Zucchini Soup

1/8 cup olive oil
2-3 medium zucchini
1 medium onion
1 15 oz can white beans, drained (or 1 medium potato)
3 cups chicken broth (or, to make this vegetarian, veg broth)
1 heaping tablespoon of pesto
1 egg (optional)


Heat the oil in the bottom of a soup pot.  Give the zucchini and onion a rough chop then add to the oil to saute.

Once the vegetables are soft, add the beans and broth.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Puree with hand-held or regular blender.  Add the pesto and the egg.  Simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until you can see that the egg is cooked.

It'll look like someone has already maybe tried to eat it and failed, LOL, but trust me this soup is super!!

Chocolate Chip Scones

Time: 30 minutes
Oven Temp: 450 (F)

1 3/4 c AP Flour
3 TBS granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c chocolate chips
4-6 TBS heavy cream or half & half
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 450 (F). In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (I sift all of these together into the bowl). Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.

Stir in chocolate chips, egg, and just enough cream so dough sticks together and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead lightly until it holds together, about 10 times (I used a piece of waxed paper for ease of kneading and easier clean up). Pat dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Cut into wedges.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg (I also sprinkle with turbanado sugar) and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned (not longer than 15 minutes or they get very dry). Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve with butter or clotted cream.

I don't know where I got this recipe from, I've been using it for years. You can substitute the chocolate chips for any dried fruit or leave them out and make them plain.

Lasagna

It looks long and complicated but it's not really, and it's sooo worth it.

Meat
2.5-3 lbs ground beef (80-20)
3 hot Italian sausage
3 sweet Italian sausage
1/4 - 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2-1 t. each
 -oregano
 -parsley
 -Italian seasoning
 -garlic salt
1/4 c. grated parm
1 egg

1.) Cut sausage into 1-inch pieces, brown over medium to high heat.
2.) Mix all other ingredients, add a little water if it seems dry, shape into 2-inch balls, bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes

Sauce
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
olive oil
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 t. each:
 -oregano
 -parsley
 -Italian seasoning
 -garlic salt
 -sugar

1.) Coat bottom of large pot with oil, brown garlic over medium heat.
2.) Add rest of ingredients, including browned sausage and meatballs, simmer for several hours over med-low heat.

Lasagna
2 lbs Ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 - 1/2 c. grated parm
no boil noodles
3 16-oz. bags mozzarella cheese
above sauce

1.) Mix Ricotta, egg, parm
2.) Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13" pan.
3.) Add a layer of no boil noodles.
4.) Add a layer of ricotta cheese.
5.) Fish out of sauce pot meatballs and sausage, cut up meatballs, add a layer, plus some sauce.
6.) Add a layer of moz.
7.) Repeat until your reach the top, end with moz, sauce, parm.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

The recipe for the sauce is twice what it needs so you can freeze half of it and not have to go through that (long) step the next time you wanna make this fabulous dish.

Fast, Easy, Lo-Cal and Delicious Potato Soup

1 30 oz bag of Ore-Ida hash browns
3 14 oz cans chicken broth
1 14 oz can cream of chicken soup
7 strips of bacon, fried/cooked
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (full fat!)

Add bag of hashbrowns to crock pot.  Pour broth over to get the frozen chunks broken up.  Add the cream soup.  Mix.  Put on low for 7 hours.

After seven hours, add the cheese and stir until it melts (do not use fat free cream cheese - it won't melt).  Chop the cooked bacon and add.  Let it sit another hour.

According to My Fitness Pal, one 8 oz serving has: 187 cals, 16 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein

I really want to give credit where credit is due but I have no idea where this recipe originated, I just know that I found it on Pinterest and then promptly lost it.  It doesn't even look like it's pinned anymore.  :-(  Whoever thought this up, well done and thank you!!!

Pudding Pop Shots

Does anyone remember Pudding Pops? I remember as a child loving them more than just about anything else.  Well, they stopped selling them in the nineties and I've been bereft ever since.

Luckily, Pinterest came to my rescue with an adult version of the Pudding Pop.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Pudding Pop Shot.

Ingredients:

1 Small box Jello Instant Pudding (you can use either chocolate or vanilla)
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. liqueur (I used 43)
1/4 c. vodka (I used whipped cream flavored vodka)
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip

Mix first two ingredients in a bowl with a hand-mixer.  Add the alcohol and mix well.  Add the cool whip and mix again.

Pour into Dixie cups and freeze.  Voila.  Pudding Pop shots that taste like ice cream.  I don't have a picture because every time I make them I forget.  Trust me, though, when I say they are magical.

Pinterest Cake

I don't know if you've heard about this new site called Pinterest? But it's kind of the best thing ever. Recipes, work out advice and fashion come together and breed on Pinterest and it's a beautiful thing.

For instance, I found the recipe for this cake on Pinterest:

1 18 oz. cake mix
1 c. fat free Greek yogurt
1 c. water

Since the box of cake mix my hubs picked up was 16 oz. I used just a hair under 1 cup of yogurt and only mixed in enough of the cup of water until I had the consistency of cake mix.

I followed the baking instructions on the box and though it looked kind of wonky going into the oven, coming out it looked awesome.
And for the frosting, I recently discovered a recipe called The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever on Pinterest.

1 c. salted butter at room temp
4 c. fresh powdered sugar
4-5 T. cream (I used half and half)
2-3 T. vanilla

First, whip the butter, then add sugar, then add cream (I used 4 tablespoons since it was perfectly smooth and spreadable at that point), then add vanilla (I used 2 tablespoons).

And it was so good. When I say this cake is moist, you will not even understand how moist and delicious I am telling you it is. My husband and I were fighting over who would get to take it to work first.

Cake nutritional info: PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 180 calories, 3.25g fat, 306mg sodium, 34.5g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 20g sugars, 3.5g protein

[the frosting is pure butter and sugar, you do the math on the nutritional info]

Cake link
Frosting link

Latin Potato Salad

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

2 pounds Small Red Potatoes, boiled, drained, cooled and cut in half
1 small Green Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or, sliced jalapenos to taste)
1/2 medium Spanish Onion, halved and thinly sliced (or, red onion is fine)
1/2 cup pitted Alcaparrado, coarsely chopped (or, small green olives with pimentos)
2 chopped Cilantro Leaves (optional)
6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Brine from Alcaparrado
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1. Place potatoes in a medium size saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Lightly salt and bring to a boil.Reduce to a moderate simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain.
2. Cut potatoes in halve or quarters, depending on the size, so each piece is about 3/4 and inch. Place in a large bowl with green pepper, onion, manzinilla olives and cilantro.
3. In a bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Gently toss with potato mixture and let stand, covered at room temperature until cool.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.(I prefer chilled).

I've never made this but my friend Christine always brings it to my backyard bbq, and this year I made her bring it to my St. Patrick's Day feast (do you know how many Irish ended up in Latin America as a result of the famine? A LOT).

This is the basic recipe but Chris also includes cherry tomatoes, garlic and avacado, which really add to the flavor.

Source

Simple and Yummy Crustless Quiche

4 eggs

1 c half n half

½ c. chopped onion

8 oz. mushrooms, chopped

2 c. broccoli, chopped

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

8 oz. mozzarella

8 oz. parmesan

Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 375. Saute onions in olive oil until translucent, add mushrooms and broccoli and cook until tender. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, half n half, mozzarella and half the parm in a mixing bowl. When the vegetables are ready add to the eggs. Spray a nine inch pie pan with Pam. Pour the eggs and veg into the pie pan, sprinkle with remaining parm, bake for 40-50 minutes.

You can pretty much toss out all the veg and put in what you like, including ham, bacon, etc. This is so good. I make it on Sunday and graze on it until Tuesday when it's usually gone. Reheat each slice in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Polish Reuben Casserole

2 10.75 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 T. prepared mustard
2 16 oz. cans saur kraut (optional), rinsed and squeezed dry
1 8 oz. package of egg noodles (I used 1 c. penne)
1 13 oz. package of Polish sausage
2 c. shredded swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk, onions, mustard.

Chop sausage into bite-sized pieces, add to soup.

If using egg noodles add to soup uncooked. If using penne, cook to al-dente, then add to soup/sausage.

Pour into 9x13 lightly sprayed baking dish.

Top with cheese, bake for 1 hour.

I found this recipe on the Dinner Spinner in my Allrecipes.com Droid app. It's my first experience with the app and I must say, I'm impressed. The meal was such a hit that my hubs has requested that we make it at least once a month!

Goat Cheese & Pesto Dip

1 container of Chavrie soft goat cheese
1/4-1/2 c. pesto (I like Classico)
1/2 tomato, chopped
4-5 kalamata olives, sliced

1. Spread goat cheese onto a platter with a knife or spatula
2. Use a spoon to spread the pesto onto the goat cheese
3. Sprinkle the tomato on top of the pesto
4. Sprinkle the olives on top of the tomatoes

You can use anything to dip with, tortilla chips, Tricuits, bagel chips, whatever. The chip is just a vehicle to eat more of the dip.

EAT.

Source

Pumpkin and Spice Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin or 1 cup cooked and mashed canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 10-inch tube pan and set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. Cream margarine and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each.
6. Add flavorings and blend.
7. Add pumpkin and sour cream and blend well.
8. Batter will have a curdled appearance.
9. Stir in dry ingredients just until mixed.
10. Combine pecans, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
11. Spread half the batter in prepared pan.
12. Sprinkle with half the pecan mixture.
13. Spread remaining batter over, then sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture.
14. Bake in 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean.
15. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack.

Notes:
-I didn't have any other flavorings in the house so I just used 1 t. of vanilla
-I also didn't have any pecans but it didn't really change anything
-I used reduced fat sour cream and it made no difference
-I didn't have a 10-in tube pan so I used an 8-in square and baked it for 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Worked beautifully.

This coffee cake is so moist I wanted to keep eating it. Two big thumbs up.

Source

Bite Sized French Silk Pie

I posted the recipe for French Silk Pie earlier (see sidebar for the link).  In order to make them bite sized I use a biscut cutter to cut out the pie crust, then place the crust in a mini cupcake pan.  I cut out squares of parchment paper and fill them with pie beans after docking the crust.  Two crusts will make 24 bite sized pies.  I bake the crust the for 10 minutes with the beans, then 5 minutes without the beans before removing them from the pan and allowing them to cool on a wire rack.  You will only need to make one batch of filling and whipped cream.  I use a small offset spatula to fill the crusts with chocolate, then I place a small layer of whipped cream on top to seal it (otherwise you get pudding skin on the chocolate).  After all this is done I use a pastry bag with a #18 star tip to pipe the whipped cream on top.  One recipe uses 1 1/2 bars of chocolate, so I use a cheese slicer on the remaining half to make chocolate shavings that I sprinkle on top.  There is a small picture of the bite sized pies in the bake sale post. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Ribbon Bread

I made this without the filling and it was the most moist pumpkin bread I've tried in a long time.

Oven Temp: 325°F

1 c cooked pumpkin

½ c vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 ½ c sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp cinnamon

1 2/3 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 c pecans, chopped (optional)

FILLING

2 (3 oz each) pkgs cream cheese, softened

1/3 c sugar

1 TBS flour

1 egg

2 tsp grated orange peel

For bread: Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Combine pumpkin, oil, and eggs in a large bowl.  Add sugar, salt, cloves, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and pecans; mix to blend.  Pour ¼ of batter into each of the prepared pans and set aside. 

For filling:  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg and orange peel; mix well. 

Carefully spread half the filling over batter in each pan.  Spread remaining batter, evenly divided, over filling, in each pan.  Bake for 60-90 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. 

Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and finish cooling on wire racks.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

I can't remember where I got this recipe, it's been in my stack of "to try" recipes for awhile and I think that it will be included next time I update my cookbook.

Bake Sale

Last weekend I took a day off of work to bake for 12 hours.  The Middle River Friends Church was having a Craft and Bake Sale that my Mother-in-law, Cathie, was working at.  After talking to her I wanted to help, so I started by putting together my menu.  This is usually the easiest part for most bakers; decide what you want to make.  I pulled out my giant cookbook (400+ pages) and I flipped to my favorite recipe, French Silk Pie.  Cathie also asked me to make a Cherry Pie so I pulled that recipe out too.  Then I just started turning pages and pulling out anything that looked good.  In the end I decided on Gingersnap Cookies, Buttermilk Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, French Silk Pie, Cherry Pie, Buttermilk Pie, Coffee Cake Muffins, Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread.

The next step of baking this much food is to put together a list of all the ingredients.  I start with the first recipe and a blank sheet of notebook paper, then basically rewrite the ingredient list.  The second recipe ingredients get added to the first and so on until you've gone through all your recipes, in the end you will have a list similar to this:

Shortening: 3/4 c
Brown Sugar: 1c, 1c, 1/3c
Eggs: 1, 3, 3, 3, 2
Egg yolks: 4,  4
Flour; 1c, 2c, 2c, 1 3/4c, 3T, 1/3c, 1 3/4c, 2c
Ginger: 1t

Next is simplifying the food list by adding together everything you listed:

Shortening: 3/4c
Brown Sugar: 2 1/3c
Eggs and yolks: 20
Flour: 10 1/2 c, 1/3c, 3T
Ginger: 1t

Then I pull everything on my list out of my cabinets.  If I don't have to buy more it goes on one side and if I need to add it to my grocery list it goes on the other.   I typically try to have this much done 2 days before I'm going to bake so that I don't forget anything.

While I'm making all these lists I also write down the name of the recipe, how long it needs to be in the oven, and what temperature the oven needs to be at:

Gingersnaps: 8-10, 375°F
Buttermilk Pie: 55, 450 reduce 350°F
Buttermilk Cupcakes: 22, 350°F
Chocolate Cupcakes: 27, 350°F
Banana Bread: 60, 325°F
Pumpkin Bread: 70, 325°F
French Silk Pie: 25, 450°F
Cherry Pie: 40, 425°F
Coffee Cake Muffins: 25, 375°F

Then decide what order to cook things in to manage the time I will be in the kitchen.  In the end this is the order I went with:

Turn on oven to 350°F
Gingersnaps: make the dough and place in fridge to chill
Buttermilk Cupcakes: make batter, place in oven to bake.
Chocolate Cupcakes: while yellow cupcakes are in the oven, make batter and have it ready to go in the oven when the other cupcakes come out.
Turn the oven up to 450°F
French Silk Pie: While the oven is rising in temp, roll out dough for crust, dock it, and fill it with pie beans (or pie weights).  (I ended up making 2 of these pies because the one I promised to start with was sold before the bake sale began.)
Cherry Pie: While the French Silk Pie crust is in the oven I rolled out the dough for this pie, heated the filling, and got the second crust cut for the lattice top. 
Buttermilk Pie: This pie is one crust, and a very simple filling it was ready to go in as soon as the Cherry Pie came out.  This is also a pie that reduces temperature so I was able to get my oven back down to the temp to bake everything else.
Coffee Cake Muffins: make batter and streusel, place in the oven when the pie comes out.
Gingersnap Cookies: I make all my rounds for these while the Coffee Cake Muffins are in the oven, then I work on other things while they are baking.
Banana Bread: The recipe I have only makes one loaf, I made 2 batches of batter and made 1 normal loaf, and 6 mini loaves.
French Silk Pie: While the Banana Bread is in the oven I worked on the chocolate mousse for both pies.
Pumpkin Bread: When the Banana Bread is close to being done I make the batter then put it in the oven.
French Silk Pie: Now that the last thing is in the oven I can work on the whipped cream to finish this pie.

The last thing to do is frosting and packaging.  Some of them I finished while other things were in the oven, once the Cherry Pie was cool I was able to put it in the box then into the frige, same with the Buttermilk Pie.  The cupcakes all were placed in cake pans for storage, then set on the dining room table until I was ready to frost, and the Gingersnaps were bagged up when they were cool.

To add to my work, and to see the smile on Cathie's face when I dopped everything off I also made bite sized versions of everything to go in small boxes for all the ladies working at the sale:

Starting from the upper left hand corner: Bite sized Cherry Pies, Mini Coffee Cake Muffins, Mini Buttermilk Cupcakes, Mini Chocolate Cupcakes, Bite sized French Silk Pie, Mini loaf Banana Bread, slices of Pumpkin Bread.

By the time I was done my feet hurt and my hands were slightly wrinkly from washing so many dishes, but I was very happy to see all my hard work.

I will be posting all the recipes later this weekend, along with how to make a mini versions.

Apple Cider Cole Slaw

10 oz. bag of shredded cabbage
2-3 apples
1/2 mayonnaise
1 T. apple cider vinegar

Shred apples, add to cabbage. Mix mayo with apple cider vinegar. Add to cabbage. Eat.

Yum!

Potato Soup

It's starting to get cooler now and soup is one of my favorite things to eat in the fall.  This soup doesn't take all day to prepare and makes the house smell like bacon and onions.  Also, like most soups, it is better the second day.

Potato Soup

Yield: 3 Quarts

3 lbs red potatoes

6 cloves garlic

1 bundle green onions

1 lb bacon

1 (32 oz) container chicken broth

2 c chicken stock

2 c milk

¾ c butter

¾ c AP flour

½ c heavy cream

Peel and quarter potatoes so that they are about the same size.  Place in a 3-quart pot and cover with cold water.  Place pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Check the potatoes after 10 minutes.  When the potatoes are almost cooked through strain them to remove the water and set them aside to cool.  While the potatoes are cooking, dice the bacon, trimming some of the fat and saving some to cook for topping.  Cut 1” off the top of the onions, then chop the onions, and mince garlic.

While the potatoes are cooling, add bacon, onion, and garlic to pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until bacon is cooked.  If bacon is too greasy remove some of the grease.  Once bacon has finished cooking add chicken broth, stock and milk.  Take 1 small potato and mash it in a bowl with some of the broth.  Add to the soup.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk constantly.  Bring the butter to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Stir into soup mixture.  Continue heating until thickened.  Add the potatoes and heavy cream to the soup.  When the potatoes have been heated through serve with cheese and crispy bacon.

Enjoy!!

Gooey Butter Cake

In honor of Kate's birthday I made Gooey Butter Cake.  It's her favorite dessert at the Sailaway Cafe in Afton, MN (and mine too). It's not quite the same, but still great.  I thought it was going to be difficult to make given how delicious it is, but it's surprisingly simple, and the base of the crust uses a cake mix. 

Yield: 1 (9x13) cake pan (It's up to you to decide piece size)
Oven Temp: 350°F

Cake:
1 (18 1/4 oz) pkg yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 TBS unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
8 TBS unsalted butter, melted
1 (16 oz box) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Combine cake mix, egg, and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and mix together.  slowly add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey. 

Store in the refrigerator and when ready to eat microwave a piece for 10-15 seconds.

Source: Paula Deen

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can water
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cups shredded cheddar
1 T. cornstarch

Steam the broccoli. Combine soups and 1 can of water over medium heat, once heated add shredded cheddar. Once melted, add broccoli. Puree in blender. If it's not thick enough, mix the cornstarch with a little water and add it to the soup, bring to boil, simmer while stirring.

Notes: I've always followed the recipes I've had by using chicken broth and the soups were good but not very thick. Yesterday I only had one can of cheddar cheese soup so I thought I'd use the cream of chicken to get volume and thickness. It totally worked. It was delicious.

Pumpkin Dessert Bars

As the weather is getting cooler I wanted to make a pumpkin based treat.  I've never tried this recipe before but I think they turned out pretty good.  Matt thinks they are a little too sweet, but with only 3/4 c of sugar total I don't think so.  These are very easy to make, don't take too much time in the oven, and I had all the ingredients on hand (so no running to the grocery store for a specialty item).  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

Yield: 1, 9"x13" pan
Oven Temp: 350°F

Crust:
1 pkg yellow cake mix (1c reserved)
1/2 c butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:
1 c (16oz) pack pumpkin (I use Libby's)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed

Topping:
1 c reserved cake mix
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9"x13" pan.  In a medium bowl (bowl 1) place 1 c of cake mix.  In a second medium bowl (bowl 2) place the rest of the cake mix.  Add 1/2 c melted butter and 1 egg to bowl 2.  Stir to combine, and spread evenly in the bottom of the pan.  In a third medium bowl combine the pumpkin, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar.  Stir to combine, then spread evenly over crust.  Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 c butter to bowl 1.  Cut butter in with a pastry blender or forks.  Sprinkle over filling (This covers the entire pan.)  Bake for 40-50 minutes.

If you use a toothpick to test doneness (like I do) the toothpick will go all the way through to the bottom of the pan, and will not have any wet cake on it when it comes out. (Though it may have some pumpkin on it.)

Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe offers a way to use up all that zucchini from the garden or frozen shredded zucchini. These are great cookies and your children will not even realize they are eating a vegetable in this little treat.

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups zucchini, grated

1 cup raisins

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup walnut pieces

Cream shortening and honey, add eggs and beat well. Mix in flours, spices, and zucchini and continue mixing. Fold in oats, raisins and nuts. Drop by tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 3 to 4 dozen depending on size you make cookies. Enjoy!

Notes: My husband bought a 12-oz. squeeze-bear of honey and it barely poured into an 8 oz measuring cup. However, the cookies didn't suffer in terms of taste or moisture. I was nervous about the fact that all the sweetness would come from an all-natural source like honey (especially since I am not a fan of honey). I shouldn't have been. The sweetness was just right and the extra spices evened out the honey flavor. I omitted raisins (because I don't like those either), I used pecans instead of walnuts, and I used old-fashioned oats instead of quick cooking.

All of these changes made no difference at all. The cookies are delicious. The one kind of weird thing about them is that they have very little body. You pick one up and take a bite and the rest of it sort of crumbles in your hand. So I've solved this by storing them in Tupperware in the fridge and/or freezer.

Courtesy: The Southern Lady Cooks