MamaManagement

Look! A bird! A plane! No, it's more cucumbers! Yes, I know. Just go with it. So here's a lovely, light little summer side dish for you! (And another great way to use those cucs!) Sesame-Ginger Cucumber Salad recipe adapted from www.reciperunner.com 1 large cucumber, thick sliced and quartered 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp honey 1/2 tsp fresh, grated ginger 1/8 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper to taste 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Cut your cucumber in half lengthwise. Put the flat sides down on your cutting board and slice each half in half again, lengthwise. Then slice the four spears into half inch slices so that you end up with nice chunks of cucumber. Put the cucumber in a medium size bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients except sesame seeds. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss to coat. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the t...

The garden haul in this photo is from a few weeks ago. I haven't been taking pics lately, but I need to. Next week I'll share some photos of the garden itself, along with the fun stuff we're harvesting (and, of course, some garden recipes). So, we're moving on from zucchini recipes (as promised) to cucumbers...because that's what's coming in in my garden right now. I've got a few simple cucumber recipes to share this week. (I think every recipe involving cucumbers is simple.) In addition to those, my husband's been making lots of fun cucumber drinks and we've canned some cucs for dill pickles (as well as some hot peppers) that will be ready to eat later this month. I also highly recommend using up extra cucs by making cucumber water. It's lovely. To make it extra interesting you can add some fresh ginger and lemon to your cucumber water. It is light and refreshing and very spa-like. But today, we're talking cucumber sandwiches. The...

Since this is, like, my fourth zucchini recipe this month, I thought I should do a little research to sell you on eating all of this zucchini. I mean, we all know that zucchini is a vegetable, so I'm guessing that we all assumed that it's pretty good for us. But just how good is it? Well, here's what I found... It's a good source of vitamins C and A, as well as the B complex vitamins. It's rich in phytonutrients (antioxidants) and is a great source of potassium (apparently it's even better than a banana!). It also delivers some good minerals--iron, zinc, magnesium and manganese, to be specific. And it's a low calorie, high fiber food. So there you have it. Zucchini = Good for you. So let's make some zucchini bread!! I've already shared recipes for Zucchini Brownies and Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread, well now here's a recipe for a more traditional zucchini bread...and boy is it good! This loaf lasted about 4 days in our house...and it onl...

Look! More zucchini recipes! Hopefully this isn't getting old, because I'm not going to lie...as long as I keep finding good ones, they're gonna keep coming. But this one is savory, not sweet. And it's what's for dinner at my house tonight! Oh, and it's easy, light and delicious. Here you go! No, this is not my stylized shot. I forgot to take a photo when I made it so I took a photo of the picture in the magazine (Real Simple) where I found this recipe years ago. Weak, I know. Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts and Raisins 12 oz.Whole Wheat Spaghetti (about 3/4 of a box) 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2-3/4 c. walnut halves, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 lbs zucchini cut into thin half moons (about 4 small zucchini or 1 really big one) 3/4 c. raisins (golden or regular) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cook the pasta according to package directions then drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over, m...

And we're back! It's time for another recipe using the delicious stuff you're growing in your garden. And since I have a whole lot of zucchini, I'm sharing yet another zucchini recipe. This time it's a light and refreshing Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread. I thought this one was a fun twist on the traditional zucchini bread recipe. In case, like me, you have a lot of zucchini and are looking to mix things up a bit. So here you go! Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread 2 c. cake flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs 1/2 c. canola oil (I use a coconut oil/canola oil blend) 1 1/3 c. sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 c. buttermilk zest of 1 lemon 1 c. grated zucchini for glaze: 1 c. powdered sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp milk Grease 9x5 loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs, then add oil and sugar and mix until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk and...

If you planted zucchini in your garden, chances are that you are now, have been, or will soon be knee-deep in giant zucchini, like me. What to do? What to do? Make treats, of course. So, over the next couple of months I will be testing lots of new zucchini (and summer squash and cucumber and hot pepper...etc.) recipes. And the good ones I will share with you. First up? Zucchini Brownies. These are so ridiculously good...chocolatey, super moist and delicious. A definite must make. So, without further ado...here's your recipe! Zucchini Brownies 2 c. all purpose flour 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 c. canola oil (I use one that combines coconut and canola oil) 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 c. shredded zucchini (squeeze out some of the excess water) 1/2 to 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 1/2 to 1 c. chopped walnuts, if desired Grease 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium b...