6 MICROWAVE COOKIES

When I first found this fun little recipe, I had doubts about its success. However, because it was one of those "I seriously need chocolate" days, I gave it a try. Boy, I'm glad I did because they are VERY tasty!!

This recipe only makes 6 small cookies, which is PERFECT better for my perpetual diet. Because they are baked in the microwave, don't expect the same crispy cookie you would get out of a standard oven, but the taste is very much the same.

1 tablespoon butter (melted)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chocolate chips 

Mix everything together and roll into 1" balls, then flatten them a little and put them on an UN-greased microwave safe plate. They don't spread much (when they cook) so just put them an inch or so apart.

Microwave on high for 45-55 seconds (my microwave takes 50 seconds).

Now is the hardest part of this recipe......let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes before you eat them, because they are SUPER hot and will burn your tongue (ask me how I know that).

NOTE: Do not be tempted to add any baking soda to this recipe.

ENJOY!!!

EASY BAKED MINI-OMELETS

These tasty mini omelets are not only super easy to make, but they are very tasty at room temperature AND they reheat very well in the microwave.

  

EASY BAKED MINI-OMELETS (makes 12)

1/2 pound of breakfast meat cooked and drained (ham, bacon or sausage)
1 cup favorite veggies, sauteed (optional)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (or cream if you're feeling self-indulgent)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your meat is)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 375° and spray cupcake pan with vegetable spray.

Whisk the eggs, milk, oil, baking powder and salt and pepper together until smooth.

Divide meat and vegetables evenly between the 12 greased cupcake wells; top with a pinch of cheese. Next, pour in enough egg mixture to come very close to the top of the cupcake well.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (my electric oven takes 22 minutes exactly). During this time, they will really DOME UP like a cupcake, but after you take them out of the oven, they will slowly flatten back down as they cool.

Remove from oven and garnish with another pinch of cheese (I use a little sharp cheddar). Let the mini-omelets rest in the pan for 5 minutes before you take them out (they will easily lift out of the pan after 5 minutes).

NOTE: Use your imagination regarding veggies you want to use in this recipe (ham? bacon? chopped mushrooms?) just remember the veggies have to be pre-cooked.

ENJOY !!!

EASY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

This is the EASIEST fudge ever 

and it is OH SO TASTY!!!

 

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup evaporated (canned) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (smooth) peanut butter

In a medium sized saucepan (with a heavy bottom), mix 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. The heavy bottomed pan will keep this mixture from scorching.

Cook on medium high heat, stirring, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook until the mixture starts to boil (bubbles all across the surface that don't go away when you stir it). Boil for exactly 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until very smooth (whisk works well here).

You can pour this cooked mixture into any size pan you like (larger pan gives you thinner fudge), but just make sure you have lined the pan with parchment paper or foil first. I have great luck using a loaf pan.

Sit this pan of hot fudge on a cooling rack. After about an hour or so, the fudge will be FIRM, but still very warm. This is the BEST time to cut the fudge cleanly.  Just grab the edges of the parchment paper or foil (that you lined the pan with) and lift the whole thing out of the pan. Slice the fudge with a THIN, SHARP knife.

You can also wait and cut the fudge after its completely cool, but it cuts easier and more cleanly if you cut it while it's still warm.

Store cooled fudge in 

airtight container

 

ENJOY !!!

MICROWAVE BROWNIE FOR ONE !!

 They say that you are not supposed to reward yourself with food...OK, I get that. But every once in a while, I crave something deeply chocolate, deeply warm and gooey. This recipe fills that bill perfectly and since it is only a single serving, there isn't a whole pan of guilty calories calling your name the rest of the day.

PURE HEAVEN IN MINUTES 

MICROWAVE BROWNIE FOR ONE
.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
1 tablespoons pecans (optional)
2 tablespoon chocolate chips (or 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips)
.
In a small microwave safe bowl, mix everything together until smooth (mixture will be very thick). 
.
Now here comes the only "tricky part" of the recipe. Total cooking time in the microwave is 1 to 2 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. 

My microwave is a 1000 watt machine and it takes 1 minute 20 seconds. 

Watch your microwave carefully (the FIRST time you make this treat) so you don't over bake it (use the toothpick test for doneness). After you do this first "trial run", you will know exactly how long to microwave the next mini brownies.

LET THE BAKED BROWNIE SIT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE YOU EAT IT.
.
NOTE: I am embarrassed to say I know this recipe by heart now. Any flavored chocolate, peanut butter, white (etc.) chips will work well.
.
NOTE: The recipe doesn't say you have to, but I bake mine in a little ramekin that I spray with cooking spray.

ENJOY !!!

CHUCK ROAST SLOPPY JOES IN THE CROCK-POT

This recipe came about one day when I was feeling very lazy relaxed. I had a beef chuck roast in the fridge, but the idea of regular old roast beef just didn't sound good, so I went through my recipes and spotted a Sloppy Joe recipe that my family has been enjoying for 40+ years and thought...why not???

I put the roast and veggies in the crock-pot, early in the day, and enjoyed the inviting aroma of our upcoming dinner all afternoon. When it was time to eat, I just pulled out some burger buns and potato salad and we had a meal fit for company (well, OUR kind of company anyway).

CHUCK ROAST

SLOPPY JOE'S

2 pounds LEAN beef chuck roast 
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup green pepper chopped small
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard POWDER
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Trim the fatty parts off of the chuck roast and cut the meat into a few large pieces, then brown them in a frying pan before putting into a large crock-pot.

In the same frying pan, sauté the vegetables until the onions are almost transparent; tuck them in and around the meat. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the meat and veggies. Crock-pot on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 hours. It isn't necessary, but I like to rotate the meat (and coat it with sauce) a couple times during the afternoon. 

Thirty minutes (or so) before serving, remove the meat and thicken the sauce with a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Once the sauce is nice and thick, slice the beef (or just pull it apart) and put it back into the sauce so it will stay hot.

When it is time to eat, pile the meat and sauce on a warm buttered bun or French bread ....oh so good!!! We like our Sloppy Joe's with a swirl of yellow mustard.

NOTE:  My Crockpot takes 4 hours on high to make the meat extremely tender but still slice-able. If you like your beef super-shredded (like pulled pork) cook it an extra hour.

NOTE: Browning the meat and veggies isn't absolutely necessary, but it really adds to the overall yummy-ness.

ENJOY !!!

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky-picky husband gave them a thumbs up!!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a CRISPY fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty with "a little sweet+little salty" flavor that hits all the right comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all.

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour (important), then drain and pat them dry.

Put the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon vegetable oil, toss around, making sure the oil coats everything.

Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar together until very well mixed.Sprinkle this mixture over the oiled potatoes and toss well. 

Spread the potatoes out onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet (I don't spray my cookie sheet. Instead I line it with Reynolds non-stick foil (it works perfectly in this recipe) just make sure you spread the fries out so they don't touch each other (use two cookie sheets if necessary).



Bake in PRE-HEATED 400°F oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and bake another 15 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you might have to add a couple extra minutes to get those crusty edges. 

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious 

Click on this Photo

to get a closer look 

 

 

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder in place of the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

ENJOY !!!

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

If you are looking for a unique stocking stuffer gift, here is a super easy one....homemade vanilla.

The best vanilla extracts are NOT made with the same kind of vanilla beans that you bake with. It is made with Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans which are only about $15 for 25 vanilla beans on Amazon.

The 6" beans aren't very pretty to look at (they are not plump and supple like the expensive ones) AND you CAN NOT bake with them), but they make GREAT extract. When you order them, they will arrive looking like this:

All it takes, to make vanilla, is:

1 quart of vodka  (see tip below)
4 ounces of Madagascar Grade B extract vanilla beans

This makes a LOT of vanilla!! I like to put it in pretty little bottles and tuck them into gift baskets, so a quart of extract is a good thing.

TIPS: 

Don't waste your money on expensive vodka, thinking that it will make better vanilla...it does not.  Good news!! The cheapest vodka works just as well as expensive vodka for this project!!

For the initial "brewing", you will need a jar that is a bit bigger than a quart since the vodka AND vanilla beans have to fit into it.

Cut the vanilla beans into 1/2" pieces and put them into a quart of vodka..........that's it!!  Now all you have to do is shake the bottle a little (every few days) and after a month (at room temperature), it will be vanilla extract!! What could be easier?

Before using the extract (or giving it away), strain the spent vanilla bean pieces out of the extract. Personally, I enjoy seeing the tiny vanilla seeds in my baked goods, but if you don't, just run the final vanilla through a coffee filter.

Decorative bottles like this are available online for about $2.50 each, they turn vanilla into a pretty gift.

This extract will be good "forever", or until the very last drop. No need to refrigerate it.

The vanilla in this photo is only 2 weeks into the extract process (see how rich it looks already?)

For those of you who are concerned that homemade vanilla

is not as "strong" as commercial vanilla...never fear!!

This homemade vanilla is very potent (in a good way) and

you will LOVE baking with it!!

ENJOY!!!

SWEET POTATO PECAN PIE CUTIES

These (super-easy) bite-size cuties are packed with a delicious cinnamon, sweet potato and pecan filling AND they are only 45 calories each, it doesn't get much better than that!!!

SWEET POTATO FILLING

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon cream (or evaporated milk)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

PECAN TOPPING 
1/3 cup chopped TOASTED pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

2 (2.1 ounce) packages mini-phyllo shells

Poke sweet potato a few times with a fork and place it on a pie plate with 2 tablespoons of water; cover loosely with waxed paper and microwave on high till tender (my microwave takes 7 minutes). 

To one cup of (peeled) mashed sweet potato, add sugar + cream + vanilla + cinnamon + salt and mix it with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

In a different small bowl, combine TOASTED pecans + brown sugar + syrup + vanilla + egg white. Stir well and set aside.

Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Put 1 (slightly heaping) teaspoon of the sweet potato filling into the bottom of each shell, gently pushing down a little. 

Gently spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the toasted pecan mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 

Cool completely on the wire rack.

ENJOY!!!

NOTE: Our Walmart sells these little pre-made phyllo shells in the ATHENS brand.

MINI MAC and CHEESE BITES

Whether you are feeding little kids, teens or adults, everyone loves these easy to make (and serve) party treats. They are mild in flavor, but you can jazz them up a little by using half cheddar and half pepperjack cheese in the sauce. They stay warm for quite a while but are also tasty at room temperature (nice and creamy).

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1  1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
2 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
small pinch of cayenne
1 beaten egg

Boil the elbow macaroni in SALTED water for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 400° and spray MINI muffin pan with cooking spray.

Note: Salting the water is important. If you don't you will have to increase the amount of salt in the sauce.

In medium size pan, melt butter and stir in flour until smooth and bubbly, let it simmer for about 30 seconds or so.

Slowly add the milk (whisk while you add it) and bring it to a simmer (it will thicken just a little).

Stir in 1+1/2 cups of the cheese (set aside the other 1/2 cup) and add the cream cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to melt.

Mix the cooked macaroni, the cheese sauce and the beaten egg. Spoon mac and cheese into greased mini muffin cups and top with just a few shreds of the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  IMPORTANT: Let cool for 5 minutes before you take them out of the pan.

NOTES: I cook mine for 14 minutes, then put them under the broiler for the last minute (but watch them so they don't over brown).

NOTES: If you like a little spice, use half shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/2 pepper jack cheese.

 

CLICK ON THIS PHOTO

This recipe makes about 4 dozen mini bites

 

 

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: I've tried adding fried bacon, but (for some reason) they are harder to get out of the pan if you do that. 



CROCKPOT SPAGHETTI

On cold winter days, I enjoy making dinner in the Crockpot. One of our favorite's is spaghetti; our kids were raised on this recipe, and it's one of picky-picky husbands favorites.

The thick and hearty sauce and tender meatballs take about 4-5 hours on HIGH in my 7-quart Crockpot (you might cut this recipe in half if you have a smaller Crockpot). I love the way my kitchen smells when I make this sauce.

This recipe is totally foolproof.

MEATBALLS OR NO MEATBALLS

1 pound of lean (90%) ground beef

1/2 cup fine DRY breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all of the meatball ingredients and shape into walnut size meatballs. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes then drain well before adding to sauce.

*If you would rather have a "loose meat" sauce (rather than meatballs) just brown 1 pound of lean ground beef (plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper) then drain it well, and put it in the Crockpot with the rest of the sauce ingredients.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

(1) 14 ounce can of plain tomato sauce

(1) 12 ounce can of tomato paste

4 cups water

1 tablespoon dry onion flakes
1 cup finely diced carrot

1 clove of minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons dried sweet basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (crushed with mortar and pestle)

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sugar (don't leave this out)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (1/2 teaspoon if you like more heat)

Put everything in the Crockpot and mix well. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours (stirring once in a while if possible but not absolutely necessary).

The last hour, or so, leave the lid open just a crack so the sauce reduces and thickens. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

NOTE: If you like mushrooms, add them the last hour of cooking.

ENJOY !!!

OVEN POACHED EGGS

LIKE MAGIC........POACHED EGGS FROM THE OVEN!!!

The traditional method of cooking a poached egg can be a hassle, to say the least. It's not only messy but you can only cook 2 or 3 of them at a time. I'm here to tell you that there is good news: YOU CAN MAKE POACHED EGGS IN THE OVEN!!!

Give an oversized muffin pan (I think they are called Texas size?) a light misting of vegetable spray and then put a SCANT tablespoon of water in each well. Place a large egg (no shell) in the water and bake them in a preheated 350 oven(my electric oven takes exactly 12 minutes). After 12 minutes, IMMEDIATELY REMOVE the eggs from the pan with a spoon. 

  A PERFECTLY POACHED EGG !!

Whether you are making one or 24, this method

 really works and it couldn't be easier

Since there are several variables in this recipe (pan size, oven temperature, egg size) I suggest you do a "test egg" to determine how long YOUR oven will take.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Just make sure you take the poached eggs out of the pan IMMEDIATELY, so they do not continue to cook.

Don't you just want to

dunk your toast in this one?

ENJOY !!!



ZUCCHINI PICKLE RELISH

This relish is absolutely delicious, and we use it in everything from tuna fish salad, to potato salad, to hot dogs, you name it.....

NO ONE has EVER guessed it is made with zucchini 

It tastes like the 

BEST bread and butter pickle 

relish you have EVER eaten !!!

12 cups unpeeled zucchini (chopped small)

3 cups sweet onion (chopped small)
1 cup celery (chopped small)
2 large red bell peppers (chopped small)
2 cups peeled carrots (chopped small)
1 cup pickling* salt (see important note)
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons DRY mustard powder
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch

Wash and dry the vegetables before cutting them (the only one you should peel is the carrot). Coarsely chop the vegetables, then put them in the food processor (2 or 3 cups at a time) and pulse them a few times to get the pieces small enough for a good relish (but not too small). The chop size should look like this:

Measure the vegetables AFTER you chop 
them in the food processor.

Mix the small chopped vegetables and 1 cup of pickling salt. Place this mixture (covered) in fridge overnight (The salt will draw excess moisture out of the veggies).

IMPORTANT NOTE: After the vegetables have chilled overnight, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you rinse the salt off of them. I rinse the chopped veggies THREE TIMES (in small batches).

Whatever method you choose to rinse the salt off, just make sure you rinse, rinse, rinse then squeeze as much water out of the chopped veggies as you can(I use my salad spinner). Set aside.

In a large, non-aluminum, pot, mix the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, spices and corn starch. Bring to a boil (to dissolve the sugar). Add all of the rinsed vegetables to the pot and bring BACK to a boil. Once it is boiling hard, turn heat to medium low and GENTLY boil everything for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.

While the relish is simmering, sterilize 7 pint jars and 7 (two piece) screw on lids. I do this by putting the JARS through a hot cycle in my dishwasher. Keep the jars in the (unopened) hot dishwasher after the last cycle.

For the LIDS, I just wash them with hot soapy water, rinse them well and then pour boiling water over them in a large saucepan which I keep HOT on a burner.

Also, while the relish is simmering, bring your canning water to a hard boil, here is how:

 Place a rack on the bottom of a large stock pot (or something to keep the jars up off of the bottom of the pan) and fill the pot with water (water should be deep enough to cover the jars by 2". Bring the water to a full boil.

Now that your relish has boiled for 20 minutes, remove it from the heat and place it in the clean hot jars, leaving 1/4" space at the top of the jars (make sure there are no air pockets in the relish). Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, hot, wet kitchen towel and screw on the two-piece lids fairly tight. Lower the jars into the already boiling water and keep them in there  10 minutes for half pint jars and 15 minutes for pint jars.

Remove from boiling water and let cool to room temperature on your kitchen counter. As they cool on your counter, you will hear the lids "pop" when they make the correct seal.  If they don't "pop", just keep them in the fridge.

NOTE: Do not use regular table salt for this recipe because the anti-caking agents in table salt cause the relish to discolor.  If you don't have pickling salt, the next best thing to use is kosher salt (but I highly recommend pickling salt).

NOTE: The recipe calls for 12 cups of chopped up zucchini. I have found that if I am a cup short of zucchini, I just add an extra cup of chopped carrots. Works well.

NOTE: This recipe makes 7 pints of relish.

ENJOY !!!

EASY HOME MADE PEPPERONI

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a package of commercial pepperoni or looked closely at a slice of it and wondered what all those "bits" were? Exactly!! A pretty gross thought isn't it?? 

If you want to know exactly what is in YOUR pepperoni, try this super easy recipe. It's just high quality pork and beef plus seasonings baked in the oven at a super low temperature for 6 hours ....and it is delicious, (even picky-picky husband loves it!!)

First of all, keep in mind that when it's all cooked, it's NOT going to be bright red/orange like commercial pepperoni, and it's NOT going to be shaped perfectly round, but that certainly didn't bother us. 

1 pound of ground pork (not sausage)
1 pound of ground beef (lean)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (see notes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 slightly heaping teaspoons salt (see notes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup ice water

Grind the dry spices together (I used my mortar and pestle) until they are roughly ground (it doesn't have to be super fine).

Mix the meat, flavorings, ice water and liquid smoke together just until combined. (I use my stand mixer). Cover it well, and chill it for 48 hours (important).

After 48 hours, mix again (gently) and roll the mixture into 2 logs and place them on a foil (or parchment) lined baking sheet (make sure the baking sheet has a lip).

Bake in a pre-heated 200° oven for 6 hours. If you seriously want round pepperoni, turn the logs every 2 hours, but I never do that.  Your house is going to smell wonderful!! 

After 6 hours, they will look like this:

The "pepperoni" logs will be quite firm to the touch when they come out of the oven. If there is some fat on your baked pepperoni "logs", just wipe it off before you chill them, but I seldom have that problem.

                                                                    *******

IMPORTANT STEP:
CHILL PEPPERONI BEFORE 
 YOU SLICE !!

 *******

Let the baked logs cool a little, then wrap them in plastic wrap and chill them until they are very cold before you slice them.  Use a sharp knife and slice the sausages very thin.

This treat is VERY easy to make 

and has a wonderful flavor. 

NOTES: I buy pork butt roast when it's on super sale and grind it, but you can also just buy commercially ground pork (UNSEASONED....not sausage!!)


NOTES: Picky-picky husband is very shy when it comes to "heat" in his food, so I make this recipe with 1 + 1/4 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and it's just right.  If you like a spicier pepperoni, just add more flakes.

NOTES: A note about the color of this pepperoni. To get a bright red/orange color in pepperoni, people use Morton's Tender Quick which has salt, sodium nitrite and propylene glycol in it. Personally, it is not important to us to have that bright red color, so I just use table salt instead of the Tender Quick and it works just fine.  

NOTES: This pepperoni freezes very well.

LEMON BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI CAKE

This recipe is all over the Internet. So, when a friend asked me to make it for her family, I jumped right in. 

As written, I could see that the recipe might be a little heavy, so I made a couple very minor changes and it produced a wonderfully moist, tender and delicious cake.  I hope you'll try it, it's a breeze to make and our grandson labeled it "decadent"  (that's a good thing, I think? hahaha).

LEMON BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI CAKE
2 cups finely shredded zucchini (squeezed dry)
1 pint fresh blueberries (I used about 2 cups)
3 eggs (I used room temperature eggs)
1 cup vegetable oil  (I use canola)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract  (my addition)
2  1/4  cups white sugar
3 cups CAKE FLOUR  (recipe originally said AP flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350° and generously grease AND flour two 8" round cake pans (even if they are no stick).

Grate the zucchini (I used 2 small zucchini because they are very tender) and put then in a clean dish towel. Twist the towel closed around the zucchini and squeeze out the extra liquid (you will get quite a bit out), just keep twisting. Set aside.

Beat room temperature eggs, oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract and sugar together till well mixed. Fold in shredded zucchini by hand.

Sift the CAKE FLOUR (regular flour will work but it will give you a much heavier cake) into a large bowl, then gently dip in your measuring cup and level off the cup with a straight edge. Add 3 of these sifted cups of cake flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition, but don't over mix.

Fold in the blueberries (save a few out for decoration).  Divide the batter in between the 2 prepared cake pans. Gently drop the pans on the counter to dislodge any possible air pockets.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. My electric oven took exactly 35 minutes. Test for doneness with the toothpick test.

Cool in cake pans for 20 minutes, then gently turn out of pan, onto a baking rack. Wrap the HOT cakes in plastic wrap and let cool completely.

When completely cool, unwrap the cakes and frost with lemon buttercream frosting and decorate with more blueberries.

Frosting
1 cup room temperature high quality butter (no substitutions)
3  1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add everything else and beat on high till light and fluffy.