what's new in wendy's world

1. I got the cravings for something lemony last week. Did a quick pinterest search and came up with this recipe for a copycat Starbucks lemon loaf. So so good. That recipe is definitely a keeper. The cake is heavy and dense, not light and springy. Just the right amount of lemon flavor. I see this coming to a church potluck sometime soon.

2. I have finished 6 out of 8 weeks of Educational Research and Assessment. This week was kind of brutal. Three chapters to read with a quiz over them, a group discussion board (that actually wasn't as hard as I had myself believing) and a qualitative article review. I pretty much worked most of Saturday and all of yesterday after I got home from church. My last assignment was submitted at approximately 8:40 pm, just a mere 19 minutes from the deadline. Now I wait for grades. I got a kick out of the professor yesterday. He sent us an email and he started it like this. . . "Dear Class, Sundays can be so hard." No kidding. I find that I really do end up doing the majority of my work on the weekends because I'm so tired in the evenings. Makes for some really long weekends.

3. There's stuff blooming in our front yard. The irises are starting to open up. We have some that are purple and some that look more burgundy. I think they finally settled into where I had transplanted them because we have tons of blooms this year.

My columbines popped out too. They're so pretty and dainty.

4. I didn't have a job scheduled for today, and the only one posted was for PE. I don't do PE. So I took the day off (much deserved after all the homework I did this weekend) and so far I've read a bunch of blogs, cleaned both bathrooms, and started some laundry. Phil's on standby today, waiting to see if he'll be called in or not. It's always kind of nice to have a Monday together.

5. I downloaded Spotify to my phone yesterday. I need more music in my life. Now I have to figure out how it works. Any tips, anyone?

6. Speaking of apps, I want to know what your favorite apps are? I have hardly any. Phil put the Bible on for me, and I have one called Notes which is kind of a list-making app, but haven't used it.I also have instagram - check it out here. Although, if you do, you'll just see a repeat of pictures you've already seen.

day 6

Topic #6 - Share a favorite pumpkin recipe.

Dad, would you print this out for mom? Pretty please.

Seeings how I've made this two weekends in a row now for various events, it goes without saying that I'll share the recipe for pumpkin crunch cake. Think dump cake, but for pumpkin, and add pecans. Yum! My mom used to make dump cake all the time with cherry pie filling and pineapple. No offense, Mom, but this is way better. And unfortunately, I wasn't thinking ahead either time to take a picture. You could google it or search pinterest if you really need a picture, or just trust me and make it without.


Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Ingredients
    1 yellow cake mix (from a box, don't add anything)
    1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
    1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
    3 lg. eggs
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    1 tsp. cinnamon
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped pecans (the more, the merrier)
    1 cup butter/margarine, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X13 in. pan. Mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour into greased pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle the melted butter over the top. Bake 50-60 min. (In my oven, 60 minutes is perfect.)

This is awesome served warm. It's great after being refrigerated. Just don't forget the whipped cream.

pinterlisciousness

Last week I got down and dirty with some of my recent pins. Because what good is it to just always pin stuff and never try it out?

I made these pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies. They were ok. I don't know whether I'd make them again or not, but it was fun to try something different with pumpkin. Have I mentioned how much I love baking with pumpkin? I have a whole pinterest board dedicated just to pumpkins. Check it out here.

One recipe I'd highly recommend is for these make-ahead-and-freeze breakfast burritos. I used 8 eggs in mine and ended up with 19 burritos. It's nice for the hubs to have something to grab and go. I typically don't do that great on packing him a breakfast. He usually ends up with hard boiled eggs. And how many hard boiled eggs can one actually eat in a week? Ya, that's what I thought. Anyway, these heat up great and taste good too.

We went to the anual fish feed on Saturday night, a big party hosted by Phil's aunt and uncle. I usually don't go over there for anything without dessert - because dessert is just my thing. But when we got the invitation, I saw that families with last names beginning with A-F were supposed to bring appetizers. Now usually I have a hard time with appetizers. I don't have anything tried and true that people love. Until now. I made this recipe for jalepeno popper dip and took an assortment of crackers to dip. Holy cow! That stuff was divine. And because desserts are my thing, I rebelled and took one anyway and made these buckeye brownies. I made them for the 4th of July and they are amazing. Lesson learned the 2nd time: avoid using reduced fat peanut butter. Doesn't work nearly as good as the full fat kind.

And finally, the one that made me most happy last week. . .

My church hosted the Fall Festival of Missions for the women in our conference. I was asked if I had any good ideas for centerpieces and I said, "No, but I know where to go for some inspiration!" So I set up a pin board for ideas and came up with these: a conglomeration of three ideas. One used mason jars and I knew we'd be able to scrounge up plenty of those. One used the layers of beans and seeds and our trusty Winco grocery store has a huge bulk food section that had a ton of beans and stuff in a variety of colors for cheap. And the other idea I included was the twine wrapped around the jars with a glittery leaf. Set it all on top of burlap squares and stuck in some Dollar Tree tea lights.

One thing I learned was that it takes more beans than you think it will. I had to run back to the store and get more (and then I had way too much, but oh well). Also if I had to do it all over again, I'd put more stuff in the large jars. I think we ended up making enough for 15 tables and had a few extras for the food table. They were fun to put together and try different textures and color combinations and everyone loved them. We already had the jars, leaves and twine. So Total cost for the beans, burlap and tea lights: $45.10. Three bucks a table, not bad.

Your turn. What have you pinned and tried recently? Do share.

lemon + zucchini from the garden = yum

 

I found another yummy recipe on pinterest the other day. And since I had a bunch of zucchini that I'd just picked from the garden ready to be used, I made a quick trip to the store for some lemons and buttermilk. The results were simply delicious. I will definitely make this again. (Note: I had to bake this for an extra 9 minutes longer than the recipe said. I don't know if it was my oven or the size of the pan.)

 

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze originally posted at nancycreative.
Makes one 9×5″ loaf

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.
In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes; also, if you make this in an 8×4″ loaf pan, your baking time may be a little longer…about 5 to 10 minutes more). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

LEMON GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

crockpot beef stroganoff

I tried this recipe I found on pinterest this week and it was really, really good. So good I decided to share it with you. Get your crockpots goin' on, my friends. You won't regret it. I've made beef stroganoff before, but the recipe called for cream of mushroom soup. Trying to avoid the ol' can of Campbells as much as possible these days and this recipe blew my old one out of the water.

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

my new favorite salad - and i don't even really like cauliflower

I first had this salad at our end of the year staff potluck back in June. It was so good I had to ask for the recipe. I made it last night for dinner and totally forgot about the apple and didn't use as much bacon and it was still delicious. I had to share. Because don't we all need more broccoli and cauliflower in our diets these days?

Broccoli - Cauliflower Salad

2 bunches of broccoli
1 head cauliflower
1 apple, diced
1/2 c. craisins
1/2 c. pecans, walnuts or almonds
1/2 c. chopped red onion
12 slices crisp bacon

Dressing:
1/2 c. mayo
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

Add the bacon and apple right before serving so it doesn't get soft.

happy thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is officially over and the Black Friday madness will soon begin again (actually, for a few crazies, it already has), and I thought I should continue my little tradition of sharing an ever-so-funny turkey project. This one won because I love how its beak is bigger than its neck and head. I did an adapted version of this project I found on pinterest with my kiddos. A lot of work, but super cute.

I was surprised at 8:36 am this morning when I heard the garage door open and in walked Phil505. He was supposed to work until 2, but things were slow and he got to come home. That meant a couple things:

1. I didn't have to be by myself for part of a very family focused holiday on which I tend to be very homesick, and. . .

2. I would not be watching very much of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade because of the whole football thing.

But that's ok - because he came home - and we actually got to ride together to the Marquez's for Thanksgiving dinner. I was asked to bring the scalloped corn again this year, and yes, I called my sister for the recipe at just about 4 am. (I actually had two people ask me today if I called her. Of course I called her. It's my stupid Thanksgiving tradition!) She did not answer, but did call back an hour or so later. I also brought dessert. Because that's what I bring to things. I tried something new that I'd pinned a while back. Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Pumpkin Cake. Have. Mercy. If you like pumpkin then you will most definitely want to try this one. And don't forget the whipped cream. It will help to cancel out the two sticks of butter. Well, you know how Paula Deen is with her butter.

And because it's important, here are a few things I'm thankful for this year:

• our new house. it was a long time coming, but it feels good to be home. even if there are still boxes waiting to be unpacked. that reminds me, I need to post some pictures, don't I?
• ability to work. even though it's not my favorite job ever, I have one. so many others don't.
• an amazing husband. he never knows from day to day how I'm going to be or what kind of mood I'm going to be in, but he's always right there. ready to wrap his arms around me.
• nieces and nephews who make me laugh. I miss them. 
• the rest of my family. my mom who sends me tea and talks to me on my way to school. my dad who secretly wants to cheer for the Ducks and add more green and yellow into his wardrobe. my sister who tells me the craziest stories about her kids and knows far too much about me. and my brother who doesn't talk to me all that much but is still my little brother.
• my grandma. she's packed a lot of love and life into those 91 years. I missed going to her house today.
• my church family. we've lost some people recently, and that's very sad. but there are so many others who have been encouraging me lately. it means a lot.
• for facebook. it probably consumes more of my time than it should, but I'm so glad that I have this way to stay in touch with family and friends.
• Bible study. our women's group is doing Daniel now. you know how many times I've heard the story of the fiery furnace?  more than I can count. but I love that the old testament is still so practical and applicable to us today. and that there's still newness to discover in God's Word.

There you have it. Gobble. Gobble. Now go out there and get yourself some bargains. Just please don't act like the crazy Target lady. That would just be weird. And embarrassing.

patriotic trifle

I made this yummy trifle twice this weekend - one for a birthday party and one for a 4th of July BBQ. I thought I should share the recipe for it.

Start off by baking the pound cake. This recipe came from Thelma Cartwright, the mother of one of my former roommates, Jenny. Please don't let all the high calorie ingredients scare you off. Or then again, maybe you should be scared away! But it's really, really good.

3 sticks of butter
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
3 c. sugar
3 c. flour
6 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

1. Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed mixture and beat well.
3. Mix flour and salt together. Gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 325.

You'll also need to mix one large box of instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding. I forget the size of box, but it's the one that calls for 3 c. milk. Use 2 1/2 cups of milk instead and let it set up in the fridge. When you're ready to assemble the trifle, fold in one small container of cool whip.

Then you cube the cake and start layering. I used blueberries and strawberries, but you could use whatever berries are in season. Just be sure to make it look pretty!

the power cookie

I mentioned the other day about the power cookies that my handsome husband made from the 17-Day Diet book. And today as I was browsing the news websites I saw that ABC had a couple articles and a video posted about the diet. They also have a link to the recipe. As I said, it does have black pepper in it which I really don't taste until it's about gone. Then I'm like, "Ewww. . .pepper in a cookie. That's wrong on so many levels." We omitted the dried cherries but used everything else the recipe calls for. It counts as a protein and a carb and qualifies as the most expensive cookie to make ever.

orange poppy seed muffins

I made these muffins last week. They were probably the best muffins I've ever made in my life. The house smelled so good while they were baking. And when they were still warm and the glaze was dripping down the sides. . . oh my! These are the kind of muffins you feel like you should take to a lady who's just had a baby, or a shut in, or your next door neighbor. But I didn't. I got the recipe here, which was actually a link from another blog I read, but since I'm nice, here it is for your convenience.

2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

For the glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper cups.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, zest the orange and add sugar. Using your hands, rub the orange zest and sugar together until well blended and fragrant. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds. Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl whisk together sour cream, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and melted butter until well blended. Pour liquid mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined. Do not over mix, a few lumps are fine.

Spoon into muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 18 minutes, or until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean.

While the muffins are baking, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons orange juice until smooth.

Remove muffins from pan, place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet beneath to catch the overspill. Allow to cool for a few minutes before drizzling the glaze over muffins.

crockpot cookin'

I saw a crockpot recipe on twopeas that I thought sounded good, and, as it turns out, I was right.

Chicken Tacos

one pack of chicken breasts (I used three big ones from the Costco bag)
1-2 packages of taco seasoning
one can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (a can of Mild Rotel worked great)

Sprinkle some taco seasoning on the bottom. Add the chicken breasts. Sprinkle more seasoning on top. Cover with the tomatoes. I drained mine just a little. Cook on low til the meat is cooked and shred. (At this point I added a little more taco seasoning because it needed it. I also scooped back in the tomatoes, but not the juice.) Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Bonus: The leftovers tasted better the next day!

thanksgiving desserts

Our church is celebrating Thanksgiving dinner together today and I, of course, wanted to sign up for dessert. Imagine my horror when I went to put my name on the sign up sheet and there was no dessert category. I just don't do salads and vegetables very well. Desserts are my thing. So I boycotted. I put my foot down. I said there's no way I'm bringing green bean casserole. I talked to the secretary, and even she was surprised there was no place for dessert on the list. So she created a spot just for me. And whoever else wants to bring dessert. Since it's our way to honor our Joy group (aka senior citizens) we're all supposed to bring a lot of food because they don't have to bring anything. So I'm making two desserts.

And just in case you don't know what to take on Thursday, here are two really good options:

Aunt Cindy's Pumpkin Cake

Mix in small bowl:

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix in large bowl:

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 c. oil

2 c. pumpkin (small can)

Stir ingredients in small bowl into larger bowl, mixing well. Pour into ungreased angel food cake pan (I use a bundt pan). Bake 1 hour at 350. Frost when cool.

Icing:

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 stick margarine

2 tsp. vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Mix until creamy.

Apple Goodie (a recipe from a Mennonite friend of my mom's)

1 1/2 c. sugar

pinch of salt

2 T. flour

1 1/2 qt. granny smith apples, peeled & sliced (about 6-8)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix these ingredients together and put on the bottom of a greased 9X13" baking dish.

Topping (which I always double):

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. flour

2/3 c. butter

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/3 tsp. baking powder

Mix ingredients for topping until crumbly and put over top of apples. Pat down firmly. Bake until brown and crust is formed and bubbling. (I usually do 30 minutes at 325 and then another 10 or so at 350.)

Serve warm with ice cream. Or whipped cream as we will today.

perfect pumpkin cookies

In honor of Pumpkin Day tomorrow (wherein I will boldly lead 14 first and second graders to de-gut their pumpkins in an attempt to find out just how many seeds are inside) I pulled out a can of pumpkin and whipped up a double batch of these babies. Double because it only calls for half a can and I just simply can't let the other half go to waste. Especially after the great pumpkin shortage of 2009. To say I've stocked up for 2010 would be an understatement.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour

Cream shortening and sugar, add pumpkin. Mix in salt, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Add flour. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. (12 minutes is perfect in our oven.)

Frost cookies after they are cooled. Mix:
1-8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2+ c. powdered sugar (depending on how thick you want it - I just sort of keep dumping)

• A double batch made a little over 4 dozen cookies.

and

Forgive me for my general lack of posting as of late. I blame it on the fact that I'm teaching two grades AND rarely have time during the day to make it to the bathroom let alone think of really amazing and/or funny things to share with you. I am so completely exhausted by the time I get home that I can barely crank out dinner. Which reminds me, I do have a yummy lemon-dill chicken orzo recipe to share. I saw it on tv one day and thought it sounded good. If it came from Martha Stewarts Everyday Foods Kitchen, you know it's a good thing. I just made it again tonight. Mmmmm!

The most common question I've heard recently is
1) "How's your class?" AND. . .
2) "How in the world do you teach two grades?"

My answer for #1 varies from day to day. Some days I'm like, "Wow! We are sooooo making progress." And then I have days like today where I go to the other side of the building to the copier to print off a whole bunch of stuff and I found out that nothing that I sent to my mailbox the day before made it because it's floating around in some cable somewhere. And then the parents who volunteer for morning recess duty (bless their hearts) aren't there which means I get to do it. And then some kid pushes another kid out of the way (while he's standing at a urinal) because he has to go "really bad." And then there's "Please pay attention because you will need to know how to count money for the rest of your life. This is an important skill to know and the first time you shop at Walmart by yourself and hand the lady the correct amount you'll thank me." AND generally I just I want to find out exactly what planet these children are from.

As for question #2, I have no idea, but it does appear that, for the most part, they are learning something. But let me tell you, the hardest part of my day is trying to get in all the reading groups AND teach two different levels of math at the same time. If someone really wants to make my day they can bring me a diet cherry coke around 1:30 in the afternoon. I need all the caffeine I can get.

I got to drive the Jeep today. Phil505 took my car to get the oil changed. He also filled the tank with gas. Because he's romantic that way. Not to be outdone, I stopped and filled the Jeep with gas AND bought him a Butterfinger. I told him it only cost me $45 plus 50 cents and he was worth every penny.

In other news, I hear it's supposed to rain sideways on Saturday. So much for getting the tulip and daffodil bulbs planted. The beautiful sunny fall days sure were nice while they lasted. The leaves are just finally changing. AND they'll all be gone in less than 2 seconds this weekend.

Phil505 has the day off on Saturday, so he volunteered to take me out to breakfast. Folks, we never get to go out to breakfast because he has the most insane work schedule ever. After that, we're going to go look at furniture because my big fluffy sage green I-bought-it-before-I-got-married couch isn't so big and fluffy anymore. It probably has a lot to do with the first day I had it. I kid you not, one of the legs had to be sawed off just to get it through my living room door. That was after they removed the trim around the door and it still wouldn't fit. Then, my baby niece Hannah puked on it. Brand new couch with a bum leg AND baby puke. All within the first hour of being in my possession. To document it all, I took a picture of the puke. More to harrass my niece as she grows up than to put in a scrapbook. Although, who knows? It just might very well end up in a scrapbook.

Since then it's been moved across country, up and down apartment stairs, AND it's just about ready to go to that great big couch gathering up in the sky.

Our other stops on Saturday include the A Joy Forever scrapbook store and Burgerville. Because one can never have enough pretty patterned paper AND it's pumpkin milkshake time :)

peach cobbler

Oh, summer fruits, how I love thee! I originally got this recipe from tasteofhome.com, but I thought it was a bit much for two people and it had way too much sugar in it. It also called for nutmeg and I like cinnamon better. So here's my version with the changes I've made.

Ingredients:
1/4-1/2 c. sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sliced, peeled peaches (I used 3 big peaches tonight, but wish I would've used 4)

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 T. cold butter
1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add peaches & stir to coat. Pour into a greased 8X8 inch baking dish.

For topping: in a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in egg. Spoon over peaches.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream!

*I've even used frozen peaches that I've unthawed to make this and it turns out just as good.

chocolate chip zucchini bread

If your zucchini plants are normal, then chances are you've got more zucchini than you know what to do with. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I adapted it into a somewhat healthier version by tweaking a few things here and there based on what people suggested in the comments section. . . used less oil, added in some whole wheat flour, reduced the total amount of sugar and mixed in some brown sugar just for fun. Perhaps the addition of chocolate chips negate the healthy changes. Oh well, it's really good and super moist!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

ingredients
2 c. white flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated zucchini
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
walnuts, optional

directions
Grease & flour two 8"X4" pans. Preheat oven to 325.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.

Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar. Add sifted ingredients and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 40-60 minutes or til tester comes out clean. (Both times I've made it, they've baked longer than 60 minutes.)

Cool in pans 20 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

muchas gracias

I've been busy whipping up some thank you notes. And salsa. Ole'! I have a few people to thank for making my Ohio visit oh-so-fun and I'm using up some of my scraps from the Mother's Day rose projects this year. They're too expensive pretty to throw away. I got the little Jolee's felt flowers at Walmart in the Easter candy section. They were super cheap - $1.00 a pack. I bought several. For Phil505 to put in my Easter basket, of course!



I'm also addicted to salsa, so, because Phil505 was working last night and I didn't feel like cooking for myself, I made some fresh, light, summery peach-mango salsa. (Dad, if you were here, I'd make you try it. There would be no regifting. You know what I mean.) If I made this again, which I just very well may, I'd add more peaches.

Peach-mango salsa (from Tasteofhome.com)

1 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes

3/4 c. chopped, peeled peaches

1/2 c. chopped red onion

1/2 c. chopped yellow pepper

1/2 c. chopped, peeled mango

2 T. chopped, seeded jalepeno pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. fresh minced cilantro

Mix all ingredients together. Chill. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. We happen to like the Tostitos Bite Size kind.

you say to-may-to, i say to-mah-to

This week I experimented with two new recipes, both involving tomatoes. Because I firmly believe you can never have too many tomatoes in your diet. Even if your mouth gets a sore from all the acid.

The first recipe is for the Pioneer Woman's salsa. I saw it on a friend of a bloggy friend's blog. Since my own stash of canned salsa from last summer is almost gone, I thought I'd give it a try. Can I get a yum-mo? I used it as the base for my chili the other day and it was just as good as when I've made it using the salsa that I've canned.

Salsa
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans Rotel (I use mild)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. chopped onion
juice of one lime
1 clove garlic, chopped
Jalepeno, finely chopped (I used 1/2 of it and it was plenty hot for us)
Cilantro, chopped - however much you want

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor 7-8 times. Then pulse until you get the consistency you want. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator. It keeps quite a long time.

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And my next recipe is for a homemade marinara sauce. I've been trying to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from our diet, and, believe it or not, a lot of canned spaghetti sauces have that in it. I've made sauce from another recipe before, but it always turns out very liquidy. I saw this one on the twopeas message board yesterday and I made it tonight for dinner with some pasta. I don't believe I'll ever buy spaghetti sauce at the store again. It's that good. It's thick too. And it makes quite a bit, so some of it will be going in the freezer for a rainy day. Because we all know that we have lots of rainy days here in Washington.

Marinara Sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 lg. onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2- 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 T. chopped fresh basil and/or parsley

Saute the onions in olive oil until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add Italian seasoning and cook for another minute. Add tomatoes and basil/parsley. Let simmer 1-1 1/2 hours. When finished simmering, puree with an immersion blender until smooth, if desired.

tonight's dinner

I'm always on the lookout for crockpot recipes that seem to work without turning whatever has been cooking all day into mush. Well, I found an easy one for shredded pork tacos.

Ingredients:
1 jar of salsa verde (the green salsa)
1 pork roast (I think I had a picnic roast, not sure of the size)

Directions:
Dump some salsa in crockpot, add the roast, dump the rest of the salsa over top. Cook all day on low. Shred. Make tacos as usual with whatever toppings you enjoy.

Serve with my adapted healthier version of Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice (we use brown rice)
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
4 tsp vegetable oil (we use olive oil, and I didn't use that much oil either)

Directions:
In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and keep covered an additional 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.

Normally I would never choose pork as a taco meat and someone else around here doesn't really care much for cilantro. But it was really good. And I was told I could fix it again sometime, just not tomorrow.

dig out your candy thermometer

I have always wanted to make English toffee. (Out here in the NW it's called almond roca. And they sell it in big tins at the store, but it's always way overpriced and I usually just leave it there on the shelf.) I found a recipe online today and promptly sent Phil to the store for butter, almonds, and chocolate chips. Well, he was making a trip to donate some crap to the Goodwill anyway, so it's not like he went on a special mission or anything. I whipped up a batch - way easier than I thought. I let it cool out in the newly cleaned garage in which he worked his tail end off today.

Almond Roca

Ingredients:

1 pound butter (not margarine)

1/4 c. water

2 Tablespoons Karo Light Corn Syrup

2 c. white granulated sugar

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Directions: Butter bottom of cookie sheet and sprinkle with almonds that have been broken up a bit. Reserve about 1/2 cup for the last step.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until cooked to hard crack stage, 290 degrees on candy thermometer. The mixture will become frothy and a nice caramel brown.

Immediately pour over almonds, and spread over cookie sheet. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, spreading with pastry knife. Then sprinkle crushed almonds over the top.

Cool completely. Then simply break it apart and package.

Yep, it tastes as good as it looks. As it well should with a pound of butter and two cups of sugar.