Serving Up {Bread}: Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

My youngest child started kindergarten this week!!!  I don't think there is anything cuter than watching him walk into the elementary school with his two older brothers.  I watch in the rear view mirror and see three boys - large, medium and small - all walking away from me with their backpacks on their backs and it is stinkin' cute!  One of these days I am going to greatly embarrass the 10-year old by jumping out of the car and taking a photo of them all together.

I mention school, and more specifically kindergarten, because you just never know what your child will learn (or do) at school.  My insight yesterday was more than I wanted to know....my five year old asked me, "how come when you lick the kickball after you have played with it, it tastes bad?"  Seriously???  I cook a lot and you would not believe how difficult it is to get that same 5 year old to take a taste of ANYTHING...but he is licking kickballs?  I am speechless!

Today's recipe is hopefully more tempting than a kickball and guaranteed to taste better.  We are entering fall, with all the yummy fall flavors...which in the food world equates to PUMPKIN!  But I still have zucchini that I am harvesting and baking with (a little of this and never enough of this)!  Lucky for me, last year I discovered this recipe for Pumpkin Zucchini Bread and I absolutely love the combination.  It is perfectly moist and tastes like it could be the poster child for fall with all the yummy spice flavoring.  Not to mention that your house smells divine while it bakes.  For your sake I really do hope that you still have a few lingering zucchini so that you can enjoy this recipe and share it with someone you love!

One Year Ago: Snickerdoodle Blondies
Two Years Ago: Candy Bar Pudding Dessert

PUMPKIN ZUCCHINI BREAD     
(recipe from Taste of Home)
printable version

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter, melted
1 Tbs. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans by greasing and flouring.

In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini (and nuts if desired). Pour into prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until breads test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Serving Up {Candy}: Grandma's Caramel Popcorn

Last week school started for my kids...and the rains started and the temperatures dropped and it felt like fall!  Yet, here I am one week later and the weather forecast for the next few days is high 80's and low 90's.  I feel that last's week's "fall" was only a tease and we have made a very abrupt return to summer.  The unfortunate part of that is that the kids are still in school and we can't just go find respite from the heat at the pool like we did for the month of July :(

Regardless, I am going to pretend that this week's weather didn't happen and stick with the recipe that I had planned, which screams "fall" to me....my grandmother's recipe for Caramel Popcorn.  This recipe is the recipe that my dad makes every time he and my mom make their fall visit to our home.  In fact, it is generally made while the kids carve their pumpkins in preparation for Halloween.  It's our own family Harvest Party and this caramel corn is the perfect accompaniment.

One Year Ago: Caramel Brownies
Two Years Ago: Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

GRANDMA'S CARAMEL POPCORN     
(recipe from grandma Wright)
printable version

1 lb. (approx. 2 1/2 cup) brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light karo syrup
1 stick butter
pinch salt
1 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels (use a little less for more caramel coverage, a little more for less caramel coverage - I use 1 1/4 cup myself cause I like the caramel!)

Begin by popping popcorn kernels in an air popper.  Allow to cool and then sift through popped popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels and discard.  Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, karo syrup, butter and salt.  Using a candy thermometer, heat over medium to med-high heat (stirring to prevent burning) until the temperature reaches "softball stage".  Remove from heat and pour over prepared popcorn.  Stir until well mixed.

Enjoy!

Serving Up {Pork}: Balsamic Pulled Pork

I am a bit of a sucker for shredded meat done in the slow cooker.
I love the ease of it.
I love the quantity of it.
I love the flavor of it.
So you can bet when I see a recipe in pinterest-land for pulled pork....flavored with a balsamic vinegar bbq sauce...done in the crockpot that I am going to be trying it out.  I have a bunch of slow cooker pulled pork recipes but this one has it's own unique flavor, and a tasty one at that.

I initially served this on buns, as the recipe called for, complete with coleslaw (but without pickles) and it was great.  The leftover was used as filling in tortilla wraps (yum) and also consumed as a pizza topping (also yum).  If there had been any remaining I think it could have also been great on a salad.  Try it out and let me know what you do with it.  I know I will be making it again and am always looking for delicious variations.

One Year Ago: Moist Zucchini Brownies
Two Years Ago: Ranch Vegetable Dip
                         Strawberry Lemonade Quencher

BALSAMIC PULLED PORK     
(recipe from Better Homes & Gardens)
printable version

2 1/2 - 3 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper (1 medium)
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Trim any visible fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. In the cooker, combine onion and sweet pepper. Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour broth over meat.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

For barbecue sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat to a cutting board. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds, discarding fat. Strain vegetable mixture, discarding liquid. Return shredded meat and strained vegetables to cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce. If using high-heat setting, turn to low-heat setting Cover and cook for 1 hour.

To serve, spoon meat mixture onto bun bottoms. Top with coleslaw and pickles. Add bun tops.

Serving Up {Cookies}: Evil Oatmeal Fudge Bars

I have stumbled across this recipe a number of times, and each time I think, "how yummy!" only to realize, "I have this recipe!" (and it IS yummy!)  Most recently the recipe was showcased on a morning news show and I chuckled that they referred to them as Evil Oatmeal Fudge Bars.  Of course by "evil" it translates to I-can't-stop-at-just-one-insanely-delicious...so I feel the name is a good one and I have chosen to use that name as I share this recipe.

One Year Ago: Easy Salsa
Two Years Ago: Zucchini Bread

EVIL OATMEAL FUDGE BARS     
(recipe adapted from aunt Holly, Good Things Utah & Becky Higgins)
printable version

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl cream butter and brown sugar, adding eggs and vanilla until well combined. Combine the oats, flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl and stir dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Press 2/3 of oat mixture into a greased 9" x 13" baking pan.

In a saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate sauce over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top of the chocolate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely prior to cutting into squares.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Creamy Baked Fettuccine with Asiago and Thyme

My kids are huge pasta lovers.  Aren't all kids?  And while I love a good pasta dish, there are times when my kids' request for "noodles" is met with me thinking, "not again!".  So I love to find a good pasta dish that appeases my kids request for "noodles" while offering an adult flavor for my own selfish interest.

This recipe is one of those recipes that meets the needs of both kids and adults.  The use of asiago cheese and thyme totally rock this dish and take it beyond your kids cheesy noodles.  I have also taken to adding cooked, crumbed sausage to it to make a complete meal in one dish.  I generally will cook and crumble my sausage when I buy it and then I keep it in the freezer frozen until I need it.  By having cooked sausage on hand, I can pull this meal together in the time that it takes to boil the noodles and yet it tastes like a lot more effort went into it - a little secret that we will just keep to ourselves :)

One Year Ago: Blueberry Buckle
Two Years Ago: Morning Egg Casserole

CREAMY BAKED FETTUCCINE with ASIAGO AND THYME     
(recipe adapted from Giana De Laurentiis, Food Network)
printable version

1 pound fettuccine pasta
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus ¼ cup
2 (8-ounce) containers crème fraiche
1 cup grated parmesan
1 ½ Tbs. fresh chopped thyme leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. Italian Sausage, cooked & crumbled (optional - my addition to the recipe)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of asiago cheese, crème fraiche, parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed. Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined and the pasta is coated. Add crumbled Italian sausage and place the pasta in a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Let sit for at least 5 minutes and serve.

Serving Up {Brownies}: Extreme Brownies

Typing this post is like torture to me right now.  We were on vacation last week and I have not yet made it to the grocery store to "restock" the kitchen from our being gone which means the fridge is bare.  I am having my normal mid-afternoon sugar craving and there is nothing in sight to satisfy it.  Then I sit down at the computer to post and have to stare at this deliriously amazing cookie/brownie treat and it is doing nothing to help the sugar craving...except that I have now added Oreo's to my grocery list.

The combination of a chocolate chip cookie layer, topped with Oreo's, topped with brownies really do make these brownies "extreme".  For the next time you really want to wow your audience....or when you just can't quit decide between cookies or brownies.  These are awesome!

One Year Ago: Easy Fish Tacos

Two Years Ago: S'more S'morgasbord

EXTREME BROWNIES (also known as Slutty Brownies)     
(recipe from What's Gabby Cooking?)
printable version

For the Brownie layer:
10 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour

For the Oreo layer:
1 package of Oreo (regular stuffed or double stuffed)

For the Cookie Dough layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Brownie layer:
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set the batter aside.

For the Cookie Dough layer:
Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with tin foil and then spray the tin foil with baking spray.
Layer the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom "crust".
Layer as many Oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. No need to overlap. One single layer will do.
Pour the brownie batter evenly over the top of the Oreo layer.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. When they test done, remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Serve with ice cream :)

Serving Up {Salad}: Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

Earlier this summer I was asked to bring a salad to a potluck birthday party celebration.  I needed something that I could throw together in record time because we were coming in from out of town with just enough time to change clothes and head to the party.  This recipe caught my eye as being a perfect option for my pot luck requirement.  By cooking/chopping the chicken in advance, this salad came together in the time that it took to boil the noodles.  And based on the empty bowl at the end of the party, the flavor was a winner as well!

One Year Ago: Sirloin Burger with Balsamic Mayo
Two Years Ago: Mom's Baked Beans

BOWTIE CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD     
(recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything)
printable version

2 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped
1 bag Parmesan Croutons
1 bag Almond Accents/ Roasted Garlic Caesar
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped
2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and dress with the salad dressing (to taste) right before serving.

Serving Up {Cookies}: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Do the school cafeteria's in other parts of the country still serve Peanut Butter Fingers as part of school lunch?  I went to school in Utah and they were a staple when I was a kid!  But my own children's school only has dessert once a week, and never Peanut Butter Fingers, so my kids were totally unfamiliar with them when I introduced them.

To me, this dessert totally defines school lunches.  In fact, in high school you could buy Peanut Butter Fingers in the "a la carte" line which means that sometimes lunch consisted of nothing more than a Peanut Butter Finger and a milk if you were lucky (not me mom, other people!).

As school begins again in the next few weeks, this is a worthy treat to make as you take a little trip down memory lane and introduce your own family to school lunches in the "olden days".

One Year Ago: Frozen Peaches

Two Years Ago: Pesto Pea Salad

LUNCH LADY PEANUT BUTTER BARS     

printable version

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
additional peanut butter
chocolate frosting***(recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Cream butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter; continue to mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, salt, flour and oatmeal.  Gradually add dry ingredients to mixing bowl.  Spread batter onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes (the center will be soft but you do NOT want to overbake).  Allow to cool slightly.

While the bars are still slightly warm, spread with peanut butter.  You want a thin, even layer but can use more and make a thicker layer if you prefer.
Allow the bars to cool completely and then frost with favorite chocolate frosting.
Cut, serve & enjoy.

MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Combine butter and cocoa in a medium saucepan and allow butter to melt completely over med-low heat.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.  Add milk and powdered sugar alternately until you reach desirable spreadable consistency.

Serving Up {Snack}: Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

We have been out of town for the past two weeks and I have been loving being in vacation mode.  Before we left for our little trek, my 10-year old used his own money to buy a package of Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips.  He told me they were for the trip...which I thought was an awful idea since we were having 90-degree weather and I was afraid of the milk chocolate covered fingers that would result from his consumption of his chosen road-trip treat.  Luckily for me, the treat made it for less than 24 hours before he consumed the entire package sitting on the trampoline with a friend.  Issue solved!

In case you don't have a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood (in which case I do suggest you move) or a Candy Basket (a chocolate/candy store in Portland that sells chocolate covered potato chips by the pound) you can make this addictive treat in your own home.  In fact, these photos are the potato chips that my (same) 10-year old son dipped in chocolate one lazy Sunday afternoon completely on his own.  So that is my tag line....easy enough for a 10-year old (boy).  Now get to it!

One Year Ago: Orange Sweet Rolls
Two Years Ago: Caramel Clusters

CHOCOLATE COVERED POTATO CHIPS     
printable version

1 bag ripple potato chips (use the thick ripple ones!)
1 lb. chocolate melts or melting chocolate

Carefully pour the bag of potato chips onto a cookie sheet and sort the potato chips, keeping those that are large and not broken.
Place chocolate melts into a microwave-safe glass bowl and microwave on 70% power for 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove from the microwave and stir.  Replace and continue to microwave in 1 minute intervals, stirring after each time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Carefully dip each potato chip into the melted chocolate and then place on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and harden.

Serving Up {Sandwich}: Ty's Ultimate Grilled Sandwich

My 5 year old has a sandwich that he only refers to as "my favorite sandwich in the whole wide world!".  And while I am not opposed to occasionally trekking to downtown Portland to PBJ's to pick it up (it's called the Cynthia), mainly because it gives me reason to pick up my own favorite - the Spicy Thai - there are times that it is just easier to have the option of making the said sandwich at home.

Like this morning.  When I awoke at 6:12 a.m. and found my 5 year old in the kitchen with the bread, nutella, peanut butter and jelly all laid out on the counter.  He was simply waiting for an adult to happen by and grill up his all-time favorite sandwich.  By 6:20 he was covered in the sticky remains and happy as could be!

Or like two nights ago when the request for the sandwich came in at bedtime.  After eating the first, he ate a second.  Yeah, it's definitely good to have the option of making it at home.  So get yourself some nutella, peanut butter and raspberry jam and join in the grilled sandwich revolution...and if you ever find yourself in Portland, call me and we'll meet at PBJ's.

One Year Ago: Reuben Pizza Calzone
Two Years Ago: Garlic Chicken Farfalle

TY'S FAVORITE SANDWICH IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD     
(recipe adapted from PBJ's Cynthia sandwich)
printable version

two slices of hearty bread
butter, softened
nutella
peanut butter
raspberry jam

Preheat stove-top or counter-top griddle.
Butter one slice of bread, place butter side down on griddle.
Spread remaining slice of bread with peanut butter, then nutella, then raspberry jam.
Place on top of bread already on the griddle and butter the top of the slice.
Grill until golden brown; flip and grill the other side.
Enjoy!