Zucchini bread with blueberries....frosting unneeded

blueberry zucchini cake with lemon buttercream

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 cups finely shredded and drained zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (you can reserve a few for garnish if so desired)

Lemon Buttercream

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners\' sugar
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Grate a large zucchini (or two small zucchini) and place in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until most of the liquid comes out. You will want to have 2 total cups of shredded zucchini after it has been drained. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini.
4. Slowly add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Buttercream

1. Combine butter, sugar and salt and beat till well combined.
2. Add lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minute or until creamy.
3. Fold in zest (If you are piping this buttercream, I recommend leaving out the zest).

Pesto Chicken Bake-big hit

Chicken Breast in baking pan, cover with pesto, sliced roma tomatos (lots!) add artichoke hearts too! top with Mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for 40 min.

Sandwich bread

SANDWICH BREAD

Ingredients: For 2 large pans,
2 cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup lukewarm milk
6 tablespoons butter
7 1/2 cups Bread Flour (For this test batch, I used 1/3rd Whole Wheat flour, 1/3rd regular flour and 1/3rd Bread flour)
6 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
2 T Wheat Gluten (optional, but it helps!)

Mix till just together, wait 10 min. Knead the ingredients at least 10 minutes-don't add too much flour, let rise for 1 hour in greased bowl, punch down, press into square, cut in half and roll/ shape into 2 smooth loaves, and place in a pan (9 ̋ x 5 ̋). Let rise until the bread crowns just above the rim of the pan, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to cooling rack, immediately brush with butter and cool before cutting.

SLOW COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

SLOW COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This slow cooker butternut soup is rich, creamy, and full of delicious butternut flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups vegetable stock (I used a whole box)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced(or a bag or so of baby carrots....sweet flavor)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
• 1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk( just use the whole can)
• optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (or smoked paprika)

DIRECTIONS:

Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a slow cooker.  Toss to combine.

Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork.  Remove and discard the sage.  Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender, and puree until smooth, being very careful when working with the hot liquid.)  Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.

Serve warm, with optional garnishes if desired