooking kale in her soup for quite some time now and I love the flavor of it. Dad grew so much of it in his garden this year that I've been enjoying the benefits of it. I chopped it up and added it to this chicken broth veggie soup I made and it was so good. Going off my other recipe for tortellini soup I figured adding tortellini to it I couldn't go wrong and I was right.

I can't remember the measurements but it went something like this:
1 box of chicken broth
4 c water
diced carrots
diced celery
3 c frozen tortellini
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian herbs
I'm sure there was some garlic in there too
1/4 chopped onion
2 c washed, de-ribbed, chopped fresh kale

We sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese on top of the soup.

Kale has a really mild taste when cooked that is so smooth....it's really not bitter at all. Want to know more about why Kale is so good for you?....here, I dug this up on the net.....

When you mention kale, the majority will look up with raised eyebrows and mumble "What"? "What's that"? An old, hardly spoken of and powerful green food. Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. The season for kale is between mid winter and early spring where it can be found in abundance in most produce sections of the local grocery store. However, one can find kale year round. Thankfully, kale is starting to garner well deserved attention due its nutrient rich phytochemical content which provides unparalleled health promoting benefits.

Kale absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The "Icing on the Kale" are the natural occurring all important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let's not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E. Rest assured kale spares nothing in providing one with much needed nutrients and associated health benefits.

The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane, helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This is turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis. A recently new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation.

Favorite Gadget- Yogurt Maker

No, I didn't forget to post a favorite gadget of the month....just got behind is all. I try to post one mid month for you and this month is my yogurt maker. Love this thing. Only thing is, I haven't been home much to make as much as I'd like to make. Now that fall is here, maybe I can make more and more. I've managed to make plain yogurt with it and now I'm going to experiment making sweetened yogurt with it. I'll let you know how it goes. This one is from walmart and it's a nice compact version. There are companies out there that sell yogurt makers that make it all in one large cylinder container which might appeal to some of you. Do some research and you'll be amazed at the yogurt making possibilities! This little machine is perfect if you're looking for a way to make your own organic yogurt.

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

I got this idea from Jessica but I did mine a little different because I didn't have enough time to bake them as long. They still turned out wonderful! I baked mine at 400 degrees for about 15-20 min. I spritzed mine with olive oil and then sprinkled them with salt and garlic powder and into the oven they went. Huge hit with my family. We dipped them in soup.

Here's Jessica's recipe to give her credit! Thanks Jessica!
4 whole wheat pita breads
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, mashed in press
sea salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut each pita bread in quarters, open up, and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet (or two, if necessary.) Mix remaining ingredients and brush liberally onto chips (your garlic will sink to the bottom, so make sure to get some on your brush each time you dip into the mixture.) Sprinkle sea salt over all. Bake until desired crispiness (I usually start checking mine after one hour.)

Quiche

I've been cooking a lot lately but haven't had much time to blog about it. I'll try to get more recipes posted this week though. I love quiche. It's one of those comfort foods for me. I'm not even a big egg person....I don't like eggs plain but I love quiche. Here's my recipe for a double batch so that you can freeze one for later. I try in the fall and throughout the winter to make double of everything so that I have a lot of freezer meals. Although traditionally a breakfast item, quiche makes a nice lunch or dinner served with a salad. My kids absolutely love it too which makes it a nice family dinner that I know everyone will enjoy.

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2 single pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

6 eggs beaten

3 c milk

1/2 c chopped onion (yellow or green) or sprinkled dry onion flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 c shredded cheese (cheddar -mild or sharp, swiss, jack, etc. whichever you have on hand)

1 c chopped fresh spinach or chopped steamed broccoli (optional)

1 tbsp flour

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Prick pastry shells and bake in 450 degrees for about 10 min (on a cookie sheet) or until pastry shell is lightly cooked. Remove from oven and turn oven down to 325 degrees. Meantime, mix together beaten eggs, milk, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir in spinach or broccoli. In a separate bowl, toss together cheese and flour. (The flour will keep the cheese from melting into a clump.) Add cheese to egg mixture and mix well.

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Pour egg mixture into hot pastry shells evenly distributing the egg mixture between the two shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 min. or until a knife comes out clean from the center. If desired cover edges of crust with foil to prevent darkening. In the pictures I did not cover mine. Let sit for about 10 min. to cool a bit before serving. Each quiche should serve about 6.

Baked Potato in the Crock-pot

So a long the same lines, I decided to do my baked potatoes in the crock too....with homeschooling and my busy schedule, it's easier to have things slow cook in the crock-pot all day instead of rushing home and heating up the oven and

trying to hurry dinner along while everyone is "starving"!

Wash your potatoes, wrap in foil and place in your crock-pot in the morning and turn on low. Now all you have to do is set up Baked Potato Bar....shredded cheese, sliced green onions, chopped chives, sour cream, ranch and quickly steam some broccoli and you're good to go.......ya know, you could probably wrap some broccoli in some foil and stick in there too and it would have all been done!

Corn on the Cob Crock-Pot Style

I've been trying to do more and more things in my crock-pot. I got this idea from another blog (thanks Shannon for sharing that link in the Coconut Rice comments) and so I thought I'd give it a try. Worked wonderfully. Just prepare your corn on the cob (break in two pieces if it won't fit in your crock whole -I had to go back and do that, duh!) and then wrap in foil with all the seams facing up so that the juice of your meat doesn't run inside of it. You can do the same with other things as well.

Place them in your crock on low in the morning on top of your meat or whatever you have cooking.

Coconut Rice

1 c Basmati Rice

1 can coconut milk
1/3 c shredded sweetened coconut

I made this in the crock pot the other night.

You can make it in your crock-pot or in a regular pot on the stove (on the stove, bring milk and shredded coconut to a light boil, add rice and simmer on low for 20 min.) For the crock-pot I cooked it on low for about 5 hours.

And, no, it didn't turn out yellow..it's just the poor lighting in my kitchen in the evenings.

Mashed Red Potatoes

These mashed red potatoes done in a traditional mashed potato style are so good and leaving the skin on makes them fast and packed with more good for you-ness!

Wash potatoes, slice in half and boil till very tender. Drain water and mash with a potato masher. Add 1/2 stick of butter, 1 c sour cream and a splash of milk and 1 tsp salt or more to taste. Be careful not to mash too much, you want them to be a little chunky for that rustic presentation (do I sound like a real TV chef? LOL. I used the word "rustic" to describe food...now I'm really trendy!).

Grilled Squash

Slice the squash in long diagonal slices that are just under an inch thick. Marinade in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and a dash of salt. Grill till just tender.

Jordan River Mud Cake

We love to outdoor cook while we camp and our dutch ovens are one of our favorite ways to do that. This yummy cake is so rich and a hit with our whole family. In the pictures I made it with a vanilla cake mix cause that is what I had on hand at the time but you're supposed to use a chocolate cake mix. It's nice though that you can see the process better with the vanilla cake mix.....

2 bag of chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi sweet)

1 cake mix (prepare according to box directions and set aside)

Mix together (the mud part):

1/2 c dry baking cocoa

2 c brown sugar

4 c hot water

2 tsp vanilla

Line a 12 in. dutch oven with foil and preheat with coals. Pour the prepared batter into the dutch. Pour the mud mix over the batter. Cover the dutch with lid and place 8-10 coals on lid and 8 coals on the bottom and bake for about 40 min. Remove lid a few minutes before done and sprinkle with bag of chocolate chips. Allow chips to melt. There will be a cake layer and then a pudding layer underneath.

Variations~

-can easily be doubled

-can be baked in a house oven in a 9x13 glass pan @ 350 degrees until done

-can sprinkle chopped nuts on with chocolate chips

-can serve with vanilla ice cream (my favorite way) or with cool whip/whipped cream

Crockpot Veggies

I was telling a friend of mine that I recently started cooking my veggies in the crock pot because of the convenience and also how well they turn out. I filled this crock with whole red potatoes, baby carrots and chopped celery pieces and cooked them on low all day. I didn't loose nutrients through water or steam. It was great to have these cooked veggies read to serve with butter as a side dish or to add to my meal after a long days work.

What's Cooking Kitchen

I've had friends (more than one!) that have come over to my house for the first time tease me about getting to see what the "What's Cooking" kitchen looks like.....one friend even teased about getting my autograph...she had me busting up.

So for all of you that are curious, I thought I'd go ahead and post pictures of my kitchen. I'll count these as my "before" pictures since I plan on painting (same color as my old kitchen pictured below) and remodeling the floors, pantry door, lighting, and counters some day.

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As you can tell in the pictures my kitchen is dark. It's in the middle of my house so there aren't any kitchen windows bringing in light...hence the many dark food pictures I post on this blog. I like a bright and cheerful kitchen so this one needs some work.






Dining Area....Here's my old kitchen and I still love this color green so I want to paint with it in my new kitchen as well.

BBQ Beef Ribs

Cut ribs apart. BBQ for about 5 min. turning once just to sear the outside of the ribs. Place in crockpot for about 8 hours on low with BBQ sauce poured over. When ribs are done, brush the sauce on top of them and serve.

Serve with extra warmed sauce on the side.

(my secret to sweet and sticky BBQ sauce is to mix about 1/4 c of honey with about 2/3 c of your favorite BBQ sauce - I use KC Masterpiece)

I BBQed these in the morning and they cooked all day and were ready in time for dinner.