Zucchini Season

It is the time of year in my area where zucchini is abundant.  A lot of gardeners are begging to give it away. 

I love zucchini so I make the best of it and here are a few of my favorite recipes to enjoy this short window when I have more zucchini than I know what to do with.

Zucchini Fritters

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 2 large or 4 medium)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 green onions (chopped)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Oil for frying

Line a large bowl with a thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth.  Grate the zucchini directly into the bowl.  Gather the towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.

Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl.  Add salt, pepper, garlic, green onions, flour and eggs.  Mix un til just combined.

Heat a layer of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into the hot oil and gently flatten.

Fry for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp.  Transfer to paper towel to drain.

Serve hot with sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce. (They are really good with Ranch)

Zucchini Bread

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup oil (I use avocado or coconut)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream or Greek yogurt)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (no need to blot)

Optional-chopped nuts of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5 loaf pan

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, both sugars, eggs, applesauce and vanilla until combined then whish in the zucchini.  

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Gently stir until combined; do not overmix.  

Fold in nuts, if using.

Batter will be slightly thick.

Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 1 hour before removing.

Zucchini 'fries'

Thinly dice a small to medium zucchini in rounds.

Dredge in flour, then egg and then panko or breadcrumbs. (I also add a bit of salt, pepper, garlic and paprika to the flour and breadcrumbs.

Place on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper and a swipe or two or olive oil or avocado oil.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes turning once at the halfway point.

You can also shallow fry in a pan or cook in the air fryer.  

I also make zucchini tots and they are delicious.  See the recipe below

Culinary Adventures with Lori: 52 Recipes in 52 weeks #12 Zucchini Tots

Other things I've tried:

Zucchini noodles

Zucchini boats

Parmesan roasted zucchini

Shredded zucchini is a wonderful addition to traditional spaghetti sauce

What are some of your favorite ways to use zucchini?  I am always looking for new ways to try it.

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What happened to the lazy days of summer?

July was a really busy month for us and it looks like August will be too.  The gardens are all doing well and I am swimming in produce and herbs.  I have been spending a lot of time dehydrating, canning and freezing for the winter.  It will be worth all of the time and effort when I can pull local peaches out of the freezer or open a can of homemade salsa.  You just can't get better than garden or local produce.

Some summer pictures from our house.

 

TBG celebrated another birthday on the 16th.   He decided he wanted to try out a new BBQ place for lunch that day, so we headed west to Sugarfire Smokehouse - The Best St. Louis Style Barbecue.  To our surprise, there was a man in front of us getting a large order to go and when he noticed TBG's veterans' hat, the thanked him for his service and then told the cashier he wanted to pick up our check too.  We tried to talk him out of it be he said you did more for our country than I ever did so I insist.  We told him thank you and I mentioned it was his Birthday so he proceeded to sing Happy Birthday on his way out.  He was such a happy guy, and it was nice to be reminded that there really are some great people in the world.  

Since TBG's party wasn't until the 18th he said he didn't want a cake and chose chocolate brownies with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce.  It really was good.

We celebrated July 18th in Bloomington with a lot of friends and family and it was a perfect day for a road trip. On the trip there I caught this picture that made me smile.

I didn't watch or read much but I did catch one really good movie on Netflix.  Ordinary Angel.  It was a really good movie based on a true story.  I loved it.

Meals we've eaten lately...

Spaghetti with meatballs, salad, garlic bread

BLT and zucchini fries

Coho salmon, pinto beans and rice Culinary Adventures with Lori: 52 new recipes in 52 weeks #1 Braised Pinto Beans

Jerk chicken legs, pesto mac and cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion, garlic toast

Steak fajitas, Spanish rice and spicey coleslaw

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this last bit of summer (or winter).  We're heading out to a special girls second birthday party!  Have a great Sunday.

26 Recipes in 2026 # 7 Slow Cooker BBQ Beef by Nagi

 

In January one of the beef ranchers that we buy from had a sale on all of their beef roasts for $5.00 a pound when you bought 5.  Luckily, I had enough room in the freezer and stocked up.  I wanted to use one for BBQ beef for the July 4th holiday weekend and I'm so glad I used this recipe because it turned out amazing.  I get emails from recipetineats.com and this recipe was in the June issue. I haven't looked to see if it is in one of her cookbooks.  This is the recipe I will use anytime I want BBQ beef.  The beef was so tender and full of flavor.

Ingredients:

3 lb. chuck or sirloin tip roast (I used one of the sirloins that I had)

1 cup beer (beef stock/broth will also work)

3 tbsp olive oil or other neutral oil for searing (I used beef tallow)

Rub:

3 tbsp tightly packed brown sugar

1 tbsp paprika (I used smoked paprika)

1 tbsp garlic granules

2 tsp onion granules

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp salt (I used pink sea salt)

1 tsp black pepper

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup apple sider vinegar

3 cups tomato ketchup (I used tomato sauce) and added 1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp molasses

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 tsp mustard powder

3 tsp garlic granules

4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne pepper)

Put all of the ingredients for the BBQ Sauce in the slow cooker and whisk to combine.

Season the Beef with the rub mixture and coat all sides.

Cut the roast into 3 or 4 steaks.  Heat the oil or tallow in a large pan (I used cast iron) on medium high heat.  Brown steaks for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until deep golden but make sure not to burn the spice rub.  Place the meat in the slow cooker.

Add the beer or stock into the pan and let it simmer rapidly, scraping all of the bit on the bottom of the pan until it is reduced down to about 1/4 cup or three minutes.  Pour into the slow cooker.

Arrange the beef so each piece is as submerged as much as possible.  Slow cook on low for 10 hours.  

Remove the beef from the slow cooker into a pan and shred.  Cover with foil.

Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a pot and simmer on medium high for 15-20 minutes until thickened to a BBQ sauce consistency.  Stir regularly towards the end and lower heat.

Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the sauce over the beef and lightly toss.  You want enough to moisten and flavor but not make it soggy.

We ate it on brioche buns, but you could serve this so many other ways.

For plates of BBQ this would serve 7-8, on buns it serves 10-12 people or servings.

This also freezes very well.  We ate the last two sandwiches last night and they were just as amazing.

 

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July here in the States.  It was a pretty good week here. I worked Monday-Thursday, TBG only had one kind of bad day, and we had fun over the three-day weekend.  Friday before we ran errands, I made all of the sides for the weekend and put a beef roast in the crock pot which turned into an amazing pulled beef BBQ (will share this week).  Saturday went to the water park and floated the lazy river for a few hours. (My favorite way to celebrate anything on a hot humid day) We had two pop up storms Saturday evening, so the fireworks were postponed which was a bit sad to me.

Where I've been:  Tuesday I had my 6-month cleaning at the dentist, and all is well which is always a relief.  I love my dentist and my hygienist but it's not a place I look forward to going to.  Friday since I was off, we ran all of the errands.  I think I had 6 or 7 places to go but we managed to cross everything off the list and be home before 10am.  That is something I do love about living in a smaller town. The farmer's market was fully stocked and along with everything else I picked up these delicious peaches.  They are so juicy and sweet.

I also spent a lot of time out in the garden.  I had cut and dried the garlic I grew so I was able to bring that in. I got 12 good size heads of garlic, so I want to make sure to double that when I plant this year.  I weeded and planted a new lavender bush and just cleaned everything up a bit.  

Where I'm going: This week I have a well overdue appointment to have my hair cut.  I really think my hair grows even faster in the summer. Other than that, no appointments or plans.  Depending on the weather, I have a couple of ideas for next weekend.

What I'm watching: I watched Nomadland and I found it very thought provoking.  We also watched Fool Me Once which is another series on Netflix by author Harlan Coben.  This one was as good as the first one we watched. 

What I'm listening to:  I love sitting out in our backyard.  Even though we technically do live in the city, our back yard is so quiet and so peaceful.  

What I'm eating:

Lamb, potato and pea empanadas and salad

Big salad with chicken 

BLT, 'fries'

Big salad

Pulled BBQ beef, with choices of...potato salad, coleslaw, bbq beans, deviled eggs, tomato slices

Grilled Nathan all beef hotdogs with choice of sides above.  This is the best way I have found to grill hotdogs.  No rolling all around.

Blackened grilled chicken legs, pesto mac and cheese, tomato, cucumber and red onion salad

What made me smile:  Every morning before I usually even open my eyes I thank God for another day.  Looking back on this week, I see that we did what we could to make each day a bit special and that does make me smile.

Have a great week!!

My Weekly W's-The end of June

What's top of my mind:  The last two and a half years have been really hard when it comes to TBG's health.  There have been a lot of downs with so many doctor visits, tests, surgery, fighting with insurance, unknowns, etc.  There also have been a lot of ups because of our faith, our friends and family and trying to keep a positive mindset.  I wouldn't have ever thought it was possible, but our marriage is even stronger now. At the end of May he had two different tests at SLU that finally gave us the answers we've been searching so hard for.  There is no cure however it is manageable.  He started the new medication last week and is doing well with it.  Mentally we are both in a much better place which is so important and we are just so thankful for everything.  

Where I've been:  We've taken a lot of walks this week since the weather has been tolerable. Friday, we went to dinner at the Elk's and had a really great time.  Yesterday TBG dragged took me to see Super Girl.  It actually was a pretty good movie and we both enjoyed it.  It focused on a lot more of the human side of things like last summer's Superman did.

Where I'm going:  Tuesday I have a dental cleaning.  Friday, I plan to go to the farm and the farmer's market.  The weather is supposed to be in the high 90's with a lot of humidity, so we'll probably opt for the gym instead of walks.  Other than that, we plan to enjoy being at home.  We've had a very busy couple of months, and we just want to hang out at home for a while.

What I'm watching:  We watched I Will Find You on Netflix.  It was a really great series, and we both enjoyed it a lot.  

What I'm eating:

BBQ chicken, pesto mac and cheese, cucumber, tomato and red onion 'salad'

BIG salad with garlic toast and stuffed mushrooms (I need to make stuffed mushrooms more often, SO good)

Beef bacon and veggie pizza with a salad

Big Salad

LO veggie pasta and garlic bread

Catfish, hush puppies, baked potato, corn and salad at the Elks.  

Tonight we're having lamb burgers, zucchini 'fries' and sliced tomatoes.  The tomatoes are so delicious I could eat them every day.

What is making me smile:  We've gotten a lot of rain over the last two or three days which we desperately needed, and everything is so green again.  

Also, if you're looking for an AMAZING chocolate treat you must try this.  I found them at Aldi and even though I do not have much of a sweet tooth, I am in love with these.  

I hope everyone is doing well and has a wonderful week!!

Just a Friendly Reminder...

Christmas is six months from today!! 

My Week

 

The heat and humidity of summer have definitely hit our area.  The first half of the week was highs of 93 with a feels like temperature of 102.  That had me watering every morning and evening since all of the predictions of rain were false.  We could really use rain.

Tuesday, I stopped by the farmers market for a few things.  So many people say their market is so expensive, but I have to say I believe ours has very fair prices.  I picked up 4 tomatoes, 2 zucchinis, a quart of blueberries, a quart of strawberries, a huge bunch of purple spring onions and a head of butter lettuce larger than my own head for $18.00.  I never could have gotten that at our local store and if I did, the quality would not be as good.

Saturday, we went downtown to Market Days and Paw Fest.  They had the cutest calico kitten that was just as feisty and playful as Binx when he was that age.  He had very little interest in everyone and was just focused on playing.  I hope all of the dogs and cats that were out there found a forever home.  After we walked around for an hour or two, we decided to stop for lunch.

We didn't watch much this week but did see Song Sung Blue this morning and we both really enjoyed it. Kate Hudson was great and I was surprised to see Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos in it.  I hadn't realized it was based on a true story.  I highly recommend it.

What we ate:

Chicken soup with a garlic baguet

Pepper jack stuffed beef cheeseburger with zucchini 'fries'.  The first zucchini of the year and it was delicious.  

BLT with 'fries' The first BLT of the year also delicious.

I never buy store bought tomatoes or zucchini, so they have been missed.

Penne pasta with veggies and pesto sauce with a salad

BIG salad with garlic bread

Veggie naan 'pizza' with a salad

Tonight we're having salmon and rice with another side tbd.  I'm also going to make a blueberry coffee cake.     Culinary Adventures with Lori: 52 New Recipes in 52 Weeks #2 Sour Cream and Blueberry Coffee Cake  I have two bags from last summer in the freezer that I want to use up so that I can restock with fresh.

We don't have much planned for this week which is kind of a nice change.  I hope everyone is doing well and has a lovely week ahead.

Here is a smile for you. Binx started really watching TV a year or two ago.  Now he has decided he also enjoys videos on the phone.  I'm not sure exactly how I feel about that.  

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  The first week of June was pretty peaceful and uneventful which I completely love and needed.  May had a lot of ups and downs and I'm happy to see it go.

Where I've been:  We went to Newell's and found a new chair for the living room, and it was delivered Tuesday.  We both love it and it mixes perfectly with everything else in the room plus it is very comfortable.  The recliner we had was only about seven years old, but it was really uncomfortable so now we are good to go.

We went out for lunch Saturday to Twisted Twins and enjoyed smash burgers and shared an order of jalapeno mac and cheese bites.  SO good! The weather was perfect for an outside lunch.

We've gotten back to walking every afternoon when I get off of work.  Sometimes we walk around the neighborhood and other times we meet at the hospital to walk around the track there.  

Where I'm going:  Friday I want to stop by the farmers market and Saturday we have an outside concert to go to if the weather is good.  I also need to pick a few things up one day this week. I plan to spend a lot of time outside reading if the rain holds off too.

What I'm watching:  We finished the first season of The Buroughs yesterday that we started a couple of weeks ago and we both really enjoyed it. We also watched Senior Year on Netflix which was a pretty cute movie that we both enjoyed.  I also watched the second season of Four Seasons and enjoyed. All on Netflix

What I'm reading:  I'm almost finished with Into The Magic Shop by James R. Doty, MD.  It's funny when I started reading it I remembered very vividly my 4th grade teacher going over a lot of these techniques in gym class.  We would do it once or twice a week in the winter on our mats in the gym when we couldn't go outside. This week I started meditating again because I really want to be able to calm myself a bit easier than it's been lately.  Thank you so much for recommending this one Judee!!

What I'm eating:

BIG salad with pan fried chicken thighs

Applewood chicken sausage with pesto mac and cheese and corn

Salmon, rice and asparagus

Spaghetti with beef and veggies and a salad with garlic bread

Beef pho with garlic bread 

I picked up a number of beef bones from the farm I go to and made an amazing bone broth full of bone marrow.  I put rice noodles, sliced radishes, carrots, snap peas in a bowl and covered with some broth and it was amazing.

Wings and jacket potatoes cooked on the grill, deviled eggs and jalapeno popper egg rolls.  

Tonight I am grilling a spatch cocked chicken, potatoes and we'll have asparagus with it.  

What is making me smile:  Ann from Ann's Snap Edit Scrap always sends me the nicest cards and is the sweetest friend.  All of her cards are so creative. This is the card she sent for June and I just love it.  Thank you, Ann!!

All of the garden and flowers growing brings a smile too.  I've had this planter for right at a month now and I can't believe how much it has grown.  It is just gorgeous.

I just want to send a virtual hug to everyone that visits here.  Life is hard sometimes and we have to remind ourselves to find every little ounce of joy we can through the day.  All of my blog buddies are super special to me.  Have a great week and enjoy every moment!!

Happy Gotcha Day

I can't believe it's been 4 years since we brought Binx into our family.   

He was found at around 4 weeks old, 2.5 pounds roaming around the county by himself and someone picked him up and took him to one of the shelters.  They kept him in the front office in a large 6x6 foot cage away from all of the other animals because he was too small to get any vaccinations.  

A friend of ours was volunteering at the shelter and called us when he was ready to find a home to see if we wanted him.  We had just lost our last cat 6 months earlier and I really wasn't interested.  But then TBG sent me a video of him playing in his cage and I just had to meet him and the rest is history.

The first thing I noticed about him on the ride home was that he doesn't meow very much at all and still doesn't.  To say this little 3.5 pound ball of fur hit the ground running when we got home is an understatement.  I think he was so happy to be out of the cage and able to run.  Four years later and he still loves to fly through the house only now he's up to 11.6 pounds and even louder.

He is smart, curious, brave and strong.  He's been doing pull ups on the counters and window ledges since he was probably six months old.  He has his own relationship with both of us.  I am his play buddy, the one he hangs out with and the one he snuggles up to at night.  TBG is his person though and he sticks by his side like glue when he's home.  Binx is a true joy to have in our lives.

Happy June

 

My Weekly W's - Last Sunday of May

What's top of my mind:  Data centers.  Two weeks ago, there was a rumor that one of the large landowners in our county was going to sell a good portion to a corporation that is interested in building one of these monstrosities in our county.   Our county board and the townships board that the land is in held emergency meetings to discuss.  Our local board is half republican and half democratic and they all work very well together.  Who knew that was possible?  One board member explained the situation well.  Our wonderful governor Pritzger who does not like local government to have much say over their communities, snuck in a new law around three years ago that gives the state government full rights to basically do whatever the hell they want regardless of the community.  The board member explained that if the township refuses to allow a sale the state could hit them with huge fines.  The board did rule that nothing will be done for 180 days until they can investigate everything further.  I will be following this very closely.  These data centers are a huge strain on our water, electricity and so much more.

Who needs a good slap:  Just when you think someone cannot sink any lower, they do. Governor Pritzger deserves 5 throat punches  slaps, for SO many reasons!  This is not a political party rant, but a personal oppinion of mine about our governor so please don't take it there.

Where I've been:  Thursday we went to St. Louis University hospital for a test that TBG had scheduled.  It was a long morning for him, so when we finished around 12, we needed a good lunch and stopped at Drakes in Shiloh. You know I love their club sandwich.  Friday, I only worked half a day so beat the holiday weekend crowds at Kroger and picked up a couple of things.  Yesterday we went to Effingham to enjoy lunch at Firefly.  Their fried green tomatoes are SO good, along with everything else.  My birthday is tomorrow along with Memorial Day, so we wanted to enjoy a meal with just the two of us to celebrate early.

Where I'm going:  Tuesday I have an appointment to have the back tooth that I broke pulled.  I took Wednesday off too just in case I'm not feeling well.  I'm sure I'll stay home regardless.  Thursday TBG has an appointment with his cardiologist here in town.  Other than that, we have no plans and I hope no others pop up.

What I'm watching:  The garden is growing like crazy. Everything looks really good. I went out this morning to cut some of the garlic scapes.  I am going to pickle this bunch and then pick the rest in a day or two for hummus.   

What I'm eating:

Spaghetti and beef meatballs with a salad

BIG salad x 2

Chicken sausage, scalloped potatoes and asparagus

Cube steak, pesto mac and cheese with a salad.  It has probably been 20 years or more since I've made cube steaks and TBG mentioned it one day last week.  I told him they are on the list for sale at the farm we go to, so he went out and picked two up.  They were really tender and tasted good, but not a favorite of mine.

Chicken tikka masala with rice and naan.

Tonight we're having salmon with sides to be determined.

What's making me smile: This bush makes me smile every year.  Does anyone know what kind it is?  I would love to have two or three more on the other side of the back yard.

                I hope everyone is well and if you're in the US enjoy the Memorial Day weekend!!

What's for dinner?

 

With the ingredients above, can you figure out what I made for dinner?  

Hint...it's an old school classic.

Hope everyone is doing well.