Bless My Heart I Married A Yankee

What do you do when you have a zucchini the size of a watermelon?  Not just one or two, more like four or five.  I guess this happens when one goes away on vacation.  Hey, it all worked out because I made zucchini bread.  I have never made any before this year but now I understand why you make it, it is just dadgum good.   I was lucky to be given a recipe from a friend.  It was his mom's recipe and she really hit the nail on the head with this recipe.  Everyone that has tried it loves it.  I think the secret is the sour cream.  It helps the recipe to be super moist.   I like to gather my ingredients together to make things easier.  Below are a few of the ingredients. I then add my ingredients to a bowl and mix. I since have started adding my dry and my wet ingredients in separate bowls.  Then add the dry with the wet.  I can not really tell there is a difference in the taste of the bread though. As far as the zucchini you do not have to peel it or

If you have been reading my posts in the last few days, you know I have been sick.  If you know me you also know the fact that I prefer to use all natural ways to stay healthy.  Of course, that does not always happen but I do try really hard to use natural ways to improve my health.   With this nasty crud stuff that is going on in my system, I have been coughing a lot.  I mean so much that I did not sleep well last night.  I have coughed all day today as well.  I have taken apple cider vinegar to help with my cold and my overall health but I needed something for this persistent cough.  Unfortunately, I am out of honey so that was not an option.  In my research today I found thyme is good for a cough.  It is also good for a sore throat.   Being sick I did not feel like going down to my herb garden to get fresh leaves.  I decided to make a tea with dry leaves from my garden last year.   I got my teacup out along with dried thyme and my tea ball.  I put the thyme in my t

My zucchini has taken over.  For some unknown reason I forget every garden season how it can take over but it only lasts so long.  That means we must make the most of it while we have it in abundance.   Scott is currently making fritters.  His version which is as delicious as mine.  His are just a bit different with the batter he uses.  I use flour and panko.  Scott just uses flour.  His are also more peppery then mine or it might just be my taste buds are so totally off due to this cold I have.   While in Texas I was thinking about the zucchini chips I have made and how good they are that they do not last long after cooking them.  I was brainstorming and wanted more of bite to my zucchini.  Meaning I wanted more zucchini in my mouth in hopes that it would last longer.  I came up with the thought of zucchini wedges.  Afterall, we make potato chips, fries and wedges why not make wedges out of some of the zucchini from my garden.   What is so great about this recipe, is

20 NATURAL WAYS TO BENEFIT YOUR BODY I do not know about you, but I try hard to stay healthy and use natural ways to do so.  Yes, sometimes we have to take medicine but did you know that there are some natural ways to try first?  I would much rather try something that is not laden with chemicals.  Why put something in your body that you can not even pronounce or have a hard time pronouncing?   Red Yeast Rice :  Nature's way of lowering cholesterol.  The researchers are out on this one due to the fact that it has not been studied to death.  However, the Chinese have used this for thousands of years to lower their cholesterol.  I have actually used this and can say it has worked for me, much to my doctor's dismay.  I won't go so far to say it is for everyone or that it is a cure-all.  Only saying that it worked for me. Sunflower seeds :  These tiny seeds are very rich in magnesium along with pumpkin seeds.  They can help give you some relief from muscle cra

I have said this over and over again, I will pickle almost anything.  Yep, I will give anything a try.  Okra is not really a weird thing to pickle.  I have seen it pickled since I was a small child so it is not different for me.  However, some people are quite surprised that you can pickle it. I have to admit my first attempt at pickling okra many years ago stunk!!  They came out slimy and nasty.  I threw them all out.  So be careful what you read out there.  My first try was with a recipe that said to blanch your okra first.  By no means do you need or should you ever do this!  I would love to string up who told me to do blanch them and make them eat what I threw out.  It was gosh awful disgusting.   Since then I have mastered the technique of pickling okra.  They should never be slimy or slippery.  They should be crisp to the tongue and have a nice crunch when you take a bite out of one.   Okra is one of those vegetables that will grow and produce all season long i

SELENA'S AWESOME PICKLES

Scott makes an awesome Boston pork butt.  By awesome I mean we rub our butt with a special  homemade rub  that I came up with a few years back.  This rub is very versatile and can be used on ribs, chicken, pork roasts, and well, just about anything.  We allow the Boston Butt to sit in the fridge for a few hours before he throws it on the Big Green Egg.   However, growing up near Lexington, NC you learn early that the dip is what makes your pulled pork.  Well, along with some banging  red slaw .   I can go buy some Scott's bbq sauce but why when I can make my own?  I say Scott's because it is my favorite pre-made store bought bbq sauce.  FYI, in case you do not know, Lexington or Carolina style dip is a vinegar and ketchup sauce.  It is not like Sweet Baby Rays.  This sauce is strong on vinegar.  Another thing about dip in NC we will fight over which is the best.  Meaning, we have an eastern style sauce and then we have Lexington style dip.  Yep, we call it dip.     It