Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

September 5, 2012 by

I love getting recipes from friends.  They usually turn out great and become a favorite.  This is one of those.  I don’t remember which friend gave it to me, I think it was at a recipe exchange or something, but it’s a winner!
Especially this time of year when zucchini threatens to overtake the world.
And why make zucchini bread when you can make chocolate zucchini bread.
It’s a no brainer.
This bread comes out super soft but isn’t too crumbly and not mushy like some zucchini breads.  And while some zucchini bread recipes call for wringing the moisture out of the zucchini first, you don’t need to bother with that here, it won’t be mushy.  So go forth and conquer the zucchini my friends.. with chocolate. 🙂

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 med zucchini, shredded (about 1- 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Add to dry ingredients and mix until almost fully combined.  Add in zucchini and chocolate chips and finish mixing until well distributed.
Pour in a greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Let cool on a wire rack for a bit before turning out of pan onto wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon

August 31, 2012 by


It’s no secret, I’m a sucker for roasting.  There’s just something magical about that quick, high heat cooking that brings out the best in so many ingredients.
And it doesn’t hurt that it takes minimal work. 🙂

I’m also a sucker for lemon.  Especially fresh lemon.  It really does taste differently, especially when added after the cooking process.  I highly recommend grabbing a few and trying the difference if you don’t usually buy them.  And besides, how can one live without lemon zest?   Okay, I could live.  But I would miss it.  Big time.

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH LEMON 
1 bunch broccoli
1 T olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice

Cut broccoli into florets ( I like to cut into skinny florets, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).  You should have about 6 cups of broccoli.  Lay out on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until browned in spots.  Toss with lemon juice and zest.

Filed Under: Side Dishes

Avalanche Bars and Blizzard Bars

August 27, 2012 by

 

These recipes had been sitting in my “to try” stack for quite some time.
I needed a quick dessert one night and finally gave them a try.  I can’t believe I waited so long!  I’m not sure which I liked better, how much everyone liked them or how quick they were to make!  I really liked them much better than plain Rice Krispy treats, and they also freeze really well.  I wrap individual bars in wax paper, then place in a zip top bag or freezer container for a special lunch box treat.

The blizzard bars are my personal favorite, especially when made with dark chocolate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Filed Under: Brownies / Bars

Laptop Lunches Bento Box review (AND COUPON CODE!)

August 25, 2012 by

I recently have done a lot of research trying to find some bento boxes for my family.  I love the idea of food being seperated, espcially for Amelia, since that is something Autistic kids struggle with.  After a lot of looking around, I settled on the bento box system from Laptop Lunches.  And I am super happy with them.

While I don’t normally post on a friday night, (especially when I’m trying to get the site looking decent… still working on that one) I have a sweet deal for you I had to share!  

Laptop Lunches is offering my readers a discount of 10%!   Just use the coupon code ” msabts” , good through September 1st.  

I purchased the “bento lunch box 2.0”  which includes the outer case, and 5 inner containers, 2 lg containers (1 with a lid), 2 medium containers (1 with a lid), and a small dip/sauce container with a lid.)
I also added an extra large container (look under replacement parts for these)  which you can swap out the 2 lg containers for, or add for days you need another container.  You can also buy “bento buddies”, which are extra containers that include one of the extra large containers, but for us we just wanted the extra large one for extra and not the others.

I wasn’t sure  they would be large enough, but I have been pleasantly surprised and even realized other containers I’ve used didn’t hold nearly as much as I thought.  I have noticed a whole apple is usually too big to fit with the lid closed, but I just leave those on the side.  As you can see from the picture above, I use them with liquidy foods, like leftover posole  with no issues with leaking at all.  The lids hold everything in very well, I never have to worry even if it’s carried on it’s side about leaking.

The dip/sauce container is amazing for condiments, dressings, dips, etc.  Sometimes I put a little balsamic vinegar and garlic olive oil in one for a dressing and I’m still amazed it doesn’t leak out!  I sometimes use this for dark chocolate dipped berries for a treat in hubby’s lunch too.

Amelia loves having foods separated, so these work really well for her.
Not only autistic kids, but kids with sensory issues in general tend to have a lot of issues with foods mixing.  The bento box takes that stress away so you can focus on getting them to eat more healthy, not worrying about a “mixing” meltdown.

Here you can see the extra large container compared with the outer case.



Filed Under: Giveaways / Reviews 
Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce (Canned)


August 20, 2012  by   


This is a canning recipe I use all the time.  I am so upset with myself if peach season passes and I don’t get around to making any!

This sauce is very versatile, I use it on grilled chicken, toss meatballs in it, you name it.

This sauce is a tangy BBQ sauce, and if you want it sweeter you can add brown sugar before using, or one of my favorite ways, which is to add some tomato based BBQ sauce to it.

I won’t be a broken record about canning safety, but please head to National Home for Food Preservation to brush up and make sure you are doing it correctly.  If you follow some super simple guidelines, canning is very safe and lots of fun.

And you have all the pretty little jars at the end to admire. 🙂

You could also just freeze this in freezer containers if you’d rather, as well.


ZESTY PEACH BBQ SAUCE

Makes about 8 half pint jars


6 cups pitted, peeled, and finely chopped peaches*

1 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

3 T minced garlic

1 1/4 cups honey

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 T Worcestershire

2 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp kosher salt


Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and boil gently for 25 minutes, stirring often.  Consistency should be like a thin bbq sauce.

Ladle into 8 oz (half pint) jars leaving 1/2″ head space.

Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.


(If you want a spicier sauce, add 2 tsp hot pepper flakes to sauce at beginning, we found it was too spicy with these so I left them out).


To serve: If you want a sweeter sauce, add 1/4 cup brown sugar to a jar, or equal parts tomato based bbq sauce when ready to use.


*To peel peaches: drop in a pot of boiling water, leave for 30-60 seconds.

 Rinse under cold running water and peels should come off easily.  If your peaches are a little green this won’t work so well.  Just use a paring knife o cut the peels off.

Recipe slightly adapted for The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving 






Filed Under: Canning, Sauces / Condiments 
Classic Club Sandwich


August 17, 2012  by   


Some things are best left simple.  Like a club sandwich.  The most creative I get is adding avocado.  And on a hot day like today, they are a perfect dinner.  Quick and simple, and besides the bacon, the only cooking is toasting the bread. 🙂


CLASSIC CLUB SANDWICH

Bread of choice, 3 slices per sandwich, toasted (sourdough is my favorite!)

Oven roasted turkey

Bacon, cooked crisp

Lettuce

Tomato, sliced

Cheese, I used swiss but use whatever you have/like

Mayo (I usually add a little basil pesto or chopped rosemary to ours)


Optional add ins: sliced avocado, thinly sliced red onion


Spread one slice of toasted bread with mayo and layer on turkey and bacon.  Top with another slice of toasted bread (spread both sides with mayo if desired).

Top with lettuce, tomato, and cheese and the last piece of bread (spread inside of bread with mayo.)

Slice in quarters and serve.






Filed Under: Sandwiches / Wraps 
Greek Salad


August 15, 2012  by   







I’ve served this salad 2 ways, and I can’t decide which way I like it better.  One way is to just toss it all together, the other is to serve the feta on the side with some fresh basil, and alongside some homemade hummus and paprika roasted chickpeas.  (Both ways with some soft wrap bread of course, although pita chips would be good as well.)



Either way you serve it, it’s quite yummy and I love it for a cool summer dinner.  If you want, you could serve it with some grilled chicken, or maybe even grilled lemon chicken.  Yeah, that would be good. 🙂


GREEK SALAD

2 roma or 1 large tomato, chopped

1 English Cucumber, chopped

1/2 large red onion, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata (or black if you prefer) olives, halved

feta cheese (on the side with a little fresh basil, or crumble directly into the salad)

To taste: olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper


Combine the tomato, cucumber, red onion, and olives in a bowl. (And feta if using directly in salad).  Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and gently toss.






Filed Under: Salad / Dressings 
BEST cherry pitter ever, and flash freezing cherries and berries


August 10, 2012  by   


I know it’s about the end of berry/cherry season and I almost didn’t get my freezer stocked this year.  I barely made it, luckily.  I know I would be very sad in a couple months if that happened.  I had to share a great find with you.  I have a new best friend for cherry season.

I couldn’t resist buying a big box of cherries at the farm market but I had promised myself I would buy a new cherry pitter before I bought cherries again.  I found the Progressive Cherry-It Pitter at my local Bed Bath & Beyond store and liked that it pitted 4 at once.  My old hand held pitter mashed the cherries and was excruciating on the hands.  I have bad wrists from working in restaurants and those things are awful on them.  I was hoping for just a little improvement even.

In just an hour or so I had pitted over 20 lbs of cherries and my hand didn’t hurt at all.  While Progressive boasts that it contains all splatter, I did find that a little got on the counter, but clean up was NOTHING compared to before. And it takes up almost no room.

Let me show you how it works: Here you can see the metal x shaped blades that push the pits into the case below.




You choose either the small or large holes on the tray for size of cherries you have:


Then place up to 4 cherries in the tray:


Push cover down to puncture


And you can see only a small x is made in the cherries, they aren’t mashed at all because it’s spring loaded.



The pits drop down into the tray below, and there’s a very small hole on the underside of the cherries where the pit is pushed out.  I dry the cherries whole, or lay out on a silicone mat lined tray and freeze overnight to flash freeze.  Then I put them in ziplocks or freezer containers.  These are my favorite.  Since I freeze alot of berries I use the half gallon size for them.

This method also works well for raspberries, blackberries, etc.

This way they won’t freeze together in a big clump and you can measure out exactly what you want when you want them.  I’ve also noticed they don’t get freezer burned as easily (or at all) when flash frozen.

I use these for smoothies, milkshakes, muffins, baked goods, you name it!




Filed Under: Giveaways / Reviews 
Yummy Oreo Dessert


August 6, 2012  by   


This dessert goes against all my rules.  Like you can’t combine mixes and packaged foods and get something good.   I needed a last minute dessert to whip up quickly when we were having friends over for a BBQ.  I had spent most my day making and smoking sausage and smoking chicken, and had totally forgotten to make a dessert.

Thumbing through my recipes I saw this oldie and remembered how good it was when I was a kid and thought the kids would like it too.  In our family it was called “Ute’s Yummy Oreo Dessert” since it came from my Mom’s friend Ute.  It’s the perfect summer dessert since you don’t have to turn the oven on and it’s served cold.  Maybe I’m just nostalgic about this one, but it still seems pretty darn good to me, and everyone else loved it as well.

My Lucy had a lot of fun helping me make it, and I think at 5 years old she could almost make this one by herself it’s so easy!


YUMMY OREO DESSERT

1 pkg oreo cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 small or 1 large vanilla instant pudding (mixed up according to package directions)

8 oz box cream cheese

1 medium cool whip


Set aside 12 of the oreos, then finely chop the rest.

Mix with the butter and spread in a 9 by13 inch baking pan (or divide between individual containers)

Mix the prepared pudding and the cream cheese together until smooth, then add the cool whip, mixing until smooth again.

Spread over the top of the oreo crust, then chop the remaining 12 oreos (or however many are left at this point) 😉 and sprinkle on top.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, up to overnight.






Filed Under: Desserts 
Lime Marinated Pork Tenderloin


August 4, 2012  by   


When I say this was delicious, I mean, seriously.. it was de. lic. ious.

I have a thing for citrus.  And when it can make dishes taste this yummy, who can blame me?  The lime makes the pork incredibly tender, and when paired with my roasted pineapple salsa it’s perfection.


LIME MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

1/2 cup lime juice (from about 4 limes)

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp salt

zest of 2 limes

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin


Combine everything but the pork in a bowl, whisk to combine.

Add pork and turn to coat.  (I like to cut the tenderloin in 2 or 3 pieces, depending on the size so that it will fit more easily in a pan later.)   Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.


Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and brush with oil.  (Or grill outdoors if desired).  Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and sear on all sides.

Transfer to a baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until reaches 145 degrees.  Rest for a few minutes, then slice.

Serve with Roasted Pineapple Salsa and rice.








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Filed Under: Pork