Fast, Fun, Fleecy Finish

It sometimes happens, even in the best of families, that a baby is born. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. The important thing is to keep your wits about you and borrow some money.
–Elinor Goulding Smith



This cute little bundle of joy was born on June 30. I hope his mama doesn't mind that I swiped his photo off her blog. He is one of the Little Bugs' 36 cousins. That peach fuzz on his head is sorta reddish. He's pretty cute.

I finally got around to getting a little baby gift together for him, which is probably OK since I just received his baby announcement in the mail two days ago. I did a fleece blanket for him. They go together really quickly, are inexpensive {especially if you use coupons} and make {I think} a thoughtful gift. It is so soft and snuggly. I love the fuzzy texture of the fleece combined with the smooth feel of the satin blanket binding.

Hooray for a September finish.

The Last of the Summer Zucchini {Recipes}

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. –Laiko Bahrs

Zucchini & Cheese Soup

2½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup finely chopped onion
⅓ cup chopped celery
5 cups zucchini, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

• Place 2 cups of the broth in a 2-quart pot; add onion, celery, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.
• Purée the cooked vegetables and broth in the blender or food processor; set aside.
• In a 2-quart pot, melt butter; add flour to make a paste and cook 1 minute. Add milk and remaining ½ cup broth; heat to boiling and thicken, stirring often.
• Add purée to the ingredients in the pot, stir in cheese and serve.

Serves 4

Notes:
• This was so good that even though we just had it less than two weeks ago, we're having it again as soon as I can get to the store to get some more celery.
• I've never had a food processor and I don't currently have a blender {it's a long story which involves Starlight mints and homemade hot cocoa mix and neighbor gifts and Christmas}, so I drained the broth from the vegetables and used my Food Chopper to purée the vegetables. Then I stirred them back into the broth and continued from there.

Zucchini & Chicken Bake

5 medium zucchini, sliced
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs
4 chicken breasts
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

• Heat oven to 400˚. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 baking dish. Set aside 2 tablespoons bread crumbs.
• In a 10" skillet, sauté zucchini, onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until crisp-tender; drain. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle reserved bread crumbs over the zucchini. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes, and then sprinkle with basil and ¼ teaspoon salt.
• In a shallow bowl beat egg, water, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the remaining crumbs in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then place in the plastic bag and shake to coat with breadcrumbs.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 10" skillet. Cook chicken for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from skillet and place on top of vegetables and cheese in the baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 minutes longer.

Serves 4

Notes:
• I think this is my favorite of all the new zucchini recipes I've tried this summer. With fresh vegetables from the garden, it was a huge WOW!

Other zucchini recipes that are fabulous:
Meatloaf
Italian Chicken Pasta Toss
Two-Bean Chicken Chili
Zucchini, Chicken and Rice Casserole
Minestrone

A Happy Story

Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it. –Fyodor Dostoevsky

I picked Grace up from her week at the spa. We've been busy —>.

When I went to the shop to pick Grace up, I went in the back door. They keep it propped open in the summer for better air flow. Using the back door just seems like a bad thing to do to me. The workers can't see the back door from the front counter. I could pick up as many bolts of fabric as I could carry and be out that back door before anyone noticed I'd made off with them. It just seems so sneaky to me, so I usually walk around to the front. But for some reason, I went in the back door that day. Maybe because it was hot outside and the back door was close to the car. Maybe it was because it had been 12 days since Grace and I made anything together and I was anxious to get her home. Or maybe it was kismet. But it was probably because it was hot outside and the back door was close to the car.

As I stepped into the shop, I found myself face to face with the clearance table. And we all know how much I love a great deal {or if you don't, I'm telling you now, I love to find a bargain!}. I looked down and some pretty red and black fabrics right on the bottom shelf caught my eye. One of them was a coordinate of the pretty City Sparkler Roses I've picked for my Chubby Stars Quilt. It wasn't one of the coordinates I'm going to use in my quilt, but my heart rate picked up just a little because while I was there to pick up my machine, I was also going to pick up some more of the Rose fabric I'd seen on that nearly full bolt when I dropped Grace off {I even brought coupons }, and if the coordinate was on the clearance rack, then perhaps the Roses were there as well. I moved down the row of fabrics, willing the bolt of Roses to be there. I'd almost reached the end of the red and black section and was starting to feel a little let down when there that nearly full bolt of Roses was, hiding behind the clearance sign. This time I did swallow my gum. It was 25% off AND I had a coupon for an additional 15% off any one cut of clearance fabric up to 6 yards. I only needed 5. I did a little happy dance right there in the store {luckily none of the workers could see me from the front counter}. Even though it wasn't a 50% off coupon or even really a 40% off coupon, it felt like it .

As if that wasn't enough, today as I was working out the links for this post, I noticed that the City Sparklers coordinate I am going to use in my quilt is on sale for 40% at an on-line shop and their original price was lower than the LQS had the City Sparkler fabrics marked, so it is almost on sale for 50% off too. Unfortunately, I'll probably spend more on shipping than on the ½ yard cut of fabric that I need .

I guess that was more like three happy stories.

In a completely separate and unrelated matter, today is a very special day for Mrs. P over at Quilting in My Pyjamas. Well, it is actually tomorrow in Australia and when it gets to be tomorrow here it will have been her yesterday, which goes to show that Einstein may just have known what he was talking about. I figure that as of the time this posts, it will be about 5:30 am her time on September 21 {I think that she lives 15½ times zones ahead of me, because whenever we chat it is about 30 minutes later than I think it will be}, which is about the time she starts her day. So, head over there and send her some lovely birthday wishes. She'll be turning 21, in case you want to know, which makes her the youngest grandmother in the history of ever.

Happy Birthday Mrs. P.

Thanks for making the blogisphere a happier and funnier place. I ♥ you.

Sunday Sermons: Are We Christians?

I am a devout Christian who is exceedingly fortunate to have this greater knowledge and blessing in my life since my conversion to the restored Church. –Gary J. Coleman

Favourite Things Friday: Pudding Cake

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. –Mark Twain

{LadyBug mixing up the cake batter}

Pudding cakes came into vogue in the 1930's and I love them {who knew I was a collector of vintage ?}. Whoever invented pudding cakes was a genius. You make a little batter, pour some boiling hot sugar water over the top, bake it for a bit and end up with a cake that has a delicious pudding sauce on the bottom. They are super easy to make and allow for endless variations. I've made five pudding cakes in the last 10 days. I gave two away, but the others went straight to my hips. Here are my three favorite recipes to get you started.

Brownie Pudding Cake
Cake
1¼ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pudding
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1¾ cups boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered Sugar

• Heat oven to 350˚. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.
• Combine sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add milk, melted butter and vanilla; stir until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in baking dish.
• In a small mixing bowl, mix together sugar and cocoa; gradually whisk in boiling water and vanilla. Carefully pour the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking dish.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool slightly; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Serves 8

Notes:

{LadyBug licking the spoon}

• If you have vanilla ice cream with it, it is like a hot fudge brownie sundae. Yum.
• For a Chocolate Volcano cake, spread 1 can cherry pie filling in the bottom of the baking dish and then put the cake batter on top.
• For a Chocolate Raspberrry cake, spread 1 can raspberry pie filling in the bottom of the baking dish and then put the cake batter on top.

Peach Pudding Cake
Cake
2 cups fresh peaches or nectarines, peeled and sliced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup {4 tablespoons} butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
Pudding
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup boiling water

• Heat oven to 350˚. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Mix nutmeg and cinnamon with the peaches and spread in the bottom of the baking dish.
• In a medium mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Add milk and combine to make a batter. Spread the batter over the peaches in the baking dish.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk in boiling water and carefully pour over the cake.
• Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Serves 6

Notes:
• I usually use nectarines instead of peaches. They are just a little sweeter. And my neighbor has a nectarine tree.
• There are endless variations to this cake. Substitute 2 cups peeled and sliced apples, 2 cups peeled and sliced apples and pears, 2 cups fresh cherries, 2 cups fresh raspberries or 2 cups of mixed berries, or 2 cup of your favorite fresh fruit for the peaches {or nectarines}. Yum!

Lemon Pudding Cake

Cake
3 lemons
1 package {18¼ oz.} lemon cake mix
1 cup milk
Pudding
⅔ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ cups warm {120˚ - 130˚} water
Powdered sugar

• Zest lemons to yield 2 tablespoons lemon zest. Juice lemons to yield ⅓ cup juice.
• Heat oven to 375˚. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Combine cake mix, lemon zest and milk in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and spread in prepared baking dish.
• Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and warm water and whisk until well combined. Carefully pour lemon mixture over cake batter.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm, topped with fresh berries if desired.

Serves 12

Notes:
• This cake is SO sour it makes you pucker. I love it. For less pucker and a slightly sweeter taste, use a yellow cake mix.

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