Baked Zucchini Fries

If you know my husband, you know he is not a veggie eater.  When I met him, all he would eat was canned green beans and canned corn.  I am happy to say I have expanded him a little bit but I try new things all the time.  He's ok with stir-fried zucchini so I decided to give Baked Zucchini Fries a try.  I am happy to say he really enjoyed them.

Baked Zucchini Fries
3 zucchinis
1/2 cup flour
3 tsps Johnny's Seasoning
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cut the zucchini into fry sticks and put in a gallon sized zip top bag with the flour and 1-1/2 tsps of Johnny's Seasoning.

Beat the 3 eggs in a shallow container and mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the remaining Johnny's in a second container.

Dredge the floured zucchini sticks in the egg and then the bread crumb mixture.  Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 24-28 minutes, flipping the fries half way through the cooking time.

Blocked

I'm having Blogger's Block.

I have plenty of crafty ideas and creative recipes I want to try but I am finding it hard to get the motivation to do any of them.

I haven't had my sewing machine out since Christmas.

I think maybe, it is this time of year.  Winter always gets me down.  The days are shorter, I find myself wanting to go to bed at 7pm and I can't go outside to do the big projects I want done.

However, my house is cleaner than normal so I guess that is a positive.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I have been on a real Mexican food kick this last week.  I made Enchilada Lasagna a few nights ago and it was so delicious.  I will share that recipe when I make it again next week.  Last night I made Beer Butt Chickens which always leave us with leftovers.  This was the prefect opportunity to make Creamy Chicken Taquitos.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
20 tortillas (corn or flour)

Mix all the ingredients, except tortillas, in a bowl until completely combined.  Soften the tortillas in the microwave for a minute or so.  Then, place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on the tortilla and roll up.  Arrange rolled taquitos on a parchment lined sheet pan with space in between and spray with cooking spray.  Finally sprinkle a bit of salt over the top and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

My dipping sauce was simply some salsa, sour cream and an avocado.

Polka Dot Hello Kitty & TMNT Cakes

My sister and I have done numerous wedding cakes, birthday cakes and cupcakes.  We don't do it for money, we have never charged anyone, we just do it for fun and because we love the people we do it for.  My favorite project we had previously done was for a friend's fall/country themed wedding.

 It was a lot of work but I just loved the look.  My dad and sister even made the cake stand.  Last week, we had the pleasure of making cakes and cupcakes for two special 7 year old's birthday party.  They had distinct themes.  Kylee wanted Hello Kitty and Hunter was all about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I saw a polka dot cake on Pinterest a few months back and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try the technique.  I figured Hello Kitty was it.

 I started with a white cake mix and separated part of it into 4 bowls.  Then I used neon food coloring to dye each one.  I scooped the mix into my cake pop pan and baked them.

I then poured some cake mix in the bottom of the cake pan, placed the dots in position and then poured the rest of the cake mix over the top.

Here is what the cake looked like after we decorated it with marshmallow fondant.

Here is what it looked like after they cut it.

 And here are the cupcakes.

Here is the TMNT cake.

And the cupcakes.  The pizza was my idea!

Valentine Necklace or Garland

I saw this cute idea here and wanted to try it for the upcoming Valentine holiday.

Cut two strips of felt 6 inches wide and 12 inches long.

Pin the two pieces together and sew along one of the long sides.

Flip the fabric backward into a heart shape (like above) and pin together.

Then sew that long end together.

Mark every 3/4 of an inch and cut all the way through.

You should end up with 16 of these cute little heart shapes.

Take thread or string, tie a knot in the end and thread on a felt heart.

Place a bead or spacer of your choice.between each heart and continue until you run out of hearts.

I though this was a little small so I am going to wear it as a necklace.

 I had some foam paper in a gorgeous pink color and cut it in 2 strips of 8 inches by 11-1/4 inches. and followed the same instructions.

It was a bit hard to get through the machine but I think it turned out beautiful.

S'mores Cookies

This dreary Winter weather is making me yearn for Summer.  For me, Summer means bonfires, which in turn, means S'mores.  I don't have a very active sweet tooth so when I am craving something, all I need is a taste and I'm good.  While re-organizing the cupboards, I found a sleeve of graham crackers and knew I had to try to make cookies.

S'mores Cookies
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 a bag of mini marshmallows
Cream the softened butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.  Add the vanilla and eggs and beat again until smooth.  Slowly add in the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt, mixing until combined.  Stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips until thoroughly mixed in.  Use and ice cream scoop and place the dough on parchment paper about 9 per sheet.  These are fairly big cookies.  Cook at 350 for 12 minutes.

These cookies aren't pretty but they are so delicious and capture that lovely S'more flavor.

Crock Pot Week, Day 5: Chicken and Dumplings

I will be honest.  This week of Crock Potting was tough.  My husband was not too enthusiastic about it to begin with.  He was not looking forward to "soupy crap" all week.  My goal was to show him how diverse the Crock Pot could be.  I think I succeeded in that but to me, it seemed like a lot of work.  I am not a morning person, so getting up even earlier to put things together was a hassle.  On one of the days,  I did put things together the night before and that was much easier.  Once a week Crock Potting will be enough for us.    

Friday's dinner was supposed to be Chicken and Dumplings.  On Thursday night, I chopped all my chicken and vegetables so that I could just throw things in the crock on Friday morning.  It was very easy to put together and I set my timer and was out the door.

However, while at work, my evening plans changed.  I was invited out to dinner with some dear friends up north and I simply could not pass up the invite.  So I came home from work, put my dumplings in, set my timer and out the door I went.

I thought the recipe was ok.  It was kinda bland but it was comforting.  If you read this blog a lot, you know I am all about the comfort food.  Give the recipe a try but put your own spin on it.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 roast chicken deboned and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 bag of sliced carrots
8 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 can of refrigerated biscuits
Mix the cream soups and the stock in the crock, then add in the vegetables and chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Turn the crock to high, cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and place them in the crock.  Let cook on high for 1 hour, then serve.