Beer Battered Fried Zucchini

{{Zucchini}}  What can I say about it? It's easy to grow, and it's usually, always, a bountiful producer!! Not to mention....zucchini is just one of those versatile vegetables you can do a lot with.  You can make bread, cookies, lasagna, salad.....bread it, batter it, fry it.....you name it. One of my favorite "go to" meals for zucchini is breaded and lightly fried, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper {{Yum!}} The other day, I was about to pull out the 'ol bread crumbs, when I realized.....I was out of bread crumbs. Well, what's a girl to do? I could make some bread crumbs, yes, that 's true. But I didn't feel like it, and the oil was already heating on the stove  Think..think!  Oh! I know! How about some beer batter! Total yum!

Here's a quick and easy beer batter recipe that I just love. It always turns out so light and crispy!  ****In a bowl, beat 2 eggs, add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup beer, 1 cup flour, some salt and pepper to taste, mix well****Dredge thin slices of zucchini in flour, dunk into beer batter, fry in heated oil in skillet. Lightly brown on both sides. Remove from oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cool. Eat! Close eyes, smile and say yum!
 

PS  **I like to dip my beer battered zucchini in Caesar salad dressing...just your basic, off the shelf, bottled dressing.

BBQ deer chops in a slow cooker

Some of you out there have deer meat in your freezer....and you may be wondering what to make with it. Well, I have a fantastic recipe for you! We like deer meat once in a while at our house...well, all of us but one...my youngest son. 

He says to me "Mom, I will eat a cow, but I will not eat a deer."  

And to that, I say "okay."

So...we have a friend that hunts and he was kind enough to share his game! We were gifted  3 packages each of: 

chops, steaks and ground meat. 

Scouring the internet I found so many delicious looking recipes...it was hard to choose. I decided on a BBQ sauce, slow cooker recipe, and oh my am I glad I did!!! 

                                                                                                                       

It turned out DEE-LISH-US!!!!    !

We totally scarfed it down! My hubby absolutely loved it. We ate it served on a bed of steam white rice. Mashed potatoes would go beautiful with this dish as well.

I cooked these chops in this homemade BBQ sauce for about 6 hours on high. You need a good 6 hours to get to the point where the meat is very, very tender! Trust me, it's worth the wait.

Recipe: BBQ deer chops in a slow cooker

2 lbs. deer chops

1 cup ketchup

2 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 packet onion soup mix

1 tsp onion powder

few shakes Worcestershire sauce

Brown deer chops in skillet in a bit of vegetable oil. Mix remaining ingredients in crock pot. Add the deer chops. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours. If you are not going to be home all day, you can cook on low for 7 or 8 hours. Serve over hot steamed white rice or mashed potatoes. 

Enjoy!

The Popcorn Ball Incident

Autumn is slowly moving into winter. It's rainy and cold, and I've been in the mood to make some sweet treats for my boys.  A couple of days ago, in honor of Halloween, I made popcorn balls {recipe link for popcorn balls below}and candy apples. Both recipes turned out fantastic!

While making the popcorn  balls, I was fondly reminded of a Trick or Treat night long ago.  It was  Halloween night, many, many years ago.  I was trick or treating with my little sister and my friends. We were all about or 8 years old, give or take. We were escorted by two of my friends' older brother and sister. At one of the houses, they were handing out homemade popcorn balls! We all screeched in delight! This was a real treat! In my opinion, getting a popcorn ball for Trick or Treat was the best thing you could get!!

Huddled 'round the front door, reaching up as high as our little arms would stretch,  we held open our  pillowcase candy sack. The popcorn balls were dropped into the sacks one by one. I remember small talk and laughter between the home owner and our teen escorts. Everyone was happy. Everyone but one. One little girl who did not get her popcorn ball.

That little girl was me.

I knew I was accidentally overlooked, but I was too shy to say anything! I wanted desperately to say something but I just couldn't!

I was devastated!

Oh, I fancied Cracker Jacks, Reese's Cups and Clark bars...but a popcorn ball!! It was the CROWN JEWEL of Trick or Treat!!

As I stood there with a lump forming in my throat, I prayed silently that they would SOMEHOW notice my misfortune. Good-byes and good-nights were warmly exchanged, and we wandered back into the night. As we walked away, toward home....down the dark street lit by the white glow of street lights....I hung my head low.

Finally I spoke up.  "I didn't get one." My friend's big brother Steve said, "What?! You didn't get one?!" He reached inside his bag and pulled out his popcorn ball. "Here, you can have mine." Shocked and absolutely delighted, I was dumbfounded that anyone would actually GIVE UP a  popcorn ball...willingly!!

I was thrilled! I took his popcorn ball for my own and dropped it down into my pillowcase...all nestled between the Sugar Babies, Mallow Cups and Hershey Bars.

Wow, what an incredible, kind gesture from a teenage boy! How selfless! His parents raised him well. I can only hope that either one of my son's would do the same for a small child in a similar situation.

Recently, I have been reunited with my childhood friend. Her older brother is the one who gave me the popcorn ball. I mentioned the cherished memory to her, and she asked him if he remembered. No....he doesn't remember...but that's ok.
I remember!!
And to this day, I love popcorn balls!
It's one of my favorite Halloween treats!

The end!

*recipe for popcorn balls found here: justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com

  

Feeling the health of eating a rainbow!

It's Monday morning and I am happy! Not because it's Monday...I'm just happy! My mood has been so good lately. I feel like I've gotten my old spunky self back. Also, the cooler weather is down right exhilarating! I actually WANT to take brisk walks for exercise again! You know....summer is beautiful and all, but me and heat just don't get along these days! Even more so, humidity and I are down right enemies!


So anyhow....why is my mood so freakin' fantastic???? The past 2 weeks, I've been eating extremely well...mostly raw fruits and raw vegetables. I've had meat only about 4 times: chicken burgers twice, pork roast, BBQ pulled pork, and chicken....ok, that's 5 times. Ya, basically, I'm only shopping in the produce section and at fruit markets. It's been fun though!!

The variety of foods I've been eating is a blast....and it's all so delicious it's not even funny! My energy and mental clarity is fantastic. Oh, I almost forgot...no dairy and no breads the past 2 weeks either. I have had a few multi grain wraps though. The only dairy I've had is the half n half in my morning coffee...{as well as 3 tsp. sugar.} 

The differences I have noticed these past 2 weeks have been pretty cool! For instance, the very first thing I noticed was on day 4 of eating like this. When I walked down the steps first thing in the morning......there was no pain in my hips, knees, ankles and feet. That in itself is pretty amazing! The crazy thing is, I never ever expected that. It just happened and I noticed it right away. I am telling you the truth people, for years...like the last 4 years at least....every single solitary morning, without fail, when I would walk down the steps first thing in the morning, it was painful and I would hold on the sides of the wall to kinda brace myself...and I would sorta ease myself down the steps.

In my mind, it was 100% due to my weight. I am 5 ft. 3 inches tall and I weigh right around 200 pounds. I know extra weight is very hard on knees and feet...so I figured I would be in pain until I lost about 30 pounds...something like that...something that would make a significant difference to the weight load on my joints.  Well......amazingly.....by day 4 of eating 95% of my daily food as raw fruits and vegetables....I may have lost about 3 pounds maybe, maybe 2 pounds.....whatever...but I don't think losing  a few pounds would be enough to take away pain from the waist down in my joints. Sooooo, the only thing I can attribute that to is the surplus of natural nutrient intake from the fruits and veggies that I've been feeding my body.

It's been 2 weeks since I started eating like this and the pain has not come back! Very, very crazy!! I also used to experience that same pain after sitting on the couch for a long time at night....I'd get up and go to walk to the kitchen and I would literally hobble!!  Seriously, the hubs and I would joke about it. This has been going on for longer than 4 years...it's just I'm going by how long we've been in this house....we've been here for 4 years. By the way, I have lost a little weight during these past 2 weeks....don't know how much, I don't own a scale, and I don't care....scales will get me into trouble anyhow!!!!...it's not important what the scale says, it's important if my clothes are getting loose and too big. I haven't gone down a size yet...but the clothes are feeling a loose and that is great!!

The main reason for me eating this way is to be as healthy as I can and to try to eliminate and or prevent disease.....losing weight is just a nice,wonderful, awesome bonus! Of course I want and really, really need to lose weight...but that will happen if I'm eating clean. The nice thing about this so far is the digestion....it's fast.....not sluggish. Also, I have no feeling of lethargy. I can't tell you how many naps {prior to the past 2 weeks} I have taken on the couch, mid-day, after the kids get home from school....like maybe a 1 hour nap...because I felt so sleepy and blah. I don't feel sleepy anymore...I don't feel blah anymore. Bonus!

One last note here...when I go up the steps, I am not out of breath anymore...when I walk up my driveway, I am not out of breath anymore. I mean, not like I was gasping for breath before....but it would make me feel a little winded and yucky...now I'm straight up and bam...that's it, no ill effects...no racing heart, no heavy breathing. Pretty cool.

The above photo there is the breakfast I just ate while typing this. As you can see, I'm still drinking coffee in the morning. Like I said, still using half n half and sugar. That is the only sugar I eat all day though...other than the natural sugar I get in fruits. One more thing I wanted to say in case anyone is curious. I have no restrictions on eating. I eat meals at the normal times...I eat again if I am hungry...and I eat whatever fruit or veggie I feel like at that moment. It does seem that I eat the majority of fruit in the morning and then lots of greens and veggies the second half of the day. Not that I won't eat an apple or watermelon as an evening snack...I'm just saying that's mostly how I've been doing it. It's kinda like...whatever I'm attracted to during that part of the day. I have also been eating 2 eggs some mornings when I feel like I am craving them. Also, in the evenings sometimes, I will have some organic blue corn tortilla chips. That's it people. So far so good!

roasted red pepper wrap

Ohhhh  my stars in heaven.....this was the best wrap ever!!  

 ******

I was "mmmmmm'ing" from the first bite!! It totally  had-me-at-hello!  In fact, it was so good...I'm making it again for dinner tonight. It is simple, simple simple to make!  The most effort you will need to put forth is roasting the red peppers. That's not so bad, right?!

I roasted the peppers in my broiler drawer at the bottom of the oven...I put my broiler setting on high and checked on the peppers every 5 minutes or so. It took them about 15 or so minutes to get charred like this. After they are blackened, place them all in one ziploc bag to let them sweat and then cool. You can then easily peel off the charred skin.

Ok, on to the other ingredients: sliced tomato, sliced onion, romaine lettuce, and hummus.  I was actually going to make the hummus myself...but...I had been to 3 stores in this little county here, and could not find tahini...a key ingredient in hummus. I know where I can get it...but was running short on time...so I grabbed the pre-made hummus from the shelf at Wal Mart...looked at the ingredient list...and was pleasantly surprised.

Let me tell you....THIS IS THE BEST TASTING HUMMUS I HAVE EVER EATEN!!!!
It's by Cedars and it is the first time I tried this brand. It was only $2.50...total bonus! I've always eaten "Sabra" brand hummus and liked it just fine... but now...look out...I am in love with Cedars!

 So basically, you all know how to make a wrap...I used multi grain. I purchased these wraps, but I do want to make them from scratch some time.

 

 


So....just lay out your wrap, spread on some awesome garlicky hummus, layer fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes,  cucumbers, a little red onion...and the most importantly....roasted red pepper!! Serious yum factor there! That's all there is to it. My husband loved this! He ate 2!!

My 14 year old son ate one....he ate the whole thing and never complained about all the veggies...he totally rocks....will eat anything now...unlike his little brother....who, had he been home for dinner, would not have touched this meal with a 10 foot pole!  LOL! Anyhow, I really hope you give this wrap a try....you will undoubtedly be happy you did!! Let me know!

 

  

 Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Garlic Scape Pesto...it'll knock your socks off!

Garlic scapes!
I just love 'em!
What are they, you say??

Well, garlic scapes are the stalks of the hard neck variety garlic plant. 

They grow straight up and then form one or two loops.

After the stalk has formed one or two loops, you snip it off so the garlic bulbs will grow strong.

They are edible and when harvested young, 

they are tender and a lot more milder than the garlic cloves. 

They can be chopped up and  used in a stir fry or pesto...or really used any creative way you like in cooking.

Here's the pesto I made!

When I received garlic scapes in my CSA, 

I hadn't a clue what I was going to make with them. 

A little searching on the web....
and I was good to go!

This pesto is absolutely fantastic!!

Now,  let me tell you....this is for garlic lovers!  

This is some serious garlic intensity here people.

However, you can control the intensity by the amount you use on your pasta.

My hubs can't take a lot of garlic like I can,

and he totally loved it with the small amount I put on his serving of pasta.

This made a lot considering you only need about a Tbsp. per serving. 

I froze the rest in a couple of  ziploc bags. 

I scooped out heaping tablespoons, one at a time, and placed them in the ziplocs, just far enough away from each other so it will be easy for me to break them off to use as needed.

I also used a bit of this pesto in a recipe that called for chopped garlic. 

I just threw it in and it was fantastic!

Recipe:  Garlic Scape Pesto

approx.12 garlic scapes,  rough chopped

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2  cup almonds

approx. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Throw chopped garlic scapes, parmesan cheese and almonds into food processor. 

Grind almost to a puree while adding olive oil through the feed tube.

Adjust olive oil as needed for consistency and taste.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

F r i e d * * Z u c c h i n i * * B l o s s o m s

Zucchini blossoms.

They are completely edible.

I've only recently learned they were such a delicacy to the palate. 

Of course, I have always admired the glorious, gigantic blooms amongst my bountiful squash plants, but I  never anticipated they would show up on my dinner plate . . . let alone, be battered and fried. 

Fried zucchini blossoms . . . what a wonderful concept . . . yet so foreign a concept to me . . . as I have never been tempted by the eating of flora. Somehow, someway, I had the courage to try such a thing, and I am oh-so-glad I did. Is it NOT fun to step out of our comfort zone once in a while? 

I say yes!

I am ever so grateful that Kretchmann's Farm put these tender, young blossoms in our little wooden crate, as I would have never ventured forward to trying this if not given a little push! Such an easy thing really. Searching the net, I found a simple recipe for batter . . . laden with beer, that is . . . well, just a 1/2 cup of beer . . . not so much laden . . . just enough to give a magnificent, yet subtle infused flavor. 

Well, it was now or never. Another day contemplating the eating of flowers would have surely been the demise of the blossoms! I gently wiped each with a lightly dampened towel . . . careful to not tear. I whipped up the creamy batter, scooped many a dollop of Crisco into my cast iron skillet over a medium high  flame....melting it down and rising it to temperature. I plucked the stamen from the center of each flower,  then dunked each into the batter. Gently, one at a time, placing each coated blossom into the sizzling oil . . . cooking a minute or two on each side.  Once they were light golden and crisp, I plucked each blossom from the hot oil and let them rest and drain on a torn piece of paper grocery bag. A sprinkling of salt and pepper and wa-laa, they were ready for devouring. 

Wow, don't they look delicious!! 

I let them cool a couple minutes and then bravely . . . well, brave for me . . . took a bite.

And . . .

I really liked it!

I found most of the flavor to be at the base of the flower.

It tasted just like zucchini!

I will  definitely make these again!

I am hooked now!

If you find yourself eager to fry a few of these babies . . . you may find them at  farmer's markets or your own garden, of course. There are male and female flowers and both are edible. You'll want to pick them when they are tender and young and have barely blossomed. Just be careful you aren't picking female flowers before they've had the chance to bear fruit. The male flowers are safe to pick because they will not bear fruit. They will have a thinner, longer stem. The female flowers will have a thick stem and a tiny bulb at the bottom of the flower . . . which then grows into a zucchini. I have read that once the zucchini is sufficiently growing, it is safe to pick the blossom without worry of halting it's growth. 

I hope I have inspired you to give this summer-time delicacy a go! 

Some of you may be old pros at cooking zucchini blossoms.

Some of you may even have fond memories of your grandmother cooking these.

Whatever the case, let me know.

I am very interested to hear about it!

Recipe for batter:

1/2  cup water

1/2  cup beer

2  beaten eggs

1  cup flour

Mix well and dunk blossoms in batter and fry in oil.

Drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Crusty bread * * * Canning * * * and Rainbow Swiss Chard * * *

Wow! Right now, my head is just all over the place...and I am loving it!  There are SOOO many new things to try, and thankfully, I have actually been getting to some of them.

For instance...I finally made myself try this very easy.... very beautiful.... very delicious.... no-knead bread, that is baked in an insanely hot Dutch Oven. It turned out perfect and was no bother at all! I am now hooked and I am never looking back....ever! Here's the link to the recipe. Simply So Good--Crusty Bread.

Another thing I am so excited and ready to dabble in, is canning! I am planning to start out slow and easy...taking my time...learning all there is to learn, studying all there is to study, watching videos on YouTube, the whole nine!  I am bound and determined to experience canning this Spring! So far, I have purchased a water bath canner, funnel, jar tongs annnnnnnd....this wonderful book, by Ashley English, called Canning and Preserving. It just arrived in the mail today and I am ecstatic! I flipped through it at the book store 2 days prior and decided this was the one....THE BOOK...to get me started. It is very informative and Ashley really spells it out....every little detail...and that is definitely me....I am such a detail person! Especially when it comes to canning...you've got to know what you're doing! I haven't made the purchase of a pressure canner yet {for veggies/low acid foods}. Not sure if I am ready for that yet! One thing at a time....baby steps!

I've come across a wonderful website called Sweet Preservation. It's all about canning.... great information and great recipes! Check it out! I have to admit.... I am nervous and don't want to mess up or make anyone sick!! I will be following the recipes and every single step to the letter! I believe I am finally confident enough to do it. Oh...you will most definitely be reading about  my canning adventures here on this blog...so stayed tuned for that my friends!

Another thing I've been into lately...... trying foods that I have never tried before..... things like Swiss Chard, golden beets, dandelion greens, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, collard greens, and plenty more....these things have been on the grocery produce shelf forever, and I keep passing them by. I have had beets before...but only the red ones...this is the first time I've ever seen golden.....they are a yellowish, orangey color. I cooked with rainbow Swiss Chard for the first time last night, and it was fun! It was great trying something new! Just look at the colors of this veggie! Just stunning and brilliant....so vibrant! I was reading how Chard is one of the most highly nutritious vegetables out there! That's pretty awesome, and that will definitely make it a contender for new foods winding up on our dinner plates!

I cooked it with chicken, shallots, and garlic in one big fry pan...all in a bit of olive oil and a bit of water. It turned out great! I got the recipe from the twister tie that was holding the stalks of Swiss Chard together in a bundle! How great is that!

By the way...I did not do the cheddar cheese part of the recipe...somehow, it just seemed to cheapen it. Cheddar cheese??? It just seemed wrong....here was all this healthy food I was cooking...and then to top it with cheddar cheese! I don't think so!

Well, let me close with that.....that being the last subject for now. There are many other things that I've been excited about and they will be turning up here...sooner or later!

For now, have a great weekend and enjoy your blessings!

Saturday morning

Lately, I've been seeing egg cups turning up here and there on blogs and in magazines. I've made them before and we loved them....decided to make some this morning. These are so delicious and easy to make. I have posted about them before....but if you haven't seen that post, here's the deal: Brush muffin cups with olive oil, line cups with slices of ham, crack one egg into each cup,

Bake in 350 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes or so depending on your preference to how well done you like your eggs. Sprinkle with chives, salt and pepper!

Well...it is raining today and I am soooooo very thankful! We need the rain so bad...our earth is just so cracked and dry here in SW Pennsylvania. My herb garden will be so happy today...boy did it need some water and I keep forgetting to water it!  

I hope you all have a really great weekend...no matter WHAT you do! Whether you are spending time relaxing, cleaning, cooking, time with family, time to yourself or caring for loved ones....I pray you find joy and blessings this weekend!

freshly squeezed orange juice

happy weekend! 

just so you know...it takes a lot of muscle to squeeze 9 oranges

just sayin'

LOL!

egg cups

Well, just when I thought eggs couldn't get any yummier...I discovered egg cups! I found the recipe over at foothill home companion. Her blog is beautiful and always inspiring.

Seriously people...you are probably thinking..."ok lady, it's just an egg baked in the oven"...but I'm telling you, it's really delicious! The saltiness and smokiness from the ham and the taste of olive oil really bring the flavors of this simple dish alive! I ate 2 very easily and mmm'd and ahh'd the whole time!

This is just about the simplest thing you could do with eggs...you don't have to babysit them like you do standing over a frying pan. Just put it in the oven and walk away for 15 minutes. Here's what you do!

Coat a muffin pan with olive oil.

Place one slice, or half slice ham on bottom of each cup in muffin pan.

Crack one egg over each ham slice.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15 to 20 minutes.

When done, yolk should be soft cooked and whites should be completely cooked.

Garnish with chopped chives.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

P.S. Check out the new addition to my blog called "food diary". Click the tab right under my header next to "home" and "the story behind the name". It is a pictorial diary of my journey with eating healthy meals. Healthy food is just so beautiful it can stand on it's own without any words or descriptions. I just started the journal today, so there is only one day worth of photos. I will still be creating sweet treats and pies for my blog, and I will still be sampling them. Sampling is the key! One or two cookies instead of 5 or 6!! I'm excited about this new addition to my blog, and I hope you'll check it out! I plan to post there daily.

sisters and breakfast casserole

This past weekend was filled with family! All of my sisters were at my house. H. from Florida, E. from New York and K. that resides locally. There wasn't nearly enough time to visit with my sister H. from Florida though. She's the one I rarely get to see. H. brought her little 2 year old daughter A. with her. She's a doll baby! So cute and sweet. Her voice is so tiny...her hair is down right Goldilocks!

She adds the word "honey" to the end of her sentences. For instance, 

"Can I have a cookie honey?" 

"Let's go play honey." 

It is the cutest thing ever. She is imitating what her grandparents and mom and dad say to her..probably at the end of every one of their sentences...

"come on honey" 

"eat your broccoli honey" 

"brush your teeth honey". 

In the 2 short days I had with her, she still hadn't warmed up to me 100%. She won't hug me...I hug her, but no hug in return. She is soooo shy. I ask her questions, she looks at me, but won't answer me. 

She does talk, and talk well she does. She talks to her mommy all the time and sometimes she says a few things to us, her aunts. She has taken very well to my boys, especially my youngest. 

Well, fortunately, the visiting isn't quite over just yet. H. has gone to spend a couple days with our parents who live a couple hours away from here. She and her daughter will be back here tomorrow evening and then stay on for one more day. I am so grateful for the extra time to spend with her.

H. dazzled us with her great cooking skills while she was here..including breakfast on Monday morning. She easily whipped up a fantastic breakfast casserole with whatever I had on hand in the refrigerator. It was a complete surprise to me as I had slept in until 8:30 am. When I came downstairs that morning, I was pleasantly greeted with the aroma of savory cooking coming from the kitchen. 

 

Not to mention the smell of Starbucks Pikes Place Blend steeping in the French coffee press. Okay, I can get used to this! I never have anyone cooking for me or making my coffee. Pure heaven I tell ya! H. was in charge of the breakfast casserole, but E. was trying to take some credit too! They were competing about who decided on which great ingredients had made it's way into the casserole. Well, one thing is for sure, E. got all the credit for the French press coffee, as H. hasn't a clue how to operate one.

I want to share with you the recipe for H's breakfast casserole. The beautiful thing about it is, you can add whatever you have in your fridge too. Be creative and use up your leftovers.

H's Breakfast Casserole

Using a 9 x 11 baking dish, break four pieces of bread, into chunks, onto the bottom of baking dish.

Beat 8 farm fresh eggs.

Pour eggs over bread.

Over top of the bread, sprinkle the following:

crumbled pieces of bacon
chopped red pepper

chopped onion

chopped tomato

torn pieces of fresh spinach leaves

shredded cheddar cheese

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes

or until egg is set.

Enjoy!