A Quick Hello
I just wanted to check in with a quick hello as many of you sent emails asking if my week long absence was from what you thought, but I must report that my husband is not yet back in the United States. He does know an actual date, which he cannot share, but I can tell you he will be home by the end of this month. We're expecting him to fly down south to see us by the second week in August. :o) (There is a count up deployment ticker on the bottom of my blog, for those of you who would like to take a peek.)
In other news, all the summer happenings around here, have kept me a but too busy for blogging much at all, even if my computer weren't broken. My garden is starting to burst with tomatoes and we've been busy eating these yummy treats and canning them up in various forms to be enjoyed later this year. The bulk of my tomatoes are being preserved as herbed and seasoned tomatoes, half of which will be Italian and the other half Mexican, allowing for a great variety of meals to be made this fall & winter. Some fruit ketchup, made with peaches and tomatoes is also on the plans for this week, as are some pickled hot peppers for my husband's lunches. Peach pie filling should also be put up by this time next week, to join the pickles, relishes, and chutneys that I've been working on. With all of these cans upon cans of food, I really do feel bad for the poor movers who will be packing up my kitchen for the move next month. Movers probably cringe whenever they look into my kitchen. I know I did when I've packed everything myself....or when I unpack for that matter. :P
Hoping summer is treating y'all as well as it's treating us! To everybody who has emailed me lately, please know I have not forgotten about you and am hoping to respond to everybody by next weekend.
P.S. Any ideas for what to with an overabundance of zucchini? We've been enjoying this veggie in an assortment of dishes, from quick breads to souffles, as well as putting up relish, marmalade, and pickles with summer squashes as the star ingredient, but we need more ideas. Ahhhh!!! Help! Zucchini is taking over the world! ;o)
20 comments:
I could LIVE on fried zucchini.
My kitchen is filling with jars, and I think I need to buy more... and my garden hasn't even ripened yet, I just keep finding sales on chicken.
I recommend you leave the zucchini on your neighbors' doorsteps and run! :)
We make zucchini cakes... shred zucchini, squeeze out the water, add parmesam cheese, an egg, a little flour... saute on the stove and serve with sour cream or applesauce! yum!!
Amber
Amy, go to http://ahappyhomeisaretrohome.blogspot.com
Jenny's husband works for a company that makes targets and stuff for the military and she wants all military wives to take a look. Interesting.
Also, I lost the way to get into your private blog.
I read in the Tightwad Gazette that you can shred zucchini and freeze it to use in breads and muffins and such, but I don't know if that will help with you moving so soon.
My favorite thing to do with excess zucchini is to grate it up and freeze it in 1 or 2 cup portions so that I can use it in zucchini bread later on. I don't know if that would work for you (with moving in the nearish future) but that's my idea. Perhaps you could can it or something for later use in zucchini lasagne?
I very recently made a Zucchini Strudel that if you don't know it's zucchini, you think it's apples. Delicious, and simple.
If I have a zucchini surplus, I shred it and freeze it in 1 cup portions, so it's ready for baking zucchini bread, using in cooking, whatever! Yum.
I saw recently on a blog where they were putting zucchini slices into a food dehydrator to make 'chips' - might be also a good way to preserve them.
I've enjoyed them LOTS by skewering slices, seasoning them, and putting them on the grill. Or marinate them, even. Yummy. If the squash bugs could be conquered, I'd eat it again this year. :)
Hi! I *think* I got here from Breathing Grace...lol But anyway, I have a whole wheat zucchini bread recipe on my blog here:
http://raising-arrows.blogspot.com/2009/07/whole-wheat-zucchini-bread.html
And then, something I need to put on the blog at some point is a really good pizza crust made from zucchini. It's different, but yummy! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Crust-Pizza/Detail.aspx
:)
I have a couple of posts on using up zucchini, perhaps they would be helpful: http://proverbs31living.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-ways-to-use-zucchini.html and
http://proverbs31living.blogspot.com/2007/08/zillions-of-zucchini.html
Have fun!
I made squash pickles but I put both squash and zucchini in mine. Did you make yours that way?
I purchased that Ball canning book that you have, the one with the strawberry/lemon concentrate. It's great! So many ideas!
Good luck with your move and I'll cross my fingers that nothing gets broken! :)
Hugs!
Fry the zucchini up in a cornmeal batter.
Sautee (sp?) it with other veges like squash, peppers, and onions in olive oil or butter in a big pan on the stove.
Grill it. Yum!
Zucchini bread.
Amy, you sound so happy and excited. Wish I could help you with that zucchini! I could have some of yours. :o))
oh yum! Zucchini is so wonderful....it will be a few more weeks before the gardens in my neck of the woods even begin to produce the first harvests. Oh I can't wait.
I wonder if you can make zucchini french fries somehow...or pureed zucchini soup. I have veggies on the brain..yum...
Any produce that you aren't going to use can be donated to a local food pantry, for distribution to their clients.
My boss here at work makes chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and it is very moist and delicious. It never lasts long.
Hi Amy,
I read your blog only every now and than and am not one to comment much. Just don't have the time or don't feel like commenting that I agree.
But I just took a peek again and realized that you haven't seen your hubby in over a year!! No idea how you do it. It would not be the kind of life I could live, but good for you!!
I found you a link for a zucchini pizza. I haven't tried it myself, but now maybe I will to.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/lemony-zucchini-goat-cheese-pizza/
Have fun!!
I see someone already gave my idea of shredding and freezing for baking. I have a friend whose eldest daughter does this every year and freezes in quantities just right for her recipies. Then she just pulls out a bag and allows it to thaw before she bakes. :)
God Bless!
PandaBean
Awww... I'm so happy for you. His return seems so soon. I so can't wait to be in your shoes.....
Hoping and praying everything goes smoothly and they have him home asap. But sheesh, the military can be so frustrating sometimes with all the last minute changes-of-plans, delays, hold ups...
Our zucchini favorite is made this way:
Slice into thin slices, rinse and pat dry. Coat skillet with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and fry until golden brown. Turn off burner, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, place 1 TBS. water in pan to create steam and cover. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted and enjoy!
Last week I stir fried it with yellow squash, onions, garlic,and red and green peppers, and served over rice alongside baked garlic chicken. YUM!
Can you tell I LOVE garlic?
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