Not my hair silly!

Remember back a while ago, I made these gorgeous squares that literally knocked you over with excitement?  Well If you don’t remember I will remind you… I DID.  No I didn’t dream up the recipe but I did pretty much eat the whole pan.  I had a huge craving for these little packs of sugar again so I thought I would share them with all the new readers that have never seen BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIES.

What I strongly suggest is that you review the ingredient list before you go home tonight, stop in at the grocery store on the way home and prepare to make this on the weekend.  After you make them, and eat a whole bunch of them – pop back on the blog and let me know in the comments if you liked them or not.  I am pretty confident you will LOVE them.

Now on with the post from previous…

I have been dying to make these Butterscotch Blondies for a while now.  I have had a few requests and have seen them around the food blogs everywhere so I decided to take the plunge.

The result? Very successful!  I chose the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs – smitten kitchen.  They seemed so easy  – I was actually surprised just how easy they actually were.

Here is the lowdown on how to make ‘em.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup butter (melted)
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 Cup butterscotch chips
• Pinch salt
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees°F.
2. Butter an 8×8 pan.



3. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth.









4. Beat in egg and then vanilla.







5. Add salt, stir in flour.





6. Add butterscotch chips – stir together.



7. Pour into prepared pan.



8. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle.



9. Cool on rack before cutting them.



10. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When preparing your pan for brownies/blondies such as these, be sure to select a light-colored, shiny pan, which will conduct heat evenly. Glass or dark-colored pans can cause the edges to over bake or even burn. Always grease the pan thoroughly with shortening, softened butter, or cooking spray (do this even if the recipe doesn’t specify).

Question of the day: What is your favorite addition to the traditional blondie?

I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!  For all of you people in the Northeast, Can you believe that the snow is actually melting and spring is on it’s way?

Take care

zesty

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The finally portion of this post title is for me.  I have been telling myself what feels like years that I am going to make a gluten free cookie to share with you and my family.  Finally the time has come where I did it and I was totally surprised by the results.  Not that I thought they would taste terrible but I was not expecting that they would be this yummy.

To put it in perspective, they lasted 3 hours and 15 minutes.  zesty juniors, Mrs zesty and a couple of zesty in laws popped over after the cookies made their way out of the oven and every one gave the thumbs up.  I had to improvise slightly with the recipe as I found it was a little dry prior to adding the chips.  That is when I went with the yogurt addition.  As I said earlier, the results were very positive.

When I took them out of the oven I was a bit skeptical.  They were very delicate and I thought maybe I made them too thin.  Zesty junior was the first tester and my biggest critic.  His face said it all and as he placed the cookie on the counter and immediately placed “two” thumbs up – I knew we had a winner.

I am not gloating by any stretch but I seriously suggest to try these cookies.  For the recipe, I had put a number of recipes together based on the ingredients I had on hand.  In the end I used this recipe as a guide and modified a few ingredients based on taste and added in the yogurt.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup butter (softened)
• 11/4 Cup  rice flour
• 1/2  Cup white sugar
• 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Plain Yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking powder
• 1 Bag chocolate chips

Method

1. In a bowl beat butter,flour, sugars, egg, baking soda and powder with an electric mixer until well blended.
2. Add yogurt and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Add in chocolate chips and mix with a fork.



4. Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet ( makes about 24 normal size cookies – I made 16 )  I also flattened them down a little so they would be thin and chewy.



5. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I added sliced almonds to the second batch and made them slightly larger.  They puffed up slightly higher but still had the soft texture.  The almonds added a nice crunch and texture.  In the future, if no one was looking I would add the almonds every time.

Have a super Wednesday!  I cannot believe the week  is half over already.  Stay tuned on Friday as I announce the final arrangements for the Disney World trip and a very special thanks to a fellow blogger.  Talk to you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

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The end of the week is upon us.  Can you believe it?  It flew by for me that is for sure.  Remember on Wednesday when I had the pork chop pork roast and I mentioned that I had some left over pork for today and a special dish.  Old-Fashion Baked Beans.

One of my favorite comfort foods on a cold winter evening.  When ever you have some white beans that are calling your name… try this recipe and I am pretty sure you will be happy.

Ingredients

• 454g ( 1 lb. ) White Pea Beans
• 5 Cups Cold water
• 1/2 Tbsp. Salt
• 2 Tsp. Cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. Prepared mustard
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 1/2 Cup Tomato ketchup
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 Left over pork chops ( chopped)

Method

1. Sort and rinse beans.
2. Soak beans overnight in cold water ensuring the water is high enough to cover by 2 inches
3. Drain in the morning when you wake up and then add 5 cups of cold water, cover and heat to boiling, than simmer for 30 minutes until tender ( beans will not become softer once placed in the oven)
4. Drain after the 30 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients ( except the pork ) in a separate bowl and mix together thoroughly and then add to then beans.  Transfer to a casserole dish and add enough water to cover the beans  and place the chopped pork on top.
5. Cover the dish and cook for 8 hours on 250F.
6. Add water as needed to keep the beans covered.  One hour before serving, remove the lid to darken up the beans
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: One little trick I used was in the last hour I topped with a little glaze of molasses and maple syrup to add a hint of extra flavor and aide in the darkening process.

I hope you enjoy both the beans  and your weekend.  Have a super Friday and see you on Monday!

Take care

zesty

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Happy Hump Day Zesty Readers!  This is Danica from Danica’s Daily and I am sharing a little fall with ya’all in my Pumpkin Nut Bread Recipe today.  This recipe is loaded with pumpkin, protein, sweetr berry goodness and a little nutty crunch.  I originally developed this recipe when I was doing the Body For Life Challenge, but, it has since become a favorite in our house.

Whip up a batch of this bread whenever you have company coming over and your house will “smell” just like fall too.  Oh and you totally do not have to share either

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup Oat Flour (ground up Quaker Old Fashioned Oats!)
• 3 scoops EAS Vanilla Protein Powder (added to boost protein)
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 Tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 Tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 Tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 Cup  Trader Joe’s Dried Three Berry Blend
• 1/2 Cup chopped raw walnuts
• 1 Cup pure pumpkin puree
• 4 Egg whites and 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 Cup Agave nectar
• 1/2 Cup canola oil (or 1/2 ff greek yogurt to boost the protein)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 9 x 5 bread pan with nonstick spray and a light dusting of whole wheat flour.
2. Stir dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Whip egg whites until stiff white peaks form in a separate bowl.
4. In another bowl, combine berries, pumpkin, agave, egg yolk, egg whites, and oil.  Fold in egg whites just until blend.
5. Mix dry and wet ingredients just until blended.  Do not over mix.
6. Place batter in the loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until loaf is just beginning to crack on the top.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.
8. Remove from pan and allow to cool entirely on the wire rack before slicing.
9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: You can OMIT the protein powder if you want and boost the flour by 3 tablespoons.

This is quite tasty by itself or you can whip up a Sweet Greek Yogurt Cream for topping.  See recipe below for some yogurt topping that will make your heart beat faster.  You can of course smear some pumpkin butter on top and go really over the top.

Yogurt Cream

• 2 Tbsp 0% Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• Mix and spread on your fantastic fall pumpkin bread!

This bread is like tasting a piece of fall.  Do try and let me know what you think.  Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to Danica’s Daily.  For more recipes, tips and more – drop by my blog at Danica’s Daily.

Zesty Here

Wow Danica.  This bread looks amazing.  I am really liking the protein powder addition.  I am definitely going to give this a try and I would be very doubtful that there will be much sharing going on.  Have a super Wednesday and I will be back with you on Friday.

Take care
zesty

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Happy Wednesday!  Ever just feel that there is one food that is so versatile for any meal?  I think for me it has to be the banana.  Whether it is breakfast, lunch , dinner or dessert - the banana can make you happy.  High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

I was contacted by the folks at Endless Simmer and was asked if I would mind if they featured zesty in a post titled “100 things to do with a banana”.  Of course I said yes and always more than honored when fellow bloggers choose to feature my recipes and posts.  The one that was chosen is my use of banana on the super star toast.  Here is a snap shot of the toast if you never saw it before.

Below are a few more banana recipes that I have feature in the past on zesty.

Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Monkey

Super Star Toast II

Banana Walnut Bread

Triple Decker Peanut Butter Sandwich

There you have a quick summary on the fabulous food called “BANANA“.  Tell me what your favorite ingredient is for anytime throughout the day and feel free to plug your blog if you have one and link to the recipe in the comments.

Have an amazing mid week Wednesday!  It is going to be sunny here… finally.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I think I am heading downtown to attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony later on this morning and then heading to the house to do some work.  The trim is all on upstairs and the doors are hung.  I am ready to start cleaning the floors and start prepping for the hardwood.  I guess I never told you that we changed our mind on the upstairs flooring and switched from a laminate floor to “real” hardwood.  We chose a cappuccino color for the upper level and we are pleased to have that decision behind us.

On to the Ginger Snaps – I always seem to have these every year at this time of the year and right through until the new year.  Have you ever had an icebox ginger snap?  They are certainly a great little snack with a glass of milk or if you are like me… I smear a bit of butter on the back side.  These are really simple to make and take no time to prep or to cook.  They are a great cookie to eat right out of the fridge or the freezer.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/3 Cup Brown sugar
• 2/3 Cup Molasses
• 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tsp. Baking soda
• 2 Tsp. Ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Cloves
• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. In a large bowl mix as listed above and place it on a large piece of wax paper.
3. using your hands shape into a large rectangle about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick.  It will be smooth on the top.
4. Wrap it up in wax paper and chill in fridge for an hour or two. ( You can chill overnight if you want)
5. Remove from fridge and unwrap.  Cut into slices and place on cookie sheet  lined with parchment paper
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: These little cookies make a great outer shell for a quick ice cream sandwich.  Just be sure to pop them back in the freezer for a few minutes once you build them to prevent the ice cream from oozing out.

A Gentle Reminder

Check out Megan’s Pumpkins For Pink E-Book, which raises money for the fight against breast cancer. I contributed my Double Ginger Gingerbread Cookies recipe to it.

Have a great Wednesday and I will see you all back here tomorrow. Oh before I forget. I am on the road all next week in Virginia and I am looking for guest posters. If you are interested and would like to be featured shoot me an email.

Take care
zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday! What a weekend we had…  to say it was a busy weekend would be an understatement but it was so much fun.  Saturday started with a visit to the house, three truck loads of junk to the dump, checking out the temporary driveway (woo hoo!), followed by a “PEI Spud Run for children”.  We entered both turkeys (our kids) as part of the Marathon Weekend.  It was a good time despite the weather which was very cold and rainy.

On to the Food

Earlier in the week we finally made it to the apple orchard.  It was a a great time where the kids loved it and the weather was very nice.  We came home with a big bag of cooking apples (Cortland) and eating apples (MacIntosh).

Here are a couple of shots in the orchard followed by a killer apple pie – compliments of Mama Zesty’s super pie crust recipe.

Topped with some homemade whip cream or even just plain Vanilla ice cream – a great dessert.  Actually I had a slice of this for breakfast…. Do you think that is a bad thing?

Ingredients

• 6 Apples ( Peeled and Sliced)
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Cup Butter
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1 Tbsp. White Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees and Pre grease your pie plate (this one was a 10 inch)
2. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, butter and salt then cut in together.  Once cut in, add the water slowly mixing with a fork.  Do not over mix and do not make it too wet.
3. Cut the dough into two equal parts and then roll out fairly thin.
4. Place the bottom layer of the dough in the pie plate.
5. Add sliced apples sugar and nutmeg ( sprinkled on top.  Add the top crust and cut three steam holes in the middle.  Once the top is in place, use a fork to crimp the edges of the pie to ensure it doesn’t come apart.
6. Brush some milk on the top crust and bake for about 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from heat and let cool.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: The big tip here is not to over work the dough.  If you want a flaky crust, keep your paws off as much as possible.  Just add enough water to combine the flour butter mixture and that is it – otherwise it will be stocky and hard to roll out.

On to the Race

As I mentioned on Friday, Mrs. Zesty was running in a half marathon this weekend.  A few people were sending her well wishes and asked for an update so I thought I would fulfill the request.  Overall the weather was nice but it was fairly cool with a stiff breeze.  Janet did extremely well.  Her time was 2:13.46.  I am super proud of her! Me, the kids along with the in-laws provided support every step of the way (via car).  Great Job J!  Mrs. Zesty is below on the right!

Here is a shot of Zesty Jr. and Mrs. Zesty at the Spud Run on Saturday.

Well that was a post somewhat all over the map but I hope you enjoyed it and have a great Monday.  I will be back in the morning for another riveting write up.

Take care

zesty

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I am pretty excited to share this recipe with you today! These rolls are dead easy, will be the talk of the dinner table and come with some history. On PEI, there is a very popular lobster supper restaurant that bakes these fresh rolls all day everyday from which this recipe has been adapted from.

As you can tell from the ingredients below, these rolls are very wholesome and traditional. No additives, no extras – just plain old fashion goodness.  You are going to spend most of your effort on the kneading.  Not that these are intense to knead, however you will want to put forth the effort to ensure the quality.

Ingredients

• 8 Cups Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 1/2 Packages Quick Rise Yeast
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil ( Olive Oil )
• 3 Cups Waters

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Add yeast to dry ingredients; mix well.
4. Add remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
5. Add dry mixture to wet ingredients; mix well and knead ( about 5 minutes).
6. Let set for about 10 minutes.
7. Cut dough into small ball pieces and begin kneading them and shape them into the pan.
8. Let rise 60-75 minutes or until they double in size – cover with tea towels to keep them warm and moist.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
10. Brush tops with butter once removed from the oven.
11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Place your dough to set in a warm place to yield better results.  I like to put mine on top of the pre heating oven.

Well there you have it!  A pretty simple roll with lots of flavor and tradition.  Give this recipe a try, I am sure you will like it.  Try it fresh from the oven, topped with butter or dipped in your homemade stew.

Have yourself a great Wednesday and I look forward to sharing some more recipes with you.

Take care

zesty

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Good morning!  The Christmas rush is slowing down and the New Year’s rush is picking up.  I hope you had a great weekend.  I had a great Christmas break and I cannot wait to share some new and exciting recipes with you.

When it comes to homemade biscuits…. I love them! I grew up around biscuits and I certainly can pack a lot of them away.  Warm or cold, butter or Jam… you name it Zesty loves them.

I thought I would share this very simple recipe biscuit recipe.  This is one of the first things I learned to bake when I was a youngster.  The biscuit is very easy to make yet very rewarding to taste.  These take no time to make and go great with almost everything.

Mixing of the ingredients is crucial in producing an excellent biscuit.  I prefer to mix the dough by hand using either a pastry blender, two knives or just your fingertips.  Mixing by hand helps to prevent over mixing of the dough.  My mother-in-law adds the cream of tartar to keep the biscuit very white during the baking process however the topping will encourage the outside to become golden brown and delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/2 Cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 Cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/8 Tsp. Cream of Tartar

Topping:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C) and place rack in center of oven.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and sugar.
4. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use pastry blender, two knives, or fingertips).
5. Add the milk, slightly beaten egg and stir until just combined.  (The texture should be sticky, moist and lumpy.)
6. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.
7. Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.
8. Cut out biscuits with a lightly floured cutter of your choice ( I use a small glass ).
9. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg and milk mixture and bake for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
10. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
11. Serve warm with butter.



12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: I cannot stress enough that this dough should not be overworked and that a light hand is needed.  The test will be in the results.  If you end up with a hard and doughy biscuit, you will know to mix the dough less the next time.

So I have to ask… What is your favorite biscuit topping? I get so excited when I ask this question because I am so in love with biscuits that I am dying to hear what you have to add.  Has anyone tried whole wheat biscuits?  I’ve tried them in the past but I found them a little too heavy.

Have a great Monday and by all means I am open for suggestions… Anything you want Zesty to bake, cook or prepare?  Let me know and I will try my best to make it happen.

Take care

zesty

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Happy Friday!!

You’re bound to do some baking this holiday season.  So for that I give to you:  “Zesty’s Top 8 Essential Baking Ingredients”

Here is a list of necessities I put together after trying to bake the other night and realizing I had expired baking powder and no brown sugar.  Oh dear I said… off to the store I go – or better yet lets lie down on the couch and have some chips!

1. Flour

Instead of relying on just one kind of flour, lately I have been buying two small bags, both all purpose flour and cake & pastry flour.  Pastry flour has a finer texture and a high starch content.

I never buy the large bags of flour even when they are on sale as I find we don’t use them enough around here and after the bag has been unsealed, flour only keeps for six to eight months.

2. Sugar

For me, I like to have all the necessary ammo for sugars… White, brown and icing sugar should be on hand at all times.  Pretty much every baked good calls for good old sugar of some sort.

3. Spices

There’s a reason why holiday baking has a distinct aroma and that’s because of holiday spices. I find that ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are essential spices for this time of year. be sure your spices are fresh before you start baking… nothing worse than a flat package of cinnamon.

4. Chocolate

Stock up on chocolate — if you can resist eating up your inventory. I suggest buying bittersweet, semi-sweet and unsweetened baking squares in advance, but to hold off on the more tempting varieties.

I recommend buying milk and white chocolate as required — otherwise they might get eaten before you need them. I am also a fan of chocolate chips. High quality semi-sweet chocolate chips are always good to have on hand for last-minute cookies.

5. Baking powder and Baking soda

Baking powder and baking soda help make dough rise and are essential components in the science of baking. Make sure to check the expiration on these babies or you will have a flat biscuit like I did one time when my baking powder had expired.

6. Nuts and dried fruits

A variety of tasty extras elevate humdrum holiday recipes to family favourites. Dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, currants and cranberries to keep things interesting.

And don’t forget the nuts. Almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts are mainstays in many a festive dish, but feel free to substitute your favorites. You can buy nuts early and store them in the freezer until needed.

7. Vanilla

Pure vanilla extract is far superior in flavor, There really is no comparison to artificial, which is synthetically produced and one-dimensional.

8. Butter

Like it or not – there is nothing like the real thing.  Always have butter on hand as it freezes really well.  Don’t skimp and try to cut calories.  You are baking.  Use the real deal.  you will be rewarded in the end. Take a page from Megan over at Megan’s Munchies – everything in moderation.  Enjoy the butter!

Now that you are stocked and ready to go, it’s time to break out your favourite recipes, pre-heat the oven and kick off the holiday season with a day of baking. Your task today is to tell me what you are going to bake or if you already started and finished. Everybody who reads this post… come out of the wood work and tell me what you will bake or at least eat in the coming weeks.

I can’t wait to hear them all.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget today is the last day for the giveaway.  You have until 5:00 EST to get you name in for a chance to win $100, compliments of yours truly.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty