Triple Chip Zuchinni Muffins

(from the kitchen of Carissa Buck)

This isn't the best photo of them, but they are definitely one of our favorites. Mmmmmmmmmmm!

3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups grated zuchinni
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup each chocolate chip, white chips and butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the eggs, applesauce, oil, sugarS, and vanilla. Stir in grated zuchinni. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and stir til barely combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop 1/3 cup batter into each muffin tin (greased or lined).

Add a few more chips to the top for visual kid appeal. Makes not quite 2 dozen (20) Bake til center springs back (30-35 min). Also does bread, just increase time to about an hour.

Egg Nog Rum Cake

(from Jenn Gardner's kitchen)

1 yellow cake mix (dry)
1 large box vanilla pudding (instant)
1/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup eggnog (pumpkin spice is yummy)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (if desired)

Mix together. Batter will be VERY thick! Spray bundt pan very well. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of slivered almonds in the bottom of the pan if desired. Then spoon batter in and even it up. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until it pulls away from the side of the pan.

cube of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/4 cup water

Pour over cake and let sit atleast 10 minutes, it can sit for up to an hour. Then invert on a serving plate. VOILA! Enjoy!

It was so tasty and moist that I took Jenn's advice and froze 1 cup baggies of egg nog so that I can make this throughout the year. SUPER delish!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

(from the kitchen of Holly Pendleton)

Dressing:
1/4 cup AND 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons AND 1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup AND 2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoons AND 1 1/2 teaspoons minced onion

In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients. Cover and chill one hour.

Salad:
spinach leaves
spring lettuce mix
sliced strawberries
roasted almond slivers
craisins (red or golden)
feta cheese

In the above photo I don't have any slivered almondsp, I was all out and didn't know it. It was still delicious. A little note on the dressing, it is a lesson in less is more. I like just the littlest bit on my salad, you can always add more, but you can't take it away. Also, it makes quite a bit. We have been known to use it on this salad up to 4 different times. Hope you enjoy it!

Why a Food blog?

As I was flipping through all of my recipe cards tonight looking for a particular salad recipe I was annoyed (again) that I couldn't keep my recipes all organized. No matter how hard I try they get scattered to the four winds. As I was putting together my favorite salad my mind kept stewing over my disorganized recipes. Finally it hit me, just create a blog and put all of your recipes on there. I have always wanted to just be able to find all of my recipes that say, have ham in them, so when I have some leftover ham, TADA! there are all of them in a little group ready for me to pick the one that works best for me that night. It's never happened. So, I figured here was my chance. I could use it primarily as a way for me to organize all of my recipes for easy finding. Also, when I have enough put on here I can print it into a book for when my kids leave the nest and VOILA! instant pack-your-bags-your-moving-out-going-away present for them, straight from my heart. :) So, here goes, to start us off I thought I would share the recipe that started it all!