Joan's Zucchini Bread

When your zucchini plants are producing more that you can handle and you can't find anyone who wants to take anymore off your hands, this is a great way to use them up......and giving away zucchini bread is a whole lot easier!)
My mom got this recipe from my Aunt Joan, a long...long...long time ago, must have been in the 70's because I remember my mom making it when I was a kid.  I wonder if either of them still use it??

Yellow Squash & Zucchini

 I picked these for super tonight.
 

 

Along with some onions

 

I sliced the squash and zucchini along with a couple small onions.  I sauteed them in butter until  tender...yes, I said butter!  I added a little salt, pepper & garlic salt to taste.

Ahhhh, the best!

Apple Dumplings

This dessert is so easy, they look and taste like you spent all day making them.....just a little slice of Heaven!

Shepherd's Pie

Why do they call it Shepherd's Pie?  There's no mutton in it....if anyone knows, let me know!

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Small Onion
1 Can Tomato Soup
1 Can Veg-All
4 Medium Potatoes
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Salt to taste

Peel and boil potatoes until tender.  Drain and mash potatoes, adding 2 Tbs of butter and enough milk for a creamy texture.
Brown Beef and Onion, drain if necessary.  Add Tomato Soup, Veg-All and season to taste.
Pour Beef mixture into a casserole.  Top with 1/2 cup cheese.  Cover with Mashed Potatoes.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of Cheese.  Let sit until Cheese is melted then serve.

Cook and Mash Potatoes

Add ingredients to Beef

Bottom of casserole

Top with Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy Topping

Fried Yellow Squash

I wanted to make Fried Zucchini, but when I went to the garden there wasn't a zucchini to be found.  I spied a large Yellow Squash and thought..."hmmm, what the heck, I'll fry it up."  It turned out great, tasted just slightly different than Zucchini...I'll definitely make it again.

Fried Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash, sliced
1 Cup Flour
1or 2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Butter & Crisco combined (more if needed)
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Salt to taste

Melt butter and Crisco in pan or griddle on medium high.  Slice Squash in 1/4 in rings, dowse in egg and then cover with flour.  When grease is hot add the coated squash, turn to brown evenly.  Season to taste.  Squash is done when it is lightly brown and tender when pierce with a fork.

Slice into 1/4 inch rings or lengthwise

Dip in Egg, then dust with Flour

Fry on greased skillet or griddle

Season and flip to brown evenly

Strawberry Margarita Squares

This is Sweet, Salty and Tangy.....Crunchy and Smooth, a little something for all your senses...As Lainie would say, "It's a party in your mouth!"

Strawberry Margarita Squares

Preheat oven to 350F

Crust
2 Cups Crushed Pretzels
3/4 Cup Melted Butter

Filling
3 (8 oz) Packages Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup Thawed, Frozen Margarita Mix Concentate
                          (or Frozen Limeade Concentrate)
2 (8oz) Tubs Cool Whip, divided
1 (3oz) Package Strawberry Jello
1/2 Cup boiling Water
1 (16oz) package Frozen Sliced Strawberries in Syrup

Crust:
Crush Pretzels in a plastic baggie, place in a bowl.  Add Sugar and melted butter, stir and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
Beat Cream Cheese and Margarita Mix until well blended.  Fold in 3 cups Cool Whip.  Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.  Refrigerate while making Strawberry Mixture.

Strawberry Mixture:
Place Jello powder in a large bowl.  Stir in boiling water; stir until completely dissolved.  Add Frozen Strawberries and stir until strawberries separate and gelatin thickens.  Whisk in 3 cups of Cool Whip.  Pour over Cream Cheese Mixture, cover completely.
Refrigerate for 3 hours to set.

Crush Pretzels

Pressed into Pan

Cream Cheese Layer

Strawberry Layer

Let set up in Refrigerator for 3 hours

Mexican Skillet

My family loves simple dishes like this one.  It's easy to fix after a long day.

Mexican Skillet

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion
1 16oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Small Can Corn
1/2 Cup Uncooked Instant Rice
1 Cup water
1 16oz Can Kidney Beans
3/4 Cup Salsa
2 TBS Chili Powder
Garlic Salt to taste (about 2 TBS)
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 or 4 Cups Corn Chips

In a large Skillet, brown beef and onion, drain if necessary.  Stir in Tomatoes, Corn, Rice, Water, Beans, Salsa and Seasonings.  Bring to a boil, Reduce heat and cover for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Sprinkle 1 cup Cheese over meat mixture, followed by Corn Chips and remaining Cheese.  Cover and let stand for 3 minutes or until Cheese is melted.

Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream.

Brown Beef & Onions

Add Ingredients

Simmer for 20minutes

Add Cheese & Corn Chips

Mmmmm Dig In!!

Oven Fried Potatoes

Homemade JoJo Potatoes are the best....and I'm all about how easy they are!

Oven Fried Potatoes

Preheat oven to 425F


Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Salt....any seasoning you like!

Cut Potatoes in JoJo style wedges...generally 1 potato per person (more for my family).  Put wedges in a bowl, season.  Add enough Olive Oil to coat potatoes (I use about 1 TBS per every 3 potatoes) and toss to make sure every potato is coated.
Place potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil, make sure you have just one layer of potatoes.
Bake at 425F for 30mn, turning potatoes every 10 minutes to brown all sides.

Cutting Wedges

Ready for the Oven

Out of the Oven

What the Hail?

Oh, how damaging the weather can be...especially hail, that word makes me cringe!  My garden took a real beating from the hail and wind a few weeks ago.  I think we actually had a little micro-burst, all I could do was stand at the window and shake my head.  The hail was pea to marble size, but it came down hard and fast for a long time.

I lost my peas altogether, everything else was just hit hard.

Cucumbers, Carrots and Beets in the background

Zucchini

Beets and Beans

What a sight!  I didn't give up, although I felt like it....my Grandma told me to keep everything cultivated and I 'combed' out all the dead foliage.
Uncle Darius, from Berry Creek, suggested I put up some type of tarp for protection...the design is in the works!
Everything came back but the peas...the cucumber plants suffered too, they are thinned out and a little late but I did find some baby cukes today!  This is my garden today...don't mind my weeds, I need to do some work!

Cukes

Squash & Zucchini

Beans, Beets, Carrots....Tomatoes in the back