Bug Off!

  Since Abby came to join us, I have been spending significant amounts of time outside.  As a matter of fact, we are outside right now,  enjoying the way the temperature drops with the sun.  What I didn't like was the Mosquitoes, biting flies and all of the little critters that swarm.  Hubby had a hard time with biting insects while hunting and, like Hubby does, he found a solution.  Enter a clip on ThermaCELL.  He tried it, he loved it, he told me to get one.  For those that know me, I don't easily spend money.  The solution? I used his. It was a God send.   It covered approximately 15 feet diameter, so when I clipped it to the walls of my garden, I could work in the entire thing without being bitten.  I could not, in good conscious, use all of his, so I purchased one.  The clip on works well for gardening, hiking and running around the yard.  It was a little awkward for sitting on a table.  Enter the lanterns.

The are available in two sizes and include LED lights if you need them.  Now, we have no more worries about Mosquitos and biting flies.  Living next to a creek, I thought it was impossible.  Try one, you'll like it.

Smoking a Turkey

Next up on the Big Green Egg - a smoked turkey.  We thought before we tried it for Thanksgiving, we should try a test subject.  It worked wonderfully.

Step 1 - Brine

Brining a turkey is an essential step to infuse it with flavor and help keep it moist.  Make your brine early enough that it can be completely cooled before being poured over the turkey.  The turkey should have at least 12 hours in the brine.  If you have a large enough container/refrigerator for the turkey and brine, you can do that.  If you don't, get a small enough cooler that will hold your turkey with not much extra room, ipossible.  Put ice in the bottom then line the cooler with a trash bag.  Put the turkey in the trash bag.

Pour the brine over the turkey and add enough cold water to cover.

Close the cooler and let sit at least 12 hours.

Step 2 - Prep
Put your wood chips in water to soak at least an hour before cooking.  Remove turkey from brine, rinse well and rub all over the skin, cavity and under the skin with butter.  Put on cooking rack in drip pan.

Heat the grill and regulate the temperature for 240 degrees.  When regulated, add wood chips, indirect cooking plate and then place your turkey.

Step 3 - Cooking
Cook your turkey about 25 minutes per pound - you are looking for a temperature of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.  It should have a beautiful, golden color.

Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 30 minutes while carving.  To keep it warmer, it may be placed under a dome of foil, shiny side in.

Tropical Zucchini Bread

Have a bumper crop of zucchi?  Tired of ordinary zucchini bread?  People getting wise to the zucchini showing up on their doorstep?  Maybe they would take zucchi bread, or make it and freeze it for those cold winter months.

  2 Cup all-purpose flour                                   1/2 Cup vegetable oil

  1 Cup whole wheat flour                                1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

  1 Tsp salt                                                      1 Cup packed brown sugar

  1 Tsp baking soda                                          1 Cup white sugar

  1 1/2 Tsp baking powder                                2 Tsp Orange Extract

  1 Tbl ground cinnamon                                   2 1/2 Cup grated zucchini, Well

  1/2 Tsp nutmeg                                                                    -Drained

  1/2 Cups Banana, mashed                              1 1/2 Cups Shredded Coconut

  3 Large Eggs                                                                           

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9x5-inch loaf pans.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl, set  aside.

 

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.    

Add bananas, vegetable oil and orange extract together. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Fold in the zucchini and coconut until evenly combined.    

Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pasta Salad with Kale and Beans

This week's CSA also included Kale, I wanted to make Pasta Salad, so I thought they would go well together.  This works well as a side or as a main dish.

  3 Cups Dried Pasta                                                                  15 Ounce Cannelloni Beans

  3 Cups Kale                                                                             1/3 Cup Caesar Salad Dressing

Remove large stems from Kale and rip into smaller pieces, set aside.

Cook Pasta to package directions, adding Kale in the last two minutes.   

While cooking, rinse and drain beans, place in the bottom of a medium bowl (preferably with a lid).   

Drain pasta and kale, pour over beans.  Add salad dressing.  Shake or toss to coat, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

I wanted a quick, easy dessert for a get together.  I raided my pantry and found chocolate, peanut butter (big surprise), marshmallows and rice krispies.  No rice krispies?  Use graham crackers, corn flakes, crushed Ritz, Crushed Saltines, or just leave them out all together, but I liked the crunch.  We always have rainbow sprinkles on hand, so they added a nice dash of color and fun.

  1/2 Cup Butter                                                                          1 Bag Mini Marshmallows

  1 Cup Peanut Butter                                                                  1 Cup Rice Krispies

  2 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips                                                     Rainbow Sprinkles

Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.

In a medium pot over low heat, melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips, stirring constantly.   

When melted and well combined, pour in marshmallows and rice krispies. 

Turn off heat and stir quickly until coated.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.  Refrigerate and cut.  Store in the refrigerator.

Per Serving: 217 Cal (55% from Fat, 7% from Protein, 38% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 6 g Mono Fat; 21 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 15 g Sugar; 33 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 113 mg Sodium

Berry Apricot Cobbler

When you belong to a CSA, you sometimes get very ripe fruit.  That happened this week and I wanted to use the apricots before they had to be thrown out.  You can make this with all apricots, but they are not Hubby's favorite, so I added blueberries for a little variety.  Makes 16 servings.

  2 Tbl Sugar                                                                              1 Cup Cake Flour

  1 Cup Apricots                                                                        3/4 Cup Butter

  1/2 Cup Berries                                                                        2 Large Eggs

  ---Topping---                                                                            1 Tsp Orange Extract

  1 Cup Sugar                                                                            

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour an 9 inch cake pan, set aside.

Pare and dice apricots and put in bottom of cake pan.  Add berries.  Sprinkle with 2 tbl sugar.  Set aside.

Melt butter and mix in sugar and flour until well combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, stir until combined.  Add orange extract,  mix well.

Pour over the cake pan.   

Sprinkle top lightly with sugar - I like to use a colored sugar.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until lightly browned and cake is done.

Per Serving: 196 Cal (43% from Fat, 4% from Protein, 53% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 9 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 27 g  Carb; 1 g Fiber; 19 g Sugar; 13 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 72 mg Sodium

White Sangria

Nothing better for sitting and reading a book than a nice glass of sangria.  I prefer that my sangria not be extremely sweet, so this recipe does not include sugar.  If you like it sweeter, you may use ginger ale instead of club soda and/or you may add sugar.  I used Ryan and Wood Beauport Vodka.

2 bottles white wine
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
6 ounces vodka
1 liter of club soda

Pour wine into pitcher.  Juice one orange and add juice to wine.  Cut orange, lemon and lime into wedges, squeeze the juice into the wine then add the wedges.  Stir in vodka and refrigerate overnight.  Refrigerate the club soda, as well.  Just before ready to serve, add the club soda.

No time to chill?  No problem, just mix and pour over ice.