Mennonite Monday - Chocolate Zucchini Bars

Chocolate Zucchini Bars
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oleo
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda
2 cups flour
2 Tbl cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbl sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all but the chocolate chips, nuts and 2 Tbl sugar.

Put in greased 9 x 13" pan. Sprinkle chips, nuts and sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This Makes Me Happy

I love these bright cupcakes at the Henderson Farmer's Market. Unfortunately Staci won't be at the Farmer's Market this week with bright cupcakes, but there will still be a lot of vendors selling locally grow produce and baked items Tuesday evening from 5-7 p.m. in the downtown park.

Mennonite Monday - Refrigerator Dill Pickles

With summer coming to an end you may be tired of eating vegetables fresh from the garden for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is why I chose refrigerator dill pickles for this weeks recipe. This easy recipe will allow you to enjoy your summer produce into the fall.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

1 cup white vinegar
3 cups water
Handful pickling salt
2 hands full dill

Cut cucumbers into slices or spears and place in a jar or Tupperware bowl. I reused a jar from pickles we had purchased in the store.

Boil vinegar, water and salt.

Pour over pickles and add dill.
Keep refrigerated.

Finally

I have been wanting a couch since Mike and I got married. When Mike moved into our house two years ago it was so nice of his parents to allow us to use one of their couches. We are pretty sure this couch was purchased when Mike was around 4 years old, which means they have gotten their monies worth out of it. Over the past two years I have been looking for just the right sectional that looked good, fit in our living room and was comfortable. Two months ago Mike and I picked out a couch and it was delivered on Thursday. Finally.

Before:

After:
While our dogs may not be so happy about the new couch, since they are now band from it (their hair is obvious on the dark color), we on the other hand are thrilled to have the new couch. I think Mike has taken a nap on the couch everyday since it was delivered.

Sponsor Fun

A few weeks ago the Bethesda Youth Sponsors went to the Stauffer Pond to plan a camp out for our youth group. Here are some of the pictures from that evening.

Ben had a great time in the water.

Andrea skied around the pond a few times.

Jay did about every water activity at the pond.

Liz also tried out all of the water toys.

Wendy also took a spin around the pond.

Mennonite Monday - Little Cheddar Loaves

Today's recipe was suggested by my mother-in-law Karla.

Little Cheddar Loaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

Mix the above ingredients together.

Shape into six loaves. (I only made three loaves)

Since there is only two of us, I made the rest of the mixture into meatballs, which I will freeze and used for a quick easy harvest meal.

Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon prepared mustard and 1/3 cup ketchup. Spread mixture over the loaves. Bake at 350 degree for 35 minutes.

Bachelorette Party

Last Saturday I traveled to Council Grove, Kansas for my college roommates Bachelorette Party.


Unfortunately what happens at a bachelorette party stays at the party, so I can' t share anything else. . . Actually we had a pretty relaxing weekend at the lake eating, floating in the water and talking. I just didn't take many worthwhile pictures. Tina I am so excited for your upcoming wedding in October.

Mennonite Monday - Oh Henry Bars

This weeks Mennonite Monday recipe, Oh Henry Bars, comes from the Yellow Church Cookbook.

OH HENRY BARS

4 cups Oatmeal
2/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup syrup
3 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together well in a bowl. Pat into a 9 x12 pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Melt 1/2 cup crunchy style peanut butter (I used creamy) and 6 oz. or more of chocolate chips.

Frost and cool.

I have tried the Oh Henry Candy Bar too and I like these bars better, but you will need a cup of coffee or milk to eat them because they are very rich.

The Pond

On Sunday Mike and I went to the Stauffer Pond for some fun and sun. My aunt and uncle and their family have been developing the pond, which is located in the middle of corn fields, over the past several years.

Mike likes to spend his time on the jet ski. He often water skies, wake skates, knee boards and tries to drive the jet ski as fast as it goes, which was 70 mph on Sunday.

I usually spend my time talking and doing pretty much anything that keeps me out of the water. I still think that if I were an animal I would be a cat because water is not my friend.

As we left the pond their was a storm brewing in the south. While we felt a little jealous about the potential rain we were missing, we got a little taste of our own medicine on Monday night when a storm with 60 mph winds blew through the area. Luckily we did not have much damage.

Mennonite Monday

I have been wanting to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbook on a regular basis, but I never think to use them and I always wish there were pictures of the different recipes. Due to my desire to cook from the church cookbooks and recent advertisements for the movie Julie and Julia, I have decided to start Mennonite Mondays, where I will be making a different recipe from one of the Bethesda Church Cookbooks each week.

Since we are at the point of summer where everyone has a surplus of Zucchini, I have decided to make Zucchini Bread or Cake this week from the yellow church cookbook.


Zucchini Bread or Cake
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated raw zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup nuts
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix as for a cake. Pour into 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Test to see if cake is done.

Eggs, oil and sugar

Grated zucchini

Mix in vanilla

I mixed the dry ingredients together before I mixed them in with the other ingredients.

Everything mixed together.

I only baked my bread for 45 minutes and it was completely done.