Zucchini Crisp

I was looking through my recipes on here and couldn't believe I hadn't added this one. It's Earl's favorite and I've been making it for him for more than 8 years. Honestly, if you don't tell anyone it's zucchini they'll swear it's apples. An especially good recipe if you over did zucchini in the garden!

Crisp Mixture:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound butter or margarine (3 sticks)

Filling:

8 cups prepared zucchini (About 3-4 medium,which have been peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced. I sometimes just grate them.)

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup Crisp Mixture (see above)

1 to 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1 tablespoon cinnamon

To prepare the Crisp Mixture:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt . Using a pastry
blender, cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly; set aside.

To prepare the Filling:

In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the zucchini, lemon juice and vinegar together, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is very tender, but still retains its shape. Stir in 1/2 cup of the prepared Crisp Mixture, and the brown sugar, nutmeg and salt. Simmer over low heat several minutes, stirring constantly, to allow the filling to thicken, and the flavors to blend.

Pat half of the remaining crisp mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread the zucchini filling over the base. Sprinkle the rest of the crisp mixture evenly over the filling; press lightly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until bubbly hot throughout, and top is lightly browned.

Serve warm or cold. Very good with vanilla ice cream.

AWESOME BEER BREAD!!

I have to thank my Facebook friend, Brooke for this recipe. She posted it on her forum and it sounded so good I had to try it! It was FABULOUS!! A heavy, dense bread that I was thinking would be perfect with a big bowl of chili. Of course, that's if it lasts until dinner. My Earl ate almost the whole loaf by himself. LOL

3 cups of self-rising flour (or all purpose flour + 1 T baking powder)
1 T sugar
1 egg
1 12-oz can of beer

Mix it all together and dump in a greased bread pan. Bake at 375F for about 46 minutes. Best to have the oven pre-heated.

I added parmesan cheese and garlic powder to my loaf. You could also try dill, rosemary, oregano and shredded cheese. I was thinking about using sharp cheddar or pepperjack next time. Easy Peasy!

STICKY BUNS

Yummy, good and quick.

STICKY BUNS

3 rolls buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

chopped pecans

cinnamon and sugar

Nuts and cinnamon sugar amounts to taste.

Melt butter, ice cream, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Pour mixture into 8x10 inch glass dish. Add pecans over mixture. Section biscuits into 4's (each single biscuit). Drop into tupperware bowl with cinnamon and sugar. Cover and shake up so all pieces have sugar and cinnamon on them.

Place dough quarters on mixture. Add the leftover cinnamon and sugar on top of biscuits.

Make sure all mixture is covered by biscuits. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Flip dish over onto plate.

Greasy Duck

This is a duck.....duhhhhhhh

I have tried duck one time and have come to the conclusion that you will NEVER find a recipe in this blog having to do with duck. I found it tough and greasy and blechhhhh. Anyway...I haven't posted here in awhile and it's about time to come up with something else scrumptious to let you know about. It will NOT, however contain duck.

Brandied Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is, without a doubt, the best tasting cookie I have ever made and eaten.  

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of brandy (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Method

1 Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl, pour in a bit of brandy. Enough so they're surrounded by it, but not drowning. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or more. Afterwards, place a colander over a bowl and pour the cranberries and brandy through, putting the cranberries and the brandy they soaked in aside.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
3 Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
5 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


I made these for Christmas and EVERYONE loved them. I'm thinking they might be really good with dried cherries in place of the cranberries. And maybe a cherry liquor in place of the brandy??? Or maybe dried apricots/peaches with peach schnapps?? Well, you get the idea. Lots of room with these cookies to experiment and I'd bet they're delicious no matter what your flavor combination preference.

Cheesecake Frosting

This is one of the yummiest frostings I have ever eaten. It goes perfectly on carrot cake or pumpkin bars. I'm planning a desert party sometime in the next few months, and this will definitely be the topping for the carrot cake I 'm making for it. Let me know what you think!

1-8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese

1 T lemon juice

2 T sour cream

2 C whipped cream (not light or fat free)

5 to 6 T confectioners sugar

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature and place in a mixing bowl with the whipped cream. Blend well. Add remaining ingredients. May use more confectioners sugar to taste.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Marinade:

1 cup water
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon tequila

Chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (low fat ok)
1/4 cup sour cream (low fat ok)
1 tablespoon milk (low fat ok)
2 teaspoons minced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon minced onions
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Additional Ingredients:

1 cup shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
2 cups corn chips, crumbled

Combine marinade ingredients then chicken in a medium bowl and allow to marinade for 2-3 hours.
Combinine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, and chill until needed.
Grill the marinated chicken breasts for 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan, brush with prepared mexi-ranch dressing, and sprinkle with cheese.
Broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.
Serve the chicken over a bed of crumbled chips.
NOTES: Serve with Spanish rice and pico de gallo or salsa.


My son and I had this scrumptious chicken dish at Applebee's and we both loved it. After I got home I decided to find the recipe online and give it a try myself. I discovered this version on Recipeczaar. It has a lot of ingredients, but it is fairly simple to put together. I made mine without the jalapenos, but that's just a matter of taste. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!