Recipes

I have been trying some new recipes lately-many with zucchini-and some without. I thought I would pass along a few of my favs. There is nothing better than a good recommendation to go along with a recipe; and you can trust me on these.

1. Baked corn on the cob. My friend Tovah told me about this but I hate to admit it but, I couldn't believe it was actually possible and ended up looking it up on-line just to make sure. The easiest way to cook corn ever (just have to plan ahead a bit). All you do is take your cobs (I trimmed a bit of the hairy stuff [you know the brown stuff on top-has a technical name that doesn't really matter to most common folk] off) and throw (or place gently) them in your oven-yep right on the rack and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. DONE!!! Take em out and those babies peel like nobodies business-hairy stuff and all. DELICIOUS. Serve with butter of course.

2. Zucchini Brownies (here is the link to the recipe). I was searching Allrecipes.com to find zucchini recipes and came across this one. I read some of the reviews and decided it was worth a try. I was skeptical while making them (could they really be as good as some people said) but HOLY MOLY they are delicious (regardless of the lack of expression or comment from those whom you feed them to). They are moist and chocolaty. The frosting is excellent. Now when you are mixing them before you add the zuc. you will basically have a dryish mess of ingredients that doesn't look like it could possibly turn into anything resembling a brownie but take my word for it-they will work. SIDE NOTE: when reading the reviews two in particular stuck out. One was from a lady who said that she didn't think this recipe was all that great, of course she had omitted half the sugar, substituted applesauce for the oil and used whole wheat flour instead of allpurpose. Well duh lady, I can tell you why you didn't think the recipe was all that great. It is a brownie for heavens sake not a health food bar. Second was the lady who commented that these weren't all that healthy for you just because you add zucchini to them. Once again I say, "duh-it's a brownie. Last time I looked, though I would love it to be, I have not seen them on the health food list." Just cause I am putting zucchini in it doesn't make me think it is now a health food. The way I look at it is, if I am going to scarf a half a pan of brownies it might as well be ones with some "vegetables" in them.

3. Cheesy Chicken and Potato Casserole. (link here) This is a great recipe to make on a night when you don't really feel like cooking. I always see those boxes of scalloped potatoes at the grocery store (the kind my mom would shun as being terrible and horrible) but they are also cheap and get this mom, they don't taste half bad. Buy a couple of them next time you see them on sale and make this recipe. Easy and delicious, creamy and cheesy. Serve with a steamed veggie on the side and you have it made. I don't think it is necessary to add 4 extra potatoes sliced. I have never added them at all and the meal turns out fine and really creamy.

4. This is not a recipe but I might as well just add it here. My new favorite cracker/snack. These bad boys. They are the perfect combination of Ritz cracker and pretzel (two of my favorite things to eat with cheese).