Zucchini Brownies

It’s that time of year where gardens everywhere are producing extra amounts of zucchini. Where people are sneaking them onto their neighbors porches, into their cars, you name it. I was deep into Instagram and a woman commented that she planted 11 plants her first time. I think I guffawed at that! If you can relate and have a stack of zucchinis on your counter, maybe give this recipe a go: Zucchini Brownies. 

Now listen, I know brownies are necessarily synonymous with healthy sweet treats, but these are pretty darn close. I swapped maple syrup for sugar (seriously, it’s so good!), opted for oatmeal flour rather than regular flour, and used olive oil. All great things, right? 

And they are so rich and delicious. The amount of cocoa powder leaves them a dark beautiful brown color and the zucchini adds extra moisture. They get better as the days go by, if you can keep them in your house long enough! 

Ready to start baking? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup nut butter (I did peanut butter but have used almond as well) 
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg 
  • ⅓ cup olive oil 
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats, made into flour in a food processor after measuring
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini 
  • ¼-½ cups chocolate chips 

Your Steps to Zucchini Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind oats until a coarse flour is formed. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse a few times to mix. 

In a large bowl, whisk syrup, nut butter and olive oil together. Add the egg and extract and whisk again. Sir in the zucchini and add the dry ingredients until JUST mixed. 

Fold in the chocolate chips (reserving a few to sprinkle on top, if you care to). Pour into a greased 8×8 brownie pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. 

Serve them up with a bit of ice cream or a tall glass of milk and watch the zucchini brownies disappear!

Shred it up!
Make up that oat flour.
Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.
Whisk the wet ingredients.
Add the zucchini…
Dry ingredients finish it up!
Love that color!
Serve them up!

Zucchini Brownies

Veggies and dessert? Serve these delicious zucchini brownies up with a tall glass of milk or ice cream and wait for smiles!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 brownies

Ingredients
  

  • ⅓ cup nut butter I did peanut butter but have used almond as well
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats made into flour in a food processor after measuring
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini
  • ¼-½ cups chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind oats until a coarse flour is formed. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse a few times to mix.
  • In a large bowl, whisk syrup, nut butter and olive oil together. Add the egg and extract and whisk again. Sir in the zucchini and add the dry ingredients until JUST mixed.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips (reserving a few to sprinkle on top, if you care to). Pour into a greased 8×8 brownie pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set.
Keyword brownies, chocolate, chocolate zucchini bread, Gluten Free, zucchini, zucchini brownies, zucchini desserts, zucchini treats
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other zucchini recipes?

You can check out my baking and canning and preserving pages for more inspiration! Our perhaps pick one of my favorites below!

Spiced Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

Jess1 Comment

Preserving and Freezing Green Beans

Each and every year, I plant at least two rows of beans. Always green, both bush and pole. Sometimes yellow wax beans (like this year!). Sometimes purple. We eat plenty of them fresh, right off of the bush, but I also have plenty that I need to preserve in some shape or form. I have a big kid who LOVES dilly beans, but I only do so many jars because let’s be honest, it’s kind of tedious. We also like to pressure can beans, but that takes a substantial amount of beans. When I only have a few pounds sitting in my refrigerator, I love preserving and freezing green beans. 

Freezing green beans is such a simple way to save the flavors of summer for the cooler winter months. I love that everyone in our house can help out with the task, from nipping the ends of the beans, to trimming them to size, to blanching. It truly doesn’t take too much time and is easy as can be! (Want to learn more about preserving? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation for tons of information! 

tools of the Trade 

There are a few tools I would recommend, although not totally necessary (for most things, you can make do, but these tools will make it much easier!): 

When preparing to process beans, I collect over a few days of harvesting. Maybe you don’t have a garden, but you love the farmer’s market. Totally fine (I supplement from time to time, for sure!). My family has found that one pound of beans is a perfect amount for our family of four good eaters. We are a veggie loving family, so you can gauge from that. 

Time to Process!

Beginning with washed beans, nip both ends of the beans. From here, cut each bean into 2-3 inch pieces. Using a food scale, measure batches of beans in the size you think would best suit your household for a meal (our family does 16 ounce packages). Set each batch aside in a bowl or other container. I have prepared as many as 4 batches of beans at a time. 

Find a large kettle that your metal colander will fit inside of. Fill the kettle with water and bring to a boil. Place your first batch of beans in the colander and place into the boiling water for 3 minutes. 

While the beans are in the boiling water, prepare a cold water or ice bath for the beans. I do this by filling a large bowl with cold, cold water and placing another colander in it. Immediately after the beans are done boiling, remove from the kettle and pour them from the metal colander to colander in the cold water bath. Cool for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat this process with additional batches of beans. 

Freezing Green Beans

Once the beans have cooled, remove the colander from the water bath and allow it to drain well. You can even dry them a bit with a clean towel. From here, spread blanched beans on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can freeze an additional batch on top of the first by placing another sheet of parchment on top of the first batch. 

From here, place the beans in the freezer, preferably a chest or stand up freezer, if available. Allow to freeze until solid, generally a few hours, but I have left them overnight. Once frozen, transfer from your baking sheet to freezer safe containers or bags. I prefer to use my Food Saver Vacuum Sealer, but have also used simple quart freezer bags as well. 

When you are ready to use your green beans, cook them the way you would cook any frozen vegetable. We especially like to steam them in our microwave! 

Measure them out!
Boil them up!
Cool them down!
Dry and prep to freeze!
Maximize effort: Double it up!
Label and Freeze!

Preserving and Freezing Green Beans

Freezing Green Beans: An abundance of beans in the garden or from the farmer’s market can be frozen easily to enjoy all year long!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Freeze Time 3 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Homesteading, Preserving
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • green, snap, or wax beans

Instructions
 

  • Beginning with washed beans, nip the ends of each end. From here, cut each bean into 1-2 inch pieces. Using a food scale, measure batches of beans in the size you think would best suit your household for a meal. Set each batch aside in a bowl or other container.
  • Find a large kettle that your metal colander will fit inside of. Fill the kettle with water and bring to a boil. Place your first batch of beans in the colander and place into the boiling water for 3 minutes.
  • While the beans are in the boiling water, prepare a cold water or ice bath for the beans. I do this by filling a large bowl with cold, cold water and placing another colander in it. Immediately after the beans are done boiling, remove from the kettle and pour them from the metal colander to colander in the cold water bath. Cool for an additional 3 minutes. Repeat this process with additional batches of beans.
  • Once the beans have cooled, remove the colander from the water bath and allow it to drain well. You can dry them a bit with a clean towel. Spread blanched beans on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can freeze an additional batch on top of the first by placing another sheet of parchment on top of the first batch.
  • Place the beans in the freezer, preferably a chest or stand up freezer, if available. Allow to freeze until solid, generally a few hours. Once frozen, transfer from your baking sheet to freezer safe containers or bags.
  • When you are ready to use your green beans, cook them the way you would cook any frozen vegetable. We especially like to steam them in our microwave!
Keyword beans, food preservation, freezing, freezing beans, green beans, meal prep, preserving, wax beans
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other ways to preserve your beans?

Check out the recipes below or head to my canning and preserving page!

JessLeave a comment

Raspberry Salsa

Stop whatever you’re doing right now, and gather the ingredients for this Raspberry Salsa and get ready to prepare it! 

Okay, that was a bit demanding and strongly worded, but I am telling you, that’s what you’ll want to do once you see the recipe. 

Each year, I travel to Door County, Wisconsin, for a weeklong vacation with my dad’s side of the family. If you aren’t from Wisconsin, there’s a chance you’ve not heard of Door County. It’s been described as the Martha’s Vineyard of the Midwest. Just lovely, quaint, and full of so much to do. 

The county itself has five state parks within it and provides a perfect climate for orchards, most notably cherry trees. It is full of wineries, fun shops, and culinary delights. Once such delight is cherry and raspberry salsa that can be found at many wineries and roadside stands. And my goodness, I LOVE it. 

There’s something about slightly sweet, slightly spicy pairings that are just so dang good. And if you’ve been around Jess in the Kitchen much, you know that I have an abundance of raspberries; it seems I should try to make some salsa from them, right? 

The problem?

There really aren’t raspberry salsa recipes out there. If I did find one, it wasn’t written for canning. That is what I wanted to do. So research started, acidity levels of fruits checked, and a recipe was born using the ideas from a peach salsa recipe. And it’s just so good. I can’t wait for you to give it a try! And if you aren’t a canner, simply half the recipe (this will result in about three cups of salsa rather than six) and eat it fresh! 

My Canning Story 

I do want to share that I did not grow up in a canning household. I learned about ten years ago, as soon as we bought our home and started our first garden. And while I had some support from my mother in law (thank you so much!), I learned SO MUCH from reading. If you are a first generation canner like I was, let me share some of my favorite resources: 

Ball Complete Book of Home Canning: This book gives you a good idea of all the basics from the people who know canning forwards and backwards. I love that I can dig in and get just what I need. 

Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them: This book is SO FUN. It has some out of the ordinary recipes. We especially love the tomato soup and seasoned black bean recipes. 

And finally, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has all the information you need for all sorts of food preservation, not just canning. I reference it often! 

But enough about resources, you want to make raspberry salsa, right? (But seriously, I am going to give you the basics. If you are a newbie (Yay!), head to any of those resources for more detailed information)

Your Ingredients for raspberry salsa

For approximately 6 half-pints, gather: 

  • 6 cups red raspberries 
  • 1 medium sweet pepper (green, red, orange, yellow, any will work), diced
  • 4-5 jalapeños, finely diced (remember to wear gloves!)
  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, diced 
  • ½ cup vinegar, 5% acidity
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar 

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

The raspberry Salsa Making

If you have not already done so, dice, measure out, and combine all the ingredients in a shallow, wide kettle. Smash the fruit with a potato masher or with a fermentation tamper. (I LOVE the tamper and honestly have never fermented anything. It works great for smashing berries). Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. Bring the salsa to a boil and then simmer for five minutes, to thicken just a bit. 

Once the salsa has thicken, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the salsa will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable salsa. That is, a salsa that can be stored on the shelf. 

Color
And more color!
Look at it!
Prep for canning.
Canned up!
Served up!

Raspberry Salsa

This raspberry salsa has the sweet taste of summer in the berries and cilantro paired with the spicy kick from jalapeños. A taste sensation you’re sure to love!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Snacks
Cuisine Canning
Servings 6 1/2 pint jars

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups red raspberries
  • 1 medium sweet pepper green, red, orange, yellow, any will work, diced
  • 4-5 jalapeños finely diced (remember to wear gloves!)
  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • ½ cup vinegar 5% acidity
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions
 

  • Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled.
  • Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better.
  • If you have not already done so, dice, measure out, and combine all the ingredients in a shallow, wide kettle. Smash the fruit with a potato masher or with a fermentation tamper.
  • Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. Bring the salsa to a boil and then simmer for five minutes, to thicken just a bit.
  • Once the salsa has thickened, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space.
  • Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight.
  • Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from the canner, placing them on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the salsa will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable salsa. That is, a salsa that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword black raspberry, Canning, raspberries, raspberry salsa, salsa, salsa recipe, Waterbath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other ways to use up those raspberries?

Be sure to check out my canning and preserving page for all sorts of inspiration. Or perhaps I can recommend a few of my favorites below?

JessLeave a comment

Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam

Last year, I had a hodgepodge of berries left after making jams, sorbets, and the like. Specifically, I had some sour cherries, red raspberries, and gooseberries. Of course, there wasn’t enough of any of them to make a full batch of jam, but together, I did! I didn’t take any pictures and hardly wrote anything down because it was really an experiment of sorts. But then, I gave one lick of the kettle when I was finished and wow! That Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam was out of this world! I declared it the best I had ever made. Of course, it was just a couple jars, but that’s okay!

Then, earlier this year, I asked the Mr to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. He had to open a new jar of jam, but I never saw what he picked. I took one bite of the sandwich and immediately thought, “Whatever jam this is, it’s the best stuff I have ever made!” 

Once I got home and looked in the fridge and saw it was cherry raspberry gooseberry jam. I knew I HAD to redo that recipe and share it with you all because, dang it, it’s awesome. The flavor is top notch (The Mr says, “There’s a lot going on in that jam…”) and you just need a few simple ingredients: the fruit, sugar, and lemon juice. You see, gooseberries have natural pectin so you don’t need to add any commercial pectin, which I always love. 

My Canning Story 

I do want to share that I did not grow up in a canning household. I learned about ten years ago, as soon as we bought our home and started our first garden. And while I had some support from my mother in law (thank you so much!), I learned SO MUCH from reading. If you are a first generation canner like I was, let me share some of my favorite resources: 

Ball Complete Book of Home Canning: This book gives you a good idea of all the basics from the people who know canning forwards and backwards. I love that I can dig in and get just what I need. 

Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them: This book is SO FUN. It has some out of the ordinary recipes. We especially love the tomato soup and seasoned black bean recipes. 

And finally, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has all the information you need for all sorts of food preservation, not just canning. I reference it often! 

But enough about resources, you want to can right? (But seriously, I am going to give you the basics. If you are a newbie (Yay!), head to any of those resources for more detailed information)

Your Ingredients

For approximately 6 half-pints, gather: 

  • 3 cups red raspberries
  • 3 cups gooseberries, cleaned
  • 3 cups sour cherries, pitted
  • 4 ½  cups sugar 
  • ¼ cup lemon juice 

(Yes, that’s it! No, you can’t change out the sugar for a different sweetener. Canning is finicky like that)

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

If you have not already done so, measure out the sugar and the berries. 

The Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam Making

In a large, preferably shallow kettle, smash the fruit with a potato masher. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. 

Your end goal is to reach the gelling point. There are lots of tests for this, but I prefer the temperature test. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees. For me, the gelling point is 218 degrees. Don’t have a decent food thermometer? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation website for other ways of testing for the gelling point. 

It takes longer to reach the gelling point than I think it should. It also goes from needing 3 degrees to reaching the gelling point fast. You can get complacent while you are waiting and suddenly hit the temperature, so I am trying to warn you 🙂 

You’ve hit the Gelling POint

Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. You’ve got yourself delicious Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam.

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.

Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry
Beautiful berries!
Smash them down.
Cook them up!
Ladle the Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam in
Ladle it in.
Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam
Sweet goodness!
Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam on Toast
Yum! Let’s eat!

Tools of the Trade

There are some tools I love for canning! Of course, you need a canner. And the tools, while not necessary, are SUPER helpful as you prepare the jam. Finally, I always work on wooden cutting boards. The board I put the jars while I ladle it in becomes the resting spot for my jam after I have pulled it from the canner.

Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam on Toast

Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry Jam

Summer in a jar! This cherry raspberry gooseberry jam pops with color and flavor that is sure to become a favorite!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canning
Servings 6 1/2 pint jars

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups red raspberries
  • 3 cups sour cherries, pitted
  • 3 cups gooseberries, cleaned
  • 4 ½ cups sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • If you have not done so, measure out berries and sugar.
  • Wash and sanitize 6 ½ pint jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • In a large, shallow kettle, smash berries with a potato masher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Smash more as they are cooking down.
  • Heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees.
  • Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to rest for 12 hours before storing.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword cherries, cherry jam, gooseberries, gooseberry jam, Jam, Jam Recipes, Jellies and Jams, raspberries, raspberry jam
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Cherry Raspberry Gooseberry jam not enough?

Check out some of the recipes below!

JessLeave a comment

Red Currant Muffins

Many moons ago (Like seriously, SO MANY. Where does the time go?!), I was at a farmer’s market and I tried a berry. I loved it and immediately wanted to grow it. Did I write down what I tried? Absolutely not. So I planted gooseberries. They grew fruit. Nope, that wasn’t it. Then I planted red currants. Nope. Also, not it, but man, they ARE tasty. So I promptly ordered three more plants. This year, I feel confident to say they have finally established themselves in our yard. Lucky for our household because it means I get to create these delicious red currant muffins!

I dig a sweet-tart fruit. Cranberries, gooseberries, blueberries, rhubarb. I always harvest them just before they are ready so I get that tart bite to them. Currants live in that same family. They are delightful and perfect pops of flavor, which is what I think makes them ideal for muffins and breads. As soon as my mini me bit into her first red currant muffin, she asked if I could bake more. If she could perhaps bring a batch to her grandparents for the weekend. So they win, right? 

What do we sweeten them with?

If you’ve been baking with me for any amount of time, you know I love to use maple syrup as a sweetener. We live in northern Wisconsin where we are able to easily make our own maple syrup each spring. (Learn about it here!) We have a very small operation and cook over an open fire to finish it on the stove, making about a little over a gallon a year. I use it throughout the year to sweeten all the things and it does a great job! If you’re hesitant, please give it a try! You would never know there is no granulated sugar in these muffins! 

But enough talk. Let’s get baking! 

Your Ingredients for red currant muffins 

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour 
  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • ⅔ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (vanilla or sour cream will do fine too!)
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 1 cup fresh red currants

Your Steps to Red Currant Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 12 regular size muffin vessels. 

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. 

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add maple syrup. Mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla, Greek yogurt, and eggs. Stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the nuts and 3/4 of the currants gently. 

Scoop prepared batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with some of the remaining currants. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a wood pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cream the butter first for optimal mixing!
Add the dry ingredients.
Red currants in batter
A burst of color!
Sprinkle some on top!
Completed red currant muffins
Perfection!
Serve them up!

Red Currant Muffins

These red currant muffins are FULL of little red bits of sweet-tart goodness in every bite that will have you coming back for more!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • ⅔ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt vanilla or sour cream will do fine too!
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 1 cup fresh red currants

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 12 regular size muffin vessels.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and slat in a large bowl; set aside.
  • Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add maple syrup. Mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla, Greek yogurt, and eggs. Stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the nuts and ¾ of the currants gently.
  • Scoop prepared batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the remaining currants on top of each muffin. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a wood pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Keyword Breakfast, breakfast muffins, muffin recipe, muffins, red currant muffins, red currants
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other tasty treats?

Check out my baking page or my canning page! Or maybe something below will tickle your fancy!

JessLeave a comment

Simple Greek Salad

Not too terribly long ago, we had friends gift us some ground lamb after we checked in on their lambs while they were away. I’ll be honest, my only experience with lamb was in a gyro, and I am a HUGE fan. (although I am starting to think it’s just for the tzatziki sauce…am I right?!) However, I had never had an experience with ground lamb and quickly asked the friend how to use it. Burgers, of course! Well, you need a side if you’re having lamb burgers and this beautiful and delicious Simple Greek Salad was created. 

It quickly became a go to salad for me, with little to no measurements. I simply needed to make sure that I had cucumbers, feta, and kalamata olives on hand (every other ingredient is a pantry item for our household. And truly, feta is getting added to the list because “everything is betta with feta!”). No kalamata olives? No problem. Swap them out for black olives. 

I did recently take the time to measure out all of the ingredients should I could share it out with my friends. If a Greek Salad ISN’T on your summer salad list, let’s get it on there! 

Your Ingredients 

  • 2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped cucumbers (preferably English or snacking) 
  • ⅔ cup diced red onions 
  • ½ cup sliced kalamata olives (or black olives)
  • 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Your Steps to Simple Greek Salad 

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add olives and feta cheese and stir once more. 

In a glass mason jar with a lid or liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. If using a mason jar, cover and shake well. If using the measuring cup, whisk well. 

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow to mellow over a few hours, if you are able. If you prefer a saucier salad, add 1 part red wine vinegar to 1 part olive oil, mixed together first. 

Enjoy!

Chop the vegetables.
Create the dressing.
Whisk it up!
Top the salad and stir!
So so good!
Serve it up!

Tools of the trade

I have a few tools I love and to when I am making any salad. First and foremost, I can’t live without my flexible cutting boards. I think they are a must in the kitchen. Closely behind that, I did my small whisk and glass measuring cups for making my dressing.

Simple Greek Salad

This simple Greek salad is full of tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers combined with feta, oregano and a delicious dressing. A great side dish for any meal!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped cucumbers preferably English or snacking
  • ⅔ cup diced red onions
  • ½ cup sliced kalamata olives or black olives
  • 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add olives and feta cheese and stir once more.
  • In a glass mason jar with a lid or liquid measuring cup, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. If using a mason jar, cover and shake well. If using the measuring cup, whisk well.
  • Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow to mellow over a few hours, if you are able. If you prefer a saucier salad, add 1 part red wine vinegar to 1 part olive oil, mixed together first.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword cucumbers, feta salad, Greek salad, Salad, summer salad, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great sides?

Check out my cooking page or see if any of the recipes below are a perfect fit for you!

Summer Garden Orzo Salad

JessLeave a comment

Banana Nut Muffins

I know you are out there. The banana keepers. You know, the ones that buy way too many bananas because some days the people in your house eat them like they are going out of style…until they don’t. And then you have those bananas that are just past their prime. The banana keepers throw them in the freezer with plans of banana bread. I usually just leave them on the counter until the Mr says, “Are you going to bake with these or….” Well, sometimes they make the best gluten free banana bread. But this time, they made some delightful banana nut muffins. 

I went the healthier route on these banana nut muffins: maple syrup for the sweetener and whole wheat flour swapped for all purpose. Even with the healthier swaps, I think these are some delicious muffins your family can all enjoy! 

Ready to start baking? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients 

  • ⅓ cup maple syrup 
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup oil 
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • ½ cup walnuts 
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Your Steps to Banana Nut Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the syrup, egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well, making sure the bananas are mashed. 

In an additional bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients along with the walnuts and chocolate chips, if adding. 

Line 12 vessels in a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 vessels, filling about ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. 

Gather the wet..
I love a pastry cutter for bananas
Add the dry!
Portion it out!
Muffins
With Butter!

Banana Nut Muffins

Whole wheat flour, maple syrup, and sweet bananas combine to make these delicious and simple banana nut muffins!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup oil
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 bananas mashed
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup chocolate chips optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, combine the syrup, egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well, making sure the bananas are mashed.
  • In an additional bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Mix into the wet ingredients along with the walnuts and chocolate chips, if adding.
  • Line 12 vessels in a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Evenly divide the batter among the 12 vessels, filling about ⅔ of the way full.
  • Bake for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
Keyword banana nut, banana recipe, bananas, Breakfast, breakfast breads, breakfast muffins, muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other tasty breakfast treats?

You can find muffins and more on my baking page and there are other sweet and savory ideas on my breakfast page. Otherwise, perhaps one of these recipes below will intrigue you!

JessLeave a comment

Breakfast Burritos

When I first joined Pinterest YEARS ago, I distinctly remember stumbling on a breakfast burritos recipe that I made one or two times. It was a meal prep recipe that had you freezing them and then reheating as needed. After the initial making of them, I never looked back at the recipe, and if we wanted something similar, I’ll be honest, the Mr made them. 

Fast forward to earlier this year. Our ladies (and by ladies, I mean hens) are laying like crazy and we have more eggs than we can keep up with. We have company coming with a busy morning that required us to leave the house quickly with five kids in tow. I feel like more than one of you can relate to that scene, right? 

As such, we needed a quick meal that would be full of protein to keep the kids full. But it had to be kid friendly too. Bonus points if it’s healthy! I remembered those delicious breakfast burritos we had years ago and set out to make my own. 

We had eggs, bulk sausage, onions and peppers on hand; but no hash browns. Dang. What we did have was tater tots, so I gave them a try. I was so pleasantly surprised with the results! I can’t wait for you to give them a try too! 

In the end, all kiddos (even the pickiest of them!) asked for seconds, loving breakfast. A few weeks later, my mom pulled a sheet of paper out and said, “I need the breakfast burritos recipe from you!” “Well heck mom, I threw that together and I don’t have a recipe.”

I rattled off what I could remember and made a mental note to make breakfast burritos again, taking measurements as I went. And I’ll tell you, it is very much family approved! We also tested freezing them so if you are a meal prep kind of person, I have you set! You can make the filling, fill some fajita shells and freeze them for those busy, busy mornings! 

Let’s get cooking!

Your Ingredients 

  • ½ cup diced onions
  • ½ cup diced sweet pepper, any color 
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage 
  • 10 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk 
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper 
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8-10 ounces of hash brown patties or tater tots, thawed
  • 16 tortilla shells 
  • Shredded cheese and salsa (optional) 

Your Steps to Breakfast Burritos

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once warm, add onions and sweet pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often. Add additional oil if needed and breakfast sausage. (I really like adding just a bit of oil to help ground protein from sticking) Break apart and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. I LOVE my meat chopper for this! Meanwhile, whisk the egg, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together.

When browned, remove the onion, pepper, and sausage mixture from the pan and place in a paper towel lined bowl, but leave the drippings to cook the hash browns. Add the hash browns to the pan, breaking apart and cooking until just hot. Again, the meat chopper is great here!

Add the eggs and the sausage mixture back to the hash browns and cook until eggs are cooked through, turning from the bottom periodically. 

Serve immediately with fajita shells and other fixings like shredded cheese and salsa. Or allow it to cool, refrigerate, and reheat single burritos in the microwave in the morning for about 30 seconds (this is how we roll!).

If meal prep is your jam…

These breakfast burritos freeze great! Scoop about ⅓ of a cup of mixture onto each fajita shell. Roll them up and then wrap in a piece of wax paper. Rolled burritos can then be stored in a freezer bag and pulled out in the morning. We recommend heating them for about 1 min, 15 seconds, in 30 second intervals. 

Add cheese after they have been heated or if you’re like the Mr, you can just sprinkle it on top, heat it, and then eat them with a fork. 

Sorry, I love a good cutting board picture!
Browned and full of goodness.
Break down those hashbrowns
Complete with eggs.
Prepped for freezing!
Roll on the diagonal and freeze!

Breakfast Burritos

Serving a crowd or have busy mornings but still want a good breakfast? Give these easy to prep breakfast burritos a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 16 burritos

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup diced onions
  • ½ cup diced sweet pepper any color
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
  • 10 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8-10 ounces of hash brown patties or tater tots thawed
  • 16 tortilla shells
  • Shredded cheese and salsa optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once warm, add onions and sweet pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add additional oil if needed and breakfast sausage. Break apart and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the egg, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together.
  • When browned, remove the onion, pepper, and sausage mixture from the pan and place in a paper towel lined bowl, but leave the drippings to cook the hash browns.
  • Add the hash browns, breaking apart and cooking until just hot.
  • Add eggs and sausage mixture back to the hash browns and cook until eggs are cooked through, turning from the bottom periodically.
  • Serve immediately with fajita shells and other fixings like shredded cheese and salsa. Or allow it to cool, refrigerate, and reheat in the microwave in the morning.

Notes

These breakfast burritos freeze great! Scoop about ⅓ of a cup of mixture onto each fajita shell. Roll them up and then wrap in a piece of wax paper. Rolled burritos can then be stored in a freezer bag and pulled out in the morning. We recommend heating them for about 1 min, 15 seconds, in 30 second intervals.
Keyword Breakfast, breakfast burritos, breakfast sausage, burritos, egg dishes, Eggs, feeding a crowd, hash browns, kid friendly, tortillas
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other breakfast inspiration?

I have a whole page dedicated to delicious breakfast dishes, sweet and savory! Click here to see that! Or maybe I can inspire you with some of my favorites below!

JessLeave a comment

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Well, spring has finally arrived in Northern Wisconsin. The trees are blossoming, the bees are buzzing, and the rhubarb and asparagus are pushing up through the ground. I’ll tell you, that makes for one happy food blogger over here. And with the rhubarb coming up, it’s time to bake all the goodies. This year, we started with these delicious and simple Rhubarb Streusel Muffins. 

I know the natural combination is sweet strawberry to counter the tartness of the rhubarb. However, the Mr loves rhubarb in all forms, and particularly likes to keep it without the strawberries. What that means is that I worked hard to counter the tartness with just the right amount of sugar without going too heavy as to cover the tartness all together. 

These rhubarb streusel muffins fit the bill. They are light and fluffy and the streusel topping gives you the bit of sweetness on the tongue that is just about perfect. You’ll bake up a dozen breakfast treats in no time and everyone will be asking for more!

Let’s get baking!

Your Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup whole milk 
  • ¼ cup oil 
  • 1 large egg 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar (or ⅜ cup)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom 
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen rhubarb 

Streusel Topping

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons firm butter

Your Steps to Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. 

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Stir into the wet ingredients until flour is moistened and just combined. Fold in the rhubarb. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. 

In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar for the streusel topping. Cut the butter into small pieces. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour and sugar until crumbly. In a pinch, forks or knives can be used. Top each muffin with streusel topping. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea. 

Wet, dry, rhubarb
Streusel topping!
Almost ready!
Portion it out!
Top them off!
Serve them up!

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

These rhubarb streusel muffins are delicious baked treat that combine the tartness of rhubarb and the sweetness of that streusel topping! Give them a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar or ⅜ cup
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen rhubarb

Streusel Topping

  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons firm butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
  • Stir into the wet ingredients until flour is moistened and just combined. Fold in the rhubarb.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
  • In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces.
  • Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour and sugar until crumbly.
  • In a pinch, forks or knives can be used. Top each muffin with streusel topping.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea.
Keyword Breakfast, breakfast breads, breakfast muffins, Rhubarb, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb recipes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for some other sweet treats?

Please check out my Baking page for some delicious treats! Or maybe one of the muffins or breads below will tickle your fancy!

JessLeave a comment

Dandelion Season

How does one become interested in dandelion season and the foraging that comes with it? Let me share a short story!

A number of years ago, my family and I were doing an “end of summer” camping trip for a couple nights at Lake Wissota State Park in Wisconsin. As we sat in the beach picnic area, we spied hundreds of acorns on the ground. Of course, it led to an acorn fight between the four of us, which resulted in tons of giggles. It also led to me saying to my husband, “There are just so many of them [acorns], you must be able to do something with them.” To which he responded, “of course you can, but they have a lot of tannins so you have to do something to make them edible.” And this simple question led to my fascination with foraging and all that goes along with it. 

I immediately started Googling to learn more about acorns and how to cook with them. I also gathered as many as I could and put them in a bag to bring home. You see, we joke that I am a “75 percenter.” I love trying new things and go in with about 75% of the information needed and figure I can learn the rest along the way. Personally, I think it is a great way to live this life. I sure have experienced some cool things this way!

But back to the foraging

Slowly, I began researching other things you can forage. I have learned so much from some of my favorite foragers: 

Colleen at Grow Forage Cook Ferment 

Ashley from Practical Self Reliance

Alexis AKA Black Forager 

Which led to the statement, “Did you know you can eat that?” to come out of my mouth often when I was with family and friends. One of the foraged items I became especially fascinated with was dandelions. 

Yes, the simple dandelion. They are full of nutrients, including A, C, and K. You can use everything from the roots (to make tea) to the leaves (for salads) to the flowers (for jelly and wine). Learn more about their health benefits here! 

I have tried a number of dandelion recipes over the years, but time and time again, I go back to two simple ones when it is dandelion season: jelly and shortbread cookies. 

Dandelion Jelly 

A few years ago, my Algebra II kids asked if I could bring them fresh bread. Of course, I obliged and brought some jelly to go with it, including dandelion jelly. A few of them fell in love with it and we have been meaning to do a class to teach them how to ever since. 

What’s so great about it? First of all, the novelty of it, right? But second, the flavor is this perfect, light honey like taste you’d never anticipate. It is a bit tedious to make as you have to separate the petals from the greens, but there’s something calming about it. I love finding a friend and sitting and chatting. 

The ingredients are simple too: 

  • Dandelion petals (4 cups) 
  • Boiling water
  • Sugar
  • Lemon juice

If this sounds like something you want to try, check out my blog post on it! 

Jelly not your thing? Enjoy dandelion season by making these lovely dandelion shortbread cookies! 

Dandelion Shortbread Cookies 

If you want to give foraging a try, but aren’t quite ready to jump in feet first, these cookies are a great way to start. You only need ½ cup of petals and who doesn’t love a cookie? This is another simple recipe with minimal ingredients (dare I say pantry ingredients?) and unlike the jelly, you can have them put together in under 40 minutes, cleaning the flowers and all! 

You’ll need: 

  • Petals
  • Softened butter
  • Powdered sugar 
  • Honey
  • Flour 
  • Salt

Then you can grab the recipe and start baking! 

But let me tell you, once you dip your toe in the foray of foraging during dandelion season, I don’t know if there is much looking back. You will find yourself constantly looking into the woods and fields, wondering, “How can I cook or bake with that?!” 

JessLeave a comment