Zucchinis Galore.....

This is the time of the year that neighbours are dropping off 'zucchini bread' or 'zucchini brownies'. Everyone is trying to disguise this abundant vegetable (although some may argue that it is a fruit). If there was such a thing as a 'State Vegetable' then zucchini would be it for here in Utah.

Everyone has a thriving garden here (all except me it seems) and everyone plants zucchini. There is nothing unusual about opening your front door to find a bag full of zucchinis that some kind neighbour dropped off as they went for their morning walk.

So what to do with them? Yes the bread and the brownies are lovely but I think I have hit on a real winner here. I found a recipe for...wait for it...Zucchini CANDY!!! So being the kind of person who tries different or interesting recipes at least once (Vinegar Pie  and Velveeta Fudge for example) I tried it.

These are such a huge hit in my home with my teenage sons that now I am going to have to plant a garden next year and grow my own zucchinis.

Homemade Cereal and teenage boys.....

 I get a real kick out of making my own things. A few months ago I tried my hand at a recipe I'd had sitting in the bottom of the recipe pile for some time. You know the 'one day I'll try this' recipe pile. After trying it I found my teenage sons loved it and actually told me not to buy cereal anymore. 

Well...we made the big move from Australia to USA and I haven't made it because I don't have my grinder yet...but soon I will and I look forward to making it again for my boys.

Grape Nuts

• 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I sift the flour I grind myself but I reckon you could leave the wheat germ in it)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon (this is optional but I added it this time and the boys really like it)
• 2 c. sour milk or buttermilk (you can make milk sour by adding a T. of vinegar to it)
• 2 t. vanilla

Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 15 minutes. Cool completely. At this point, this looks and smells like cake. Once the cake is cooled completely, cut it into pieces and whirl it into crumbs in the food processor. Don’t process too long because you don’t want it to get gummy. Spread this crumbly mixture into two jelly roll pans. Bake at 150° C (300° F) for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool before putting it into a storage container.

A few notes: I grind my own wheat but using store bought whole wheat flour will still work fine. Someone who makes this recipe also tried adding some dried TVP (textured vegetable protein) through the grain mill and added a cup of that to the grape nut recipe. Then increased the milk by 1/4 c.  "This built in some extra protein which some of my young athletes-in-training need for breakfast." I haven't tried this but it is worth a try. TVP makes me shudder but because it will be dried it will have the same texture as the 'grape nuts' and should be fine.

What homemade items have you made that you get a real kick out of? (ie: laundry detergent, shampoo, etc)

Homemade Chocolate

I have been making chocolate for years and for years people have asked me for the recipe. I have finally put the recipe up for everyone to see over here: A String of Pearls

If you go over and like what you read please leave a comment there and if you're interested I will be happy to share just how we made STRAWBERRY chocolate....but you'll have to leave a comment so I know.

Old Time Cooking

When I was growing up I don't think I ever had a doughnut. Did I even know what they were? Probably not. Did I miss out by not having them? Heavens NO. We had something just as wonderful. We had 'Puftaloons'.

What are puftaloons? Well they are fried bits of dough smothered with golden syrup...or honey.

Here's the recipe:

Puftaloons

2 Cups S.R. Flour
1 desert spoon butter
¼ Teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
Oil for Deep Frying

Combine flour and salt in a bowl, rub in butter, make a well in the centre and mix in milk to make a soft dough.

Turn out on a lightly floured board and kneed lightly until smooth. Roll out to 2 cm thickness, cut into rounds with a scone cutter (about 3cms diameter).

Heat oil in a large thick based frying pan and gently fry until puffed, golden and cooked through turning as you go. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with honey or Golden syrup or roll in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Note: Could make savoury ones with bacon and cheese.