Lemon Zuchinni Bread

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
• In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

After it has cooled slightly, pour the glaze over the top.

Glaze:
1/4 cup FRESH squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together, it will be grainy, that's part of the charm.

Alicia's Rice Pudding

I made this last night....lots of leftover rice. It was so yummy. Thanks, Alicia!

3 cups cooked rice
3 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla

cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Combine everything (except cinnamon) in saucepan. Cook on medium for about 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Broccoli Salad

LaNae asked me to make this for the memorial day party and I had to look it up and ask Alicia because I have never made it. Well, it's my new favorite!! Made it again for a get together at Smith's and as at the Memorial Day Party, everyone raved about it. (I didn't do the onions because I don't like them, but it's in the recipes so I'll include it.)

5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine broccoli florets, Craisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well; chill thoroughly before serving.
Broccoli salad serves 4 to 6.

Zuppas BBQ Chicken Salad

I loved this salad when we went to Zupas so here it is:

Lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, black olives, red onions and tortilla strips.

Top it off with BBQ Sauce and Ranch.

Zupas claims to have a "special" BBQ sauce, but I just used my favorite (Sweet Baby Ray's) and it was awesome.

Southwestern Turkey Sandwich

1 can chopped olives
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1 pound sliced smoked turkey
2 tomatoes chopped
2 chopped avocados
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 loaf of French bread

Mix first top 7 ingredients. Cut bread lengthwise and spread 2/3 of the sauce across both sides. Then layer as follows: Turkey slices, chopped tomato, chopped avocado, remaining sauce and then cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until cheese is ooey, gooey and bubbly.

This can also be made into panini which we really like and best when served with chips and salsa. Oh so good!!!!!

Kristy's Mango Peach Pulled Pork

Heather (Mike's wife) Morgan posted this on her blog and it sounded so good! And since it's a crock pot meal, it works for this month. I am posting it here and plan on making it when Matt gets back.

1 pork tenderloin

1-2 cup brown sugar
2 cups Mango Peach Salsa (or salsa of your choice)

Stir together brown sugar and salsa in a slow cooker. Add pork (frozen is okay if it'll fit in the slow cooker). Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred pork with 2 forks before serving. If you get the Costco pork and cook it fully, it pretty much falls apart on its own. It's super tender and juicy.

Serve on nachos, in tacos, or in a salad. The possibilities are endless and SO YUMMY!

**NOTE: I added the label to all the Crock Pot recipes we currently have the on the blog. There are 14. Just a few more days for this theme so let's get posting. Any ideas for next month?!**

Easy Chow Mein

Ok, so this recipe is kind of a make it however you want-type thing. Here are the ingredients we like to use, but you could pretty much add anything you want:

1 pkg. thick spaghetti noodles

2 eggs

green beans (fresh is best)

green onion, chopped as high up as you want

white onion, chopped in large strips

3 chicken breasts, cooked

water chestnuts

soy paste (you can get this at any Asian food store, thicker and stronger than soy sauce)

soy sauce

oil

Crack the eggs in a large wok or frying pan...let cook slightly. Add vegetables, and oil, soy paste, and soy sauce to taste. Once the beans are mostly cooked, add chicken and more soy paste and sauce. Add noodles last, with more oil, paste, and sauce to taste. Basically, the more paste and soy sauce the better...there are no set amounts. When the veggies seem cooked through, it is good to go! Very yummy and great leftovers.