Fried zucchini flowers
Zucchini plants were always plentiful in my grandparents’ garden. Anyone who grows zucchini successfully knows that, at some point, one can wish there weren’t so many! Here’s a great way to enjoy the zucchini plant and put a little production reduction into place.
The following is the primary ingredients in the breading. Amounts are completely fluid.
Zucchini flowers, rinsed. (use the male flowers…those without a fruit behind the blossom). Also, early in the day is the best time to harvest. The flowers close and wilt as the day progresses. Always beware of bees hiding in the flowers!
In one bowl, mix together egg and milk (start with one egg and enough milk to make the mixture thin)
In another bowl combine flower, garlic powder, salt pepper. Other optional ingredients are dried parsley, basil, and/or oregano.
Heat a small amount of oil in a fry or saute pan until the oil shimmers.
Dredge the zucchini flowers in first the egg/milk mix and then the flour mixture.
Place in the hot oil and cook just until the flower browns, flipping when the first side is finished. Place on paper towel to remove excess oil.
I like these best fresh out of the pan, but they work no matter what. Also, these can be a different, interesting pizza topping… Also, I’ve used flowers from other summer squash and smaller winter squash to good effect.
Photo credit: Allerina and Glen MacLarty
Color Cop – A free color picker
This is a tool that is meant for Windows web designers and programmers, but these days, bloggers who support their own blogs in WordPress, for example, are doing a lot of their own site modifications. Color Cop stays on top and includes an eyedropper to grab a color of interest off any web page. It lists the colors in RGB and hexadecimal. Another cool thing Color Cop includes is a complimentary color palette for any chosen option. Nice for experienced users and rookies, as well.
Also, a quick demo and user forums offer a little more than meets the eye regarding use of this program.
Photo Credit: Color Cop
Hot Pepper Jelly
This is not a jelly restricted to a fruit season. I make this when I find on sale at least two of the three peppers involved. This is actually a recipe from Sure-Jell; it’s been no fail for me. I’ve had recipes that crystalize, and that just makes me cranky. The uses for hot pepper jelly are myriad. It COULD with butter go on an English muffin, but it really goes well with black beans to make a nice sweet and savory side dish. The most recognizable use is as an appetizer — over a block of cream cheese and served with crackers. Also good in burritos and works wonders in a cheese omelet, too.
Ingredients
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
10 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
5 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (See tip below.)
Preparation
Bring half-full boiling-water canner to a simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
Place all peppers and vinegar in 6- or 8-quart pot.
Stir in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in all sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
Photo credit: Marco Arment
Zip Genius – a file compression option
ZipGenius is a file compression tool that is a perfect companion to anyone’s PC tool box. Sending 10 full sized images and your email client is grousing? Compress the images into one file that’s smaller than the sum of it’s parts, and email will be better able to handle those images. Need to offload some old scanned paperwork? Compress with ZipGenius and get more bang for your buck with off-pc storage.
And ZipGenius handles more than traditional .zip files! In fact, ZipGenius can compress and decompress 20+ file types. It’s easy to use, it’s been around for awhile, and it’s free.
Sweet refrigerator pickles
I love pickles. Finding this recipe has made fresh pickles a staple in my house. The best thing is that I can make one jar at a time using whatever cucumbers happen to be best priced at the time. I’m partial to small pickling cukes or European cukes, so tend to plan these pickles around their availability. I’ve also given these as gifts, and they’ve been received enthusiastically!
3 pickles (cucumbers) unpeeled, slice thin
1 onion sliced thin
Mix:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed
Pour 1/2 above mixture into glass container that has a tight-fitting lid. Put cucumbers and onions in jar. Pour remaining liquid in jar. Close lid, turn upside down in dish for 24 hours, turn back for 24 hours. Keep in
refrigerator the whole time.
Photo credit: scubadive67
FileZilla – Simple, Secure, Free FTP Protocol
This open source, file transfer protocol (FTP) is my preferred software for this function. It is available in client and server versions, and it is free. It runs on several platforms (including Windows, Mac OS X and Linux) and is available in many languages.
One of my favorite things, beyond ease of use, is the Site Manager tool. For those of us who access many servers via FTP, FileZilla allows the saving of domain name/login/password for easy communication to those servers. . . a BIG time saver.
FileZilla displays a folder/file view on both the client and the server, making navigation more intuitive. File transfer is a snap with drag-and-drop. You bloggers out there will love this tool for picking up or dropping off images from the blog host!
Cajun Spice
Photo by McKay Savage
Whenever I’m making a recipe and come across an ingredient that is really a LOT of ingredients, I know the options are few. There’s the costly option, buy some quantity of the combined product for much more than the sum of its parts, or make my own. Whenever I can, I like to make my own.
My mom, in addition to being a spectacular cook at home (completely unbiased opinion), worked in commercial kitchens for many years. This recipe from one of those kitchens is for a large quantity of Cajun Spice, but easily subdivides to smaller quantities.
Cajun Spice is wonderful as a hostess gift or for holiday or special occasion giving, too!
Cajun Spice
1 c paprika
1/2 c salt
1/3 c onion powder
1/3 c garlic powder
1/3 c cayenne pepper
2 T + 2 t white pepper
2 T + 2 t black pepper
1 T ground dried oregano
1 T ground dried thyme
Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender.
Pet Adoption: Three Simple Tips for Successful Integration
Getting ready to bring another pet into your home? Good for you. There are plenty of lovely animals out there in need of a great home. A word of advice? Involve your current pet(s) in the process if possible. Here are three simple tips for making pet adoption go smoothly.
Bring your other pet along for the initial meet.
Since we have a dog, I’ll use that as an example. If going to the home of the pet being put up for adoption, I would bring our Labrador Maggie along for the introduction if possible. It’s a simple way to see if the pet personalities are going to mesh before taking things to the next level.
A play date in the park.
Is there a dog park or other common meeting place where you and the owners of the other dog can meet for a structured play date? Not only will it give the two animals a chance to bond further, you will get a first hand look at any public behaviors that might prove to be more than you bargained for.
Arrange a test visit.
If the family is open to it, have them bring the adoption ready pet to your home. It’ll provide an excellent opportunity to see how your current pet(s) feel about the reality of sharing their space with another. Meeting for play dates is one thing. Having their new furry friend move in is quite another.
In the end, it’s your call, and obviously shelter adoptions only allow for tips one and to happen in a reasonably simple manner. The overall concept however is worth considering. Many people make the mistake of picking up new pets as though they were fashion accessories, and find themselves surprised and frustrated when home flow and family dynamics are thrown for a loop. Have any great tips of your own for incorporating pets into your lifestyle? Feel free to sound off in the comment section below.
Related Readings: Ten of My Favorite Pet Hacks, Three Easy Pet Tips to Help Out on the Home Front, this set of resources for pet travel and our own pet related section right here on We Be Sharin’.
Photo Credit: Itinerant Tightwad
Boat Dock Garden Update
Photo Credit: WeBeSharin.Com
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Gift Recipes: Cornbread Mix in a Jar
Flickr Photo Credit: Carol 329
I recommend using a wide mouth, quart-sized canning jar for this recipe. Read more
