Delicious Zucchini Muffins

So much for my "Muffin Mondays"...I'm glad I'm back here blogging and pinning and "You-tubing", because then I am reminded of my wonderful plans for posting recipes, letting you all listen to the kids' Europe tour, showing you about our life in pictures and posts, etc.

Well, anyway, here is one of my favorite muffin recipes; and again, THE KIDS LIKE THEM!!! :) Enjoy!

1 c. sugar                                          1 c. brown sugar                        
3 eggs                                               2 c. grated zucchini (seeds removed)
1 c. canola oil                                   1 ts. vanilla
3 c. flour                                           1 ts. soda
1 Tbs. cinnamon                               1 ts. salt
1/4 ts. baking powder                       1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Next add zucchini. In a separate bowl, mix flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder with a fork. Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture, mixing slowly or by hand. Mix until flour is blended. Pour into greased and floured bread pans or muffin tins. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour for loaves, or 25-30 minutes for muffins.

I hope you like these!

Easy Peach Cobbler

I have enjoyed tweaking this Peach Cobbler to make it  my own, with some experimenting over the years.  The best part of this recipe for this mom, is that her son Philip actually liked it!  I hope you enjoy too!

As usual, I am a day late and a dollar short; peach season is over. But, hopefully you will get to try it next season!  Enjoy!

Easy Peach Cobbler by Suzie's Corner

1/4 cup butter
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. + 2/3 cup biscuit mix (my recipe forthcoming!)
1/2 ts. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. milk

In 1-quart shallow baking dish, combine peaches, sugar, 1 Tbs. biscuit mix and cinnamon.  In medium bowl, mix remaining 2/3 cup baking mix with brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is the size of small peas. Stir in milk until moistened; drop by spoonfuls onto peaches.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into crust comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. If you want to double it, use a 9 X 13 pan.

A Father's Favorite

It was a cloudy day... not one I was particularly enjoying. After all, we just returned from Arizona, where the weather was pleasant and the air was warm and the sun was comforting. But, we were glad to be home, in our own beds, attending worship with our church family, and celebrating another Father's Day. 

I asked my husband Scott (father of Jason, Tim, Philip and Grace!) what he would like for Father's Day Dinner. He (not surprisingly) requested Chicken Divan. Not just any Chicken Divan, but "Aunt Speedy's Chicken Divan". And, I had all of the ingredients for "Miss Polly's Fruit Salad". Polly was our family friend growing up in Maricopa, Arizona.  Polly brought her fruit salad to our house when my daddy had died. Isn't that ironic? I made my favorite fruit salad that was given to my family at the time my father passed away, on Father's Day.  I was a picky eater. I didn't like stuff mixed up together very much. But Polly changed all that.

So, as a token of love, the kids helped by dicing chicken and smashing crackers! I used my new Cuisinart hand emulsion/immersion blender to fluff up and smooth out any chunks in the cream soups. Wow! Did that make a difference!  I used my Pampered Chef (no, I'm not getting paid by these places!) small microwaveable covered vented pan to heat and melt the cheese and soups together.  

Well, maybe because it was a glorious, sunny Father's Day after all. Then again, maybe it was because I used my handy dandy blender to mix the flavors to perfection. Or maybe it was because I actually followed Aunt Speedy's recipe to the tee. On the other hand, it might have been the fresh the broccoli from Scott's garden. What about that it was because dinner was an hour later than planned and we were really hungry?

Whatever the reason, this Father's Day, complete with some fun gifts, great company, fond memories and tasty dishes, was a Father's Day to remember.

Aunt Speedy's Chicken Divan

6 chicken breasts, cooked, deboned, reserving broth

3 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli, cooked, drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms

1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 package saltine crachers, crushed

paprika

celery salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In buttered 9 x 13 baking dish, place crackers on bottom.  Arrange cooked broccoli on top.  Layer chicken on top of the broccoli.  Set aside.  In saucepan, combine soups, 3/4 c. reserved chicken broth, mushrooms and Velveeta cheese.  Place over low heat stirring until cheese is melted.  Pour mixture over broccoli, sprinkle with paprika and celery salt.  Bake uncovered for approximately 30-45 minutes.

(Side note from family cookbook:  This is another favorite of Jason and Tim, who were eating broccoli at a very young age! Tim impressed Suzie's friend Sara (at Scott and Suzie's wedding), who couldn't believe a kid would eat their vegetables, at age 9!)   

Miss Polly's 5 Cup Fruit Salad

1 cup mandarin oranges

1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 cup coconut

1 cup sour cream

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Mix together. Garnish with mandarin slices and/or pecan halves on top. 

Happy Cooking, Eating and Enjoying Everyone!

Chicken Divan and Lilies From the Garden

Father's Place Setting, Complete with Homemade Card from Grace

Miss Polly's 5-Cup Fruit Salad Pairs Nicely With a Sip of Red Wine

Autumn Time in the Desert

The autumn in the desert is exquisite. The cool crisp, night air; the warm colors, the dry desert sounds from animals and the rustling leaves in the breeze.

I have never made it out to tend to the cattle, but this is the place where they could be. They roam and munch on the desert flora. They are rounded up and brought in for tending to.

Sonny Boy and Dodo (may they rest in peace), were cattle feeders and farmers. They understood the whole picture. I bet that they BELIEVED "The cowboys and the farmers should be friends..." (song from "Oklahoma!" the musical)!

In my mind, I see Dodo welcoming every Tom, Dick and Harry into her beautiful ranch house, complete with the smells of her signature Chalupa on the stove. She might ask Tom, "How are you doin'?" Or to Dick, "What the hell happened to you? You look tired." Or to Harry, "It's good to see you. It's been too long. How's the family? Tell me all about 'em."

Dodo could make a big, delicious pot of Chalupa. It is my Colorado family's favorite. Over the years, I would have to trick finicky little boys by calling it Pork Stew, or Beef Soup, or some such name. But, if you give it a try, you just might get hooked! They did every time!

Friends have asked if I would give them Dodo's recipe, so here goes! (Thanks sister Becky ~ Dodo's daughter-in-law for the recipe)

3 pounds of pork roast (trimmed, then shredded)
1 pound of beans
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 TBS. powder)
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. oregano
1 can green chilis
1 Tbs. salt

Put all in large pot. Cover with water. Cook 6 hours.

What a great meal after a beautiful autumn day in the desert.