Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The only way my kids will eat zucchini...sigh.

Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
frosting
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup margarine
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 209 | Total Fat: 8.6g | Cholesterol: < 1mg

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Peach Cream Pie

Yummy peach pie I always make when I have fresh peaches. =)  Which is today!  Lucky me!!!!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter

Filling:
4 cups peaches, sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons AP flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

Topping:
1/3 sugar
1/3 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Crust:
Combine flour and salt.  Cut in butter until crumble.  Press into a 9 inch pie pan.

Filling:
Place peaches in a bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.  Combine flour, egg, banilla , salt and remaining sugar; fold in sour cream.  Stir into peaches; pour in to crust.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake for 20 minutes

Topping:
Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the pie.  Return oven temp to 400 bake 15 more minutes.


YUM!!
(I don't necessarily use the crust part, but I have (I think) and it is good.)


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Smoothie Pops!

Getting my kids (especially my youngest) to eat fruits and veggies is like pulling teeth, and then trying to replace them...

But he loves green!  So the smoothie pop was born.  It is just smoothies poured into popsicle molds and frozen.

The green is spinach.  Spinach is the most amazing good for you food; at least that's what they taught me in nutrition class 2,000 years ago.  So I take frozen spinach and blend it in a blender with everything and yes, it turns everything green.  Sometimes it tastes like grass, too, (but my youngest eats it anyway because it is green) but yesterday it did not taste like grass. Here's how:

1/2  bag of frozen spinach (12 oz.) (blend in blender with some water or milk until fine)
1 tub plain yogurt (32 oz.)
1/2 cup sugar
enough milk or water to blend easily.

Freeze in popsicle mold.

Voila!!  Nutrition for my little man!