What to do with all that Zucchini!!

 

Every year we always grow more zucchini than we can eat.  Here are two great recipes, one to eat now and one to savor in the winter when you are dreaming of summer.

 

Zucchini Casserole

 Yummy!!

 

 

 

2 cups minced zucchini,  I use a food grater

1 cup minced carrots

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/3 - 2/3 cups milk

1/2 stick of butter, melted

1 box chicken flavored stuffing mix, I use "Stove Top"

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Grated medium cheddar cheese (I use about 1- 1/2 cups but you can use more or less)

1/2 can French's Fried Onions

 

 

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter and stuffing mix in medium size bowl. 

Stir in zucchini, carrots, soup, onion powder, pepper, milk

(may have to adjust how much if it looks too dry)

 and seasoning packet from stuffing mix, if there is one.

Pour into buttered 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

Bake 30-40 minutes

Add cheese and French's Fried Onions

Bake until cheese melts and onions are browned.

 

 

Lemon Zucchini Bread

Great to freeze and serve during the winter.

 

 

 

1/2 cup butter softened

1-1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 Tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon)

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

1.   Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating just until blended after each addition.

 

2.  Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.   Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in zucchini and next 2 ingredients.  Spoon batter into bread loaf pan.

Makes about 2-2/3 cups batter

3.  Bake 325 degrees for an hour and then check with a wooden pick in center comes out clean. You may have to bake another 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven.  Cool pan on wire rack for ten minutes, remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

To freeze, make sure bread is completely cool.  Wrap in Saran wrap.  Wrap again in tin foil, place in zip lock bag and label.

 

Enjoy!!        Valerie

 

 

A Little Black Chest

Since we are kind of home bound at the moment, waiting while all the workmen do their thing, I started a furniture project.  Mike found me an old china cabinet at a junk store, he cut off the top glass door portion, and then got it ready for me to paint.  Wish I had taken a "before" picture.  I painted it black then did a stencil treatment on the two bottom doors. 

 It was a lot of fun and didn't really take me much time.

 

 

 

Stencilling the doors 

 

 

Completed project.

 

 

A closer look at the stencil.

 

 

The mirror over the chest comes from "Our House" a teen boys home in Olney, Maryland.

Mike and several of the boys worked on antique mirrors donated to the boy's home.

This is one the boys cleaned up and repaired.  We are so glad to have it in our home.  A lovely reminder of some wonderful youth struggling to make their way in the world.

 

 

Have a great week.  Valerie

Men Working

The new addition got off to a great start a little over two weeks ago. WOW, a lot got done in those two weeks. Men working everywhere........hammers, saws, cranes, oh my!! Monday through Friday seven a.m. sharp they got us up and going.

This is what the back of the house used to look like.  The addition

 is going over the top of the room with the three windows.

 

 

This is what it looked like with the old tar roof still on.

 

 

Things starting to take shape!!

 

 

They had to use a crane to lift materials over the top of the house and

onto the addition.  Lots of cars and neighbors stopped by to take a look.

 

I have lots more pictures.  They have actually put up most of the siding

but can't seem to upload my pictures onto the blog.  Blogging is such a challenge for the

technically illiterate!!

 

More.........later.    Valerie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I should have......

I should have added pictures of the bath before the remodel so you could see the difference.

So here's our 1950's bath in all it's green and gold glory!!

FINALLY THE BATHROOM IS FINISHED!!
The tear out started the end of February and five months later......a new bathroom.  How do those TV shows do a new bathroom in a week?!  What a boost to have this major project finished.  Especially since they are starting the new bedroom addition this week.  Here are the pictures but it was hard to get good photos because of the small area and all those walls.  I need a fish eye lens for my camera.

If you walk in from the hall there is a powder room part of the bath with a sink and toilet and then you walk into the main bath with the shower and sink area. 

 This a picture of the shower and sink area.

This is the powder room part.  Both rooms have old mirrors

 that we used to have in the Maryland house. 

This is the floor that Mike put in.  He also tiled the shower stall and bench,

 painted, wall papered, and and built the radiator cover.  What a man!!

I was the go-for. 

The doors are original to the house so you have to have a key to lock the door.

I use it too.  One of the workmen almost walked in on me when I hadn't locked it. 

 Now I remember!!

Light Fixture 

Wall paper

Tall cabinet behind door.

Curtain Fabric

Radiator cover

Have a great week.   

Valerie

 

Busy Summer

    Summer seems to pass so quickly.  Mike and I have travelled to Seattle to see Kyle.  Worked constantly on the house.  Unfortunately in June we travelled to Colorado for the illness and funeral of Mike's father, Julius Ray Taylor.  Papa we miss you terribly!!
   This past Sunday we attended the beautiful wedding of Josh Byrne and his bride Amanda. 
   We have no central air conditioning in the house so except for a couple of window units, Mike and I have been trying to stay out of the heat.  So we have been working on several indoor projects.

This is an apron I made for my mother-in-law's birthday.

She picked out the fabric.  It is so cute.

It has a fabric flower and button the shoulder strap.

A ruffle in contrasting fabric at the bottom of the apron.

I had so much fun making it, I decided to start on a tote pattern that I have had forever.

I was pleased how it came out.  I used several of the new quilting skills that I have learned recently.

These are some of the fabrics I used.

It took me several days but it was really fun.

IN MEMORY

This is a picture of my wonderful father-in-law, Julius Taylor.

We were so fortunate to have been able to spend two weeks with him in Seatlle a week before his death.  He was a  compassionate man who taught a bible class in the local prison, he had four children, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.  He was greatly loved and he greatly loved each one of us.  God called him home and we wait to be reunited with him. 

Richmond Home and Garden Show

     April is Home and Garden Month in Virginia.  All across the state are wonderful home and garden tours in most of the larger cities. 
     Different cities, different days and different weeks.  You could spend the whole month travelling all over Virgina seeing lovely homes and beautiful gardens. 
     Every year Mike and I visit Richmond for their tour.  This year our friends Linda and Larry Bell went with us.  Here are a few pictures of our travels...... unfortunately they won't allow pictures to be taken inside the homes only the gardens.

Isn't this a cute idea?!!

Chandelier hanging from a tree.

A restful spot.

Took a side trip to the Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond.  So elegant.

Inside the hotel.

Stained glass ceiling

Not sure what the concrete alligator had to do with the hotel. 

 Must be a story there somewhere.

Another alligator.

We even took a driving tour of the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. 

 It overlooks the James River.

A wonderful little vacation.  Beautiful homes, great friends.

Next year don't forget the Virginia Home and Garden Tours in April.  Valerie