Michigan Cherry Zucchini Bread

I really like cherries and dried cherries so I thought I would experiment with some zucchini bread with some cherries.  Hope you like it.

It's similar to other zucchini recipes except I added the tart dried cherries to the mix along with some chopped walnuts.

Grate the zucchini first so it will have time to drain all the liquid off.  I let it sit for a few minutes and then squeeze it some more to get all the extra moisture out.  You don't want your bread to be mushy.

Melt 2/3 c of butter.  Let it cool before you add it to the mix.

Cream 2 eggs with 1 1/3 c sugar.

Nice and frothy.

Add the melted butter to the sugar mixture.

Squeeze out the extra liquid before adding the zucchini.

Throw it into the sugar mixture.

Add 2 t baking soda, 1/2 t nutmeg and 2 t cinnamon to the batter.

Add 3 cups of all purpose flour one at a time.  Mix well and scrap down the sides after each cup.

The dried cherries were a little bigger than the cranberries so I wanted to chop them.  I decided to try out my ulu.  My boys brought me back the ulu from their Alaska trip.  It really did the job well.  I have it on good authority that the ulu is also good for cutting off corn.  Just be careful and not cut yourself because the blade is sharp.

The ulu was also good for cutting the walnuts up too.

Mix the fruit and nuts up well in the batter.

 Grease and flour two loaf pans.  You can also use small pans.  Not sure how many of the small ones it will take at least 4 if not 5.  Divide the batter between the two pans.  Put into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for at least one hour.  I always check after 50 minutes.

Two golden loaves of cherry zucchini bread.

Old Fashion Chocolate Pound Cake

I had some extra eggs that I needed to use the other day and decided a pound cake is just what I needed to make.  I remembered some great recipes for pound cakes in my Dedication Day Cookbook.  I chose the chocolate over the lemon because, you can't go wrong with chocolate.  Try this cake you won't be disappointed.  It's easy and it will remind you of the pound cakes your grandmother use to make.

Some very basic ingredients that you probably have on hand.  To give you an idea how old some of the recipes are in the Dedication Day Cookbook this one called for sweet milk.  You won't see that in Taste of Homes magazine anytime soon.

In a bowl, cream together 3 cups of sugar, 2 sticks of butter and 1/2 c shortening.  I happen to have butter shortening but you could use either.  Also I needed a bigger bowl.  It had been a while since I had made a pound cake and forgot how much batter there would be.

Those ingredients creamed in my larger bowl.

I added the 1/2 t. baking powder and the dash of salt to the butter mixture.

I then added the 1/2 c cocoa powder.

Mix that, then add one of the three cups of plain flour.

The batter is thick at this time so make sure you scrap the sides down pretty often.

I went ahead and added the 2 t vanilla to the 1 1/4 c sweet milk.

You are going to want to alternate the flour, milk and eggs because the batter is stiff at first.

Add 6 eggs one at a time between the flour and milk.

Adding some more of the milk.

The batter is now mixed.  Scrape down the sides well to make sure it is all mixed well.  This batter reminds me of a Wendy's Frosty.

Get out your bundt or tube pan and grease it well.  Make sure to get in the crease.

This is a little trick I learned from somewhere several years ago.  Instead of flouring your pan when you are making a chocolate cake cocoa the pan so there won't be white on the outside of the pan.  It really works well.  The tricky part is cocoaing the center part of the pan.  Be sure and do this part over the sink because it will make a mess.

Completely greased and cocoa pan.

Pour the batter in the pan and try to make sure it is evenly distributed. Put in a 325 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until well done.  I checked mine at an hour and then added time in short amounts.  You don't want to overcook.

Normally you would test a cake by putting a toothpick in and if it comes out clean it is done.  In the bundt pan you want to make sure it is done all the way down so use a piece of spaghetti noodle.  Be careful because you do not want it to break off.  It looks done so let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes before you turn it over.

I turned it over on a cake pan.  See the cocoa around the outside.  Looks better than white.

Then flipped it over.  This side looks much better.

And a nice sample while it is still warm.  Wouldn't be bad with some strawberries and whipped cream for a different twist to strawberry shortcake.

Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe.
Cream together
3 c sugar
2 sticks butter softened
1/2 c shortening

Add dash of salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c cocoa

Alternate between
3 c all purpose flour
1 1/4 c sweet milk
6 eggs

add 2 t vanilla

Blend well and pour into a greased and cocoa tube pan.

Place in a 325 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Check after one hour.
Let sit in pan for 10 minutes then invert to a cake plate.

Happy 4th of July

I hope all of you are having a happy and safe 4th of July.  As we gather with family and friends today let's take a moment and reflect about the freedoms we enjoy in this great country of ours and those that continue to protect us and those freedoms on a daily basis.

Zucchini Rounds

I have found yet another recipe that is a keeper using zucchini.  I think I am going to have to freeze a lot of it this summer so this winter I can continue to make these great recipes.

Zucchini, onion, cheese, egg and bread crumbs.  Sounds good doesn't it?

Go ahead and grate your zucchini first so that you can drain all the liquid off it before using it in the recipe.  I went ahead and grated it in the little strainer so it would be easy to drain.

I finely chopped about half of the medium onion.  I took a little bit longer and tried to make the pieces smaller than normal.

Put the egg, about 1/4 c of cheese, 1/4 c of bread crumbs and the onion in a bowl and mix well before adding the zucchini.

Squeeze out the zucchini one more time to get the extra moisture out.  Then add it to the bowl and mix well.

Spray a mini muffin pan with non stick spray.

Fill the muffin cups all the way to the top.  I smooshed it down to make it a little more compact. Add them to a preheated 400 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.  You want to make sure that the centers are cooked completely too.

Fresh from the onion.  They smell wonderful.  Wish you could smell them.

The finished product.  You can use Italian flavored bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese to make them different.  I think I want to try panko in them next time to give them a little crunch.  I will let you know how they turn out when I do.

Zucchini Crisp Recipe

1 c grated zucchini drained well
1 egg
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 c cheese cheddar or parmesan
1/4 c bread crumbs plain or flavored

Mix well.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a mini muffin pan with non stick spray.  Fill muffin cups to the top with mixture.  Press down.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and they are golden brown.

Citrus Chicken

Crockpot Mondays continue.  Tonight we have citrus chicken.  I think this will be a favorite of your family.

All it takes is a couple of oranges, lemon and limes, a couple springs of rosemary and a whole chicken.

Cut a medium onion in fairly large pieces.

Slice 3 lemons, 3 limes and 3 oranges.  This time the oranges were large so I only used two.  If you have smaller oranges you will need 3. Throw the end pieces into your garbage disposal so that it will smell good. No need to waste them.

And one whole chicken.

Line the bottom of the crockpot with about half the citrus fruit.  Add a couple pieces of onion and rosemary.  This is something the kids could do to help with dinner .

Wash the chicken well inside and out. Stick a couple of pieces of onion and a couple pieces of the fruit into the chicken's opening.

Set the chicken on top of the fruit.

Add a little salt and pepper to the top.

Cover the top with the rest of the fruit, onions and rosemary.  Put the top on the pot and either turn the crockpot on or you can do what I do and put it in the fridge until morning.

After several hours cooking.

The finished chicken.

Add some rice and veggies and you have a really good meal.