I'm All Baked Out.

Another whirlwind weekend.  Since there was lots going on and the temperatures were going to be in the upper 80s to low 90s with accompanying humidity, I decided that I should spend most of the weekend in front of a hot oven.  I really can't help myself.  It started Friday night, when I finally got to try a new pizza crust recipe using zucchini.  I had seen this on a blog that I admire and saved it for trying some hot, sultry evening.

Zucchini & cheese - what's
not to love?

Phase 2 - the Prebake

I couldn't wait...

I was such a rousing success, that I toyed with the option of having nothing but zucchini pizza crusts for the next week - never mind the toppings!  This is a complete winner and I will be making more of these and freezing them - as long as the zucchini (Marianne's, not mine) holds out.


Then there was the anniversary dinner for my parents.  I whipped up a GF pineapple upside down cake Saturday morning.  This is a solid standard for me - it has never let me down.  No one even guessed it was GF.  It also helped ease the pain of my mechanic's bill...almost.

It came out of the pan in
perfect condition!

In between, there were two batches of my new favorite granola/muesli - cherry and pecan.  Although the second batch was cherry, walnut and almond.  I had run out of pecans.  The first batch went to my neighbor and my sister.  The second is all mine.  You can find the recipe here.  I really like it because it is not too sweet, using maple syrup instead of sugar.

Half of batch #1

I had invited Marianne over for dinner on Sunday because it was a great way to get to spend some quality time with her.  She brought about 10# of tomatoes, more zucchini (!!!!!!), a cucumber, apples, and a bottle of wine.  Good grief.  She also schlepped her apple picker because I had two pears out of reach on my good old pear tree.  It was a great evening, topped off with:

Prune Plum Crumble!

I was too distracted to take a picture pre-dinner.  I am saving the pips because those plums are soooo delicious, I am hoping to start my own trees.  You will see two and a half pints of diced tomatoes next to it - I am managing a couple, few pints of things here and there.  I do not have a great deal of tomatoes (although Marianne is trying...) for canning up a big batch, so doing a couple at a time has worked out great.  I have what amounts to a stainless steel asparagus cooker that I use as a tiny batch hot water canner.  Bonus!


The best part of the weekend?  Celebrating the Official Foster Failure of Peanut Butter!  He is ours, officially.  He and Lovey (and Slimbo) had tiny hamburger patties cooked on the grill to celebrate.

Guarding his strawberry

On a humorous note, as part of the anniversary celebration, my mother requested that we convene on their den and look at family slides.  Slides, for those young whippersnappers, were the iPhone pics of the 60s and 70s.  There was much riotous laughter.  I leave you with evidence of my moody teenage self.

I was very big on bangs.  And
fashionable sunglasses.  But I made
the shorts... :)