Zucchini season is not here yet, but before long, it will be here, and I will have enough zucchini to feed an army.

Zucchini and Summer Squash are always part of my veggie planting list, as they do not require too much TLC, and continuously produce throughout the season.

Zucchini make a nutritious vegetable side dish, or a yummy casserole, but I came across, and tried, a great new recipe, for Zucchini and Goat Cheese Fritters.

The first time I tried this recipe, I did not have Goat Cheese on hand, so I used Cottage Cheese instead, and they still tasted great.  My next batch was with PrimoTaglio Garlic & Herbs Goat Cheese, and they were just as delicious.

I made some modifications to the original recipe, by adding other veggies, to suit my taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup of scallions, chopped
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 Tbs. red peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 oz. goat cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• Canola oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Wash the zucchini.
2. Shred on a large eye grater, over a colander.
3. Mix in salt, and let the juices drain out.
4. Squeeze out more moisture from this mixture, with your cupped hands over a colander, or you can use cheese cloth, to make them even dryer.
5. Place squeezed zucchini in a medium bowl.
6. Beat egg slightly, and add to zucchini.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the zucchini, and mix it in to incorporate.
8. Mix in chopped scallions, garlic, carrots, and peppers.
9. Mix in black pepper.
10. Fold in cheese.
11. Heat 1 Tbs oil in a sauce pan.
12. Drop 1/4 cup mounds of of zucchini mixture into the hot oil, flattening them with the back of a spoon to form pancakes, and spreading them about 1/2 inch apart, so they don’t stick together, and are easy to turn over.
13. Fry for about 3 minutes on one side.
14. Turn them over, and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
15. Remove them onto a plate lined with a double layer of paper towel, to absorb any extra oil.

Serve them hot with a dollop of sour cream, plain yogurt, mushroom gravy, or as plain as they are.

I love sour cream, but tried to cut down on calories, so I had mine plain.

I have tried several great recipes for chocolate chip cookies, but this is one is my favorite.

These jumbo cookies are full of chocolate goodness,with crispy bottom, yet a soft and chewy middle.

Total perfection wrapped up superbly in one and all.

They are super delicious while still warm, with the semi-melted chocolate chips oozing out of them, and still scoring high points the next day;  after that, there were only few crumbs left here and there…

One recipe yields 24 jumbo cookies.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chunks (12 oz package)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combing softened butter (see tip below), brown sugar, and granulated white sugar.
4. Beat at medium speed for about 6 minutes, scraping the sides often (at least once every 2 minutes).
5. Add one egg at a time, beating again for a minute after each addition.
6. Add vanilla, and beat another minute, scraping the sides few times.
7. Reduce speed to low, and gradually keep on adding the flour mixture, while still continuously mixing and scraping the sides (about 3-4 more minutes).
8. Fold in dark and white chocolate chips.
9. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough (I used ice cream scooper) onto ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.  Each mound is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, but expands to 4 1/2 inches, or more, during baking.

10.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

11.  Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden on top.  Do not overbake.

12.  Remove from oven, and let stand in a baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, to slightly cool off and firm up.

13.  Using a spatula, remove cookies onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.

14.  Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, or a zip-lock plastic bag.

ENJOY!!

TIP: To soften butter, I cut it up into about 1 Tbs. chunks, place it on a microwave safe plate, and zap it for 20 seconds.

Scones are a wonderful accompaniment to tea, which I love to drink, as I am not a coffee admirer.

My daughter found this recipe on line.  It sounded simple enough, yet delicious, and since we had all the ingredients on hand, it was a perfect time to move forward with the project.

There can never be a wrong time to bake in our house, and if a new recipe sounds great, then there is that much more drive to go for it.

We were very pleased with the final results.

These scones have more moisture in their texture, thus resembling muffins, which makes them different from our other scone recipes.

The lemon glaze adds a refreshing tangy flavor to their overall delicious taste.

We made over a dozen of scones from this single recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lemon yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (we used butter)
• 1 cup fresh,  or frozen blueberries (do not thaw before use).  We used fresh blueberries

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg and butter.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Fold in blueberries.
5. Generously grease a baking sheet.
6. Drop batter onto greased baking sheet, by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Combine glaze ingredients.
9. Drizzle over warm scones.

Enjoy these delicious Lemon-Blueberry scones with your tea, coffee, or a nice tall glass of cold milk.

Another Birthday party for my granddaughter.

This year’s Birthday Party’s theme was Dora The Explorer, with her whole entourage, whom all the little girls totally adore.

My daughter, as always, went all out with her craft talent, imagination, and lots of planning effort, to prepare a wonderful and fun Birthday Party for her daughter.

I will share some pictures, for your pleasure, and some fresh ideas for your next party planning.

The invitations were handmade, to resemble a “Backpack”, one of the main characters in the Dora adventures.  The inside of the invitation was in a form of a map, also very fitting with the theme.  Very original and cute!

She made these out of construction paper, plus the use of her stamping tools, and with a helping hand from the Birthday Girl, who loves crafts, and helping her mom with all fun projects.

This is the inside of the invitation, resembling a map, which Dora always carries in her backpack to help her navigate her travels (for confidentiality and protection of identity, I blocked off the personal information about the party.  Basically, I do not trust cyberspace that much….and  recommend that you shouldn’t either!)

The “Birthday Princess” was helping her mom to color these giant pictures of the other significant characters in Dora the Explorer adventures, and used them to decorate the walls of the party rooms, in addition to the numerous balloons, including a giant balloon of Dora, of course.

The main snack table is ready for the party, and each food item is appropriately identified to go with the party theme.

“Swiper No Swiping” Cheese Doodles, Isa’s Cheese & Crackers

The Fiesta Trio’s Salsa & Chips

Tico’s Veggies

This was a very popular snack with the little ones.  Today’s Moms are doing a great job with introducing their children to not only steamed veggies, but also raw ones.

Jello Jigglers was another favorite snack with the Birthday Girl and all her guests.

These were cut out into star shape, once again, to match the Dora party theme, as well as an easy finger food for those little fingers.

There were also star-shaped, freshly made toasted Melted Cheese Sandwiches, totally enjoyed by the young birthday crowd, paired well with other snacks and veggies, plus individual ice cream cups. (Parents of course had their own “grown ups” food for their meal).

The party attendants also had lots of fun activities outdoors, as Mother Nature cooperated with gorgeous weather.

The whole back yard was  full of over a hundred of Easter Eggs filled with candy and small toys, strategically strewn all over the grassy area,  ready for a fun egg hunt.

Here is two more outdoor games set up for everyone’s enjoyment, as prerequisites to the egg hunt game.

These are: Dora’s Bean Bag Toss game, and Crossing The Tunnel under The River challenge.

Each party attendant was equipped with a specially made “Backpack” , and a map to follow to execute each consecutive event.

The Birthday Girl’s mom was also assisting with further instructions, to help the games move along in a fun way.

The parents had fun watching their little ones having fun, and capturing it all on their cameras and videos.

The first game was a Dora Bean Bag Toss.   Everyone received 4 bean- filled bags, which they needed to toss into the pockets of the Dora Target.

The youngest players needed to get a little closer than the older ones, and that was OK, as long as they had fun doing it.

According to the map, the next obstacle was to crawl through the tunnel, to cross under the river, to reach the egg hunt event.

The river was constructed out of a plastic slip-and-slide, positioned over a toy tube tunnel.

The kids had lots of fun playing these games, then running quickly to line up for the egg hunt.

Once all the eggs were collected into their backpacks, they still had energy to enjoy the activity gym in the back yard, before going back in for some cake and cupcakes.

Dora The Explorer chocolate flavored Birthday Cake, selected by the Birthday Girl, and prepared by a local bakery, was a dream come true for all Dora admirers.

There were some vanilla flavored rainbow cupcakes, available for those who did not care for a chocolate flavored cake.

Party time was almost over, as most of the party goers needed their nap by now (including their parents or grandparents…), but as always, everyone got to keep the special backpack full of fun stuff inside their Easter Eggs, and in addition they also were treated to additional party favors.

Each guest received a Dora coloring book, and a special 4-pack of multi-color playdough, to add to their backpack treasures.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and felt like you also attended the party (without feeling burned-out, or indulging in the additional calories of party food….)

Everyone loves jello, or at least most of us do.

Jello desserts can be plain and simple; prepared in a single serving dish, then served in chunks.

I love my jello served with whipped cream on top. How about you?

Jello can be mixed with other ingredients, such as cream cheese and fruits, and turned into a more festive dessert.

Jello can also be used as a top layer of a cake, and served as an elegant, after dinner  dessert.

Today’s jello recipe is somewhat plain, but at the same time, very creative.

It takes some prior planning, as you can see in the above picture, I used hulled out grapefruit shells, as individual vessels for the jello.

Directions:

• You simply cut your grapefruit, lemon, or orange, in half, consume the fruit, but save the shell.  You need to preserve the shell undamaged, or your jello will leak out.

• Orange shells do not need any additional preparation, as long as you remove the orange sections carefully, as not to damage the shell.

• Grapefruit however, requires additional careful removal of the remaining section fibers, after you scoop out most of the sections and the juice.

• I also peel out some of the white pulp attached to the section fibers, to leave a nice clean shell.

• If you need more than one day to save up enough shells, that is fine, as long as you keep them refrigerated , or leave them out in the open air, for a day or so.  They will begin to dry out slightly, but this will not affect their performance.

• Once you have enough shells, cook your jello per package directions, but use only HALF of the recommended amount of water, to make a firmer jello, thus easier to cut into serving portions.

• Position your fruit shells on a platter.

• Fill each shell all the way to the top, with cooked jello.  Hot will not hurt it, and warm will be fine as well.

• Cool completely. I cool mine at room temperature until mostly set, then I transfer them into the fridge, in a more convenient container.

• Before serving, use a sharp knife, and cut each shell into serving wedges.

• First, I cut each shell in half, as above.

• Then, I cut those halves, into three even sections.  Therefore, you will get 6 jello wedges from each 1/2 grapefruit shell.

This dessert was a huge hit with my four year old granddaughter.  She absolutely loved eating these jello wedges, as if they were orange sections.

This is a fun way to serve  jello at kid’s parties!!

I used Lime jello, for a more springy color for Easter Sunday, but any flavor is suitable.

The grapefruit aroma of the peel, does slightly permeate into the jello, but does not affect it adversely.

Using the fruit shells for serving jello, eliminates washing the serving dishes.  The leftover peel can be chopped up, and thrown into your garden to add acidity to your soil, or shredded in your garbage disposal, to freshen it up.

It is an all around winner!, no matter how you look at it.

Stay tuned, as my next post will also be dedicated to jello dessert;  European recipe shared by my sister-in-law.

Corned Beef, cabbage, and boiled potatoes, make a perfect meal for St. Patrick’s Day.

Actually that is probably the only time I prepare corned beef for a family meal, because it just tastes so much better that day.

If you like corned beef, how often to you include it on your family menu?

I purchase the ready treated corned beef from my local grocer, and prepare it per suggested instructions, thus boil it until done.

Once the meat is fully cooked, I cut up green cabbage head into 8 sections, right through the core of the cabbage, so the sections do not fall apart during cooking.

I boil the cabbage sections for at least 15 minutes, in the corned beef broth.

Remove the cooked cabbage and set aside.

I peel potatoes, quarter each, and boil for 20 minutes in the corned beef broth, as well.

Before serving, I saute Italian flavored bread crumbs in butter, and sprinkle them over the cabbage.

Potatoes are also served with sauteed onions in butter, and flavored with salt and pepper.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

This year’s mild winter weather is very favorable for my garden, and my spring flowers.

Isn’t this a gorgeous bloom of a Daffodil?

My mom’s garden used the have lots of White Daffodils with orange rimmed centers.  They were much more fragrant than these yellow ones.

Spring is my favorite season of the year.  I love the fresh air, after a long winter, the vibrant colors of new growth on plants and trees.

It looks like the earth is waking up from a deep sleep, getting ready to show off the beauty of nature.

I planted these hardy Pansies last Fall.  They stayed green and blooming throughout  winter (thus slightly weathered looking), and now are picking up new spring look.

Hardy Viola, also survived the winter with its original foliage and blooms.  Now changing to a more springy shade.

Today’s warmth of the spring sun, coaxed these Crocuses also open up nicely.

How is your flower garden doing in your area?  Any blooms yet, or maybe even more than here?  Please share with us.

If you like the flavor of mocha icing, you will love this cake.

I received this recipe from a friend, several years ago, and enjoy preparing it as an after dinner dessert, as well as for bake sales, and bazaars.

It always receives very favorable reviews.

Due to the rich texture of the frosting, I prefer to keep the serving pieces on a thinner side.

It may be prepared several days  ahead, as it stores very well, refrigerated of course.

It is also suitable for freezing, wrapped well in foil, and stored in a freezer zip lock bag.

Cake Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  

Filling Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup cornstarch
2. 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3. 2 Tbs. instant coffee grinds (I used Sanka)
4. 1 1/4 cup whole milk
5. 1 cup + 2 Tbs. butter, softened
6. 3 Tbs. powdered sugar
7. 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use rum extract, or Grand Marnier Liqueur)
8. 1/2 cup coarse cookie crumbs (I used crushed Nabisco Nilla Wafers)
9. 10 candied coffee beans for decoration (I used Maraschino Cherries)

Cake Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks (6 yolks) and half the sugar (1/4 cup), until thick and light cream color.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
3. Beat in remaining sugar (1/4 cup).
4. Fold whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Gradually mix in flour mixture into the egg mixture.
7. Fold in the ground almonds.
8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
9. Line a 13 x 9 cake pan with parchment paper, and grease it well (dab some grease on the bottom of the pan, to hold the paper down. I always use Crisco Shortening).
10. Spread batter in the pan, and smooth it evenly with the back of a spoon.
11. Bake 10 minutes, or until done.
12. Remove from the oven. Let is stand in pan for 5 minutes.
13. Invert it onto a cooling rack, peel off the parchment paper, and cool completely.
14. Cut lengthwise into 3 even strips.
15. Set aside.

Filling Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix corn starch, granulated sugar, coffee powder, and a little  milk (2 Tbs), to form a paste.
2. Heat the remaining milk in a sauce pan, until warm.
3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture.
4. Return to heat, and bring to boil, stirring constantly (to prevent burning on the bottom), until thickened.
5. Mix in your favorite extract, and remove from heat.
6. Cool, stirring continuously ( I use a whisk), so it stays smooth and does not form a crust (I place the saucepan in a large pan of cold water, while stirring, for faster cooling).
7. Beat the butter with the powdered sugar, until fluffy.
8. Gradually beat in the cooled coffee sauce, turning it into mocha filling.
9. Before spreading the filling on the cake strips, you can prepare a cake soaking solution of some warm water and your favorite extract or liquor, and drizzle it over each cake strip, for added moisture.
10. Place one of the cake strips on a platter, and spread it with a layer of mocha filling.
11. Repeat the process with the other two cake strips, stacking them on top of each other.
12. Use the remaining mocha filling to frost the top and sides of the cake.
13. Decorate with candied coffee beans, or use your own idea.
14. Keep it refrigerated until 15 – 30 minutes before  serving.

Enjoy this decadent dessert.

On Monday, February 20th, the Eastern Right Catholics begin their First Day of The Great Lent.

The Roman Catholics have until Ash Wednesday, for The Great Lent to begin.

This period of 40 days, ending on Easter Sunday, calls for an increased spiritual awareness, humbleness, and meatless meals on Fridays, and optional on Wednesdays.

Those who love meat in their daily diets, might find it challenging to prepare meatless meals, even if it’s only once or twice per week.

Have no fear, Suburbangrandma is here to offer TWENTY FIVE meatless meals suggestions.

1. Varenyky (Perogy) – Filled Dumplings.
2. Palushky - Potato Dumplings, also knows as Lazy Perogy, or Gnocchi.
3. Halushky – Pasta with cabbage.
4. Vegetarian Holubtsi - Cabbage Rolls.
5. Crepes - Nalesnyky.
6. Tuna Melts – warm, open face sandwiches.
7. Veggie Burgers – very tasty and healthy.
8. Tomato Soup – homemade version.
9. Fruit Filled, Steamed Dumplings – so light and fluffy.
10. Vegetarian Matzoh Lasagna – much lighter than the traditional pasta.
11. Ukrainian Traditional Borscht – Red Beet Soup.
12. Pasta with Mushrooms – quick and easy.
13. Grilled Salmon – very tasty, even if seafood is not your favorite choice.
14. Homemade Apple Fritters – not just for breakfast.
15. Sweet Potato Palushky - gnocchi.
16. Pasta with stir-fry veggies – light and tasty.
17. Sorrel Borscht – Shchav soup.
18. Easy Red Beet Borscht – use Veggie Broth for vegetarian version.
19. Broccoli Cheese Soup – use Veggie Broth for vegetarian version.
20. Corn Potato Soup – use Veggie Broth for vegetarian version.
21. Stuffed Green Peppers – with Rice and Mushrooms.
22. Stuffed Red Peppers -  Bulgar (replace turkey with veggies).
23. Zucchini Casserole - so good and simple.
24. Potato Balls – Knedle.
25. Potato Pancakes - suitable as a main course with side dishes.

You don’t have to be a fan of the New England Patriots, or the New York Giants, or even a football fan at all, but you still can have lots of fun attending a Super Bowl Party.

Everyone is always looking forward to the excitement of the game, the half-time entertainment, the greatest commercials, and of course, lots of delicious food, and plenty of drinks.

I had a discussion with someone about different foods people like to try, and she told me about the Rocky Mountain Oysters, which she actually sampled before, and enjoyed it.

This dish is considered a delicacy in the Western States of the US, as well as in some parts of Canada.

I definitely am not about to prepare it, or sample the finished product (I am not that adventurous with food), but if you have the ingredients, and want to make it for your party, then here is a recipe I found for you.

As for me, I would suggest the following party foods for this Super Bowl Party:

• Jalapeno Corn Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
• Swedish Meatballs
• Mrs. Z’s Deviled Eggs
• Seven Layer Guacamole Dip
• Turkey Taco Ring
• Rye Bread Dip
• Ham Canapes
• City Chicken
• Calico Beans
• Onion Quiche

These are the hearty party foods I have posted previously, and am convinced that your party goes will absolutely adore them.

I would like to hear about the different foods you included in your Super Bowl Party menu.  Thank you.

Enjoy the game, the food, and have lots of fun!!

Go Patriots!!

Go Giants!!