Broccoli Cucumber Salad

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This is a perfect summer salad. 

With all the fresh vegetables available this time of year it's nice to have a multitude of different ways to enjoy them, and this is definitely one of them.

It's super easy to throw together and has a light creamy dressing 

with a hint of tanginess that's just delicious.

Broccoli Cucumber Salad

2 cups Broccoli florets
1 cup Cucumbers, seeded and chopped
1 Carrot, grated
1/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Fresno pepper, seeded and minced (use less if desired)
1 tbsp Fresh Dill
3 tbsp Mayonnaise, I use light
1 tbsp Sour Cream
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Celery Seed
3-4 tbsp Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cucumbers, carrot, feta, pepper and dill.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables and stir to combine.

Chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Blueberry Cobbler

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This has to be one of the easiest and best blueberry cobbler recipes out there.

It takes just minutes to throw together. 

It's one of the first of many dishes I'm going to make this year with my "sweet and plump" berries I picked off my bushes right in my own backyard.

They're really producing this year, and I'm lovin it! 

I have blackberry bushes too, but they're not doing as well. Never have 

and I'm not sure why. May have to look into that. 

But for now....time to enjoy me some cobbler.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck and Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday. 

Blueberry Cobbler

1 stick Butter

1-1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup Milk

2 cups Blueberries (Frozen Or Fresh)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. 

Whisk together 1 cup of sugar, flour and cinnamon into a mixing bowl; whisk in milk. Pour in melted butter and whisk it all together. Butter a baking dish.

Rinse and pat dry the blueberries if using fresh. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly.

Adapted from "Pioneer Woman Cooks" Blackberry Cobbler.

Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta

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Pasta is one of my favorite things. 

It's so easy and can be made hundreds of different ways.

With lots of fresh squash hanging out in my fridge, I wanted to use some in a hearty 
side dish to go along with these great strips steaks I found at the grocery store.

This pasta fit the bill perfectly. Also, my basil plant is going crazy, so I obviously

needed to use a bunch of that too.

SO GOOD!

Add the meat right into the pasta and it would make a great entree.

I also got these cherries when I picked up the steaks, which has nothing to do with anything, 

except that they were really good and I like the photo.

Linked with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

Squash, Goat Cheese and Basil Pasta

Serves 6-8

1 lb Fettucini or Spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, cut in strips

1 red pepper, cut in strips

2-3 Fresno chilis, seeded

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 yellow squash, cut in strips

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup basil pesto

3 oz goat cheese

1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup fresh basil, torn or chiffonade

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until just shy of al dente.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Drop in onion, red pepper and chilies with a pinch of salt and pepper; sauté until softened. Add garlic and squash; cook 3-4 minutes longer.

Stir in pesto until combined; pour in chicken stock. Add cooked pasta and toss for a couple of minutes for pasta to absorb some of the stock. Tear goat cheese into chunks and stir into pasta along with the parmigiano reggiano until melted. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Drop in basil and toss to combine.

Serve with more parmigiano and fresh basil if desired.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

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I made these for our annual Daylily Sale. 

They are delicious! I spotted the recipe at Tasty Kitchen.

We always try to have some homemade goodies for everyone, along with some cold drinks. 

I think some people have actually started coming for the refreshments.

Anyway, they were a huge hit, along with the brownies I made. 

Out of all the baked goodies, those two were the first to disappear. No kidding.

Isn't this gorgeous. I love me some daylilies.

I did good this year, I only came home with 3 plants.

You can find more information and pictures of "Griffin Farms" Daylily Sale here.

We have a good time...can you tell?

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2 1/4 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

½ teaspoons Salt

½ cups Butter, Softened

1 cup Granulated Sugar

½ cups Brown Sugar

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

1 whole Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1-½ cup White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet. The recipe makes 36 small cookies or 18 large cookies.

Zucchini Bread

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I got my first bag of home grown goodies from my mom (Griffin Daylily Farms) the other day.

It was full of zucchini, cucumbers and yellow squash. SCORE!

My son Christopher saw the zucchini and immediately requested zucchini bread. 

Anytime my son requests something with any type of vegetables in it, 

my answer is always a resounding, yes.

So that's what I made with it. 

It's a great recipe. Really moist and somewhat on the sweeter side, 

so it makes a great bundt cake too.

I left the nuts out this time, per my son's request, but in the past I've added a cup of white chocolate chips in addition to the nuts. Really good! 

I also mound my cinnamon when I add it, so it ends up being closer to 2 tsp.

Love how it forms a slightly crisp, sweet crust on the top. 

Almost like you sprinkled it with a thin layer of sugar before baking.

Zucchini Bread

3 c. grated zucchini
2 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts

Heat oven to 300 degrees. 

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil and eggs. Beat until blended. 

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, soda and cinnamon. Add to zucchini mixture stirring just until blended. Stir in nuts if using. Pour into 2 greased and floured large loaf pans and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.