Zucchini Bread Recipe

We usually plant 1 plant of zucchini every year, because of the abundant amount of fruit that one plant will bear.  I am usually looking for ways that I can use up my zucchini. One of my husbands favorite  way to serve  zucchini is in cake form. The second best way is deep fried, but that's another blog for later.

ingredients:

3 cups shredded zucchini

1 1/2 cup canola oil

5 eggs

1 cup raisins (optional)

3 cups sugar

4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons vanilla

cream cheese frosting

1 8oz package cream cheese

1/4  cup room temperature butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

3 9x5 inch loaf pans or 7 mini loaf pans

preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl place eggs, sugar, oil,vanilla, and  zucchini. Mix together. Set to the side.

In another large bowl, place flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, and salt. With a whisk mix thoroughly until all dry ingredients are full Incorporated.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients mix by hand, until well blended.

 

Butter,and flour pans. Place parchment paper on bottom, this will keep bread from sticking to the loaf pans.

Make sure oven has been preheated to 350 degrees, before placing baking pans in oven. Bake for 37 minutes or till  lightly brown. Insert tooth pick in center, when it come out clean bread is done.

To make cream cheese frosting. Whip cream cheese with mixer until soften, add soften butter until well mixed. Add vanilla, and powdered sugar. Spread liberally over the zucchini bread after slicing.

Sauerkraut Homemade In Canning Jars

This year is the first year we had a bumper crop of cabbage. Since I can't picture myself, and my husband eating stir fry for the next few months I decided to try to make sauerkraut. My husband has fond memories of his mom putting up homemade sauerkraut.

This is the easy way, of doing it.

Ingredients,
raw cabbage sliced very thin
canning jars with lids and rings
 canning salt
water

Slice cabbage very thin, place in large bowl. Fill jars with water half way, add 1 tablespoon of salt to each jar. Begin filling jars with cabbage to top, make sure salt water covers cabbage. Place lids on jars do not tighten real tight. The cabbage starts to ferment with in a few days, which will cause the water to bubble out of the top of the lids. Place jars of cabbage on a plate to catch over flow from each day.

Every morning open lids of jars, with a spoon push down the cabbage. You don't want it to turn dark. It will turn dark if it's exposed to the air.

The sauerkraut will be ready in 10 days. Process in water bath for 30 minutes to preserve. Make sure you use a new lid, wipe top of lid also. My sister-in-law Maggie uses her sauerkraut in pizza, but I prefer mind in Ruben sandwiches. 

Philly Steak Sandwich Home Version

Philly steak cheese sandwiches are the best! Came up with a quick home version since I prefer not to have puffy soft bread my sister Isabel introduced me to Arnold's thin multi-grain sandwich bread it's full flavor without making you feel weighed down after you eat it. I buy Steak-umms for the steak meat it cooks up fast no slicing, or fussing.

Ingredients:
Arnold pre-sliced sandwich thins multi-grain bread
1 bell pepper sliced thin
1 medium onion sliced
salt
black pepper
mozzarella cheese
olive oil

Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan heat to medium. Fry bell pepper, and onions  till they soften, add a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place 1 teaspoon of olive oil in pan fry steak-umm for 1 minute, flip over fry or another minute. Salt, and pepper.

Toast the multi-grain sandwich thins. Place meat, peppers, onions, and slice of mozzarella cheese between buns. It might surprise you how good this sandwich tastes. Enjoy.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Making mashed potatoes sounds fairly simple but , I have had bad results in making mashed potatoes ,like  having gooey starchy stiff mashed potatoes.    The potato you choose has a lot to do with the end product. My favorite potato is the Kennebec it's a very versatile  potato it can be baked, fried, and  mashed with very good results.

Ingredients: 

7 medium Kennebec potatoes

1 cup milk heated in microwave

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons real butter

couple of shakes of black pepper

Peel, and cut into 2 inch chunks. Place in pot with cold water. Bring to a simmer for about 25 minutes. Potatoes can be tested  by poking with a fork, if it releases easily the potato is done.

I highly recommend purchasing a potato ricer, it makes a creamy mashed potato with out lumps.Strain potatoes out of hot water, I save the potato water to make the gravy. Place cooked potatoes through potato ricer. Set to the side. Heat milk in microwave oven to hot. Stand close by ,milk will rise, and over flow if it gets too hot. Heating the milk will keep the mashed potatoes hot, and prevent the potatoes from getting gooey.

Add hot milk, butter, and salt mix with a large spoon, and a dash of black pepper. Set to side while making gravy.

To make the gravy drain meat drippings from cooked beef roast. I had about 1 cup, to that I stirred 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Constantly stirring, add 1 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper stirring till it bubbles, and thickens. Add  and other 1/2 cup of water if the gravy looks too thick, the gravy will thicken after it cools, try to keep it on the thin side.

When done add 1 tablespoon of butter.

Pour over your perfect mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

Homemade Grape Juice

One of the most exciting thing  that I learned to do, when I moved to the country was to make, and can my own concord grape juice. It's a lot easier than it sounds. We have a 40 year old grape vine which still produces concord grapes.

Ingredients:
canning 2 quart jars
lids
rings to fit over jars
grapes
sugar
large canner

Pick only the dark grapes, pull off the stems, place in the bucket to wash.

Make sure to wash jars with soap, and water place into the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes to sterilize.

My grapes are sweet, so I only use 1/2 cup of sugar, pour into jars.

Fill jars half way up with the concord grapes.

Heat up lids on stove , the rings rubber will soften.

Pour water in the jars 2 inches from the top head space.

Wet the top of jar with clean paper towel, then dry with another clean paper towel. This is to make sure there isn't any particle trapped between the jar,  and the lid preventing a perfect seal.

Place sterilized lid on jar, and ring over the lid to seal. Tighten normal. Do not over tighten or the jars won't seal properly.

Place jars in caner, place lid, bring to a boil. Lower heat to continue steady boiling. After boiling begins time for 30 minutes. The grapes will rise to the top, settling down after the juice cools. The vacuum is created when the jar contents start to cool it can take up to 10 minutes to hear that beautiful ping sound, some times the lids seal with out making a sound. Enjoy this juice after the season is over, lovely at Christmas time.

Homemade Apple Pie

During apple picking season ,I  put up canned apple pie filling for later in the year when apples are not in season.  There is something very satisfying about eating some thing you canned earlier in the year.This is the fresh version of this recipe. With these few ingredients it packs a bunch of flavor.. The perfect pie crust  flaky, crispy, the apples tart yet sweet. Topped off with ice cream it can't be beat. This recipe makes 2 pies.

Ingredients:
apples cored and cut into bit sized pieces 6 cups
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
3 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 nutmeg
1/4 cup instant clear gel
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt

I have a combination of granny smith, and yellow delicious. Peel core, and slice apples place in bowl. To make the sauce. Place cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, salt, lemon juice, instant clear gel, and water into a blender, whip at high speed. The instant clear gel turn liquids into a sauce with out cooking. It is wonderful stuff.

Pour into apples. Set to the side while making pie crust.


Ingredients for pie crust:
2 cups shortening
5 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vinegar


Place shortening, flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl, with dough hook mix till dough resembles small peas. Add egg yolk, vinegar, to a 1 cup measuring cup, fill the cup 3/4 full. Beat before pouring into flour mixture. Pour slowly into flour mixture, folding flour mixture into water. Dough will start coming together. Do not over mix or dough will be tough. Compress into 5 balls, each ball make one pie crust.

Compress dough into 5 balls let rest for a minute.

Roll out dough on a floured board, or flour cloth

. Fold dough in half to be able to fit into pie pan.

Open all the way trim extra long edges.

Fill the pie shell with apple filling. Dot with butter.

Wet the dough on the edges before placing the 2 pie crust on top, this will help it seal.

The angle I took this picture makes my hand look really big and the pie very small, but I assure you it's a normal size pie. Anyway cut a vent hole in the middle of the pie crust. pierce the crust with a fork all around.
Place in a preheated oven. 400 degrees for 30 minutes, lower the oven to 350 for 30 more minutes. I cook my pies for an hour I like the apples tender, I don't like to bit a hard apple.  Make sure it's an apple that can stand up to longer cooking periods. Dust the pie crust with sugar, and cinnamon before cooking.

Now that's a perfect apple pie. Enjoy!

Moussaka Eggplant Dish

Moussaka is one of my favorite Greek dishes, it is made with eggplant. I saw these beautiful eggplants at the

Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Shop calling my name. Of course Moussaka was the second word that popped into my mind. It a very rich tasting lasagna like food. It is time consuming to make, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

eggplants 2

olive oil 

salt with salt shaker

spaghetti sauce 1 jar 16 oz

 1 package Italian sausage fried and drained of grease 

1 lb ball mozzarella cheese

The first thing I have to explain is that the eggplant needs to by sliced at 1/4 inch slices, and salted. This will cause the eggplant to sweat. Place in large bowl with water, push eggplant slices to the bottom, this will release any bitterness the eggplant may have, you will notice the water will change to a dark color.

Using a heavy bottomed pan, fry the slices in very little olive oil.(eggplant soaks up oil in a hurry)just enough so the eggplant won't stick.

The eggplant should look like dry leather, when done. This is the part that takes time. Be patient it will make the difference.

Stack fried eggplant into a small baking dish.

Spread spaghetti sauce teaspoon at a time on top of eggplant. Spread grated mozzarella cheese.

Top with Italian sausage, and repeat layers till it reaches the top. Top off with cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45minutes. Enjoy!