Breakup Letter

Dear Martha Stewart,


Why-oh-why would you call for 10 eggs and 4 cups of cream if you knew it was going to be twice the amount needed for the recipe?  I am breaking up with you and going back to Betty Crocker.  


Sincerely,


Hermity Katherine

Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Frosting Recipe

Thanks to the Mennonite Girls Can Cook and The Pioneer Woman we had the most fabulous cake after dinner tonight! No really, it is the best cake ever!
http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2011/08/chocolate-zucchini-cake.html
This cake has a fabulous consistency, to die for flavor and who would ever guess it was made from Zucchini!  Please check out their blog and the recipe!

I had to leave extra frosting for sampling:)

I didn't end up having chocolate chips so I decided to do a frosting instead.  I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's Website.  I didn't want a cream cheese or shortening based frosting so how about milk and flour! The result was terrific!
Printable Cake Recipe Click Here
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/03/a-tasty-recipe-thats-the-best-frosting-ive-ever-had/
The combination between the cake and frosting was perfect.  I am not a huge cake fan but this was terrific!  Now go find some zucchini and make yourself some!
Printable Frosting Recipe Click Here.
~Christine~

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe on the internet someplace at one of those big recipe databases.  In our quest for repeatable zucchini recipes, this one hit the jackpot.  The kids even liked it.  They dipped theirs in ranch dressing.

Click here for printable Recipe!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups shredded zucchini  (if they are large and coarse, partially peel them and cut out big seeds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 thinly sliced tomatoes
Olive oil and vegetable oil, mixed in equal portions, as needed in a large skillet for frying.

Oven 300 degrees.  Prepare large cookie sheet with a layer of paper towel in bottom.

Put shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Let drain 15 minutes, then press well to remove excess moisture.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk.  Add zucchini and stir well.  Add flour, baking soda, seasonings, and parmesan cheese.  Mix thoroughly.

Heat oil mixture over medium heat until oil is hot and shimmering.  Drop batter by 1/4 cups full into oil (an ice cream scoop works well).  Brown on one side, then turn to brown on other side. Make sure oil is not so hot that they burn on the outside without cooking through.  Place on paper toweled cookie sheet.  When all fritters are cooked and cookie sheet is full, cover each fritter with a correspondingly sized piece of sliced mozzarella. Place in oven for 10 minutes until cheese melts.
To serve, place a tomato slice on top of each fritter and give a pinch of coarse salt.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This is my husbands favorite pie! It is how I stole his heart.

Click here for printable recipe!

3 c. strawberries {not heaping cups}
3 c. rhubarb {not heaping cups}
2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1TBSP butter or margarine

Place bottom pie crust in deep dish pie pan. This is important or your dish will be overflowing!
Mix all ingredients.
Place ingredients in pie pan.
Top with butter.
Place remaining crust over it all and seal.
Cut slits(or smiley face) to vent the pie.
Cover edges with aluminum foil strips.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for 45-55 minutes removing the foil strips the last 15 minutes so the edges can brown. The center will be brown and bubbling when it is done.

If using frozen ingredients make sure to thaw and drain before using to avoid a runny pie!

I must not have measured the rhubarb and berries well because it was overflowing my deep dish pie plate, made for an ugly pie, but it should taste good.  I am including my embarrassing looking pie in the photos, to show that even somebody who normally makes beautiful pies, has some oops's.

Beet Green and Apple Salad

Can you tell we have a surplus of beet greens in the garden right now?  We also have a lot of spinach, and the lettuce is starting to come along nicely.  This salad should be made right before sitting down to eat, that way the apples stay fresh and the dressing doesn't cause things to wilt.  

Printable Recipe Click Here!

Salad:
3 cups small beet greens, carefully washed, stems removed
1 cup spinach greens, ""
1 cup baby greens, ""
2 apples, cored and diced (skins on)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Tear greens into salad bowl, top with apples and almonds

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (dijon or yellow)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
(this dressing had me at the nutmeg)
Immediately before serving, whisk dressing and pour over salad.

Wilted Beet Greens in Bacon Vinaigrette

Not everyone in our family likes cooked greens.  For those of us who do, this was a good enough recipe that we ate it all up, so no photos; although wilted greens are really not that photogenic anyway.

Print Click Here

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 radishes, sliced
4 cups chopped beet greens, (rinse well and dry before chopping)
1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Cook bacon until bits are crispy.  Add onion, garlic and radishes, cook over medium heat just until tender.  Add beet greens, sugar water and vinegar.  Cook, slightly stirring, until greens are tender -- once the greens are added it will only take about 5 minutes for them to become tender enough.  Don't let them overcook and get mushy.  Serves 4.

Strawberry Lemonade Slushie Recipe

The kids wanted lemonade slushies with a picnic lunch today.  I didn't have any ice so I had to improvise. This is what I came up with and its YUMMY! This recipe is certainly not rocket science so feel free to improvise to meet your own tastes.

Printable Recipe

Recipe:
Pink lemonade powder to make 1.5 quarts (this is the size of my blender)
2c. frozen strawberries
Cold Water
1 tsp honey
*Put lemonade, strawberries and honey in the blender, fill the rest of the way with cold water.
*Blend until consistency resembles slushie. 
*Pour and enjoy!
** if you like your drinks more tart you can leave out the honey, but honey is great for helping out those seasonal allergies!