Category Archives: things we like to eat

Zucchini Nut Bread

Posted in sweets, things we like to eat by

zucchini bread 1 editedThis time of year it is all about the zucchini. How to use up the surplus of the lovely, green vegetable that grows so prolifically. I think people actually avoid me when they see me coming at them with bags of squash!

Today we decided to just go for the tried and true zucchini bread. We have made several different recipes, but I love the lemon zest in this one and also the cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmmmm, the house smells so good right now – I can’t wait for it to come out of the oven.

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The original recipe from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook only makes one loaf. I figure if I am going to get everything dirty, I may as well make at least two loaves, so I doubled the recipe and modified it slightly.

Preheat oven to 350*. In mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini, and egg.

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Add oil and lemon zest and mix well.

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Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder…zucchini bread 6

and mix well.

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Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased loaf pan, I sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar into the pan after spaying in a bit of oil.

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I also sprinkle a bit more of the cinnamon sugar onto the batter before putting it into the oven. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack.

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Psych is definitely going to be an “Obsessions”  post sometime in the near future- we love that show! In fact, we just finished watching the Season 7 finale- it’s a sad day in our household.

Zucchini Nut Bread

(makes two loaves)

Preheat oven to 350*
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

In mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon zest and mix well. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder, and mix well. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased loaf pan, i sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar into the pan after spaying in a it of oil. I also sprinkle a bit more of the cinnamon sugar onto the batter before putting it into the oven. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack.

tags: zucchini, bread, walnuts, lemon, citrus, dessert, sweets, breakfast, garden

Snickerdoodles

Posted in sweets, things we like to eat by

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We love cookies. We bake cookies all the time! Snickerdoodles have to be one of our favorites. Who came up with the name Snickerdoodles? Seriously, what does that even mean?

I have a rule – no appliances as gifts. We have been married for over 20 years and I can only think of two times Donald has broken the no appliance rule.

The first time was over 20 years ago- Donald gave me a bread maker. That was our very first Christmas as a married couple, and from the get go, I was very clear that appliances were not to be given as gifts. Unfortunately, from the get go wasn’t soon enough- he’d already bought the bread maker. For good reason, he was a little afraid when Christmas morning rolled around- luckily, I loved it. We have enjoyed many loaves of bread from that appliance.

The second time he broke the rule was a couple of years ago, when he bought me the KitchenAid. I love it – even more than my bread maker. I use it practically everyday. I guess some rules are just meant to be broken. One of my kids came in and noticed the KitchenAid on the counter and said, “You know it’s going to be a good day when you see the mixer out.” So true, right?

When cooking or baking, the correct tool makes all the difference. Many years ago there was a gal who worked in the same office as I did and she made the best chocolate chip cookies. Each one was perfect in size and shape and when I asked her about it, she told me that she had a special cookie scooper. I thought to myself, do they even make such a thing? I was so impressed by that – and now even I own a special cookie scooper.

So back to the Snickerdoodles-

Preheat oven to 400*
In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, sugar and eggs until creamy and fluffy.

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In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt).

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Gradually stir dry ingredients into the butter mixture. I use the stir setting on my mixer, being careful not to overmix.

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In small bowl prepare the cinnamon sugar mix. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Using your handy-dandy cookie scooper, scoop and roll cookie dough into 1 1/2 balls…

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and then roll the dough balls around in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place on a cookie sheet.

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Bake for 7-9 minutes.

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Cool on a rack.

Yum!!

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Best afternoon snack ever!

 

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 T sugar
1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400*
In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, sugar and eggs until creamy and fluffy. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt). Gradually stir dry ingredients into the butter mixture. I use the stir setting on my mixer, being careful not to overmix.

In small bowl prepare the cinnamon sugar mix. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll cookie dough into 1 1/2 balls and then roll the dough balls around in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Thai Pasta Salad

Posted in salads, side dishes, things we like to eat by

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Every year our family plus our dogs take a road trip north to my aunt and uncle’s house. They live outside San Francisco so there is tons to do and see. We all love going up to visit, eat, hang out, eat, hunt, and eat.

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My aunt is only 4 years older than me, so it’s more like we are sisters, and her three boys are just a few years older than my kids, so it’s fun. Plus, they always seem to come up with some of the most interesting things to do. It’s our tradition to go pheasant hunting, and we have gone go-carting, wine tasting, sight seeing, played bocce ball at an interesting restaurant, picked up fresh crab right off the crab boat and then went straight home to eat it.

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^^^just so dang squinty 😉 ^^^

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^^^Alcatraz^^^

Looking back at all the fun things we’ve done with them, I’m beginning to see a pattern: we kill animals. And then we eat them.

As horrible as that sounds, it’s completely true. From the pheasant hunting, to the modified axe used to split the fresh crabs before cooking (by the way, the crabs are still alive when we smash them over the axe head :/), and worst of all, the killing of their hand-raised, free-range turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner. This horrible event involves “the cone of death”- an orange traffic cone repurposed to aid in the turkey slaughtering (trust me, you don’t even want to know).

See, they are just fun!

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^^^one of their adorable, smiley dogs, Cracker^^^

Anyway, Aunt Sandy is the one who gave me the insane Kalua pork recipe, and this Thai pasta salad is for sure another winner!

When I made this recipe today I used fettuccine noodles, don’t do that! They stuck together while cooking and they are harder to eat. Follow the recipe, not the photos. My recipe does actually tell me to use angel hair pasta and I ignored it and now I’m sorry!

This salad gets better with age so if you can, let it cool and sit for several hours or longer before consuming- it is worth the torture of waiting.

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Cook pasta according to package directions.

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While the noodles are cooking, prepare all the veggies and set aside. Then make the sauce, stir the oils and red pepper flakes in a saucepan and heat for about two minutes. Add honey and soy sauce and heat through.

Drain the cooked noodles and pour into a large bowl.

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Pour the warm sauce over the noodles and mix well.

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There will be quite a bit of sauce in the bottom of the bowl and that is ok. As the noodles cool they will absorb all of that tasty goodness. Add the chopped veggies and mix again.

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Now cover it and put it in the refrigerator and forget you made it for at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight! Stir again before serving to get everything coated. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and almonds into the whole bowl, or if you have some picky eaters that don’t like nuts in their food (not that I would know anything about that! **wink wink **) then just sprinkle it over the top as you serve and it is almost as good that way. Enjoy!

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^^^I just found a new editing program (picmonkey.com) that I love. And it’s free which means I double love it. Which makes sense if you don’t think about it 🙂 J

Thai Pasta Salad
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sesame seed oil
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, more if you like
6 T honey
5 T soy sauce
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper, chopped (I prefer red)
Toasted sesame seeds and toasted sliced almonds

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking, prepare all the veggies and set aside. Then make the sauce, stir the oils and red pepper flakes in a saucepan and heat for about two minutes. Add honey and soy sauce and heat through. Drain the cooked noodles and pour into a large bowl. Pour the warm sauce over the noodles and mix well. There will be quite a bit of sauce in the bottom of the bowl and that is ok. As the noodles cool they will absorb all of that tasty goodness. Add the chopped veggies and mix again. Now cover it and put it in the refrigerator and forget you made it for at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight! Stir again before serving to get everything coated. Just before serving sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and almonds. Enjoy!

The Treat of the Month Club & Carrot Cupcakes

Posted in sweets, things we like to eat by

Last month, I gave my friend Danae a subscription to her very own “Treat of the Month Club” for her 18th birthday. I promised that every month, I would bake one of her favorite homemade treats and deliver them for her enjoyment (I know right? You really want to be my friend now ;)). Because no one in her family bakes, she. loved. this. gift. I just delivered installment 2 out of 18: the first month was oatmeal raisin cookies, and this month was carrot cupcakes with cream cheese.

danae mayThese cupcakes were delicious! And Danae loved them- when her family members asked for a cupcake, they were granted one with a grudging heart.

Being the slacker I am, I didn’t take any demo pictures, but here’s the recipe anyway (the recipe says that it will make 24 cupcakes, however it actually made closer to 30 for me):

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 lb. (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canola oil

Frosting Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese (not softened)

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350*. Line cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk together and set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups). Add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside. Rinse out the bowl of the food processor and fit with the metal blade. Process the sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Continue to process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 more seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners, so that each is about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Jordan

Recipe from: gimmesomeoven.com

tags: cupcakes, cake, carrot cake, carrots, frosting, cream cheese, desserts, sweets, treat of the month

Parmesan Pasta

Posted in main dishes, things we like to eat by

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Parmesan pasta, catchy name huh? It’s practically a staple in our family – what am I saying? It IS a staple in our family! I started making this, or some form of this 25, um 30 years ago. I was living on my own and wanting to make some sort of yummy meal for myself. I pulled out my clean and never used copy of The New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I found a delectable recipe for pasta carbonara.

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(Yes, that really is the same exact cookbook that started it all…)

Mmmmmm! I made it. But between the whipping cream, bacon and 4 eggs, this didn’t quite fulfill my goal of finding a yummy, cheap meal- plus it was super fattening, which at that age I wasn’t as concerned about, but still! So after my first attempt at pasta carbonara, I started making my own form of that – no eggs, no heavy whipping cream and usually no bacon- so really, not pasta carbonara! Over the years it has pretty much stayed the same. However, I never measure anything, so usually there is some variation. My oldest son ate it so much, his grandma used to say he was going to turn into a curly noodle. He has continued the tradition of making this meal for himself each week while away at college. It is simple and delicious – you must try this for yourself. It might become a staple for your family too.

Cook pasta following package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Now, as simple as this sauce is, the key is how you mix/heat this. I’m serious. I’ve tried to just dump everything into the pot and for some reason it just doesn’t turn out the same. So my answer to that is to put all of the sauce ingredients into a large measuring cup…

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and heat it in the microwave. It normally takes about 2 minutes, but you want to watch it – you don’t want any of that yummy goodness to boil over and end up in the microwave instead of on your pasta!

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So I normally microwave it for one minute and check it and then just let it sit until the pasta is finished and then heat it for the next minute once the cooked pasta is drained…

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and back in the pot. Pour the completely melted and sort of bubbly sauce mixture over the top…

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of the cooked pasta and mix well. Don’t worry if it seems a bit thin, we will fix that next. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. I just use the ol’ Kraft variety because I like the way it melts and that is just how we have always done it. Mix well.

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When serving, we grate a bit of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and if we are feeling particularly fancy, we add some fresh herbs such as basil or Italian parsley.

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Mmmmm!

Parmesan Pasta
1 lb. dried pasta
1 stick of butter (I know, it’s a lot but totally worth it)
1/2 cup milk (I use 1%, cuz I’m healthy that way)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, along with fresh herbs if desired.

Cook pasta following package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce: put all of the sauce ingredients into a large measuring cup and heat it in the microwave. It normally takes about 2 minutes, but you want to watch it – you don’t want any of that yummy goodness to boil over and end up in the microwave instead of on your pasta! So I normally microwave it for one minute and check it and then just let it sit until the pasta is finished and then heat it for the next minute once the cooked pasta is drained and back in the pot. Pour the completely melted and sort of bubbly sauce mixture over the top of the cooked pasta and mix well.

Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix well. When serving, we grate a bit of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and if we are feeling particularly fancy, we add some fresh herbs such as basil or Italian parsley.