Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I usually make this in a bread pan for a dessert bread. It's super good!

2½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup butter or margarine (1½ cubes)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup milk
1 cup nuts

Mix.  Pour in greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool more.

Zucchini "Noodles"

Okay, so I know it sounds a little crazy, but it's good, trust me. I had these with the alfredo sauce from yesterday, but they're good with lots of different things.

Zucchini

To prepare Zucchini, wash it well, and cut off the ends. Run it through a julienne slicer, or cut into thin strips lengthwise and cut those into thin strips. Blanch (meaning boil some water and then when it's boiling, stick in the noodles) for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Alfredo Sauce

1 recipe of white sauce
1 tsp of minced garlic
1/4 C Parmesan cheese (the stuff from the can works great)
Cooked chicken breast, sliced thinly (optional)

While making the white sauce, before it thickens add the cheese and garlic. Continue cooking until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in chicken. Serve over noodles.

Crazy Bread

Okay, so it's a little off topic, but it's easy and just soooo delicious. :)

3 cups flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp yeast

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups warm water

½ cube margarine or butter

Parmesan cheese

Garlic salt

Mix yeast, sugar, water, flour, and salt. Let rise 20 minutes. Melt margarine in a 9x13 pan. Add dough. Spread evenly in pan, then turn dough over so both sides are butter coated. Cut dough into 12 pieces. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Let rise 20 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Golden Rod Eggs

This is one of my favorite dishes. This is coming from a girl who really doesn't like eggs at all.

Boiled Eggs (I recommend at least 1 1/2 per person)
White Sauce (About 1 recipe for each 6 eggs)
Toast

Peel boiled eggs. Separate whites from yolks. Crumble yolks with a fork. Chop up whites. Add whites to hot white sauce. Ladle sauce onto buttered toast, and top with yolk crumbles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Basic White Sauce

White sauce is good for many things, and I really am a huge fan of this recipe. More things to do with it to come.

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp Flour

¼ tsp salt

1 C milk

Dash of pepper

In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick.

Homemade Pizza

Okay, yet another pizza recipe. Let's pretend you really want traditional pizza. You can make it yourself pretty easily.

French bread dough (uncooked)

Pizza Sauce (or BBQ sauce if you like, or Alfredo sauce--there are lots of substitutions you can make)
Cheese (Mozzarella is what is on most pizzas, but it really doesn't matter what kind of cheese it is)

Toppings as desired:

Pepperoni
Banana Peppers
Olives
Mushrooms
Bell peppers
Sausage
Bacon
Canadian bacon
Ham
Pineapple
Chicken
Tomatoes
Onions
Spinach
Jalapenos
Beef (ground or shredded)

Roll out dough thin and circular, pinching up the edges slightly (it will usually be thicker around the edges naturally). Spread with sauce and sprinkle with cheese and toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Microwave Pizza

Super fast and easy. It tastes pretty good too. I like mine just fine without any toppings besides cheese, but to add more toppings can be delicious.

2 Tortillas
Pizza sauce
Cheese
Other Toppings

On a tortilla, spread sauce and top with cheese. Top with another tortilla and microwave on high for 30 seconds to a minute until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. 

Pizza Sauce

It just makes sense that making pizza sauce can be much better than buying it. You can always use spaghetti sauce if you like, but I prefer to make something more like what you get when you order pizza.

1 can tomato sauce

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp basil

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp marjoram
pepper to taste

Mix together and let stand. The longer it stands, the better the flavor gets, but it also tastes good when used right away as long as its cooked on the pizza. Keeps fairly well in the fridge.

French Bread Pizza

Pretty self-explanatory, but directions are included for the benefit of ideas.

French Bread
Pizza Sauce (or BBQ sauce if you like, or Alfredo sauce--there are lots of substitutions you can make)
Cheese (Mozzarella is what is on most pizzas, but it really doesn't matter what kind of cheese it is)
Other Toppings as desired:
Pepperoni
Banana Peppers
Olives
Mushrooms
Bell peppers
Sausage
Bacon
Canadian bacon
Ham
Pineapple
Chicken
Tomatoes
Onions
Spinach
Jalapenos
Beef (ground or shredded)

Slice your french bread in half (top and bottom, like you were going to make a sandwich with it) and spread with sauce. Layer cheese and toppings on as desired. Cook in the oven at 425 for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Tip: to satisfy lots of people with different tastes, have a build your own pizza party and cut the french bread into smaller sections.

French Bread

Easy and cheap. And delicious. Homemade is even better than the stuff you buy at the store!

1 Tbsp dry  yeast

2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp shortening

4-5 cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Add salt, sugar, and shortening. Gradually add flour to form stiff dough. Knead of a floured surface for about five minutes, or until smooth and satiny. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled. Divide dough into two pieces and shape into long, narrow loaves. Place on greased baking sheet. If you like, for extra effect, cut three shallow 2 1/2" long diagonal slits in the top of the loaf. Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-30 minutes, or until golden brown