Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
foody sites
Baked Zucchini Fries
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Aggie’s Kitchen
About 1 lb. zucchini
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow pie plate and set aside.
Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half so you have two short, stubby pieces. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half, making 2 planks. Repeat with the remaining halves (so you’ll get 16 planks per zucchini).
Stack 2 planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Thicker strips will yield “meatier” fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini. When all the fries are cut, blot the pieces with a paper towel.
Working with a small handful at a time, dip the zucchini sticks in the egg, shake them to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed; you just don’t want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they’ll soak up moisture from the egg and won’t stick to the zucchini. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the zucchini strips have been coated.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in the prepared oven then remove from oven, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini is not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with Pizza Sauce or Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. Serves 6-8 as a side dish.
Weight Watchers Points:2 (for 8 servings) or 3 (for 6 servings)
Homemade Nutella
The original recipe instructs to strain the spread at the very end, but I don’t mind a little nut texture in mine. Adapted from the Encyclopédie du Chocolat, by way of David Lebovitz.
1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp. mild-flavored honey
pinch salt
1 heaping cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or chips
1 scant cup chopped milk chocolate, or chipsOn a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nuts in a 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and their skins begin to pop. Transfer to a tea towel, gather into a bundle and rub together to remove as much of their skins as possible. While warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend until they go from finely ground to pasty and thick, like natural peanut butter.
Meanwhile, warm the milk, powdered milk, honey and salt in a small saucepan just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. In a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolates, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Add the melted chocolate to the ground nuts and continue to process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the warm milk mixture and process until everything is well blended and as smooth as you can get it. Makes about 2 cups.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
recipes I found...
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Mozzarella-Sticks-2?pmcode=IKLDC05S&_mid=838832&_rid=838832.650200.781355
http://www.theppk.com/2011/05/creamy-avocado-potato-salad/
http://whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com/2010/08/magazinecookbook-monday-slow-baked-mac.html
and for color paint ideas...
http://www.design-seeds.com/
and for emergencies...
http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Safety/Home-Emergencies/how-to-build-a-storm-shelter/Step-By-Step
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Perfect Iced Coffee
Added by Ree, from Pioneer Woman, on June 12, 2011 in Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
- 8 quarts Cold Water
- Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
- Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
- Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking!
Preparation Instructions
(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)
In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.
Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.
To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.
| Prep Time | Servings 24 | Difficulty Easy |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Local Auctions...
http://www.auctionzip.com/LA-Auctioneers/1812.html
| Auctioneer | Lynch Auctions | 318-734-0981 | ||
| Auction Date | Jun 21 | Auction Location | 13402 Highway 5 LONGSTREET, LA | |
| Time | 06:30PM | |||
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| Auctioneer | DAN HOFMEISTER | 903-994-2256 | ||
| Auction Date | Jun 21 | Auction Location | 7387 I-30 SOUTH SERVICE ROAD CUMBY, TX | |
| Time | 06:30PM | |||
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| Auctioneer | C&W AUCTION | 318-255-0020 | ||
| Auction Date | Jun 21 | Auction Location | 3902 Highway 167 Dubach, LA | |
| Time | 06:30PM | |||
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Got squash???
Squash Surprise...
When growing a garden you look for ways to cook squash with other favorites everyone will enjoy.
Yield: 3 to 4 people
- 2 pounds shrimp(can use more or less)
- 8 straight or crookneck squash, diced
- 2 onions chopped fine
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 cups cooked rice (can be leftover)
- Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, enough to suit your taste
- Can add any other seasonings you like also.
On mediun heat cook onions, bell pepper and green onion in butter until transparent. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
Add squash. Cook until tender. You can add more butter if needed (but squash will give more juices). Once squash is cooked or tender, add shrimp and rice. Cook until shrimp are pink in color.
Simmer for about 10 minutes, then serve hot and enjoy.
from Farmers Almanac.
Summer Squash & White Bean Sauté
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/summer_squash_white_bean_saut.html
From EatingWell: July/August 2008Bountiful summer vegetables—zucchini, summer squash, fresh tomatoes—are quickly sautéed with protein-rich white beans and topped with Parmesan for a hearty dish. This sauté is endlessly versatile and works well with eggplant, peppers or corn. Serve with: Brown rice or bulgur.
4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 15- or 19-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed (see Tip)
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.
Nutrition - Per serving : 195 Calories; 6 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 5 mg Cholesterol; 25 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 8 g Fiber; 600 mg Sodium; 726 mg Potassium
Zucchini Rice Casserole
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/zucchini_rice_casserole.html
From EatingWell: May/June 2009We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck, plan to reheat it before serving.
12 servings, about 1 cup each | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups diced zucchini , and/or summer squash (about 1 pound)
- 2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
- 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese , (Neufchâtel)
- 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini (and/or squash), bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
- When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
- Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving : 248 Calories; 9 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 34 mg Cholesterol; 29 g Carbohydrates; 13 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 491 mg Sodium; 273 mg Potassium
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5; cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To finish, bake at 375°F until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted, about 45 minutes.
- Tip: To remove corn from the cob: Stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique produces whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If you want to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you can add another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off, reverse the knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.
Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/braised_green_beans_summer_vegetables.html
From EatingWell: May/June 2009When green beans, summer squash and cherry tomatoes are plentiful in backyard gardens and farmers' markets, try this quick braise. We like the salty, nutty flavor of Parmesan, but you can use any flavorful cheese.
6 servings, about 1 cup each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano , or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup white wine , or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 medium summer squash , or zucchini, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes , or grape tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and oregano and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine (or broth) and bring to a boil. Add green beans, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add summer squash (or zucchini) and tomatoes and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
Nutrition Per serving : 92 Calories; 4 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 2 mg Cholesterol; 10 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 158 mg Sodium; 290 mg Potassium
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetables, 1/2 fat
Ingredients:
1. coconut or olive oil
2. 1/2 onion, chopped (or use onion powder for flavor)
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced (or more to your liking)
4. 3-4 small summer squash, sliced thinly (about 1/8 in)
5. Parmesan cheese
6. 1.5c brown rice, cooked
Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic.
Saute until almost done.
2. Add the sliced summer squash and saute until tender.
3. Serve over brown rice with Parmesan
cheese as a garnish.
Serves 3-4
Rice with Summer Squash |
 |
Submitted By: Heather Ratigan
|
1 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 chopped red pepper 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice | 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped 1 medium zucchini, chopped Top - with Cheddar cheese |
| 1. | In a saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook carrots and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, rice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 13 minutes. |
| 2. | Stir in the yellow squash and zucchini. Cover and simmer 6-10 minutes longer or until rice and vegetables are tender. |
| ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com | Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/16/2011 |
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fishing...
2011 Best Fishing Days
- January 4–19
- February 2–18
- March 4–19
- April 3–17
- May 3–17
- June 1–15
- July 1–15
- August 28–September 12
- September 27–October 11
- October 26–November 10
- November 25–December 10
- December 24–31
Best Times for Fishing
- One hour before and one hour after high tides, and one hour before and one hour after low tides. Inland, the times for high tides correspond with the times when the Moon is due south. Low tides are halfway between high tides.
- During the "morning rise" (after sunup for a spell) and the "evening rise" (just before sundown and the hour or so after).
- When the barometer is steady or on the rise. (But even during stormy periods, the fish aren't going to give up feeding. The smart fisherman will find just the right bait.)
- When there is a hatch of flies—caddis flies or mayflies, commonly. (The fisherman will have to match his fly with the hatching flies or go fishless.)
- When the breeze is from a westerly quarter rather than from the north or east.
- When the water is still or rippled, rather than during a wind.
Reader Suggestions
- The best way to fish in South Texas with chicken liver, is to let it sit a while in the good Texas sun, sprinkle a little garlic powder and a little chili powder. This combination makes the liver pasty and it will stay on your triple or single hook with little to no problem. I do offer a warning, that pow you will feel on your line is going to be one big Texas size catfish, so get ready and have some good Texas fishing fun. –Ramiro Vela
- A really good bait I have found is hot dogs with chicken meat. Cut them in desired pieces and set in the sun to 'dry up'. When they are 'dried', they will stay on the hook better. You can put them in a bag in the freezer to keep. Brim and catfish will bite this bait. –Jean Cannon
- The best catfish bait are catalpa worms. You can put what you don't use in the freezer with a few catalpa tree leaves. When you are ready to fish again, take them out and they come back to life. Start reeling in the big cats. –Joey Brown
- To find the big cats, it would help out if you knew the underwater structure of the pond, river or lake. Find DEEP holes with lots of cover as in over-hangs. Gravel pits are a great place to fish for cats. –Todd Heil
- The best catfish bait that I have found fishing for catfish anywhere bar none is shrimp, yeah it's a little costly but let me tell ya somethin' friend, it's worth it. –Chuck Hubbard Jr.
- I am Blackfoot American Native. We live to fish and hunt our meals. A true hint in catfishing is never to use any type of scents (Cologne, powders, perfume, etc.) Don't handle cigarettes or any type of tobacco products without washing your hands before applying baits, hooks, sinkers, new line, etc. The fish know these things. –Tommy Bays
- The absolute best way I know to keep your liver on your hook while fishing is: Buy 1 or 2 old plastic ice trays. Go ahead and bait your hook the best you can. I use a "threading" action. Place the hook and liver into the ice tray and let it freeze throughout the night before you go fishing. When you are ready to go fishing, just twist the old ice trays and take the liver cubes and pack them in a bag and put them in a container of ice. –Chris Payne
- In Kentucky where I live we use bait store crickets and mill worms floated with a bobber. Put three or four crickets and a couple of mill worms on a hook and hold on! You have you try different depths until you find the fish. Once you find them you can have a lot of fun catching all sizes. I have caught them from squeakers to 62 pounds on this bait, so good luck! –Kenny Conley
- I'm 68 years old and fish every chance I get. My daddy always told me to watch the cows. If they are up and eating, go fishing. If they are down resting, you might as well stay home. So far this has worked pretty well. –Edna James
- The best bait I have used here in Bradenton, Fla. is fresh mullet that has never been frozen. Catch them late afternoon or at night. Catch them as long as your leg. Good Luck! –Bill Suggs
- As the water in your minnow bucket warms the minnows will slowly die. They need a very cool temperature to survive. Never put ice cubes in with live minnows. The chlorine in the water stays and will kill your bait. Freeze water bottles then gently place them in the bucket. Usually one will be enough. –Alec Plummer
- Try it all, love the outdoors and keep a bait in the water. You won't catch anything if you aren't out there! –Jody Wolf
Friday, June 10, 2011
June Kitchen Garden Update...
onions co-planted with okra, on the left and peppers on the right...
tomatoes and summer squash
squash is growing...
squash also planted at the end of the greenbean bed...
green beans...
baby tomatoes, there really only about the size of a quarter...
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
OW...
Just saying...
OK ... since Kenneth is going to come home and mow after work today i decided to weed eat around the back of the house and garden area. Simple enough right.
Until you hit a big rock... I know next time I'll put on pants, maybe. Last year when I weed eated (?) How should this be stated? I ended up with poison ivy on my ankles for months.
It actually looks worse than it feels. At least I have cute toes!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Pampered pets...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
HURRICANE UPDATE...
2011...
12 - 18 Named storms (39 MPH winds or higher)
6 - 10 could be hurricanes
3 - 6 Major hurricanes
AVERAGE: 11 named storms, 6 Hurricanes and 2 maje Hurricanes per year.
WHAT"S THE DIFFERENCE?Tropical depression
A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined, closed surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of less than 17 metres per second (33 kn) or 38 miles per hour (61 km/h). It has no eye and does not typically have the organization or the spiral shape of more powerful storms. However, it is already a low-pressure system, hence the name "depression".[15] The practice of the Philippines is to name tropical depressions from their own naming convention when the depressions are within the Philippines' area of responsibility.[95]
Tropical storm
A tropical storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds between 17 metres per second (33 kn) (39 miles per hour (63 km/h)) and 32 metres per second (62 kn) (73 miles per hour (117 km/h)). At this point, the distinctive cyclonic shape starts to develop, although an eye is not usually present. Government weather services, other than the Philippines, first assign names to systems that reach this intensity (thus the term named storm).[15]
Hurricane or typhoon
A hurricane or typhoon (sometimes simply referred to as a tropical cyclone, as opposed to a depression or storm) is a system with sustained winds of at least 33 metres per second (64 kn) or 74 miles per hour (119 km/h).[15] A cyclone of this intensity tends to develop an eye, an area of relative calm (and lowest atmospheric pressure) at the center of circulation. The eye is often visible in satellite images as a small, circular, cloud-free spot. Surrounding the eye is the eyewall, an area about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to 80 kilometres (50 mi) wide in which the strongest thunderstorms and winds circulate around the storm's center. Maximum sustained winds in the strongest tropical cyclones have been estimated at about 85 metres per second (165 kn) or 195 miles per hour (314 km/h).[96]
2011 Hurricane Names...
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