Sunflowers!

The first sunflowers have finally graced us with their lovely, sunny presence. What started as sunflower seeds in the birdfeeder, sprouted into a not so welcome guest in my mom's flower bed. Can't wait to see the rest!

Zucchini Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A peaking zucchini harvest means yet another dessert recipe! Sadly but thankfully, the zukes are calming down a bit, but don't be fooled, they are still coming out of places where the 'sun don't shine.' Here is a simple recipe that I hope you'll enjoy.

The Cake: Carrot cake box mix. Make the cake according to package instructions. I added nearly 2 cups of finely grated zucchini.

The Frosting:
Adapted from Janni's

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Blend in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. After the cake has been cooled and frosted, store in refrigerator.

Photo.

The Miracle of Seed

As I was browsing through photos from our garden, I stumbled upon two pictures that caught my eye.
The before....

And, the after.

 It may definitely be impossible NOT to have a garden from this point on.

July Harvest Stir Fry

Anyone can throw some veggies in a wok and call it a stir fry, but truly, it's the sauce that'll make or break ya!

The FRY: On a simple bed of rice laid a concoction of fresh from the garden snap peas, green beans, onions and, of course, the z-word. Accompanied by the store-bought (another swear) mushrooms and red and green peppers.

The SAUCE: After trying generic sauce after generic sauce, I decided it's time to experiment. I discovered Hoisin Sauce (vegetarian version) which is a very fragrant, almost pungent, rich colored, salty yet sweet mixture. Also, rice vinegar: sweeter and more mild than your average vinegar, think acidic.

Finally, peanut butter to balance out the saltiness of the others. Chunky was all I had on hand. I started with a dash of olive oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic. To the Hoisin base, I added a dash of the rice vinegar and whisked in the peanut butter.

A fairly small amount of the mix will do, just add a bit at a time and taste lots!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Buttercream Frosting

A healthier alternative, featuring devil's food cake, ZUCCHINI (see, it's in there!), topped with homemade buttercream frosting and whipping cream. Don't judge me. I have zucchini coming out of every orifice of my refrigerator. So, as you can tell, this dessert is not necessarily meant to be healthy, but moreso to aid in my zucchini escape, because although lovely, one can only indulge in zuccs sauteed in olive oil, onions and garlic for so long. Did I mention chocolate?!













The Cake: Plain old box cake mix (no frills here). Devil's food, dark chocolate, regular chocolate, etc. Make cake according to package instructions. ADD 1-2 cups of finely grated zucchini. The only apparent rule in adding zucchini for moisture is making sure that you're adding half of the amount of your dry ingredients. The cake mix I used was 3 cups. The cake was delicious, super moist and the veggie was an afterthought.

The Frosting: a super simple recipe, courtesy of: Savory Sweet Life

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)

1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract

4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Additional Toppings: As I'm not a huge frosting person, I found the buttercream to be a little too sweet. I whipped up some heavy cream and mixed in a bit of powdered sugar to lighten it up a bit. Also, ice cream!

No excuses now, EAT THOSE VEGGIES!

Tribute to Taoyateduta and the Occasional Zucchini.

On July 3rd, 2012 we remembered Taoyateduta (Little Crow), chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux: a leader, a teacher, a legend. (1810 - July 3, 1863). We traveled about six miles north of Hutchinson, MN to offer our very first zucchini as a tribute. As day turned to night, we noticed that the moon was painted red.

What Makes a Home?

Jon and I have been living in our quaint, Bryn Mawr treehaus for a little over a month now and we are pretty in love with everything about it (simply put). For starters, our 'new' apartment boasts a deck, hardwood floors and built-ins, lots of windows for natural light, exposed radiators and plenty of charm. Realtor Kelsey speaking, but you get the jist. There is an enormous park across the street with access to trails, bike paths, outdoor hockey rink (YEAH!), etc., that is always buzzing with softball-ers, basketball-ers , bikers and the like.

A few blocks down one will find rustic, but modern, shops that house organic, local produce, fresh coffee and vintage antiques. Oh, and don't forget the free library or the free movies in the basement of Cuppa Java on Tuesday nights! During our walk, we were greeted by the market owner, who informed us he'd been managing the place for decades now. It's truly a home away from home for us. There are neighborhood meetings, a neighborhood publication, Bryn Mawr Bugle, and plenty of ways to get involved to maintain that small town feel in the big city.
Did I mention the park?! Hello, nature.

Hello, home sweet home (for at least a little while).