Zucchini Bread

It's that time of year again!  Is your garden overflowing?  Are you finding little gifts of unwanted zucchini being left on your doorstep?  Turn it into something lucious!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1 c chopped nuts (optional)

Beat eggs until light and fluffy.  Add: sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.  Do not over mix.  Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in separate bowl.  Incorporate together well then add to mix.  Blend well...but again....do not over mix.  Pour into 2 large prepared loaf pans.  Bake @ 350 for one hour.  Cool on rack.

Banana Cream Bread

I love fresh fruit in the summer, but those bananas never seem to last very long.  So....what's a girl to do except make banana bread!!  Tara called the other day for a good banana bread recipe and after searching for it forever, I finally decided just to post it so I'd always know where it was~!

Ingredients:

2 T shortening
1 1/3 c oil
4 large eggs
1 c sour cream
3 1/4 c sugar
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 T vanilla
4 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
2 c chopped nuts (optional)


Mix first 7 ingredients.  Then add flour, salt, and soda.  Mix well.  Pour into two large prepared loaf pans.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, almonds, or coconut just before baking for an extra flare.
Bake @ 325 for 40 - 60 minutes.  Test with toothpick.  Mine always takes at least an hour.

Slow-Cooked Sweet and Tangy Beef BBQ

This is a great recipe from AllRecipes.com.  It's even yummy as leftovers!

3 lb chuck roast
1/2 c water
1 1/2 T white vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 t dry mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c ketchup
1 t salt
3/4 t fresh ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced

-Place roast and water in crock pot. No need to add anything else for now. Cover, cook on low for 4 hours or until beef can be easily shredded with a fork.

-Shred the beef, removing fat and bone as you go. Remove 1/2 c broth from crock pot and reserve for later.

-Mix the remaining ingredients for the sauce and pour over meat in crock pot and stir until well-coated.

-Cover and contiue to cook on low for an additional 4 hours. Add the reserved broth only if necessary to maintain moisture.

-Serve on toasted buns with a little mayo. The meat can be frozen for future use.

Summer Squash Casserole

Mom sent this to me yesterday.  Sounds good.

2 1bs summer squash cut into 1/4" cubes
1/4 c onion, chopped

Combine squash and onion in saucepan.  Barely cover with water and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain well.

Combine:  1 can cream of chicken soup with 1 cup sour cream; stir until smooth.  Add 1 cup shredded raw carrots.

In another bowl, combine 1 box chicken flavored stuffing mix with 1 stick butter.

Grease 8x8 baking dish.  Layer half of stuffing mix, veggies, and rest of stuffing mix.  Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes

Turkey Salsa Grill

 

Okay....these are delicious!  Trust me!!!

 

2 slices bread (a hearty white bread works best)

2 Kraft singles

1 T thick and chunky salsa (Taco Bell salsa is good, but Costco salsa is best!)

2 slices turkey deli meat

Put down in this order: bread, cheese, salsa, turkey, cheese, bread.

Butter outsides and cook in skillet till golden.

This recipe is from the Cooking Light Magazine.  This is the "easier" version.

1 lb medium cooked shrimp
1/2 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 T minced seeded jalapeño pepper
24 (6-inch)white corn tortillas
3/4 c chopped tomato
1/2 c light sour cream
1/2 c chopped green onions
2 limes, quartered

-Heat up shrimp in a skillet with some salt and pepper, just until heated through, do not over cook since they're already cooked.
-Add to shrimp the cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeño pepper, tossing well to coat.
-Heat tortillas in large ziploc bag in microwave. Double up tortillas-one always breaks and makes a mess-so in your 2 tortillas spoon a little of the shrimp mixture; top with 1 tablespoon tomato, 2 teaspoons sour cream, and 2 teaspoons onions.

-Makes 10-12 tacos.

Rice Krispy Treats

Okay, these aren't your grandma's rice krispy treats!

2 sticks butter
1/2 brown sugar
1//2 white sugar
1 pkg (10 oz) marshmallows
6 c rice cereal

Microwave butter and sugar for 2 1/2 minutes.  Stir in marshmallows.  Microwave 2 minutes.  Stir in rice cereal.  Pour into 9x13 pan and cool.