To catch an eggshell

If you get a piece of eggshell in your mix when cracking eggs, don't waste time chasing it around with a fork or your finger.  Use the remaining eggshell to scoop it out.  The shells are "magnetized" to each other and you'll have your fragment out lickety-split.

(I learned this from another woman at camp this summer... I can't take the credit, but I can tell you it works like a charm!)

Val's Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Original recipe source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/

Mom's Tortellini Soup

I think everyone makes this, which may be why it hasn't ended up here yet, but I thought I would throw it in for posterity.  This is easily my family's favorite soup, especially Leah. (Original recipe found here).

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
• 12 ounces fresh meat-filled tortellini or 12 ounces cheese-filled tortellini or 9 ounces fresh ravioli
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves or 10 ounces thawed and drained package frozen leaf spinach
• sea salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute five minutes or until softened. 
• Add tomato, and cook 1 minute. 
• Stir in broth and rosemary, and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, five minutes. 
• Add pasta, stirring to blend, and simmer five to six minutes more.
• Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring often, three minutes or until spinach is wilted and pasta is just tender. 
• Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

KFC Copycat Coleslaw

Brian and I love coleslaw, if it's a great recipe.  When I found this one on the Mom on Timeout website, I gave it a shot because KFC really does coleslaw best.  It did not disappoint!

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 Cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 Tblsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 16 oz shredded bagged cole slaw mix

Instructions

• Whisk together all the ingredients except the shredded slaw
• Add shredded slaw and mix until well combined
• Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving, and mix well again prior to serving

This stuff is great!  Once it sits overnight, there is a lot of sauce that settles in the bottom of the bowl, so I've contemplated doing two bags of slaw instead of one.  For now, we just mix well each time we serve it.

Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins

What better thing to do on a snow day than bake!  Today I tried a new recipe that I found on simplykierste.com and it was a huge hit with the kids.

source

This recipe is great in that it uses just basic baking ingredients that I always have on hand.  The sour cream makes them super moist!

Ingredients

• 2 c.flour
• 1 c. sugar
• ½ c. butter, melted
• 1-8 oz. carton sour cream
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• *1/2 c. sugar
• *2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Grease and flour muffin tins.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Pour the 1 c. sugar into a large bowl, then add the melted butter.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream, and mix well.
5. Stir in the flour mixture.
6. Combine the ½ c. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon and set aside.
7. Place a small amount of batter in tin, add desired amount of the cinnamon & sugar mixture (we like a lot ☺, probably a 1 tsp. or so), then add another small amount of the batter on top. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, or until done.

White Chicken Chili

This is a super easy, yummy soup!  I've had the recipe for several months, but for the life of me I could not find "mexi-corn" in any stores in the Salem area.  It was only after moving that I finally found it at the Albany WalMart, and it's not called "mexi-corn", but Southwestern corn, I'm guessing for reasons of political correctness.  I was a little worried about how my kids would react to the white Kidney beans - those are some big beans! -  but they ate them just fine, and Brian loved it.

Ingredients

• 1-2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
• 1 Tbsp minced onion
• 1 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
• 1 can chicken broth
• 2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies
• 1 cup water
• 2 cans white beans
• 1 1/2 Cups sour cream
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans mexi-corn
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 Tsp oregano

Directions

• Simmer all together for 20 minutes

Couple of things...  I would probably not put the water in next time.  It really needed to cook down to get to a chili consistency and I just don't think it needs it.  I also did not use the cayenne pepper (because I was out) but it was still tasty.    As with all our "Southwestern soups", we served this with tortilla chips.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is my rendition of the classic spaghetti sauce of our childhood.  It has the spirit of mom's recipe, while providing less celery (for me) and more sauciness (for Dave).

Ingredients:

1/4 olive oil
1/4 butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped pepperoni
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp parsley
1/2 tbsp salt (more to taste)
Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne red pepper
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 7oz can tomato puree
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 finely chopped or shredded carrot

Warm olive oil and butter until melted.  Add onion and saute until golden brown; add ground beef, cooking until browned.  Add garlic and pepperoni, cook for another few minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and  simmer for at least one hour.  Serves 4-6

I have done this in the slow cooker and it works great.  I often do a double batch and freeze half.