OINK, OINK!!

So the swine flu arrived at our house last week. My poor 8 year old was the first victim, and so far the only victim(knock on wood). I had heard it comes on quickly, but I was shocked at how quickly it really hit him.
He was outside playing with the neighbor kids on Friday until about 4:30. He came inside to get his costume on so we could go to our ward Halloween party. He sat down in the front room to wait, but about 5:15 he started complaining that his leg hurt. By 5:30 he was lying on the floor crying because his leg hurt even worse. It was then that I felt the skin on his leg....he was burning up! I took his temp, and he had a high fever. By 6:00 he had a dry cough and was complaining of a sore throat and all over body aches. There wasn't much question in my mind at that point. I was pretty sure he had the flu.
So I took the other kids to the party, and Ray took Alex to Instacare. By 8:30 we had an affirmed diagnosis of H1N1, and a prescription for Tamiflu. That was apparently the easy part.

So, since the flu has hit fast and hard, there is now a shortage of Tamiflu. We had to call several pharmacies before we found one that had any. We were lucky that one not too far away had just received a shipment that very afternoon. I have heard of people regularly having to drive 40-50 even 100 miles to get to a pharmacy that had any on hand. The downside for us is that the pharmacy was SO busy, we had to wait 4 hours to get it filled. I was praying they wouldn't run out before they got to his Rx!
We finally picked it up just after midnight, and woke him up to give him the first dose just before 1 am. (that was fun, let me tell ya!) By Saturday night he was much improved. We all stayed home from church on Sunday to prevent spreading it to anyone else, and to prevent any further exposure to all of us! So far it seems to have worked, as no one else is exibiting symptoms. I say so far, because we aren't in the clear until this flu season is over! Hurry Spring, come quick!

Kids for Sale?!

So, I picked up my preschooler yesterday, and her teacher says, "I have to tell you what Grace said in class today."
This is a phrase that always strikes fear in a parents heart. You immediately start running over your recent conversations that they may have overheard, and you hope that it didn't involve a swear word or topic that would be inappropriate for a 4 year old to bring up in class.

So anyway, she says, "today I was talking with the kids about being nice and sharing/taking turns. I asked the kids why it is important to do these things, and Grace raised her hand, very enthusiastically, so of course I called on her."

So here is her response to why we should be nice, take turns and share with others: "So our Mom and Dad don't sell us."

Hmmm....can't say I haven't had my moments where I've considered selling a child or two, or even giving them away, but I have never told them that. Maybe she is a mind reader?

Who knows, but here is a recipe worth it's weight in gold. Enjoy it on this lovely fall afternoon with a nice hot bowl of soup!

Focaccia Bread

1 1/3 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast

Combine in a bowl and let sit for a couple of minutes.

Add:

3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

mix well and knead on an oiled bowl until a smooth ball forms. (you can also make with a mixer like a bosch or kitchenaid, or a bread machine) Oil the ball and let sit in a bowl for about 15 minutes. Take out of bowl and using your hands and fingers, spread dough into a cookie sheet. Dimple the top with your fingertips and sprinkle a little bit of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with kosher salt or other desired additions(listed below). Let rise in pan for 20 minutes, and then cook in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Good to eat alone, or dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or eat with soup. Just an easy, yummy bread to make anytime! Enjoy!

Other things you could add:
Shredded cheese
garlic
rosemary or other herbs (fresh or dried)
tomatoes
whatever sounds good to you!
My favorite basic combo is roasted garlic, rosemary, and romano or parmesean cheese. I usually mix some into the dough and add a little more on top as well. So good!

A recipe request

My freind, Diana, called me today and asked me to post a recipe on here. She said it is one that will make the world a better place. I don't know about that, but it is a pretty darn good recipe. I found it years ago, in a cookbook that I acquired early in my married life. It is titled, "Mormon Country Cooking". There are many great recipes in this cookbook, this one included. It made me laugh that she called and suggested I add this today, because I was planning on making some for one of my favorite meals. So, in honor of Diana (and making the world a better place) here it is:

(Make the World a Better Place) Poppyseed Dressing

3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp onion, finely grated ( I usually use 1 heaping Tbsp dry minced onions)
2 cups salad oil
3 Tbsp poppy seeds

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, mustard, salt and vinegar. Add onion and mix thoroughly. Add oil very slowly while mixing on low speed. Continue adding until thick. Stir in poppyseeds. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. If dressing separates, shake vigorously before use.

My favorite salad to use this on is a chicken fruit salad. I pile greens on a plate, and then top with chopped chicken, sliced grapes, strawberries, mandarin oranges and chopped nuts ( I prefer walnuts, pecans or cashews). You could also add some crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Now, go make some of this dressing, and make your world a better place!

Last Year of Preschool, and another zucchini recipe.

So, today marks the first day of our last year of preschool...that's right, my baby started preschool today! I can't believe she is that old already. At the same time, I am glad that I won't be paying out all this money again. This year I really splurged on preschool. Grace is going to an actual Pre Kindergarten program, which is Monday thru Thursday for 3 hours a day. That is darn near like Kindergarten, just a LOT more expensive! It is worth it though, because since I am homeschooling my 3rd grader, it gives me one on one time to get that done without disruptions!

On another note, I am still in the midst of a pile of zucchini that just keeps getting bigger. I have made lots of zucchini bread and cake, much to my families delight. Tonight I am making another of my favorite zucchini recipes that before today I hadn't had time to get to. It makes a FABULOUS dinner with a nice side salad and some garden fresh fruit. And if you have vegetarian friends, this is a perfect one to make or share with them! Even my picky kids gobble this one right up!

Faux Crab Cakes

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cups minced onion
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning(more if desired)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup veggie oil, for frying

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg and butter/margarine. Stir in seasoned bread crumbs, minced onion and seasonings. Mix well, but don't over handle.
Shape mixture into patties. Dredge in flour. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Fry patties until golden brown on both sides.

Makes 12-18 patties, depending on size.

Back to School and Canning season continues.

This week school started again. We recently made the change from a year round school to a traditional schedule school, so it has been a loooooong summer for us! So this week has been much anticipated by everyone. The biggest change this year is that my oldest started Jr. High....which makes me feel old. It is still a scary thought, because I remember how hard Jr. High was when I was there, and now there is SO much more crap the kids are exposed to. It gives me stress to think about it!

It also makes me feel pretty tired when I think of all the different directions we are going now. This year I have 1 in Jr. High, 2 at the regular elementary school, one in Preschool, and I am home schooling my 3rd grader. I also babysit 2 kids 2 days a week. One is in Kindergarten, and the other is almost 2. All of this, and it is still the middle of canning season!

So, this week I have made about 20 pints of Salsa, 8 gallons of spaghetti sauce, and I have a TON of zucchini still. I was thinking I might get a week or so to rest from canning, but aparently my peaches are deciding to be ready earlier than normal...I went out to look at them last night, and noticed that I have a whole tree that is ripe and ready to go. So this weekend I will be canning peaches, peach pie filling, peach jam, and making some peach fruit leather; but first I am going to sit back and enjoy my favorite way to eat tree ripened peaches. I simply cut it up in slices, sprinkle with sugar, and pour on some cream... Mmmm, Delicious!!! :)

attack of the killer zucchinis!

So, right now I have a huge, and I mean HUGE, pile of zucchini on my kitchen counter. With all of my produce coming on full force right now, I have sort of been neglecting it. I needed to get motivated to do something with all of it, so today I decided to pull out a couple of my favorite recipes for using shredded zucchini. I hope that someone else can make use of these and enjoys them as well. I might just have to print off a couple of copies of these recipes and attach them to some zucchini's and do a drop off to some of my neighbors...;)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup salad oil (you can substitute 1/2 of oil by using the equivalent in apple sauce)
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup finely chopped or sliced almonds

Beat eggs with sugars, oil and salt. Mix in all dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until evenly incorporated. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans or 1 greased bundt pans. For a nice touch you can sprinkle extra nuts into the pan before pouring the batter in. Bake at 325 for 50-65 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. It is also good with a nice chocolate glaze on top for an extra nice dessert.



Zucchini Spice Bread/Cake

1/2 cup prepared orange juice
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Beat eggs, oil, juice, sugar and extract. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add in zucchini and mix well. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes for cupcakes, 35-45 minutes in loaf pans or 9x13 pan, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost if desired.

Frosting:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar

in a sauce pan, cook the brown sugar, butter and milk over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool and then beat in powdered sugar to spreading consistency.

Starting Over.....and a good roast

Although it isn't quite that time of year we typically make resolutions, I am doing exactly that. I am resolving to do better at making this blog what I intended it to be initially....I let life get in the way before. Last year my sweet friend Diana asked me to start a blog to share my love of food. In an effort to do that, I figured a blog was a good way to go. Intermixed with that, I will be writing about my daily adventures and mishaps that come with being me. I hope it is enjoyable on both fronts, but that remains to be seen.

SO....in honor of this new start, here is my first recipe. I created this a few weeks ago as I was in the midst of canning our bounty of apricots from the tree in our yard. This was our first crop in 3 years, due to our lovely unpredictable Utah Springtime weather. I also am always looking for ways to incorporate a little French inspiriation into my cooking, so I used one of my favorite herb blends, Herbs de Provence. I cooked it in my crockpot for a family I was taking dinner to that day, and tried out one for us in the oven. They both turned out moist and delicious! I served it with garden veggie rice and a salad made from fixings from my garden.
Here is the recipe, enjoy!

APRICOTS de PROVENCE PORK ROAST

5-8 lb. herb roast
1 jar apricot preserves (preferably homemade, of course!)
2 Tbsp. Herbs de Provence blend
1 tsp. kosher or fresh ground sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Place roast in a greased crockpot or roasting pan. Season with salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. herbs de provence. Cook on low for 3 hours in crockpot or 1 hour in oven at 300 F. After this time pour jar of preserves and sprinkle with remaining herbs de provence. Cook for an additional 2-3 hours in crockpot or 1 1/2 hours in oven. Remove and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Slice meat and serve with juice from pan. Juice is also good over rice, if you serve that with the meat. Finish off the meal with a nice salad and a good baugette.
I would post a picture, except I don't have one. Maybe I will post next time I make it.