Anticipated summer harvests . . .

When we plant our garden, we can always rely on the fact that nothing but nothing seems to kill a zucchini squash plant. Zucchini plants are amazing in that you can check on them one day and find nothing and seemingly overnight, giant squash grace your garden.

A favorite way to eat zucchini is cut in large chunks and sauteed until hot but still with a bit of crisp to it with lots of garlic, salt, pepper, and diced tomato. As the summer zucchini harvent goes on, however, savory uses of zucchini can get wearing. I found this recipe in my wanderings today and it sounds like a good alternative to either savory versions of zucchini bread.

Citrus Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box lemon cake mix
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated (I leave the peel on but that's just a preference)
4 ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest

Mix all the cake ingredients together until well combined but not over beatened. Spread into a 9 x 12" baking pan. Bake at 325 for approximately 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting

3 tablespoons butter, softened NOT melted
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (approximately) fresh lemon juice

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and beat in well. Add lemon juice, vanilla and zest and combine. Frost cooled cake.

Cold weather, warm food . . .

I always look towards hearty, hot meals when it is raining outside . . . as it is today! Although biscuits are always welcome with stew or soup, I have this recipe for tortillas that go well with most anything for sopping up the gravy. I'm sorting recipes today and came across it and thought I'd share. Okay, I may have done so earlier in the year but not everyone reads the archives so here it is, perhaps, again!

Tortillas

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. STir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together and is workable. You might have to add a few more drips of water/oil if your weather is dry.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion into an approximately 7-inch circle. Your circle doesn't have to be perfect!

In a nonstick skillet coated with vegetable oil spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for one minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep them under a clean dish towel until they are all done to keep them warm.

Sure, you can purchase tortillas in the store but it is nice to know that you can whip up a batch and avoid an extra trip. Besides, there is no comparison with homemade tortillas!

Lots of cold rain this morning but the skies here in 'sunny' California seem indecisive for the moment. Naturally, our home rain forecaster, our dog, dragged her blankets out in time to get damp. She does this a day or two before WE even know it's going to rain. Ironing done and dog's blanket has been sanitized, washed, and dried.

That's what makes it work!

I hope that while so many people are out smelling the flowers, someone is taking the time to plant some.

- Herbert Rappaport

There IS hope!

I just figured out how to post pictures! You have to go all the way down the page but there they are, a sampling of the projects I keep talking about!

No such project work was done today, however. Housecleaning's time had come and someone left a lot of fabric scraps and threads on the floor, yesterday!

Plain and simple . . .

Why is it that during Lent all the sweet concoctions seems to loom in every direction, tempting me to partake? I've resisted them, to date, but they do bring to mind favorite treats. Here is a plain and simple recipe of mine for oatmeal cookies. There is nothing exotic in them but the combination is always nice and it goes well with a glass of milk or a grown-up cup of coffee!

Crispy Crunches

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oatmeal (dry)
1 cup corn flakes
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins

Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugars gradually, continuing to cream until light. Add eggs, vanilla and zest; beat well. Combine the flour, salt, soda, and all alternataely with oats. Mix well after each addition. Combine cereal, nuts, coconut, and raisins; fold into batter. Drop by tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheet (greased with vegetable oil spray). Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

I remember many evening, after a day of work with the children, and finally getting to settle down with a cup of tea and a handful of these cookies. Each bite was a tad different given the variety of ingredients. It almost felt 'healthy' with all the oats and nuts.

When I was growing up, my mother liked iced cookies and while they were excellent, I always longed for crunchy, chewy, and basic. These cookies always fill the bill for me.

All said before but bearing repeating . . .

Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.
- Frank Lloyd Wright

Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right.
- Arthur Schopenhauer

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain

That's disgusting . . .

There was a news report that recounted a testing of the handles of grocery carts in a randome selection of states and cities. In 85% of the cases, they detected germs/virus related to . . . fecal matter on them! I now appreciate even more the wet wipes provided at most stores now. I have to wonder in horror, however, at how many people, obviously, do not wash their hands sufficiently. I used to cringe when I'd see an infant in a grocery cart seat happily teething on the grocery cart handle. Now it sickens me! Even before this all was news worthy, I was always careful to keep my little ones away from doing this. Ordinary germs were enough to keep me watchful.