Archive for July, 2013
Preheat Oven
325° F
Yield
2 Regular Loaves or 6 Mini Loaves
Preparation Time
20 Minutes
Introduction
I’ve always loved Zucchini bread, and zucchini is easy to grow in your garden. I prepared my zucchini by washing it, cutting the step and butt off, then cutting it into 2-inch slices, coring the seeds out and grating with a standard grater. I did not peel the zucchini, I grated the skin right into it. I have read some recipes that talked about draining the liquid and not draining the liquid. The zucchini I used for this post was huge. When I shredded it, it did not provide any liquid really. So I added a couple tablespoons of water. Since mine came out well, I would add a little water if your shredding yields none.
I like to use the throw-away foil loaf pans for gifts. This freezes really well, too.
Special Tools
Loaf pans
Ingredients
3 Cups Flour
3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
3 Teaspoons Vanilla (I used imitation)
1 Cup Regular Sugar
1¼ Cups Brown Sugar
2 Cups Shredded Zucchini
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (I don’t know why you couldn’t add raisins or anything else you want)
Directions
Grease and flour the pans.
Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda and powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat oil, sugars, vanilla, and eggs together for about 2 minutes, until creamy.
Add the flour to the wet mixture and beat another 2 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini and nuts.
Pour batter into loaf pans, filling about ¾ full.
Bake for about 50 minutes, but everyone’s oven and zucchini will differ.
Remove from oven and let cool.
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Yield
Dinner for 6
Preparation Time
20 Minutes, then crockpot for the day
Introduction
I remember being a kid and, while cleaning up the table from a particular dinner, we would eat this beef. It would fall apart very easily, it was stringy, and we dipped it in ketchup. I loved it, even cold, but couldn’t remember for years what that was. One day, I’m at my sister’s house for a holiday dinner, and she made “Mom’s beef brisket”. I had no idea what it was, but of course it turns out, this was the beef I remembered. She gave me her recipe. Thank you, Linda!
This is basically it. In my directions, I cut this up into chunks so it’s easier to move around in the crockpot, then easier to serve to a plate, too. I use Wegman’s chili sauce because I used Heinz, then found Giant’s brand was good, too, but Wegman’s has a richer flavor somehow.
Special Tools
Full-size crockpot
Ingredients
1 Beef Brisket, about 5 pounds
4 Large Sweet Onions (or more)
4 Jars Wegman’s Chili Sauce
Directions
- Place one jar of chili sauce into the bottom of the crockpot.
- Cut up the brisket into 10 to 12 chunks, and place in crockpot.
- Peel, then slice onions into rings (or however you like) and spread around on top.
- Poor all the remaining chili sauce on top. Fill one of the empty bottles half full with water, put the lid back on and shake, then pour that into the next bottle and do the same…until you have gotten all the chili sauce out of all the jars, and pour this on top of everything in the crockpot.
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Set crockpot on high for 4 hours and then 2 more on low.
Or set the crockpot on low for 10 hours while you go to work.
An hour or two into cooking, move everything around in the crockpot so the onion can get down into the sauce, too. Do not be concerned if everything isn’t covered the whole time. I have gone to work and never shuffled it around, also, and it’s been fine. What I really love to do is buy the brisket, 4 onions and 4 jars of sauce. Then cut the brisket up into 4 plastic bags and freeze. Then make it once a week for one or two people, using one of those “baby” crockpots.
Serve with mashed potatoes.
This image only shows the first onion on top. You’ll have lots more.
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Block of the Month: September
This block is called a 16-patch.
For our block this month, we’re using red and white only. From across a room, the red should be a true red, a cardinal red, a red that EVERYONE would call red and not pink or orange or even maroon. RED. The white should be WHITE and not off-white or unbleached muslin. White on white will work very well.
PLEASE USE 4 DIFFERENT REDS, ONE FOR EACH SUBMITTED BLOCK. PLEASE WASH YOUR REDS FIRST IN HOT WATER so that they don’t run for the winner.
You will submit FOUR blocks that measure 6½” square.
Instructions for Each Block
- Take one white rectangle and one red rectangle measuring 4″ x 8″ each, lay them right sides together and sew a ¼-inch seam down each side.
- Using your rotary cutter, cut right down the middle of the sewn piece; press seams to the red fabric.
- Sew the two parts together to make an alternate red and white striped block.
- Cut into strips
- Take two strips, flip one, and sew them together. Do the same with the 2nd set. Then sew the two sets together.
Submit FOUR 16-patch blocks, each measuring 6½” square. Please square off your blocks to 6½”.
If you have any questions, call me at 484-201-9078.
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Yield
Snack for two or small appetizer for four.
Preparation Time
15 Minutes to Greatness
Introduction
Eat this right out of the cast-iron skillet and right when it’s done cooking. It cools quickly and, once cool, isn’t quite as good. I first had this at a restaurant in Blue Bell, PA, called Marabella’s, which apparently closed in 2004 or so. The first time I was there, I smelled this incredibly pungent thing as it came out of the kitchen in a cast-iron skillet. It was steaming hot. I did not like the smell. But after going there a couple times, I finally had to try it. Yum! So I went home to try to make it. Failed miserably because I didn’t put it in a cast-iron skillet, and it fried way too hard before the top even softened.
Special Tools
Cast iron skillet. Don’t even bother trying this with any other type of skillet. This one is nice. You don’t need a big one.
Ingredients
- 1-inch slab of Provolone cheese; any kind is fine
- EVOO
- Lots and lots of FRESH minced garlic. At least 2 cloves; I use 4 or 5.
- Dried green spices, such as oregano, basil, marjoram and rosemary. Avoid thyme or dill
- Crushed red pepper, a shake or two
- Salt to taste
- Loaf of Italian bread, or bag of baguette slices (or a hoagie roll from WaWa, as shown in picture).
Directions
- Put about ½-inch of EVOO in the bottom of the skillet and put on medium-high heat.
- Put all the herbs and pepper in the EVOO.
- Cut the cheese into one-inch cubes.
- Make sure the EVOO is bubbling.
- Place all cubes into the EVOO as quickly as possible. Try not to add some at a time because we want it all to be evenly heated. Eat what doesn’t fit in the pan.
- Spoon the EVOO/spices over the cheese cubes.
- Let cook until the top corners of the cubes nearly disappear. Do not turn over.
Serve right in the skillet, along with any kind of dense bread on plates. Using a fork, pull the cheese out of the pan and right onto the bread. Delish.
1-inch Thick Slab of Provolone
Cut into cubes
Herbs in olive oil
Add garlic
This is what it looks like when you start eating it. Crusty brown on the bottom.
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