Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

No the mention of zucchini in the title was not a mistake. As I type, there is in fact, a Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake in my oven. Baking at 350 degrees F. I will make a comment in the comment section to let you know how it turns out!

Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

One box of Lemon Cake mix
one small box of Lemon pudding
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
4 eggs (white string thingies removed)
1 cup shredded zucchini
Cinnamon and Sugar

Simple glaze made of powdered sugar, H20 and lemon juice.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In your mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add water and olive oil. Mix until smooth. Scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs until mixed well. Now add the shredded zucchini. Mix until combined. Spray the bottom of your bundt pan with oil. Sprinkle Cinnamon and Sugar on the bottom and sides of pan. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Make simple glaze and glaze cake after it cools.

Tequila Chicken Marinade

Uum. Yummy, spicy, sweet with a bite. Tequila Chicken. I have marinated chicken in a Tequila Chicken Marinade that my friend Katie told me about before. I adjusted the marinade a bit and here is the recipe.

Tequila Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
1/2 cup Bols triple sec
1/2 cup Margaritaville Silver Tequila
1/4 cup Wilcox honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cracked red pepper
1 tsp diced jalapeno
1/2 tsp Lawry's garlic salt
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix and set aside.

2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
Shaker of Watkins Cilantro flakes or fresh
1 Tbs. Kosher salt

Sprinkle chicken strips with Cilantro and kosher salt. Put strips in Ziploc bag. Pour 2/3 of the Marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in the refrigerator.

Add 1/2 cup olive oil to the remaining marinade to use on vegetables.

Sliced zucchini, onions, bell pepper...

You can marinate the vegetables in the marinade in a Ziploc too, if you would like to.

When ready to serve you can heat your grill to medium flame. Put veggies in a basket or aluminum pan and grill. Place chicken strips on grill and cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

You can serve with cheese and sour cream if you would like to.

Prepare it, grill it and enjoy it. This is what We are having for dinner tonite!

Figure It Out Dip or Spread

I entered this Dip in PW's Dairy Contest. I have made it several times, but I don't always write down the recipe. The last time I made it, I wrote down the recipe.

Figure it Out Dip or Spread

1 8 oz block cream cheese (softened)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 small packet toasted onion dip mix
1 tablespoon dill
3 green onions sliced in very thin pieces
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp. Lawry’s Garlic Salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated and diced up a bit in the Cuisinart mini prep
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese grated and diced up a bit in the Cuisinart mini prep


In a bowl mix the above ingredients until well incorporated. Put in the ‘fridge. Overnight is really good, but if you don’t have the time to make it ahead, give it a few hours as the flavors need time to blend.

This can be served with pretzel slims, pita chips, potato chips, veggies…

When I serve this, sometimes, I put the dip in a margarita or martini glass and place that on a plate and put the chips, etc on the plate. Excellent presentation. This dip is thick so it is nice to have a spreader available for guests to scoop.

This dip is pretty amazing. People love to guess the flavors. It goes pretty quick, if you have a large group you might want to make a double batch.

Rob's Pork Chops and Rice

I am fortunate enough to have a man who will cook for me once in a while. Monday night he made his favorite family dinner and his specialty... Pork Chops and Rice. I purchased the ingredients and helped dice up the green onions but he created the amazing dinner. He only complained once that I bought a pork tenderloin, instead of pork chops with the bones. (Silly me, I hate to dissect things from bone)

Fiello Family Pork Chops the Rob Way

One Pork Tenderloin or 6-8 pork chops with bones
one bunch green onions, sliced
1 stick butter
salt and pepper
celery salt
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water

In a large skillet, melt half of the stick of butter. Take a handful of the green onions and saute them a bit in the butter. Add the pork, season with salts and pepper and cook until pork is done. Remove pork from the skillet and place on a plate. Wrap with aluminum foil and place in the microwave or oven so pork stays warm.

Pour the water into the skillet that you cooked your pork in. Stir and scrape bottom of the skillet until broth turns brown. Add remaining butter and green onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add rice and cook for approxiamately 20 minutes. Allow rice to cool for 5 minutes. Serve pork over a bed of buttery pork flavored rice. Enjoy.

Zucchini Cakes Thanks to Ree and Ryan

Zucchini Cakes. Hmm? Is that kinda like a pancake but with Zucchini instead of flour?

The Pioneer Woman has done it again, introducing Delicious foods and now with her guest blogger Ryan. Ryan was kind enough to concoct something so wonderful and share with PW's groupies. Thanks to Ryan and Ree. Check out Ryan's Zucchini Cakes at http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/. Below you will find my version with Ryan's inspiration.

Herbed Garlic Zucchini Cakes

2 cups shredded garden fresh zucchini
1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp basil
1 egg (with white things gone)
salt and pepper
a few shakes Lawry's Garlic Salt

Olive oil
ketchup or marinara sauce or ranch dressing or some kind of yogurt dip

In a mixing bowl, combine zucchini, crumbs and cheese. Add the garlic and spices and stir. Now add the egg and stir until all ingredients are combined well. Pour olive oil into a fry pan, enough oil to fry one side at a time. Heat until zuke will sizzle.

Using a table spoon scoop a heaping blob of the zuke mix, take another table spoon and smash that into a patty. Yes, spoon your zucchini cake. Place zuke patty onto the pool of hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes until the cake is browned. Flip and do the same to the other side. Serve immediately with whichever dip you chose.

Enjoy! They are crunchy, a little cheesy and just so darn tasty! Rob is not home yet. I will post his opinion once he eats one of these babies.

Zucchini Bread

The garden is still producing! The Zuke plants are supplying dark green juicy gems! Bust out the Cuisinart because it's time to shred zucchini, to make some bread to gift to neighbors or co-workers or just for your family! When the garden gives you zucchini, make bread.

Zucchini Bread

2 cups fresh grated zucchini
4 eggs (white things removed)
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
3 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup of pecan or walnut pieces (optional)
cinnamon and sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine zucchini, eggs, oil and water. Mix. Sift dry ingredients and add by cupful to wet mix (mixing after each addition) until all dry ingredients are used up. Prepare two loaf pans with oil. Sprinkle bottoms of pans with cinnamon sugar. Pour bread batter into pans and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Cool and enjoy!

Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge for Christmas

I found this recipe while cruising through the supermarket. It is from McCormick! It pretty much rocks and tastes amazing and is so unbelievably easy to make! Check out McCormick.com for other amazing recipes!

Easy No-Cook Cinnamon Fudge

1 box powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. ground McCormick Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. Pure McCormick Vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Allow foil to extend over sides and butter foil. In a bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. In a saucepan, heat butter and milk, until butter melts. Add vanilla. Add liquid mixture to sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Using the foil lift the fudge from the pan and cut into 2 inch pieces.

I line a small muffin tin with Christmas themed muffin cups. I drop spoonfuls of fudge into the cups and allow to set. They gift really well, in these little cups and it makes for the perfect portion of sweet!