"Creamy/Dreamy" Lemon Dessert *

This comes pretty close to enjoying 

the likes of a Lemon Pie (without it being in 

a pie plate with a traditional kind of pie crust). 

I want this "cool dessert" on a summer day when it's 

in the 90's with an equal % of humidity.   BUT!,... 

I also want this on a winter day right here

when it is -30°.  In other words, I'll take this...

 ANYtime!  

......................................................

Read through the recipe before you start.  

I'll say up front that I prefer to use real whipping cream in place of the Cool Whip.   IF you choose to NOT use Cool Whip, you may need a total of 2-3 of the 8 oz. cartons of whipping cream. 

Below, for the third layer, the "lemon" layer, I list two options: This recipe can be made more quickly with INSTANT Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling, OR, you can do as I did, and use the "COOK & SERVE" Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling-- following the directions according to what is on each box.

FIRST LAYER:  CRUST INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS-- 

1. 1 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup chopped pecans (plus another 2 tablespoons chopped pecans saved for garnishing top IF desired)
3. 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 1 and 1/2 stick butter (or 3/4 cup) , softened to room temperature

Combine the above four ingredients, blending well.  Press into the bottom of a "non-stick sprayed" 9 x 13-inch pan (or, glass dish).  Bake at 375-degrees for between 15 and 20 minutes OR, depending on your oven, until only lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.  (Since this is the only part of this recipe that is baked, I like to make this the night before I need it, keeping it tightly covered after it cools.)
................................

SECOND LAYER INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS:

1. 2 of 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
2. 2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED or run through a screen.
3. 1/2 of a 16 oz. Cool Whip (save the other 1/2 for the fourth layer).

• Place cream cheese in mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.  
• Add the SIFTED confectioners sugar and beat until all is light and fluffy.
• Add the first 1/2 of the 16 oz. Cool Whip.  Fold in evenly and gently.
• Spread this mixture over the pre-baked and cooled crust.   

 ........................................

THIRD LAYER INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS:
(Including TWO options for the layer of lemon)

Option One:  2 of the 4.3 oz. (large) boxes of "COOK & SERVE" Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling prepared exactly as instructed on the package, but with using 1/4 cup less water than what is called for, making it a thicker mixture.  Again, follow the instructions perfectly, including the "medium heat", and using a "wire whisk" to eliminate lumps.    Be careful because when it reaches the boiling state, it likes to "spit hot stuff" at you!  When done, put into a container, cover with something like plastic wrap or sheet of parchment paper to keep top surface from drying out while it COOLS.    Once it cools, spread it over the "SECOND LAYER" (above).

Option Two:   4 of the 3.4 oz (small) boxes of "INSTANT" Lemon Pudding and Pie Filling, prepared in a large mixing bowl and according to directions on the box, but with using a total of 5 cups of milk.  Spread it over the "SECOND LAYER" (above).
.............................................

FOURTH LAYER INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS:

1. The last 1/2 of the 12 oz. Cool Whip used in the Second Layer (above)

• Spread this Cool Whip over the layer of Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling.

.............................................

FIFTH LAYER:

1. Optional:  Garnish the top with a very light sprinkling of the extra chopped pecans listed in the "crust section" (above). 

• Chill, covered, for at least one hour.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

With pecan topping, or,... without...

* A long time ago, I started out with a recipe similar to what's posted on http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/3649072-Luscious-Lemon-Delight but I've since changed this in a number of ways-- especially with the type of pudding options; Cool Whip vs. cream option; and, because the original recipe was to fill a "smaller dish",  I changed the ingredient amounts to fit in and fill my 9 x 13" dish.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (mild, and without using condensed soup)

If you like a "hotter" dish than we do, you can add all the "hotness" you want by using HOT salsa, adding  chilies, ... or ... even adding Jalapeño peppers until you're "SMOKING" hot!!

Yesterday, even though the following recipe is for a 9x13-inch dish, I doubled the amount of everything and assembled all in a sprayed 15" x 10" x 2" glass baking dish.  Believe me, they were VERY "cozily" packed together!  By pushing them "together",  I managed to get 14 down the length of the pan, and then stuck the last two in along the long edge.  Because these were so crowded, I made sure to separate them a little bit as I poured the sauce over the top.  By making this large batch (and having a crowded dish), I could get away with putting this tightly covered dish into the oven at 210-degrees for for a long 3.5 hours and come home to it turning out perfectly.

INGREDIENTS for 6-8 servings:

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (or, if you prefer, cook the chicken breasts as they are and then shred the meat).  Using left-over meat from a rotisserie chicken would really speed things up with this recipe!
1 small onion, chopped  (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
...
8 of 8-inch flour tortillas
1 and 1/2 cups of grated Monterey Jack OR Mexican Blend cheese, divided.
1 and 1/2 cups of mild chunky salsa, divided --I used Tostitos brand, but home-made would maybe be the GREATest!  (Because I doubled the recipe yesterday, I ended up using all of the Tostitos 24-oz. jar, which filled 3 cups.)
...
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 of 15-oz. can chicken broth (I like MSG-free...as free as possible, that is.  Homemade chicken broth would probably be the very best!!!!)
1 cup of sour cream (I used Daisy brand, because of it not having "extra stuff" in it)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a frying pan, cook the chicken (and optional chopped onion) in the oil over medium heat until just done.
2. Spread out the 8 tortilla shells.  
3. In a little row, put 1/8 of the chicken pieces on each of the shells.
4. Put about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons shredded cheese on the chicken pieces.
5. Put about 1 tablespoon of the salsa on the "cheese row".
6. Roll each tortilla up, putting them into a lightly non-stick sprayed 9x13" baking dish.  Set aside....
7. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour.  Stir until "bubbly" and smoothly mixed.  Gradually, whisk in the chicken broth, stirring constantly and watching that it doesn't scorch.  Bring to boiling, and let boil for at least a full minute.
8. Remove from heat and add the sour cream.  Blend well.
9. Pour thickened sauce over enchiladas in the dish.
10. Top with remaining cheese. Or, you could jump ahead and do the the next (#11) step before layering with cheese.
11. Drop dabs of the remaining mild chunky salsa on the top of all.* 
12. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375-degrees for 20 minutes OR until the cheese is melted and you see "bubbly" happening around the edges. 

*  At this point, you could double-wrap and freeze it until it is needed...well, within a month, or two?  When taking from freezer, you'd have to bake this considerably longer-- adjust the time accordingly.

Carrot - Pecan - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Get some eggs, get some butter...get started!

Time to to use up

some more CARROTS!!!

I took a pumpkin cookie recipe and 

converted the pumpkin to... CARROT!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
....
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
*15 oz. puree'd carrots (probably 2 cups raw carrot slices to begin with?).  I can't believe I actually WEIGHED this!
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
....
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (or chopped walnuts)

* If you want to save time and do NOT want to start out with RAW carrots, I'm sure you could open some canned carrots, drain and puree them.

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 360-degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  (The original recipe called for a 375-degree oven-- that's not okay with my oven!)

In a flour sifter, or a "screen sifter" like this,...

  

• Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Shake it through the sifter to remove any lumps.  Set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar together (until creamy) in a large mixer bowl.  Add puree'd carrots, eggs and vanilla extract.  Gradually, but thoroughly, mix in the flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoonsful of dough unto a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper.  Because they did NOT "spread out" during baking like I expected they would, I got away with baking 12 on a sheet!
• Bake for 15-20 minutes OR until edges are just lightly browned.  (My 360-degree oven needed about 19 minutes)  Cool on baking sheets for about 2 minutes before sliding parchment paper w/hot cookies onto table top to cool completely.  
• Eat as is, OR drizzle tops with the frosting/glaze of your choice.  My favorite to put on top is this....

BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING:

Heat ½ (or 1/3?) stick of butter in pan only until golden brown in color (stirring all the while)-- this does NOT take long.  Quickly add about two Tbsp. milk to quickly stop the browning, and then add some SIFTED powdered sugar till you have the amount and consistency of frosting you need. You do not want this to be thick!   It may be necessary to add tiny amounts of more milk to get a smooth texture.   I drizzle this over the bars.  (You have to drizzle this on the cookies quickly before it thickens-- that's why I just line up the baked cookies and go 'back and forth' over their tops.)

The original recipe for these cookies came from the web address at the bottom of this posting, but, I substituted puree'd carrots for the can of pumpkin and then drizzled my favorite "browned butter" frosting on them...
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/12833/pumpkin-spiced-and-iced-cookies/detail.aspx

Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie (Yes, CARROT!)

So, what do you do when you have about two laundry baskets of carrots, with a good number of them being MONSTERS?!?!  Do what I did?  Google "CARROT RECIPES"!!!!!!  

In my opinion, this pie ends up being a good "MOCK pumpkin pie"!!!

Check these out:

 The largest (the 10" x 4.5")

weighed 2.5 pounds!  Yes, POUNDS!
Thank YOU, Pam!!!!!!!!!!

Besides the "usual" uses for carrots (freezing, and canning), I found a variety of other recipes for carrots, some of which were very familiar-- soups, juice recipes, cookies, bars, cakes, etc.  And, then,... I found recipes for CARROT PIE!   I might have been "under a rock" too long--  but, I'd never heard of these!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked and then pureed carrots (maybe about 4 cups of slices to start with?)
1 of 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt (1/8 tsp.?)
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
.......................
Personal note:  I think(?) using just 1/2 of the following three ingredient amounts would also work to top the pie!
1 cup of chopped pecans 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
3 tablespoons butter, melted 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add 1 inch of water to a large saucepan; add carrots.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 9-11 minutes OR until tender.  Drain.  Cool.
2. Puree the carrots in a food processor or blender.  When you think they are smooth enough, run them through a potato ricer or Foley food mill to make sure any lumps are removed.
3. In large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), beat together the pureed carrots, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt until well-mixed.
4. Pour into unbaked pastry shell.
5. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and melted butter.  Sprinkle over the pie filling.
6. Bake at 375-degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are browned.  (Right from the start, I make a ring of aluminum foil and cover the top edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning.) 
7. Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate leftovers. 

The original recipe for the above pie came from:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan-topped-carrot-pie

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P.S.  Below:  The recipe for the "bare-topped" Carrot Pie that can be seen in the background may be my husband's favorite of the two:

The recipe for the "bare-topped" carrot pie is made by pretty much following the same "directions" as for the pecan-topped pie, but the ingredients listed were: 

• 2 cups cooked and then pureed (pulp-free, and lump-free) carrots (about 4 cups of raw carrot slices to begin with?).
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1 dash salt

Original submitter's note:  If you double the recipe, you may be able to fill 3 of the 9" deep dish frozen pie crusts.   This original pie recipe came from Karla at:  http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/pie/grandma-roses-carrot-pie.html

Today was PIE day! (Cherry, and Blackberry)

Because I wanted to make room in one of the freezers today, I decided to make two pies-- one a cherry, and the other a blackberry.  Besides that, with the oven going, the kitchen warmed up nicely on this chilly Fall day...

For this cherry pie, I followed the recipe found at:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/cherry-pie-recipe/index.html

Because the cherries had been in the freezer, they were VERY JUICY when they thawed.  First thing, I took all of the juice and, in a kettle over medium heat, I "reduced" the amount of total juice from 2 and 1/4 cups, down to 2/3 cup.  (It didn't take all too long to do that.)   Once the juice amount was down to around 2/3 cup, I dumped the pitted cherries in, and heated them until "just boiling"-- then I added the blended mixture of sugar (I added only 1 cup of sugar) and cornstarch to the hot cherries.  Stirred until it was beginning to thicken.  Dumped all into the bottom crust.  Put the top crust on.  I proceeded and then baked  it according to directions on the website.   

Below:  I use a "cheater mold" for 

making a sort of lattice top...

Some of the cherries I used were "early cherries" 

(lighter in color); the others were "late 

cherries" (darker in color).  End result

was a pie with darker colored cherries.

Because the cherries were frozen, they are a 

little darker than usual, and some are just 

not "as round" as fresh cherries would

be in a ready-to-eat slice of pie like this.

(Some cherries looked more like a "flat tire",

but the regular taste was there.)

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The second pie for today, Blackberry, was made from the recipe

found at:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackberry-pie-i/

For this pie, I used "wild" blackberries that were frozen from over the summer.  Because they WERE still frozen, when going into the pie crust, I followed the advice of the "submitter" and baked the pie for an extra 20-25 minutes, and it worked just fine.  Your oven may be different, so check on the progress every 5-10 minutes after the originally suggested baking time.

As shown below, this top crust was also made with a "cheater" kind of pie crust mold-- this one, with the heart cutouts.  Others I have can be seen under the category of "gadgets I like" in the index list along the  right side of this blog.

Like one "reviewer" did, I also 

added an extra cup of berries.

It is time to have a piece of pie!

Pecan Pie*

We . LIKED . this . PECAN . PIE

Before yesterday, I had made only ONE pecan pie in my entire life and thought it was just too much of "something(?) I didn't care for"-- so, ... I gave up the idea of making any more.   Things are a changin'-- I will be making pecan pies in the future!  Why?

It is all because my free Fall 2013 issue of Living The Country Life came in Saturday's mail with this recipe in it.  After reading the description preceding the simple recipe, I knew I had to give this "fast 'n easy" recipe a go for our family gathering yesterday afternoon.  In fact, I made TWO of these!   I'm so happy I did.  Three trusted "food judges" asked for the recipe before going home--  so, here it is for anyone else who wants it:

Above:  With my sister having cut each pie into eight pieces, this is what was left of the second pie.   Usually, I'd take a picture of the WHOLE pie (yes,...the UNcut pie) when it's hot from the oven.  Not this time, though, because...  when my two pies came out of the oven, it was time to hurry off to church.  Then, when we got home, I didn't take a picture of 'em because there were finishing touches to be put on our dinner meal.  (Along with how I was raised right here on this same farm, we still eat "dinner" at noon...and "supper" in the evening.  Not that it's any kind of a bad thing, but,...to me, "lunch" seems so very city-like.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 single unbaked pastry shell (pie crust) for 9" pie plate.  Can be homemade, or store bought

.................................

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup -- I used Karo brand, with 0% (ZERO %!) high fructose corn syrup in it.
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups broken pecans (Fleet Farm usually has the "best price" for these, unless another store is running a sale on them.)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.  

1. Cream the butter. 
2. Add the sugar and corn syrup and stir all to combine.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.   Mix everything well.
4. Add the pecans and vanilla.  Stir to blend in.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pastry shell.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 425-degrees, then reduce the heat to 325-degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.  Enjoy!  (Since only you know your own oven and any "quirks" it might have, bake accordingly.)

(????) I did NOT try this "different way" of baking this kind of pie, but,... one pecan pie baker said he bakes his pecan pies at 350-degrees for 15 minutes, and then at 300-degrees for another 50-55 minutes, taking them out of the oven when their internal temperature reaches 200-degrees.  (????)

Personally, I think THIS recipe is BETTER than the one used to make the regular  "Karo Syrup - Classic Pecan Pie" because it has 2 extra tablespoons butter in it, and calls for 1/2 cup LESS white sugar.  (I do not need nor want a piece of pie so sweet that it practically CURLS my teeth!)

*Betsy Freese, the editor of Living the Country Life, Fall 2013, wrote this about the above pie recipe:   "Mom placed two of her pecan pies on the kitchen table to cool when I was visiting last fall.  I was not allowed to touch them, as they were for a church fund-raiser.  They sold for $30 each!  Money well spent.  Here is her recipe."  She then added, next to a picture of the two pies, "My mother, Ruth Ann Johnson of Elkton, Maryland, makes the best pecan pies in all the land."   As of yesterday, I'll second that!!!!

As is so usual, I often do a google search to find out more about people who are an inspiration in one way or another.  In doing so, I found that Betsy's mother Ruth Ann just celebrated her 53rd wedding anniversary with her hubby Phil.  http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/blogs/betsys-backyard/2013/09/10/farmer-and-his-wife/

Or, if you want to read even more about Betsy and what she and her family spend time with/on, go here:
http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/blogs/betsys-backyard/  In particular, one of her husband's sayings grabbed my attention:  "The family that HAYS together, STAYS together!"  (Our own family has sure put that to the test!!!  And, ...a cleaned-off  hayfield along with a barnful of hay bales is a most beautiful sight to behold.)  Also, on her web blog, I saw her "different" kind of recipe for making pickled beets.  I may have to give THAT recipe a try next time "beet season" comes around.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars* w/Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is a KEEEEEEEEPER!!  
I think this is more like a snack cake than a bar.
It is moist AND ... SO good!

INGREDIENTS for the Bars:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 small pinches of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (some may prefer to use cinnamon in place of the ginger)
...
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance blend of oils)
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
...
1 and 1/2 cups finely shredded  carrots (I used a "fine grate" disc on my food processor to get this done.)
1 cup finely shredded zucchini (If using larger zucchini, cut in half and remove seeds/dry stuff.  I do not peel it.)
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans?), optional

INGREDIENTS for the Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

..........................................................................................

DIRECTIONS for making the bars:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger).  Set aside.

In a "quite large" mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Whisk until well mixed.  Set aside so the sugar granules can better dissolve while you grate the carrots and zucchini.

Grate the carrots and the zucchini.

Dump the well-whisked dry ingredients AND the grated carrots AND the grated zucchini AND the chopped nuts to the "wet ingredients" in the large mixing bowl.  Using a wide spatula or wooden spoon, GENTLY stir or fold these ingredients evenly into the wet ingredients-- to have the finished product end up lighter, do NOT over-mix/stir.

Dump finished batter into the prepared pan/dish, like this... 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, which is about 25 minutes.  Coming out of the oven, mine looked like this... 

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

DIRECTIONS for making the icing:
Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until it's smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat together until all is VERY smooth and creamy-like (2-3 minutes?).  Spread evenly over the cooled bars.  

The bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature OR in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  These also FREEZE very well!

*Recipe, with a different kind of icing, was adapted from website of 
http://realmomkitchen.com  And, before that, it came from  the
Better Homes and Gardens website at
 http://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/carrot-and-zucchini-bars/

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread* (actually, it's more cake-like!)

If you are "into" CHOCOLATE, 
you will probably like this.  

If you are NOT, ...do NOT make this!!!

"Double Chocolate" =  very CHOCOLATE'Y!!

In addition to cocoa, each loaf 

has a whole cup of semi-sweet 

chocolate chips in it! (To make it with "less of strong chocolate", use milk chocolate chips, or leave 'em out altogether.)

INGREDIENTS:

The following ingredients make just ONE of the 8x4-inch loaves.  Double all ingredients to make two as shown above.

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hershey's cocoa)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I use aluminum-free)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

...

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance blend)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup honey (I used honey fresh from our son's beehives)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

....

2 cups shredded zucchini (If using larger zucchini, cut in half and remove seeds along with its "drier stuff"-- I don't peel it.)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.  (Use milk chocolate chips IF you would rather have a more mild chocolate flavor!, or leave the chips out altogether.)

 I love nuts! and I would like to have put some in here, ...but not every family member likes them as much as I do!  Besides, my pan was FULL ENOUGH without anything else being added.

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.  I also cut a long/thin piece of parchment paper that will go down the end, along the bottom, and up the other end.  I spray that, too.   It seems to take the "hope" out of removing the loaf when it's done.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda).  Make sure everything is very evenly mixed together. (It's not necessary, but I also ran this dry mixture through a strainer-type sieve to get rid of any small lumps that could be in the cocoa,)  Set aside.

• In quite a LARGE bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract.  Once this is mixed together, I like to let this stand for a few minutes so that the liquid (eggs and vanilla) can sort of "melt" the granules of brown sugar.   Maybe five minutes, ...and then I whisk it for a little bit, again.

• NOW, I dump the bowl of whisked together "dry ingredients" into the large bowl  of the whisked together "wet" ingredients.  Before stirring, I also dump the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips on the top of all.   At this point, I start stirring/blending/folding with a wide spatula or wooden spoon.  I just want to make sure things are blended together-- over-stirring may cause a drier/tougher loaf than I want.

• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  When I saw how much batter I had in comparison to the size of the smaller loaf pan, I thought I would surely be in "trouble" because the batter came to 1/2" from the top of the pan.  I was picturing a serious kind of "bake-over" in the oven, but,... it didn't happen.  All was well.  

• Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick (or thin sharp knife) inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.  Depending on your own oven, and especially if you will be using a DARK kind of loaf pan, you might want to put a baking sheet on the rack that's below the rack you're using-- this may keep the bottom of your loaf from getting too dark before it's done.  My pans were "light colored", so I didn't have to do that.  Some bakers say the baking time may also have to be decreased a little if you are using a dark pan (a glass loaf dish, too?).  You know your oven better than anyone else-- bake accordingly.

• Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing-- sometimes, it's hard to wait for that!!!  Store leftovers at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.  (I'm one who likes "cold cake" and I will also eat other things in their "cold state", also, so,... I like to store this in the refrigerator.)

*This recipe came from the website of King Arthur Flour.

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Quick Loaf *

The one and only ZUCCHINI plant in Pam's garden 

is very, very productive!  This makes me want 

to find all kinds of ways to use what it's putting out!

I LIKE Lemon!

I LIKE Poppy Seed!

I LIKE Zucchini!

I LIKE Bread!

So,... I put 'em all together and have this!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

....

• 4 large eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil (I used "Smart Balance" oil blend)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

....

• 2 cups shredded zucchini  (If using larger zucchini, cut lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibrous "stuff", then grate.  I did not peel it.)
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees
• Set oven rack to second-lowest position
• Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans (I also put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each.)

• In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, dry pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

• In another bowl, first whisk the eggs; add milk, oil, lemon juice and lemon extract. Whisk together.  

• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently stir the "wet ingredients" into dry ingredients JUST until moistened.  (Like when making muffins, do NOT over mix this batter.)

• Fold in the grated zucchini, poppy seeds and lemon peel.

• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick or thin wooden skewer inserted near the center comes out clean.  In my oven, I needed to bake these two loves for about 1 hour (or 60 minutes).  

• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

* This recipe comes from the website of Kittencal's Kitchen (a while back, when I sent her an e-mail and asked if I could make some of her recipes and post them in this blog, she wrote back and said "yes".   Thanks, Kitten Cal!

Today, while making this, I thought of Wayne's late Aunt Alma-- 

I think she was 'the' expert when it came to making any

 kind of poppy seed cake and, of course, her 

poppy seed Czech-style Kolache pastries.

                                  M-M-M, goooooood!

Today, before my little helper friend got the word 

"zucchini" down, she said to me, "I've never 

had 'zoonie' bread before!"  

Actually, ...me neither! (LOL!!)