Summer Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

The spontaneous summer torential downpours and steamy sun are finally starting to pay off here in Southern Maryland as gardens begin producing the fruits of all our spring labor. Well, really my Dad's spring labor considering he is the one who planted our garden. Even if it is at my house, it's definitely his baby - I'm just lucky enough to be the closest one to reap the benefits. Win, win if you ask me! 

The first things to produce in my backyard have been the cukes and zucchini. Oddly enough, both are my absolute favorite things we grow. I was over visiting my parents and noticed a large loaf of something wrapped in foil in the fridge; a spark of excitement hit as I prepared myself for a snack (because there is nothing like a snack from your Momma and Daddy's no matter how old you are!). Zucchini bread! Mom and I sat down and had two big hunks, slathered in butter for lunch and I knew I had to give my hand at recreating this tasty treat. 

If you haven't had zucchini bread, you may think it sounds gross. Vegetables in what is supposed to a be a delicate, sweet bread? What? Don't let that get in the way of trying this recipe out. The zucchini works to both retain the lush moisture of this loaf as well as keep in perfectly bound together. Not to mention, it adds a great deal of fiber and vitamins. The zucchini is grated in this recipe so there is no strange textures or chunks for all you picky eaters out there. In fact, you literally cannot taste the veggie at all. After talking with my Mom and reading a few recipes, I decided to make one up and give it a try. My secret ingredient here is a cup of applesauce to add even more fiber, natural sweetness and nutrients. It also works to keep the loaf perfectly moist! Most recipes call for enough ingredients to make two loaves but I prefer to make only one so that is what this recipe will yield!

If you caught my last post, you know I've got a lot of cooking on my summer agenda. I thought I would kick of my culinary adventure by hopping right into a brand new recipe which I've penned as the first in my personal handwritten collection! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Wesson Blend Oil (Vegetable Oil - could also do coconut)
• 1 Snack Size Cup Apple Sauce (about 1/2 cup)
• 1-2 Cups grated Zucchini 
• 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar 
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour (could use whole wheat, white, etc)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 - 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger

This is my first handwritten recipe for my collection! Yay! 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grate 1-2 medium zucchini. Keep in mind one medium size grates to about 1 cup. 
3. Combine all wet ingredients in mixer. Eggs, oil, applesauce. 
4. Cream in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices. 
5. Slowly add the flour in, about 1/2 cup at a time until batter forms.
6. Add in grated zucchini, mix well. 
7. Grease 1 loaf pan with Pam-like non-stick spray. 
8. Pour in batter and bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour. 

This makes an amazing breakfast with a little butter and cinnamon sprinkled on top. It is a perfect pair to steaming cup of coffee or spiced chai. I like to heat a piece in the microwave for about 20 seconds to warm it but it is certainly fine cold, too! 

Enjoy!

My Grandma's Box

I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't inherently drawn to anything and everything edible. Food has fascinated me from my first memory; the magic and art of its adaptability, the way it draws us together, the intricate processes of its sourcing, how we each interpret it differently - there is something about it that has undeniably preserved my childlike sense of wonder. 

Our history with food as Americans, at least in my lifetime, has seemed to dull the sparkle of what once was nothing less than the purest of arts. I've heard my Grandma recite how she could awake in the morning and make a fresh batch of biscuits without laying a finger on a measuring cup. Who in my generation can do that? I can't even tell you what's all in a homemade biscuit. I understand that times have certainly changed since Grandma could sling Crisco and flour together and magically make perfect biscuits seven days a week. Women are no longer confined to simply domestic duties, we've seemed to part with the majority of our agricultural roots and well, life just moves faster now. Fast and convienent foods have taken center stage in our diets as a culture, leaving the days of kitchen DIYs a thing of the past. Rarely do you see my generation passing handwritten recipes to family, give culinary gifts at holiday celebrations and tucking our baking tips in to novels we lend to our friends. While the technological revolution has been a wonderful part of my generation, its obvious that our instant-gratification needs are spilling over to our culinary (or lack there of) creativity. We've become accustomed to having what we want immediately. 

In an effort to slow down in my own life, I have been thinking a lot about how my love for food could help me do just that. My Grandma gave me a box of old recipes that she's written and collected over her lifetime. From Wisconsin to New York to good ole St. Mary's County, Maryland, this box is a curration of culinary creativity spanning from people all across the United States. As I thumbed through the sticky, plastic sheeted recipe cards, I noticed that so many of the recipes take not hours but days. Days devoted to one dish. 14 day pickles, 90 day wine, 3 day ice box cake, etc. I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around tending to pickles for 14 days. 

Here's the first look at some of the recipes I will be crafting from the box. 

Over the course of this summer, I will be making at least one recipe from my Grandma's box each week and sharing them with you right here. In between, I'll also begin to write down my own recipes and start currating a collection that I can someday pass down to my children. As a writer, I cling to the preservation of written word as not only a creative outlet but more importantly, as the purest form of pickling history. See what I did there? A little kitchen wit to get you excited for my summer behind the stove! 

Love these little vintage recipe cards I scored for $0.25 at at yard sale!

I hope you come by each week and check out what I've brought back from my culinary past. Who knows? Maybe you'll want to whisk through yours, too. 

In Good Taste,

-Karen 

Lessons from Life Post-Grad, Year One

The floods of pictures of caps and gowns, proud smiles and celebratory cheer have me feeling more nostalgic than ever this week. I cannot believe that one year ago today, it was me - the "not college material" gal who was walking across that stage, graduating in the top 4% of my class from St. Mary's College of Maryland. 

It is incredible how life changes. You meet people who can completely obliterate your entire thought process over a cup of coffee, you have experiences that widen your naive eyes, you open you heart to things that make it feel deeply and sincerely, you begin to loosen your white-knuckled grip on "your" ideas of right and wrong, you second-guess yourself, you speak with a sometimes shaky insecurity, you shed countless tears over (in retrospect) pointless assignments, you learn to connect with people who are so radically different than what you know in both wonderful and terrible ways but most importantly, you try incredibly hard to find yourself. 

I don't think I found myself on my path to college graduation but I do think that my time spent in college gifted me with the ability to reflect and grow in ways I never anticipated it would. I think of my degree as a toolbox. Bits and pieces of things that will help me shape my life, build my career and subsequently, create myself. For my time spent exploring myself and my ideas in the wonderfully liberal place I was educated has taught me that we don't just "find" ourselves - nothing comes that easily. We create. 

Countless lessons have been experienced by yours truly since last year but there is one that shines brighter than most this year. 

Advocate for yourself. We've all heard it - "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Everything I look to as an accomplishment in the past year is firmed rooted in advocating for myself. Own your talents, know your weaknesses and have the courage to step outside your own comfort zone. My biggest lessons and blessins' this year have stemmed from taking chances on myself. Even on days when I know I am my own worst enemy, I do my best to think back and reflect on how I got from being the condescending "not college material" county gal to the Summa Cum Laude graduate with two great jobs and an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. I put myself out there. I wrote what I felt and I shared it. I took risks by giving my opinion, I embraced differences and used them to reflect and create opinions rather than just riding the bandwagon like so many of us do in our adolescence. Being an advocate for yourself isn't selfish, its responsible. If you want something, ask for it. That includes those times where you are so incredibly overwhelmed that you are too afraid to ask for help. In my darkest times over the past year, asking for help and advocating for myself brought me the solidarity that I craved. Advocating for myself both personally and professionally is paving the way to the creation of a wonderful life. It isn't always easy but it challenges the creator to... well, be creative. 

While I'm only in year of life post-grad, I can only imagine the things I will be able to do with these tools. The things I will grow, the things I will continue to create, the things I will fail miserably at and thus - shatter, the things I will build with meticulous detail, the things that will just fall together. The creation of my life is forever changed by the opportunity that I have had to experience higher education. 

"The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."--B. B. King

Chicken "Zoodle" Soup

As the layers of ice piled on outside this weekend, my soul was left craving something comforting and warm. It's March 1st - each year that marks the date I begin to attempt to shed my "winter skin." Yes, I've spent the last few months in hibernation - laying under piles of blankets, watching Netflix and snackin' (a little too much!). So, I decided tonight's comfort food needed to be something on the lighter side to get Operation Shed Winter Skin off on the right foot. 

If you don't have a vegetable sprializer, get yourself one - now! My aunt gave me one a few months ago and I am obsessed with all you can do. Zucchini, with a quick turn of the wrist, becomes a damn close second to spaghetti noodles. With virtually no sugar, no refined carbs and no added preservatives, you've got a perfect substitute for pasta! The tool is only about $15.00 on Amazon and it perfect for making veggies a little more exciting. 

I used my "zoodles" to make a light and healthy Chicken Soup. Very affordable, undeniably comforting and perfectly healthy!

Ingredients: 

2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
1 bunch celery hearts
1/2 medium sweet onion
3/4 bag baby carrots 
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic 
1/2 bag fresh spinach
2 medium zucchini
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper

Directions: 

1. In a large stockpot, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil in over medium heat. Mince garlic, dice shallots and onion. Add to hot oil. Once onions become translucent, add pinch of sugar and allow them to caramelize (5 minutes approx). If mix becomes dry, dribble in chicken stock, scrapping the bottom. 

1. Roughly chop and add celery and carrots. Stir and combine thoroughly with onion, garlic and shallot mixture. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Knock the heat back to medium and keep the mix at a simmer.
2. Add spices to taste. 
3. Add shredded cooked chicken. Continue to simmer until carrots and celery become soft. Approximately 10 minutes.
4. Sprialize two medium zucchini into the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer approx 5-7 minutes until zucchini become slightly soft. 

1. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 bag of fresh spinach. 
2. Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Fig Balamic Marinade

Although the starkness of winter has only just begun, I'm already aching for a farmer's market full of all things green and lively. The bitter cold knocks out most of the vegetables that I truly love so I always try to challenge myself to bring life to the ones I'm not nuts about.

For my Thanksgiving side dish offering, I prepared a spread of roasted root vegetables. Originally, I was going to make a hash with hot sausage and kale added to the roots but then I had a fleeting thought to just simply roast them. This dish is marinaded in a sweet and tangy maple syurp and balasamic vinegar concotion with fresh herbs overnight then roasted at a high temperature. It's a great colorful side for this time of year and the flavors all meld together, giving it a smooth taste. Added bonus? this is a very cheap dish to make!

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1 russet potato
1 large turnip
1 large sweet onion
1 large yellow squash
3 carrots
1/2 purple onion
Fresh thyme, rosemary and sage

2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 fig balasmic vinegar
3/4 olive oil (I used half garlic oil and half olive)
Fresh cracked black pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

1. Peel and dice the potatoes, onions and turnips. Chop up the yellow squash. Try to make all the pieces even sized - it will help them cook evenly 
2. Sprinkle with salt then place in a gallon sized freezer bag. 
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the syrup, oil, vinegar. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper.
4. Place the veggies in the bag and pour marinade over top. 
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
6. Line baking sheets with foil (you may need two depending on size), spead the vegetables evenly. If they seem a little dry, you can spray them with a little cooking spray. 
7. Roast until slightly caramelized and tender. Depending on your oven, it will take about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thankful

In the wee hours of Thanksgiving Day, what else is one supposed to do besides lay awake and reflect on what they're thankful for this year? It's 3:30am and I've woken with a reflective spirit, quite fitting for a day like today. So, here is what I'm thankful for this year:

Health. 

This time last year health had shaken the foundation of my family. There is such a mysteriousness centered in illness. It's ying and yang, black and white. One minute everything is fine the next minute no one knows what the minute after that will hold. The waiting, the uncertainty, the emotions; I'd taken health (both of myself and my world) for granted for a long time before last year. Words cannot begin to cover how grateful I am that I have my Mom back in both health and happiness.

Education. 

Four years ago, this wouldn't have come close to making my list. After finally graduating, and doing so Summa Cum Laude, I now can feel the power of higher education. It's not just about earning more money, scoring a better title to slap on business card or bragging about your school's stats. For me, having the opportunity to go to college was a personal triumph that taught me the power of persistence, discipline and consistency. I am so thankful that I can say that I am the first person in my family to earn a college degree.

Solidarity. 

I'm just about seven months into my 'real life' and I am thankful for a sense of solidarity. I am thankful that I don't feel like all those 'it's okay to be totally lost in your twenties' articles. I am thankful that my parents raised me to value a day's work. Some days, I've felt completely insane working two jobs. But, damn, how lucky am I to have two jobs where there are so many people more qualified than I am who can't even find one? I'm lucky to have found peace, for the most part, with myself this year, too. You can read more about that here.

Family.

"Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go." -Sarah Dessen. At the end of the day, there is nothing in life that I am more thankful for than my family. Each year, different friends disappear, people change, life changes but the one thing that remains a constant is by far the most important. The unwavering support, brutal honesty, deep belly laughs, the rescue calls to Dad, the crying calls to Mom, the 'does this make me look fat' questions to my oh-so-honest sister - that's where it's at.

There are also things I am thankful for which are far less profound and much more mundane but still, I am thankful for them. To name a few: caffeine (my drug of choice), shoes (but more so the feeling that accompanies buying and wearing anything over 3 inches), my kitchen, GPS, weekly check-ins with my Hammy Q, cheap wine, bare feet, thrift stores, Pinterest, people who really piss me off, freedom of speech, my Special Olympics athletes, the color black, the quilts my Mom has crafted me, elastic, fresh blonde, cuss words, cold Chinese takeout, tupperware, modern medicine, dirt and my ole Cobalt.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

In Remembrance

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew.“ 
- President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

13 years ago today, our lives and identities as Americans were forever changed. As a nation, we have rebuilt and prevailed but only due to the persistence, dedication and diligence of those self-sacrifcers that President Bush mentioned above. The men and women who gave their lives to save innocent victims, the civil servants who, even still, work countless hours to ensure security in all facets of our lives, the troops who have fought long and hard for our safety, the swarms of volunteers that put their own safety at risk to aide their neighbors; these people define heroism.

This day shattered our sense of security but re-birthed our identities. What do I mean by that? Safety and security has taken center-stage in the post 9/11 era; this change comes coupled with a pervasive anxiety that, at one point, we have all felt. Whether it be on a plane, walking the streets of crowded city, or even watching the media blast terrorizing sights; this catastrophe has permanently scarred us with the constant chill of fear.

Although, not a year has gone by where this day hasn't brought a tear to my eye and chill to my core, strangely, I feel that 9/11 has warranted me with a revived identity which brings a sense of comfort during these said times of fear and unease.

Witnessing the selflessness of this nation as the reels of 9/11 footage roll, provides me with a restored faith in humanity. Each year when I reflect on this day, I find myself more comfortable, more appreciative and more content. Hopeful.

Today, I am remembering September 11, 2001 as more than just a day of terror and fear, I am remembering a day of heroism, courage and insurmountable strength. Today, I remember and pray for the innocent lives taken by sickness and evil and those who lost everything in an attempt to save a stranger.