Nutmeg Sour Cream Drops

These cookies bring back memories of my grandmother. She loved to bake and cook and almost always had some type of cookies on hand in case anyone stopped by to visit. She often made these in the winter months, and I remember eating these many times over the years when visiting her. The cookies are not hard to make but icing of the cookies and putting on the nut topping takes some extra time. However, the extra work is worth it because the icing and little bit of nuts on top just take these little gems over the top. They are perfect for a special gathering or just to have with some tea or coffee. If you keep them in a sealed container, they will keep for quite some time or you can freeze them and thaw later if you need some sweets on hand.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and did not think it was too strong)
• 1 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening or butter (I used butter)
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
• 1 tsp lemon peel
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Browned Butter Frosting:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar (10x)
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Sift your dry ingredients together in a medium bowl
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter or shortening and sugar, then add in the eggs
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and add in the lemon peel, lemon juice and sour cream
• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. 
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.
• Cool on a rack
• Prepare browned butter frosting as follows- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir until brown.
• Remove from heat and slowly beat in sifted confectioner's sugar (10x), milk and vanilla.
• Spread frosting immediately while still warm on the cookies
• Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top of the cookies while the frosting is still warm

Waldorf Salad

Anyone remember Waldorf Salad from years gone by? Well, even though I have seen it in older cookbooks, I don't remember eating it until just recently. My sister in law asked me to make one and bring it to a family birthday party. So after perusing the internet and reading through my vast collection of cookbooks, I tweaked some and came up with my version of the Waldorf Salad. For the party, I made up a big batch, expecting to bring home leftovers and enjoy them over the next few days. When I opened the dish at home later, I was shocked to see it almost finished off!

The basic salad consists of usually apples, celery and nuts with either raisins or grapes. The dressing varies a little but is usually mayonnaise and/or sour cream, or yogurt. I initially wasn't sure about using mayonnaise in the dressing with yogurt but it went together very well. Also,  I have decided that I prefer to use a variety of apples since you get all the different nuances of apple flavor working together.

I have varied the dressing a couple ways and each is equally delicious. The first time I made the salad, I used equal parts mayonnaise and vanilla yogurt. The second time, I only had about 2-3 Tbsp before I ran out of mayonnaise. So I just added that to enough sour cream to equal the vanilla yogurt and it was still very good. Try both of the versions out! As a side note- the amounts may vary depending on the size of your fruit and I often eyeball my amounts. I like to use about 1 part celery: 2 parts grapes: 3 parts apple.

Makes about 10 cups

Ingredients:

• 6 apples, variety of types coarsely grated or chopped
• 4 ribs of celery hearts, chopped
• 1 pound of grapes, halved or quartered if large
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (even better flavor if slightly toasted before chopping)
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup mayo or sour cream or mixture of both

Directions:

• Chop the fruits, celery and nuts. 
• Mix together the dressing ingredients. 
• Pour over the fruit and mix well.
• Refrigerate until serving. 

Zucchini Pineapple Bread with Pineapple Glaze

Here is yet another favorite zucchini recipe. I grew up eating (and still love) spiced zucchini bread with pineapple and sometimes raisins or dates in it, but I love the simplicity of this recipe. It is so moist, like most other zucchini recipes, but the pineapple really shines through in this sweet bread. The pineapple glaze also adds another pop of pineapple flavor that is just perfect! This bread is best a day or two after being baked (if you can keep it hidden that long)- store in a plastic bag and then glaze it an hour or more before serving, allowing the glaze to dry some and not be so sticky. The other thing I love about this recipe is that it makes 2 loaves- and you will find that both are eaten so quickly that you will be glad you made 2 loaves since nobody is going to stop at one slice! 

Makes 2 loaves - about 20 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup oil (coconut oil is great)
• 3 cups flour (I used ½ white wheat flour and ½ all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 15 oz. can of crushed pineapple, juice drained and reserved
• ¾ - 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (I peeled mine)- seeds also removed if large
• ¾ cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 2 Tbsp pineapple juice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Grease and flour 2 bread loaf pans; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. 
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil- or use mixer on low until combined, then increase to medium speed for 1 minute.
• Add in pineapple, zucchini and nuts and mix together until completely combined.
• Gradually add in dry ingredients.
• Divide half of batter between the 2 prepared bread loaf pans. Drop pan on hard surface a few times to even out the batter and help bubbles come to the top. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. 
• Cool breads in pans on cooling racks for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto cooling rack to finish cooling.
• To prepare the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Add in reserved pineapple juice, adding the juice gradually, 1 tablespoon first and then 1 teaspoon at a time. If you want the glaze firmer to stay on top of the bread more, do not add as much liquid. Combine well and pour part of glaze over top of the cooled loaves and wait about 10 minutes for the glaze to thicken some. After glaze has dried a little on the bread, add any remaining glaze to add another layer, also scooping up any glaze that has drizzled down over the sides. This will be thicker and can be spread over top of the loaves again. Let loaves set until glaze is not sticky wet. Slice and serve or store in a covered container (if putting in a bag or covering with plastic wrap, the glaze will soften and stick to the plastic). I wait to apply the glaze until before serving as it becomes very wet and sticky in the bag/storage container.

*If you desire to make it a piña colada sweet bread- add ½- ¾ cup of sweetened shredded coconut into your batter with the shredded zucchini, but the coconut will make the loaf a little more dry. So adding a couple Tbsp's of pineapple juice may help the loaf still be moist. Otherwise, remove the loaf from the oven immediately- may be finished sooner.

**This bread is wonderful frozen and later thawed, glazed and served.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

While I am not a chocolate cake fan (I like cakes with fruit and other add-in's), this cake has changed my mind. It has a moist and fudgey consistency, unlike many chocolate cakes that I find are more dry and lacking in flavor. Of course, the moisture comes from the zucchini that totally disappears in the cake, especially if you peel it before shredding it. What sets this recipe apart from other chocolate zucchini cakes is that is uses more zucchini and includes vanilla and cinnamon, which adds something special to round out the chocolate flavor. 

I found that 4 cups of shredded zucchini equals about 1 large zucchini or 3/4 of a super-large one, minus the center pulp area with the seeds. If you are using smaller zucchini, you probably do not need to remove the seeds unless they are large. Since we are often finding those big zucchinis that have somehow been missed until they are enormous, this is just about the tastiest way to use up one of those over-sized veggies. There have been a couple people that tell me adamantly that they do NOT like zucchini, but when they tried this cake (through a little deception) they were amazed that something this good would have THAT in there-- and even went back for more. (I just love tricking people into eating veggies that they thought they didn't like!)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups peeled, grated zucchini (I let the zucchini drain in a colander while preparing the cake but did not press the liquid out of it.)
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 3/4-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 of 11 oz bag)

    Icing:

• 1 stick butter
• 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 6 Tbsp milk, half and half or cream
• 1 lb box or package of confectioner's (powdered) sugar (sifted or it clumps up later)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 

Directions:

• Grease 9x13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. 
• Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and then fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips (nuts also if including).
• Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 45-60 minutes- time depends on how wet the zucchini is. So start checking about 45 minutes but may need to go as long as 1 hr.
• When toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out pretty clean, remove cake to cooling rack and begin preparing the icing.

  Icing:

• Boil butter, cocoa, milk and cinnamon in a medium saucepan, whisking constantly. (Don't worry if the butter fat separates some. Just keep stirring and then move on to next step- it will all come together in the next step.)
• Whisk in sifted sugar while stirring and then vanilla. Stir well to combine.
• Allow to sit and thicken for a few minutes off the heat, then pour slowly over the warm cake. (If it has thickened too much to pour, then use a spatula to spread over the cake.)
• Garnish with nuts if desired.

Banana Rhubarb Bread

Ever have a bunch of food items that are going south quickly? Well, we had a bunch of bananas that ripened too quickly and I also needed to use up some frozen rhubarb... You know, when the freezer still hasn't been cleaned out and the next season's harvest needs to be put in soon! So I had an "A-ha" moment and realized I could kill two birds with one stone- and was this ever good! My daughter was even begging for some of this bread toasted with butter- our new way to enjoy sweet breads. Of course, if you really have a sweet tooth, you may glaze the top with a simple glaze, but I enjoy the simple flavors of the bread.

While on the subject about rhubarb, let me just say that I find people are often not very fond of the tartness of it, but it is something that blends so well with other flavors- both savory and sweet. If you do not like rhubarb, try substituting it for any of the berries and adjust the baking time.

Makes: 1 loaf, approximately 10 slices

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter (I used a mixture)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1 /2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3-4 large bananas)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour (I used 1 cup white, 2/3 cup white whole wheat)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (See note below)
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs and oil, beating well. Add in the milk, bananas and vanilla and mix again.
• Sift together in a medium bowl the dry ingredients and then combine gradually with the wet ingredients. 
• Stir in the rhubarb and nuts.
• Pour into greased and floured bread pans.
• Bake approximately 55-70 minutes (checking regularly after 55 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry.
• Cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then turn out of pan onto rack to finish cooling.
• After cooled, place in plastic bag to preserve moisture.

*Note: I used frozen rhubarb and included most of the rhubarb juice. If you are using fresh rhubarb, there will not be all the extra liquid but it will be inside the fruit and come out during the baking process. So check your bread as it nears the 55 minute mark and onward to make sure it does not dry out/overbake. I  also used glass bread pans, which seem to bake hotter/make the crust darker. So you will need to turn the temperature down about 25 degrees if using glass pans. 

Easy Garden Bake

This is another one of my favorite brunch casseroles and it is perfect for those times you have a bunch of different vegetables and want to throw together something satisfying and balanced in no time at all. It can easily be an easy lunch or dinner with a salad, as well. 

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped zucchini (about 1 smaller)- you can always add more
• 1 large tomato, chopped- about 1 cup, or may use chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 medium - large onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup baking mix of choice
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt (may use a seasoned salt)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend, crushed in palm of hand (or 1/2- 3/4 tsp oregano, crushed)
• 2 eggs
• cheese of choice for topping - I like Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Mozzarella  
• green onion and parsley or cilantro for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease square baking dish- 8x8 or 9 inch pie plate (I doubled everything and put in 13x9 inch pan because I like leftovers!). 
• Sprinkle chopped vegetables and parmesan cheese evenly over baking dish. 
• Stir baking mix, milk, salt, pepper, seasoning and eggs together and pour over top of the vegetables and cheese.
• Bake uncovered about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire rack and sprinkle with cheese for topping. Cool 5 minutes and then garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and sliced green onions, if desired. 

*This is also wonderful with 1 cup cooked chicken or sausage added in with vegetables when assembling the casserole.

[Adapted from Bisquick Breakfast and Brunches recipe booklet, 1999]

Perfectly Simple Fruit Cake or Bread

I was given this recipe years ago by a coworker who brought in this cake made with fresh peaches and I just fell in love with the simple flavors. I have changed it a little over the years and find it is the perfect basic recipe that can be adapted in many different ways. Originally, the recipe called for cinnamon to be sprinkled on top of the cake instead of a crumb topping. While that version is delicious and simple, I have added a cinnamon crumb topping with a simple glaze for the apple version I made for this post. Either way, it is a wonderful moist cake that is perfect for any occasion. Try substituting all different types of fruit and use the crumb topping, or leave it off- it will be sure to please everyone! This can also be made into sweet bread using 2 bread pans and adding about 10-15 minutes to the baking time, checking regularly.

Makes 16-18 servings
Ingredients:
Cake:

• 3 eggs, beaten well
• 2 cups sugar (may use 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 granulated sugar)
• 1 cup oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or may use apple pie spice if using apples)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups fruit- peaches (sliced or chopped), apples (chopped), blueberries, pears, or variety of berries, etc

Crumb Topping (optional):

• 1/3 flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Glaze: (optional)

• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2-4 Tbsp milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease (2) 8x8 inch or (1)13x9 inch baking pan or (2) bread loaf pans.
• Mix eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla together in a large bowl.
• Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl and add into the wet ingredients, combining well.
• Stir in fruit.
• If not using toppings, then pour batter into prepared pan(s) and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture (2 Tbsp sugar mixed with 1 1/2 -2 tsp cinnamon). Bake for about 45 minutes, checking after 35 minutes (if using loaf pans, bake for about 45-60 minutes but start checking at 40-45 minutes)- until toothpick inserted in middle comes out pretty well clean.
• If making the crumb topping, combine the dry ingredients and then use a fork to cut in the butter until it resembles peas. Sprinkle over top of the batter waiting in the pans. (This can be made ahead before starting cake batter). Bake as instructed above.
• After the cake is cooling on a wire rack, combine sifted confection's sugar and vanilla and milk, stirring until smooth. Start with the lesser amount of milk and gradually add more by tablespoons until the desired consistency is obtained. Pour over the cake/bread after it is cooled.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

This pie is a wonderful mix of a custard pie with an apple pie and is one of my new favorites! In our family, my mom's apple pie is a must at every winter family dinner. Recently when I had an overabundance of apples, I went through my recipes to look for something different to try and found this recipe that my mom gave me years ago but I had never gotten around to making. I am SO GLAD I finally tried it because it is a real keeper! Since I made the Impossible Pie some time ago and discovered a new-found love of custard pies and all the different ways to work custards into desserts, this pie was right up my alley-- and not that difficult. 

unbaked pie with custard and apple before crumb topping was added

Finished pie

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-10 inch pie crust
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of apples
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups chopped apples

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown or white sugar- or a mix (I used all brown)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cool butter
• 1/3 cup crushed nuts (walnuts or pecans work well)

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
• Chop apples and set aside.
• Prepare unbaked pie crust in pie pan.
• Combine eggs, sour cream, sugar, salt, 2 Tbsp flour, vanilla and nutmeg and stir until smooth. 
• Add in apples and pour into the prepared unbaked crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile combine topping ingredients using a fork to cut the butter into other ingredients until it is combined into pea-sized clumps.
• Sprinkle over top of pie when finished with 1st 15 minute bake and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until filling is set when you lightly jiggle pie. 
• Cool completely and serve alone or with whipped cream, ice cream or caramel syrup. Refrigerate leftovers.

Adapted from a Taste Of Home recipe.

CranApple Deep Dish Tart

This delicious combination of apple pie and apple crisp are worth the little extra effort and is the perfect autumn and winter dessert. I made this recipe and was going to share it with everyone this past fall but a lot has been happening over the past few months. My husband went through major surgery (having part of his pancreas removed), which took a long time to recover from-- but we are thankful that it was not cancerous. Now that everything is settling down, I hope to get back to sharing a few recipes that I have enjoyed lately.

I had an inspiration for this recipe when I was making an apple dessert and couldn't decide if I wanted to make apple pie or apple crisp. Since then, I have seen a number of apple pan pie recipes but nothing quite like this. The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute many other fruits for the cranberries, fresh or dried. If you use dried fruits, plump them up some by covering them with water and heating them for about 5-10 minutes. Of course, this dish is just asking for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too! Since I used cranberries, it is a little tart. So if you like your dessert very sweet, increase the brown or white sugar.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• Single unbaked pie crust pastry for 10 inch pie
• 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 ½-2 tsp apple pie spice
• 2 Tbsp minute tapioca
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 cups or ½ bag of cranberries, fresh or frozen (or may use 1 cup dried craisins) 
Topping:
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Roll out the pie crust to fit 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan and spread out in pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine apples, sugars, spice, tapioca, water and cranberries. Put mixture in pie crust.
3. Prepare topping by mixing dry ingredients and cutting in the butter, adding the oil until mixture clumps together. Put topping over the apples and fold the edges of the pie crust over top of the sides of the pie.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40-50 minutes or until the pie is bubbling and apples are tender.
5. May drizzle with caramel sauce or glaze made of 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp milk and 1/8 tsp cinnamon and/or top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Eggnog Pancakes

These pancakes are the best! ....at least that is what my kiddos said. 'Tis the season for all things eggnog and since we needed to use some up and it was time for the weekend pancakes again, I decided to tweak one of my favorite pancake recipes to include eggnog. I added cinnamon chips, but there are a number of other things you might add in to take it to another level- like orange zest and chocolate chips. Have fun experimenting with these!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups eggnog (or liquid of choice)
• 1/4 cup oil or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or juice of 1/2 lemon
• cinnamon baking chips

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine milk, oil and vanilla extract. Stir in the sugar. 
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together egg and lemon juice.
• Add the dry ingredients and egg mixture to the liquids and stir only until largest lumps are mixed in.
• Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes- you may start cooking right away but the pancakes made from the batter that has set is a little fluffier.
• Preheat griddle to medium-high and use butter or coconut oil to oil the surface. Pour out approximately 1/4-1/3 cup for each pancake and sprinkle the baking chips over each pancake as quickly as possible so the pancake cooks up and around the chips.
• When each one is starting to bubble and the bottom edge is golden brown, flip it over and cook for an additional couple minutes or until golden brown.
• Butter each pancake while still warm and serve with syrup or your choice of toppings.
• If you are making a large batch, you can keep them warm by placing them on a wire rack inside of a baking pan and put in the oven at the oven's lowest setting until serving.

Zucchini Potato Tart

This is the perfect lunch or light supper dish and is wonderful with different meats-- or leave the meats out entirely, if you prefer. I love how the tomatoes take on a roasted flavor as it bakes. This dish is a real breeze with a mandoline slicer- have I told you how nice this tool is? I have fallen in love with it for thinly slicing garlic when I sauté vegetables, slicing carrots thinly for salads (my kids don't love big chunks of anything hard to chew- eating a salad will take forever!). I also love to use this slicer for the veggies in this dish. I'm so crazy that I almost took it to my parents house when I went for a visit the last time because it is cuts down on prep time so much! Anyways, back to the recipe-- check this out and give it a try and see my notes at the bottom.

Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust
• 1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini squash, thinly sliced
• 1 large or 3 small potatoes, thinly sliced (may leave skins on)
• 1 medium or large onion- I used a mix of red and sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 pound ham, diced (may use bacon or other meat)
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice- I used mix of cheddar and monterey jack
• 1 large tomato or 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• oregano, divided, crushing in palm of hand before sprinkling over tart
• seasoned salt/pepper
• celery salt
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 5 eggs

Directions:

• After your vegetables are sliced, cover the potatoes so they do not brown.
• Place pie crust in a deep dish 10 inch pie pan. 
• Begin layering about half of each of the vegetables except the tomatoes, seasoning well with salt/pepper and herbs between each layer.
• Then sprinkle top of vegetables with onion and cheese and then ham or meat. 
• Repeat layers, seasoning each layer well until all the squash, potatoes, onion and meat is in the pie.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with 1/4- 1/2 tsp seasoned salt/pepper and then pour over the vegetables in the pie crust.
• Arrange tomato slices over the top and sprinkle with more salt/pepper and crushed oregano. Cut a couple smaller slices into 1/2 to make crescent shapes and place them in the center to form a swirl or pinwheel effect.
• Fold the top edges of the pie crust over the pie.
• Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hour- 1 hour and 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender to fork. Remove foil for the last 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle more cheese on top if desired.

*Note: If you want this to bake quicker,  sauté the squash and potatoes with a couple tablespoons of butter or oil for about 5 minutes until they are just beginning to soften. Then follow the recipe as above. This will shorten the baking time by at least half.

Enjoy!!

Blueberry Buckle (coffeecake)

This is one of the recipes I remember my mom making throughout my childhood and I always thought the name was so funny. It wasn't until just recently when I was watching Alton Brown on "Good Eats" talk about his Blueberry Buckle and how a Buckle was actually an old-fashioned coffee cake that I understood the name. Don't ask me to explain or remember how the word "buckle" has anything to do with a cake!

Anyways, I love this cake because it is easy to make, full of fruit and a dense but moist cake that is a perfect treat for any occasion. I don't remember my mom ever putting a glaze on top, but it adds a nice touch. I also added the almond extract to the cake and put vanilla in the glaze, but you could use whatever flavor you like in the cake and glaze-- lemon or vanilla would be great, even coconut and mix some coconut in with the crumble topping. Also, try this with 1/2 cup chopped nuts added in the crumb topping, as well. This cake is just perfect for switching up the flavors and fruits! So give it a try and have fun with it.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening (I use palm oil shortening), or you may use another oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (if using vanilla- increase it to 1 or 1 1/2 tsp)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups well drained blueberries

   Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup soft butter

   Glaze:

• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp milk, more if needed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix sugar and shortening together until well blended. Add in egg and wisk together. Stir in the milk and extract.
• In a smaller bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Mix into the wet ingredients in thirds.
• Fold in the blueberries carefully so as not to break up the berries. Batter will be very thick.
• Put in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan and press out to the corners of the pan, making sure it is pretty evenly distributed in the pan.
• In small bowl previously used for dry ingredients, mix together topping dry ingredients and then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork until dry ingredients have combined well with the butter- should be little clumps without a lot of extra loose flour mixture.
• Sprinkle evenly over top of the cake batter in the pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• While cake is cooling on a wire rack, mix up the ingredients for a glaze, adding milk 1Tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it gets too wet and runny, add more sugar. Cover glaze until cake cools.
• After cake has cooled completely, use a spoon and drizzle the glaze over top of the cake, back and forth. Cut and serve!

Party Mini-Quiches

I made these mini-quiches recently for a garden party. These are really a quick version of quiches since they do not have a pastry crust. Instead they are made with a baking mix that gives them more of a muffin consistency. However, these are still light and not too dry. If you want to make them even more egg-like in consistency, try using more egg and less baking mix. This recipe is also wonderful for all different vegetable and meat variations. Since I didn't have bacon when I made these, I made them vegetarian, but they would have been even better with a little crispy bacon. The great thing about making them in mini-muffin pans is that they are great for tea parties or other occasions when you do not want to worry about utensils.

Makes approximately 24-36 depending on muffin size and number of add-ins
Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup baking mix
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 Tbsp half and half (may use light cream or whole milk)
• 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp dried oregano (crushed in palm)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a pizza blend)
• 1 medium pickled sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
• 2-3 small mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped

Directions:

• Beat eggs in large bowl.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Grease mini-muffin tin- if it is not non stick, then you should use the baking spray with flour.
• Fill muffin tins using small cookie scoop and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool in the pan. 

Italian-style Quinoa Cakes

I have been falling in love with quinoa lately. It is such a power-house of nutrition and yet is so versatile. It also cooks quite fast. So when some friends and I were meeting at a beautiful historic home nearby for a garden party, I had planned to make arancini (rice balls), but I had not realized until it was too late that these are actually from leftover risotto. So from lack of pre-planning, I was forced to make some last minute changes and found these quinoa patties from wholeliving.com. I decided to go with an Italian theme and play off the parmesan cheese. All in all, I was really pleased how well they turned out. It took a little practice to find the right consistency but don't worry too much about it since the parmesan actually helps makes a nice crust as it cooks. I almost thought the patties were a little easier to cook when they were a little more moist. As always, feel free to leave out any seasonings or ingredients and add in some you really like, instead. I really loved the way the patties took on a roasted tomato and basil flavor and the parmesan added a nice subtle flavor.

Makes approximately 24 cakes
Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp chopped dried onion (may use 1 finely chopped onion)
• 1/2- 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning blend
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, crushed in palm of hand
• 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped grape/cherry tomatoes
• 6-8 large basil leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, more if needed
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Cook quinoa as directed- bring broth to a boil and add in the quinoa, onion and lemon pepper seasoning. Stir well and cover. Allow to cook approximately 15 minutes, or until all the quinoa seeds are opened and soft. Stir and allow to cool somewhat.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and stir together.
• Mix in the partially cooled quinoa.
• If it is too wet, add in more bread crumbs gradually. If it is too dry, add in water, tablespoon at a time. Allow to stand for a few minutes.
• Form mixture into patties 1 inch thick and shallow fry over medium heat about 3-5 minutes each side (until medium golden brown). (I found it was easiest to make a ball and then place in the hot frying pan and flatten gently with the back of a spoon, then use the spoon to firm the patty's edges.) 

Rhubarb Cherry Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce

This is another great rhubarb recipe that I adapted from a Taste of Home magazine. Since I had some tart cherries that were not really enough to make something by themselves, I decided to add them into the cake with the rhubarb. In addition, I opted to use some cinnamon and vanilla in the cake, as well as some chopped nuts in the topping. Feel free to leave the cinnamon out and just add vanilla. The original sauce recipe also calls for double the amount of ingredients, but I felt that even using only 1/2 the original amounts made more than enough caramel sauce. Feel free to substitute any other fruits such as apples/cranberries, mixed berries, pears. Enjoy this very moist coffee cake anytime of the year by using seasonal fruits or even frozen fruits!

Ingredients:
   Cake-

• 1/2 cup shortening or oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup cherries, coarsely chopped

   Topping-

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (may use other nuts instead)

   Sauce-

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
• Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
• Fold in rhubarb and cherries.
• Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan.

Topping:

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
• Cut in the butter until crumbly. Combine the nuts. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

For Sauce, in a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in brown sugar and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with warm coffee cake.

Shared with the following:
Inspiration Monday Party
Our Sunday Best Link Party #5