Competition paintings

Just entered a flower competition, big prize money (wouldn't that be fabulous!) and it was fun to paint flowers. Tried to stay with the format: focus on flowers yet make it interesting. Here are my two entries, "Flower Power" and "Gerber Daisies and Glass". Life is so rich and good lately.....

freezing tips

If you pack berries into a freezer bag, when defrosted, it will be one solid mess of berries. A better way to freeze the berries is to put them onto a cookie sheet overnight. Then the next a.m., put the individually frozen berries into the freezer bag. Softer items, like pesto and freshly squeezed lemon juice, can be frozen overnight in ice cube trays. Then the next day, pop them out of the tray, put into freezer bags and you will have individual size servings. Also, to prevent glass canning jars from cracking in the freezer, leave at least 2" headroom.

Zucchini Nut Bread Recipe

As promised, here is the Zucchini Nut Bread Recipe.

Zucchini Nut Bread
Makes 4 Loaves preheat oven 360 degrees
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil or soft butter
2 TBS. vanilla
5 cups shredded (peeled and seeded) zucchini
3 &1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3&1/4 cups white unbleached flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 cups crushed pineapple OR applesauce
2 cups nuts
(Optional: 1/2 cup cocoa, and 9 oz. Chocolate chips for chocolate version)

Beat 4 eggs until foamy. Add sugar, oil or butter, and vanilla. Stir well, add
zucchini and applesauce (or pineapple). Separately mix together flours, baking
powder , baking soda, salt (cocoa for chocolate version). Combine dry
ingredients with wet ones and add nuts. Grease 4 loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour 10
min. Enjoy!

Putting Up Food

Yesterday Emily Van Cleve interviewed me for the Journal North newspaper for an article called "Putting Up Food". It was about my large organic vegetable garden and I shared simple and easy tips I have learned over the years for preserving food. I mean, as much as I love those zucchini's, after awhile, what is a same person to do with all of them?? I made zucchini pickles this year and everyone loves them, they have turmeric that turns them golden and mustard seeds, dry mustard and apple cider vinegar. Google Zuni Cafe Zucchini Pickles to get the recipe. Also, I froze lots of zucchini nut bread and I'll post that recipe tomorrow. I also made jars of apricot jam this year, dried all kinds of herbs, made and froze pesto, and stored garlic, onions, potatoes,etc. Whew! I am grateful for all the abundance, especially this year and I'm tired, too.