From "Muffin Tin Meals,"

She states that the only essential tools you need are ovens, cooling rack, microwaves,  a pot and a skillet, crescent rolls, one regular size muffin tin and one mini muffin tin to make in her words, 70 recipes for perfectly portioned comfort food in a cup.Here is an example from the book.

Baked Eggs with Herbs.

Makes 12 eggs in five minutes prep time.

12 eggs
salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 t. fresh basil, chopped
1 t. fresh thyme chopped

Heat oven to 450. Spray 12 regular-size muffin tins with cooking spray.

Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a muffin cup and discarding shells. Sprinkle the eggs with salt, pepper, and herbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until eggs, are cooked through.

Transfer the muffin tin to a rack and allow the eggs to cool slightly. Using a knife or a mini metal spatula, carefully pry the eggs out of the tin and onto a plate.

I would think if needed, you could substitute dried herb spices and standard pepper. She posts this tip, serve the eggs on an English muffin. You could also use this recipe to make any number of eggs other than the twelve.

This is one of the "harder" recipes. 

Patricia, Just want to let you know that I fixed the baked zucchini sticks tonight and they were delicious.   I had only bought 2  small zucchini and only fixed one, since I am by myself and I didn't think they would be good warmed up.

Wasn't sure if I should have peeled it or not,  but I did not peel it.  I sliced it longways in 4 pieces.  I have to say that they stayed nice and crispy.  I was really amazed.  I used some different seasonings than what the recipe called for.  I also had some baked sweet potato strips and some cole slaw and a little dish of shrimp salad.   It was quite a lot to eat, but I did want to finish the zucchini.

The next time I think I will slice them into about 1/2 in. or 3/4 in.  slices and fix them the same way.

Do you think putting them on the rack is what keeps them from getting mushy.  Or do you think leaving them unpeeled would make them that way?   Whatever it was,  they were NOT mushy.  I baked them about 20-25 minutes.  The sweet potato pieces were frozen and they had to bake the same amount of time at the same temperature.  So it worked out that they were both done at the same time.   

I wanted to eat them while they were still hot.

So, thanks so much for sharing that recipe. That will be a keeper. 

Now, I have to wait a little while to have some dessert.  I have some chocolate ice cream for later.

Thanks again.

Joy

Joy, it could very well be the rack placed inside of the cookie sheet that I use, I'm not sure if you meant that or not. It lifts them up out of any droppings for me.

Now I never use parsley;  I'm not a decorative or garnish type, but I do sprinkle parsley flakes and red pepper flakes on the zucchini. I do peel mine.

I have never had mushy zucchini, so I'm at a loss on how to answer you.

I like to have a small spinach salad and fresh cut up fruit with this meal. Enjoy that chocolate ice cream for me; you are lucky that you may enjoy that!

I'm so glad that you liked them. I never hear back on any of the recipes I post, so it was a nice compliment that you not only tried the zucchini and liked it and that you let me know you did.

Patricia,  I tend to think that putting the zucchini on the rack is what keeps it from getting mushy.  Air can get around it.   I really didn't have any dripping from them at all.   I lined my cookie sheet with foil and then put the rack on top of that and sprayed it with cooking spray.  I don't have a whole lot of counter space to work on, so it was a little awkward  with the three different things to dip the pieces in.  I used wax paper for the flour, and I had 2 plastic rectangle containers that I used for the egg and the bread crumbs.  But,  I managed ok. 

Anyhow,  it was a good dinner.

Thanks again

Joy

Sugar syrup recipes are nice to have for so many reasons. Here is an easy one for iced tea.

Ten tea bags (regular size tea bags- Lipton, Salada, Lluizianne, Bigelow etc.)
3 C. water
3 C. sugar

Bring the water to a boil, add the tea bags, reduce heat, COVER and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, bring it back to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

Cool and store in fridge.

To  Use:
Mix 5 cups water & 1 c. Syrup. (or to taste)
Serve with lemon slices.

This ice tea syrup is ideal for making half and half lemonade/ice tea, or quick glasses of iced tea. It stores well for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. I make it with the family size tea bags--and 4 cups of water so when it boils for 10 minutes you still have 3 cups left. then it's 1 oz syrup to at least 5 oz water. A graduated shot glass makes the measurement easier.

Patricia, I fixed the zucchini by your recipe yesterday. I sliced them like French fries.  I just sprayed Pam on the aluminum foil on the pan and they didn't seem mushy to me.  I really enjoyed them.  I have all the ingredients so will cook them again when I get a small rack.  I am curious to see if there is a difference.

I have never had mushy zucchini, I wish I knew how folks fixed them that way so I could avoid it. It seems to be a reoccurring theme with zucchini.


The sugar syrup I post can be added to such as lemon juice or other juices or ginger syrup, etc. You simply make a basic recipe and add a small amount of the syrup to a larger amount of water.

Jean, I am so glad you enjoyed the zucchini. I have it on the menu for Tuesday night. I generally use a small pan like a cooky sheet with edges and the rack fits into that.

Patricia,  I think when you cut up zucchini and either steam it or just cook it,  it will get soft almost right away.  Probably, cooking it a long time will make it mushy.  Zucchini has a lot of water in it, so I am sure that is why it softens up easily. 

I am almost sure that laying it on a rack so that air can get all around it is what makes it stay crispy.  I have another one that I am goint to fix this evening, and I am going to just slice it in about 1/2 in. slices and continue with the recipe  and definitely cook it on a rack.

And, I am going to mix a little bit of the relish I made up the other day from Jeanne's pickle recipe with some mayonnaise for a dip.  I wish I could duplicate what I did to "fix" that pickle recipe.  I didn't really measure anything so I don't think I could get it to taste the same way. 

Making myself hungry, so I better get some breakfast.  I did make a peach cobbler yesterday, so a piece of that will be part of my breakfast. 

Have a good day.

Joy

From Pinterest; and the American Heart Association

Zucchini-Tomato Casserole

10 min
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr, 10
Total Time

Ingredients

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 oz. grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp. Italian spice mix
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
5 tsp. low-fat butter
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Place onions on the bottom of the baking dish.
Layer half the zucchini on top of the onions.
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, spices, salt, pepper and 1/2 oz. cheese.


Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the zucchini.
Layer with remaining zucchini and spice mix.
Place bits of butter on top of the zucchini.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Place tomatoes on top and sprinkle remaining cheese on tomatoes. Do not cover.
Bake for another 15 minutes

MEATLOAF WITH ZUCCHINI

Ingredients

Meatloaf:
1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed dry
½ cup uncooked rolled oats (not quick cooking)
¾ cup chopped onion
¼ cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. fat-free milk
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. extra lean ground beef 93% lean
Topping:
¼ cup Ketchup
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. horseradish
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 350°.
2.  Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
3.  In a large bowl, mix together zucchini through salt.
4.  Add ground beef and mix until just incorporated.
5.  Place on wire rack and form into a loaf shape.
6.  Bake for 1 hour.
7.  In a small bowl, mix ingredients for topping.
8.  Brush onto meatloaf and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until meatloaf is 160°.
9.  Let sit for 5 minutes.

New Trivia Quiz

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=95.msg39338#msg39338

Patricia,   I tried your roasted zucchini recipe again last night....... just sliced the unpeeled zucchini into slices about 1/4 in. thick.  Used the same coating,.... flour, egg and Panko crumbs.   I was not that pleased with how they turned out.   The peeling was tough and the zucchini slices were not nearly as crispy as when I did them with your directions.......  sliced in quarters.   They were edible, but I think I will stick with your original recipe.  Only, next time I will peel them,  like you mentioned that you do.

I had a completely veggie meal....  the zucchini slices... fresh corn on the cob and  roasted sweet potato fries.   Good dinner., 

Joy

I have been freezing milk, butter, cheese, eggs, etc  for years,. The eggs however are cooked and chopped for easy access for fresh salads, egg salad etc.  Seen where restaurants did it for fresh salad bar so have done for years.  I make chicken salad like you do too.  When I water chestnuts on shelf I have sometimes chipped them up too for both chicken and tuna salad.  Friend puts Mandarin leaves drained in her chicken salad.  I think they would be great in tuna or salmon salad too.

Joy, try the Zucchini-Tomato Casserole.

Delphineaz. that does sound good! I have never froze cooked eggs for some reason. I stir up raw eggs so the yolks and whites are mixed and pour them into ice cube trays for freezing. After freezing, I'll pop them out and put them in freezer bags. I'll have to try them cooked so I can add them to salads, etc. I always felt you couldn't freeze a cooked egg.

Patricia,  That does sound good.  I remember making something similar to that a while back, but I don't remember it using the grated cheese.  I will save your recipe to try.

Joy

Tomato, Zucchini, and Cheese Tart

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 medium green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 small zucchini, sliced (about 2 cups)
3 Italian plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper


Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F.
Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 13-inch square. Cut off the corners to make a circle. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, leaving the excess pastry draped over the sides of the pan.
Layer the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, basil, green onions and oregano in the pan. Arrange the zucchini and tomatoes in concentric circles on top.
Beat the eggs, half-and-half and black pepper in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Fold the excess pastry in over the filling.
Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

This isn't the recipe that I made,  but this sounds good, also.  Kind of like a quiche. 

Joy

It does sound good! Especially since I'm lactose intolerant. 

I found out earlier that Ben and Jerry's,(is that the correct brand name?); is now making ice cream such as buttermilk toffee crunch that has no dairy! They are my new heroes!

Angel.  So what are Ben and Jerry Using in making their Ice Cream?

Buttermilk is dairy, (just like regular milk, kefir, yogurt and cottage cheese), so I wonder what Ben and Jerry have come up with, for those of us who are lactose intolerant?

I am not only lactose intolerant, I'm also suffering from IBS so this is great news for me and the buttermilk is a misnomer used to describe a certain flavoring.

Google is our friend and it came up with several results, such as 

http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/non-dairy


.

Patricia - I looked at the Ben & Jerry link . . . I like the almond milk base, but don't care for the flavor selection. I can't deal with nuts, chips, chunks, cookies, fruit slices, et al.  I don't like to chew my ice cream!   I want it to be smooth and melt in your mouth creamy.  Whole Foods has Almond Dream brand, in a number of unchewy flavors. Also there's a soy ice cream by Double Rainbow, that is quite good.  There are a lot of coconut milk brands on the market, but I'm not fond of them.     

Marilyne, other than the milks of course, I haven't really tried or investigated non-dairy foods. So this is all news to me. Even back in my dairy days, I was more of a sherbert girl with a favorite of pineapple sherbert or frozen yogurt.

I do make a nondairy yogurt, mayo and one or two other nondairy items, but these are not commercial products.

Now I plan to do a little exploring, and since I've never had any Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it's all new to me.

This is a great meal for a single person. If you like, you can adjust the amounts for more people.

From Erin Cullum, POPSUGAR Food

Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti

*Let's be real â€" I don't pay attention to pasta serving sizes. I added about 1/4 of the box of dried spaghetti, which makes one generous portion.* I love spaghetti and this is good!

Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti Recipe

Category Main Dishes
Yield 1 serving
Cook Time 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

About 4 ounces spaghetti*
2 cloves garlic, grated (or minced, if you don't have a microplane)
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish  I use nondairy cheese which is fine for those who are lactose intolerant.
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste I use a non salt spice mixture

DIRECTIONS

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt before adding the pasta, cook according to package directions, and drain.
2.  Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and add butter. Swirl around in the pan and cook until fully melted and slightly foamy, about a minute.
3.  Add the grated garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about another minute.
4.  Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, and parsley, and toss until pasta is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper, add as much parmesan cheese as your heart desires (the sky's the limit), and eat.

Anyone who is still making own pie dough. This is a good one. That little Vodka really makes a difference.

VODKA PASTRY FLOUR
    2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
    1 teaspoon table salt
    2 tablespoons sugar
    12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
    ½ cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
    ¼ cup vodka, cold
    ¼ cup cold water

   

    Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage-cheese curds, and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
    Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

45 minutes, I rolled it out with approximately another 1/4 c flour.

Jeanne, I c/p that recipe, thanks!

Here is one for those hot days. Delicious No-Bake Cheesecake   

Here's the recipe:
Ingredients (Serves 3)
• 12 sheets (about 5 1/2 ounces) regular or cinnamon graham crackers
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2, 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1, 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Spray 3 5-inch mini springform pans with nonstick spray. Meanwhile, in a food processor grind up the crackers into fine crumbs, then add the melted butter and  pulse until the mixture comes together in a ball.
2. Then, divide the crust between the mini pans and press firmly into the bottoms. Put the pans in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
3. To prepare the filling, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer until it becomes light and fluffy, add the sweetened condensed milk a little at a time to prevent the cream cheese from clumping.  Then mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
4. Once done, divide the mixture among the springform pans. The filling should be just enough to fill each one to the top, then refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight. Top with blueberries or raspberries before serving.

Keep in mind:
No-bake cheesecakes will never be as firm as baked cheesecake, so this may be a little jiggly.
The recipe will also work with a regular-sized springform pan, though will require more time to set. 

Cheese cake sounds good. I just don't have anyone around now to share things with. Custard Pie is one of my favourites but, If I made one I would just eat the whole thing within 2 days.  I miss baking all those kind of things. Saw them making a Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie on TV today. Another big favourite as had Rhubarb every year. Also use to made rhubarb and Strawberry Jam. That R and S pie looked so good.

We had tons of rhubarb every year and you could always find it around the neighborhood in the piles of vegetables and fruit by mailboxes with a big sign saying Free, take some or all!

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, rosehips, high and low bush cranberries and other berries grew wild and profusely and mom gathered and used them all.

My mother made a rhubarb sauce as well as pies, preserves, and jams. Her wine jellies were delicious, and sometimes I wish I had paid better attention to how she did things.

Not many seem to grow Rhubarb now. My Daughters MIL had it in her garden for 60 years. So expensive in the Grocery Stores here.

Well Another lazy Sunday for me today. Not as hot out but still high 80s and humid. So. Read the big Sunday paper. Same old news. That did not take long. Set computer to do a Full Scan. This takes about 3 hours. Took a hour nap. Now making a fast easy dinner.
Making Southern Fry Chicken. Just put one can of New Potatoes. Don't use them often but good when you roll them in the Egg,Panko that the chicken was covered. Popped into the skillet with the chicken. Will do some green beans but will most probably just have a piece of chicken and a salad. Rest will make 2 meals for later.
Watching some of the Olympics.  Only interested in the Swimming, Gymnastics, Couple of others not on yet.  As usual, China and Japan picking up most the golds. Have to say. They are good. But lots of time left yet.

Couple of my shows on TV  tonight. So that is my day . Feel a little guilty not doing walking but out a lot tomorrow. It will make it up.

That sounds good, Jeanne.  I cooked chicken fingers and scalloped potatoes with a salad.

I wasn't feeling very well yesterday after being sick during the night before.  I didn't feel like doing much cooking so I was glad that I had bought a nice little Roasted Pork Loin in the deli when I did the shopping on Friday.  Re-heated that and served it with a fruit sauce.  Also, we  had mashed potatoes (the instant kind that I always keep in the pantry).  I know some people don't like them but we do and especially when I add lots of  butter and a couple of extra seasonings to them.  I put a bowl of the homemade pickled squash on the table and we finished with fresh oranges as dessert.  A very light meal but it was good and satisfying to us.  I had intended to cook up the fresh green beans that my neighbor brought us from their garden but wasn't up to stringing them so we left that out.  I'm feeling better today so I must get those beans cooked while they are still fresh.  The same neighbor called last night and said she will bring over some MORE zucchini today along with some fresh tomatoes.  She is always so generous with the things they grow out on their farm garden.