Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parm Crust

4 small new potatoes (red or white)

2 small zucchini, sliced into 1" rounds

2 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp roasted red pepper

pinch of salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. When cool dice into 1" pieces.

In a saute pan over medium heat add the butter, garlic, spices and let cook until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Season the cut sides of zucchini and potatoes with salt and pepper. Add to the butter and spices and cook until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. While cooking, preheat broiler.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the browned zucchini and potatoes on the baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle the tops with the cheese. Place in the broiler until the cheese is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and eat!

** You can actually skip the broiler/cheese process all together and just eat out of the saute pan. With or without the cheese it's very yummy.

Canned Peaches

Blanch the fresh peaches: gently drop into boiling water for about 1 minute, remove and let cool until you can easily handle them. The peel will easily pull of without cutting any of the peach away.

Slice peaches into jar. Fill to the top (mine are packed tight to get as much in one jar as I can and I still end up with the empty juice space at the bottom once they cook down).

Add sugar water: 1/2 cup sugar to 1 quart water. Dissolve sugar in boiling water and set aside until ready to fill jars. It's best to keep it hot but not necessary to have it at a constant boil.

Wash rings of jars to make sure there is nothing to stop jar from sealing. Add canning lids to jars (follow directions on box of lids). Screw on the lids and set in water bath. Bring water bath to a full boil and let boil 8-10 minutes. The idea is to seal the jars, not make mush out of the peaches.

After time is over turn off burner, take lid off, lift rack of jars out of water bath but sitting on the side of the pan. Set jars on a towel on the counter. You want to make sure that they aren't by a window or fan blowing cool air so that the jars don't crack due to drastic temperature changes. Jars should seal as they cool.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup soft margarine

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375.

Beat together margarine and peanut butter

Add and mix sugar, baking powder and soda

Beat in honey, eggs and vanilla

Gradually add flour and mix well

Form into balls and place on cookie sheet, criss cross with a sugared fork

Bake 7 to 9 minutes, just until bottoms barely start to brown

Cinnamon Syrup

We became addicted to this syrup during our frequent trips to Springville to visit Shawn and Kellie (I really miss those days!). I have it pictured with french toast but it is also very delicious with pumpkin pancakes, zucchini pancakes or apple spice pancakes.

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 can evaporated milk

Bring everything except for the milk to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for a few minutes (usually about 3-5). ** You really have to watch it so that it doesn't bubble over. Add the evaporated milk. Serve.

**After watching food network I've learned a couple of tricks with syrups and adding milk to things. With syrups if you don't get all of the sugar mixed really well the syrup will separate or go grainy so make sure you don't have any sugar of the side of the pan that isn't melted in. Also, when you add the milk do it slowly, stirring the whole time. This prevents temperature shock and hopefully will help to prevent separation as well. If you do happen to have a jar separate while in the fridge just heat it, stir it and eat it. It's still very yummy!!

Peanut Butter Chex Mix

LeRoy's absolute favorite snack. He has loved this from his first Christmas with my family in 1990 (mom makes it every year for Christmas). He makes it for every Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other occasion that he can think of. He makes it so often that I had never actually made it until October when I made it as a Halloween surprise for him (that's when I took this picture). I haven't made it since because he always beats me to it.

2 cups corn chex

2 cups rice chex

2 cups rice crispies

1 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

Mix all the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

Bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Pour over cereal and mix together. They can be formed into "cookies" (as pictured above) or eaten straight out of the bowl (which is how LeRoy likes it). Keep in airtight container to maintain gooey-ness.

Individual Peach Upside-Down Cake

It is my Mom's fault (and I think my Grandma's) that I occasionally make peach cobbler for breakfast. Some of the kids friends think it's silly or see it as a dessert but my kids still ask for it. I was watching Good Eats one evening and Alton Brown made this recipe. It is delicious! The best peach cobbler I've ever had (no offense, Grandma). Even though it is done in individual ramekins, I've also doubled the recipe and done it in a 9 x 13 and it turns out just as great (just not as fun).

3 tbsp butter, divided

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 medium peaches, peeled (or 1 can of peaches)

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk (I've always used regular milk)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Divide 2 tbsp of butter between 4 (6 oz) ramekins. Melt the remaining tbsp of butter and set aside.

Evenly divide the brown sugar between the ramekins; sprinkling it into the bottoms of the dishes. Cut each peach into 12 to 14 pieces. Lay the peaches on top of the sugar; evenly dividing them between the dishes. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter over the peaches; dividing the mixture evenly between the dishes. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer (or use the toothpick method just through the cake, not the peaches).

Remove from the oven to a rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each dish and turn upside down onto a serving plate. Serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream (or as we did growing up: put in a bowl and top with canned milk).

** This can also be made with fresh apples and a little cinnamon. I've never tried it but Alton says its great.

Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions Soup

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

8 cups water

3 bouillon cubes (Knox brand - if using other read directions for 8 cups water)

1/8 tsp pepper

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

3/4 cup uncooked pasta of choice

Heat oil in 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until onions are tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Heat water, bouillon, black pepper, carrots and celery in 4-qt saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Stir in pasta and chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta and veggies are tender. Stir in onions and serve.

** When I am short on time or don't feel like having 1 extra messy pan (yes, sometimes that seems too overwhelming) I just dice the onion and stick it in with the other vegetables. Not quite the same flavor but still very good.

Baked Omelet (Roll)

Easier to do one omelet in the morning instead of six!

(This is a picture from a magazine . . explanation to follow recipe)

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Place eggs and milk in a blender. Add flour, salt and pepper, cover and process until smooth. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until eggs are set.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up omelet in pan, starting with a short side.

Place with seam side down on a serving platter. Cut into 1 inch slices - 6 servings.




As you can see from my picture I don't take the time to roll it up and place on a serving platter (I'm not real big on presentation at 6am). We just cut it into squares and some of the kids eat it between toast.

Nathan's Birthday Fruit Pizza

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 - 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan. ** The dough is kind of a pain to work with because it is sticky. The easiest way I found is to roll it with parchment paper on the top and bottom instead of using the rolling pin on the dough. When you take off the top paper to bake it the dough is super thin and you have to use a butter knife to pull it off the paper. It looks terrible but I promise that a super thin, weird looking dough cooks into a perfect cookie. Bake it directly on the parchment paper and remove it after it has cooled a little.


Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool. ** Mine takes about 12 minutes but be careful not to overbake or it will be be crispy instead of soft.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.

Arrange desired fruit on top of filling and chill. ** Don't put fruit on until right before serving or the crust will go soggy.

It is fun to google pictures of the fruit pizza to see different ways to decorate it. Lots of fruits are optional.