Donna's Zucchini Bread

Last night, while we were away, Pam baked six loaves* of this very tasty zucchini bread.  They were so beautiful, and the house smelled so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o great when we opened the door.

(Photo by me, Doris)

This is the recipe I got from Donna in the 1980's, and it's been my 'go to' ever since.

Preheat oven to 325-degrees and grease two 8"x4" loaf pans.

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
3 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
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DIRECTIONS:

Beat eggs, add oil, zucchini, sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Divide for two small loaf pans (8"x4").  Bake at 325-degrees for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Butter crusts.
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* Pam made 4 batches of this dough at a time and poured 3 and 1/2 cups of batter into each 9x5-inch loaf pan that were sprayed with Pam (baking variety) that has a combination of oil/flour in it.  By baking in the larger loaf pans, they get done in about an hour (because ovens vary, test with a toothpick stuck into the crack on its top).   She ended up with six large-sized loaves.  Remove from pans, butter the top, and cool on rack before packaging for freezer.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake w/frosting

The following recipe comes from the back of the Hershey's cocoa container... it's one of our favorites for birthday cakes.  The recipe for the chocolate frosting follows the cake recipe below (that, too, came from the Hershey cocoa container).

Hint from Paula, our family's cake baker:  First, make sure the cake is 'done' before removing it from the oven.  Then, when you get it out of the oven, using a flat paper towel for protection,  gently press any of the hot cake's 'heaped up top' down only as far as its edges are.  This will make the cake top 'level' AND you end up with a cake that has a tighter crumb along with more moistness.   I tried it with this cake and it really did improve this 'already good' cake!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sugar
1 and 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sifted Hershey's cocoa
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
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2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
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1 cup boiling water
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DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 350-degrees.  Grease and flour two of 9-in round baking pans, or a 9x13-inch pan or glass dish. 

2.  Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med. speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).   Pour into pans. 

3.  Bake 30-35 minutes OR until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  (A 9x13" pan might take longer?)  Cool 10 minutes.  If using round pans, remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.  Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting (as seen below).  10-12 servings.

For cupcakes:  Line 2 and 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups.  Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.  Bake at 350-degrees for 22-25 minutes.  Cool; frost.  About 30 cupcakes.

RECIPE for "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting which is also on the back of the Hershey cocoa container:


Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2/3 cup sifted Hershey's cocoa
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions:
1.  Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa.
2.  Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. speed until it is of spreading consistency.  Add more milk in tiny quantities, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.  Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

A HINT!  For rich chocolate desserts try Hershey's cocoa in recipes calling for baking chocolate by substituting 3 level tablespoons of cocoa + 1 tablespoon shortening or oil for 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened baking chocolate.
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Pork Chops w/Mushroom Soup (quick 'n easy)

                                                                                                            Photo by Doris

Photo by Doris

Ingredients:

1. Pork Chops
2. Cream of Mushroom Soup, diluted and mixed well with 1/2 its amount in milk.

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I like to use the low-fat version of Cream of Mushroom soup.  (With just a few chops, I use the 10.5 oz. can; with a lot of chops, I use two cans OR the 26 oz. can)

Take however many pork chops you want and coat each side with a mixture of flour/salt/pepper (not too much salt, because the mushroom soup will be plenty salty).

Fry each just long enough to brown both sides to a golden brown and remove from pan.  Set aside.  (In the past, I once made these without browning them at all, and nobody complained!)

Spray whatever baking dish you choose with Pam (non-stick spray).  Put down a thin layer of the above combination Cream of Mushroom soup/milk mixture.
Layer the pork chops in the casserole dish.  If you have a lot, you can lay them at an angle with each resting a bit on the other.  If you have less, you can lay them out singly.  If you have them touching each other, lift each slightly as you pour remaining soup over them so that it gets between them.  If they are single layered, just pour the soup over the tops of them.

Cover tightly with foil and bake until done.  My favorite way is to prepare them as above and then bake them in a slow oven (300-degrees) for  2 hours or even more. 

TIP:  The pork chops that are boneless and SO lean that they are beautiful don't end up quite as 'fall apart' good as when using porchops with the bone and a little fat in them. 

Slum Gullion (We LIKE!)

                                                                                  Photo by Doris

 I have often doubled this recipe and made it on a Saturday so I can just re-heat it for a quick Sunday noon meal.  (When doubling this recipe, I can use the larger can of tomatoes and a larger 15-16 oz. can of tomato sauce, too.)   We like this with garlic bread and a salad.

Ingredient list and directions:

1-2 lb. lean ground meat (1 lb. works okay)
1 lge. onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil with dab of butter
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 of 15-16 oz. can stewed OR whole tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 and 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet or Dutch oven that has a tight fitting lid, using medium heat, add oil and then brown onion for about 3 minutes minutes; add bell pepper(s) and cook another minute.  Add ground beef and with a spoon stir and breaking up into small bits; cook until meat is well done.  If there's a lot of visible fat, drain.
 

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, cooked macaroni, salt and pepper.  Cover with tightly fitting lid and put into 325-degree oven for about 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and let sit with cover on for another 30 minutes before serving as this helps to blend all the flavors.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar cheese.

Freezing Corn (recipe from Paula)

1.  Heat a large kettle of water to boiling.  Drop corn in (do not crowd the kettle), and let it boil on the cob for 10 minutes (according to a book I have, with our elevation height we can do it for just 6-8 minutes.  When the time is up, quickly move the corn to a kettle of ice water to  stop the cooking process in a hurry.  (Let it in the ice water for the same amount of time you had it in the boiling water.)  Remove it, and...

2.  Slice/cut it off of cob.

Mix the following together:
5 quarts cut-off corn
1 quart water
1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup)
5 teaspoons salt

Put 3 cups of this mix in each quart-sized freezer bag.