Monday, October 10, 2011

My day(s) in the kitchen…and studio.

It started on Saturday when my friend Julia (no blog) gave me these two beauties, freshly picked from her garden.

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Initially, it was my intention to make a zucchini bread with one and a stuffed zucchini with the other.  Unfortunately, neither was large enough for stuffing so I decided to improvise as you’ll see below.

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I don’t recall where I got this recipe for zucchini bread but I can assure you, it’s yummy.  If you’d like to give it a try, you can find the recipe below.

I like to gather all the ingredients first.

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I shredded one of the zucchinis and found that I’ll have enough to make 6 loaves.  This particular recipe makes two loaves so I took what I needed and divided the rest to freeze.

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Ta da!  The best tasting zucchini bread you’ll ever taste…and moist too!

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Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

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Zucchini Bread

3 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

3 large eggs

1 C vegetable oil

2 1/4 C white sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 C grated zucchini

1 C chopped walnuts

1 C golden raisins

1. Grease and flour two 8” x 4” loaf pans.  Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl.  Add sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well.  Stir in zucchini, nuts and raisins until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until tester in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on rack for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Note: If you use glass loaf pans as I did, it increases the cooking time by 30 minutes.

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While the zucchini loaves were baking, I decided to check out some of my favorite blogs.  Lo and behold, Stephanie from Loft Creations posted a recipe today for crock pot apple sauce. 

I’d never heard of apple sauce made in a crock pot and after reading the directions, I decided to give it a whirl.  It just so happens that I bought a basket of apples at our local farmer’s market on Saturday.

Once again, I gathered all the ingredients…

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then peeled the apples…

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and cored them.

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I saved the peels and cores to give to Rhoda, Ruby and Roxanne…our three Rhode Island Red hens…to give them as a snack when I go out to the barn to collect their eggs.

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It took about 20 minutes of prep time.

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While the apples were stewing, the aroma was intoxicating.

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An hour and a half later… voila!  Fresh, yummy applesauce! 

Guess what’s going on my toast tomorrow morning?

If you’d like the recipe, just click on the link to Stephanie’s blog highlighted in red above.

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While the loaves and applesauce were cooking, I made a meat-based tomato sauce.  The dish on the left has thickly sliced zucchini in the bottom topped with the sauce.   I saved some of the meat mixture for the stuffed green peppers on the right and then topped them with the tomato sauce.

Dinner is ready!  And for dessert…

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this pumpkin pie that I made yesterday.

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And just so this post is not entirely about food, believe it or not, I did manage to get some cutting and piecing done yesterday. I signed up for a mini quilt swap on Kathleen Tracy’s Small Quilt Talk board and thought that I’d get a jump start on it. 

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The top is done and now comes my favorite part…the hand quilting…which I’m hoping to start tomorrow.

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I probably should have spent the last two days working outdoors because the skies have been blue and sunny with record temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s.  Oh well, there’s always tomorrow…right?    *wink*

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35 comments:

  1. Each picture looks more and more delicious! The zuke break looks especially yummy!

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  2. Wow, you have been a very busy girl! I have a zucchini sitting on my counter longing to be baked but..... well, I am just not there yet!

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  3. I think I am coming to your house to eat, lol.
    I love fresh food cooking, sad to see my garden gone, so will have to start early next year.

    Debbie

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  4. Oh, my, you have been busy in the kitchen, Kaaren.
    Everything looks so yummy, I swear I can smelling baking bread and simmering applesauce.
    hugs

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  5. Welll haven't you just been little Miss Suzie Homemaker! Don't you just love the taste and smell of all those home cooked goodies! I'm almost out of applesauce - must make more.

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  6. Your kitchen adventures looks very wholesome indeed!!!! Thankyou for the receipe!!!
    I love your little pinwheel quilt too, just so sweet!! I'm sure your swap partner will be very pleased with it!!!

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  7. I am going to have to try the raisins in the bread. I use blueberries and it is yummy. Everything looks so good. I am going to try the applesauce also. I signed up for that small quilt exchange also. I hope I get your name. LOL

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  8. You sure are keeping busy! I need to make a batch of apple sauce need to try that recipe!
    love your mini quilt!

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  9. You've had quite a busy day!

    And I wish I was coming over for dinner. :-)

    I saw that crock pot applesauce recipe this morning too and I already left her a comment that I'm anxious to give it a try. Yours looked delicious as well. That is a favorite treat around here, and I've never heard of making it in a crock pot.

    That bread recipe looks like a real winner too. Can't wait to give that one a try. Good way to sneak veggies into my kiddos!!

    Your mini quilt is darling and will look beautiful with hand quilting. Have fun.

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  10. Kaaren - Hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as all the food you prepared!! And your little quilt top is darling!! Kris

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  11. I'm in awe, Kaaren, you even make zucchini look good! Sorry but I loathe it, lol. The applesauce sounds wonderful though! I love your little quilt you're making, the hand quilting is my favorite part too. I don't think this weather will last much longer, get out and enjoy while you can! I got out today and enjoyed seeing the fall colors, and it was HOT!

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  12. Everything looks yummy!! Even the quilt - I signed up for the same swap! Yours would be a treat to get!!

    Blessings

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  13. I can smell all the delicious cooking. The zucchini bread is probably my favourite but the apple sauce must have been heavenly.

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  14. I love the smells coming from your kitchen (if I use my imagination). All your dishes are appetising to the eyes!
    Lovely mini quilt. Looks like fun.

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  15. Yum, yum, yum and oh YUM!!!!

    The pinwheels are fabulous - I just finished a little Christmas quilt with pinwheels. ;-)

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  16. Wow!! Everything looks delicious--including the quilt! I've never had zucchini bread, if you can believe that. I'll have to try making that bread!

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  17. WOW is right! You've been very busy! Don't you just love days like that? Everything looks delicious, including the little quilt. I made a doll quilt the other day for a little friend, and I am hooked!

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  18. Oh dear what a yummy day at your house. The ladies will be extra generous in their egg laying with such special treats from your kitchen. Thank you for sharing the zucchini bread recipe. Your applesauce looks beautiful. Enjoy!

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  19. What time is dinner?? Everything looks delicious. Isn't it great to have lovely fresh produce to use. Just makes everthing taste so much better.

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  20. Fantastic! Yumm!! It is fun to be productive in the kitchen.

    Love your newest little quilt too.

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  21. Mmmmm....sounds so yummy! Now I'm in the mood to go putter around in the kitchen. Thanks for the recipes!

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  22. Kaaren, I always enjoy reading your blog -- you're a very creative in so many aspects, and very talented at sharing through words. Have a happy day! :)

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  23. How busy you've been. If I didn't live on the other coast (Pacific) I'd be at your house in no time. I love zucchini bread, as does my son. He always asks for it for his birthday cake, so I make it in a shallower pan and ice it with chocolate icing. Thanks so much for the applesauce recipe link. We have three apple trees in the yard and besides eating them, I'm always wondering what else to do with them as they tend to all ripen at the same time. Too bad I don't have some of those red beauties you have. What a cute quilt you are making. Those small quilts are so much fun. You can practically make one in a couple of days. Please let us see it when you've finished the quilting. I know it will be gorgeous.

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  24. I promise you there is tomorrow, Kaaren because it's still beautiful here in Ontario and I'll send it your way. If you let that applesauce simmer even longer in the crockpot, the moisture evaporates and it becomes apple butter, an even yummier spread for morning toast.

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  25. Hello Friend.

    My name is Martha , I´m from Costa Rica.
    Thank you very much for charing with us your kitchen secreat.

    B.rgds
    Martha markirhencrossstitch.blogspot.com/

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  26. What a great post and the photos are all wonderfully appetizing!!!

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  27. I can only imagine all of the terrific aromas coming from your kitchen. Everything looks so delicious!

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  28. Glad to see you are getting something done

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  29. That made me hungry..I have 2 zuchinni on my kitchen counter and looks like I should get busy making some bread. Right now I have apples and other ing in the crock pot making some apple butter and will can it tomorrow. I really want some of the pumpkin pie and have 4 pumpkins sitting outside ...guess I should get them baked and put containers in the freezer for pumpkin pies all winter :)

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  30. Looks like you're enjoying a lot of FUN stuff! :)

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  31. Yummy, I must try the zucchini bread for sure, thanks for sharing.
    Your mini looks wonderful, glad your enjoying the sewing.

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  32. Looks like autumn at your house...enjoy!!!

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  33. Dear hubby says for me to tell you thank you for the Zucchini bread recipe...we loved it, and so did the nurses at work! Yummy!

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  34. All that cooking made me want to bake something special. All so yummy looking. i love the pinwheel quilt.

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