Tasty Tuesday

Since it is WAY TOO HOT to cook around here, I thought I would share a new favorite snack of ours. It always seems like I am at the grocery store just before lunch, and of course the kids beg for candy the whole time. I hate giving them junk food and ruining their lunch, so I am always looking for something better for them. Last time we were there, I found yogurt covered raisins in the bulk food section, and the kids LOVE them. They think they are getting candy and I don't have to feel so bad if they don't eat as much lunch when we get home.

Tasty Tuesday - Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that anyone can grow and if you try to, you always get WAY more than you need! Mine has started producing its overabundance, so I am looking for ways to use it up. Last year I came across this great zucchini pizza recipe. It is a good way to get your kids to eat zucchini, my kids LOVE it!

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded peeled zucchini, drained and squeezed dry
2 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions: In a bowl, combine zucchini, rice, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and eggs until well blended. Press mixture into a greased 15-in. x 11-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, oregano and salt. Mix well. Spoon beef mixture over zucchini crust. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hope you like it as much as my kids do! Enjoy!

This Week

Here's a little of what we have been working on this week:

I got 21 quarts of cherries canned. We headed out to my grandpa's to pick the cherries on Wed evening. Of course, as soon as we got there it decided to downpour. But had picked up pizza on the way and we ate that while waiting for the rain to pass. I forgot my camera, but the kids had a great time because the branches were hanging so low they could reach a lot of them. We got 5 buckets (old ice cream tubs) full of Bings, and one of pie cherries. I've never made cherry pie before, but I think it turned out pretty good!

Tasty Tuesday - Chocolate Dessert With Raspberry Sauce

Since raspberry season is in full swing around here, I thought I would share another of my favorite raspberry recipes, chocolate dessert with raspberry sauce. This is so easy to make, but looks and tastes like a fancy dessert you could get at a restaurant. So if you are not a great cook, but really want to impress your dinner guests, give this a try!

Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup butter
5 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (amount is correct)
RASPBERRY SAUCE:
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, whole, unsweetened
1-3/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Whipped cream (Made with fresh cream from Twin Brook Creamery, of course!)
Whole, fresh raspberries to garnish
Directions: Line bottom of a 9-in. springform pan with parchment paper; set aside. Place chocolate and butter in top of double boiler. Bring water to boil; reduce heat and stir chocolate until melted. In a large bowl, beat eggs for 2 minutes. Slowly add chocolate mixture to eggs, beating at medium speed about 10 minutes. Blend in sugar and flour just until mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes (cake will not be set in the middle). Chill. For the sauce, combine raspberries, 1-3/4 cups water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Put through sieve; discard the seeds. Add water if needed to make 2 cups juice. Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl; stir until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to raspberry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat; cool. To serve, spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce on each dessert plate; place a thin wedge of chocolate dessert on sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and reserved raspberries.

Linked to: Smockity Frocks

Tasty Tuesday Blueberry Banana Bread

It always seems like I have a few bananas sitting on the counter that the kids don't want to eat anymore because they have turned too brown. So I often use them to make banana bread. And since we always have a ton of blueberries on hand, I usually end up making blueberry banana bread.


Here's what you will need:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Mashing the bananas:

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Beat in the bananas. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in blueberries.

The mandatory licking of the beater:

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (If using frozen blueberries, you might have to go a little longer.)

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack. Serve warm with a little butter and try not to eat the whole loaf in one afternoon!