Zucchini Bread

This recipe was given to me by Katie Lundquist.  And I seriously can't get enough of it.  She made it for me right after I had Sydney.  And I've been craving it ever since.  I finally decided to make it with the zucchini I got from the farmer's market last week.  And since I don't have MY kitchen, I had to improvise.  I don't have a bread pan, so I used a baking dish.  I don't have an oven, so I used a toaster oven.  I don't have cooking spray, so I spread oil with a paper towel.  I don't have cinnamon, so I just didn't use it.  And it turned out AMAZING.  I cut it into squares instead of slices and it pretty much is just like zucchini cake!  It is that good!

Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour

1 Tb. cinnamon

1 ts. salt

1 ts. baking soda

1/4 ts. baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 Tb. vanilla

2 cups peeled and grated zucchini

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder together.  Set aside.  Beat eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Slowly mix in dry ingredients.  Blend in grated zucchini and nuts.  Pour into 2 greased and lightly floured 8 x 4 loaf tins.  Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.

And as you can tell from the picture, they are going fast!  Definitely 5.0 stars!  In fact, 5.5 stars (out of 5!)

Pancake Squares

Totally forgot to take a picture, so this picture will be stolen from the website where I found the recipe.  In fact, I'll just steal everything straight from the site.

Pancake Squares 
3/4 cup milk
2 T. melted butter
1 large egg
1 T. sugar
1 cup flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

I made it and didn't have any delicious fruit add ins, like blueberries or strawberries (which would be awesome!) or syrup, so I just ate mine plain.  Awesome!

4.5 stars.  Probably would be 5.0 if I had some toppings or fruit...

Hawaiian Haystacks

This recipe is something I got from my grandma.  Well, kinda.  She is the one I remember making them first.  Although she makes a beef main dish with it.  I made it once with a friend for a dinner and she made a chicken main dish to go with it.  Although both were/are delicious, the chicken recipe is SUPER easy.  So thank you, Shawnee for introducing me to this chicken recipe!

Basically, boil some chicken.  I usually make 2 chicken breasts.  Take out the chicken and cut them into bitesize pieces.  Keep a little of the water, about a cup and mix in one can of cream of chicken soup.  Dump back in the chicken and reheat.

I like to pour the chicken over some rice (usually brown rice).

Then come all the toppings:  Pretty much depending on your preference...

bacon (a must)
mandarin oranges
pineapple chunks
green onions
coconut
almonds
chinese noodles

I can't remember what else, but the sky's the limit!

Rating:  5.0 stars.  Delicious!

Breakfast Pizza

Anyone who knows me knows I love breakfast.  Seriously love it.  I could eat pancakes and eggs every day, every meal.

I found this recipe the other day and decided to give it a try.

It was seriously amazing.

Breakfast Pizza

 

Ingredients

• 1 homemade or store-bought pizza dough (I used store-bought.  And only made a half, since all I currently have is a toaster oven).
• 6 strips bacon (I probably used like 27.)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cups grated mozzarella
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced chives (definitely did not use these)
• olive oil, for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500F or follow package instruction.
2. Fry bacon strips over medium-high heat until crisp. Cool on a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble. Set aside.
3. Dust your baking sheet with cornmeal and stretch dough to fit. Sprinkle with Parmesan, mozzarella, and bacon. Crack eggs over top and season and season with salt and pepper. Brush the exposed crust with olive oil.
4. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until eggs are cooked through and crust is golden brown. Sprinkle chives over top.

So good, 4.9 stars!

Roasted Vegetables

I make a lot of vegetables these days.  Even though South Carolina does not offer Bountiful Baskets, I still make it a point to get fresh vegetables in every dinner.  One of my favorite ways to make greens is so simple...

Coat in olive oil.
Sprinkle on lemon juice.
Sprinkle on parmesan cheese.

Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

My favorite vegetable to do this with is asparagus.  I make this about once a week.  I've also done green beans and broccoli.  Word on the street is that you can also do this with zucchini, squash, probably just about any vegetable.  Delicious!

The asparagus would definitely get a 5.0 stars.  Green beans a 4.0, broccoli a 4.5.  Excited to try some other vegetables!

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

Life has finally slowed down.  We are officially living in South Carolina and are settled in.  Now, my kitchen situation is less than ideal.  No oven (what!?!?) other than the toaster oven I bought and no fun kitchen gadgets.  But I'm figuring out how to survive.

And what better way to welcome myself back than with an incredibly delicious and addicting treat.  And what better way to sabotage my diet.  :)

Cookies and Cream Popcorn.

Simple enough. Take 12 ounce of vanilla almond bark and melt it (very low heat for about 8 mins on the stovetop).  Pour it over 1 large bag of popped popcorn.  Then sprinkle on 10-12 crushed oreos.  Enjoy!

Easily 5 stars.

(And no, I did put the bananas back there on purpose to offset the amount of unhealthy in the picture.  They were just there.)

Vanilla No Bake Cookies

Seeing as how 1.  I had to make a dessert that night, 2. I didn't want to go to the store, 3. I didn't have any chocolate chips, and 4. Brooklyn is allergic to peanuts, I decided to try these.

So glad I did!  Well, sorta.  I can't stop eating them.  That doesn't help with losing my 30 pounds of baby weight.  But they are delicious.

They are basically the same thing (same steps) for making chocolate no-bakes, just a few different ingredients.

Vanilla Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter 

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Rating:  5.0 stars!  I think this is my first official 5 star rating.  They're that good.