Pioneer Woman at Heart

  We finally got rain, after 20 plus days of 90 degree plus weather.  Despite watering the garden, it was looking fried by the heat, humidity and sun.  The zucchini plants are starting to die off with little harvest already.

My husband went back to work yesterday.  It's time to get back to cooking and baking and getting my kitchen in order. First I had to put away a stack of clean dishes, then it was time to start chopping. My first batch of sweet pickle relish was canned.  So thankful for the cucumbers and green pepper from the garden.  It was too early to dig up carrots, but they are growing. Baked a zucchini breakfast casserole with garden zucchini. It was fantastic.  I used one from AllRecipes and used up some zucchini.  So good! Baked a Chocolate zucchini cake, because we could all use some comfort food right now.  I thought about adding a glaze, but decided against it.  The reviews said it would be a very moist cake, and the glaze would make it softer too.  Boy is it good too.  I swapped out half the oil for home canned applesauce. Dinner?  Meatballs with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce over quinoa and zucchini/co...

It was such a good feeling to be standing at the sink, chopping vegetables for homemade canned sweet pickle relish - the difference between patience and convenience.  Although some days convenience wins me over. I need more patience.

Do you have pickles in your pantry?   Do you grow green onions or chives in your herb garden? If you do, you may enjoy using them for this new recipe we tried.  I've been talking about increasing our salmon, and clearing out my hoarded pile of recipes, so here is another adapted recipe that we are keeping.

I pulled a bag of frozen blueberries yesterday, and baked the family a buttermilk-blueberry coffee cake.  Yum.  To top it off, I surprised them with a 4 lb. meatloaf (Hubby's favorite, and I don't make it that often) that was made with organic beef, and veggies.  I also made garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans.  I really miss my own potatoes.  I bought a bag (they now sell organic potatoes here), and about 3-4 of them were rotten only two days after buying them.    Blueberry Buttermilk Coffeecake Recipe :  I added cinnamon and nutmeg to the topping.  

While cleaning around the house, I found this 1963 cookbook.  This sounded like a great way to have sandwiches on hand.  I may have to try this recipe yet.  Although I'd make my own dressing for this.  I love the fact I can use own, canned sweet pickle relish. Clean Sweep Updates: