Halloween Ghost

I have started to scrapbook my 1 year old's artwork to preserve his masterpieces and have as a keepsake. Finally...my Bachelor Fine Arts and Graphic Design Major being put to use.

For this Halloween Ghost page, it was interesting trying to strike a balance between my son's artwork and the scrapbooking materials and embellishments. The burlap was amazingly easy to work with - I simply cut it, frayed the ends, ironed it, then used spray adhesive. I folded and stapled the ribbon to give it a rougher, messy look, and I thought the staples picked up the metallic from the paper. Lastly, by cutting the rickrack on an angle I was able to make cute little bat for the top right corner.

Artwork
Chalk on black construction paper ghost

Scrapbook Materials
Paper: DCWV The Rockstar, We R Memory Keepers Madame Royale
Stamp: Recollections Halloween
Ink: Tsukineko Versa Magic Midnight Black
Stickers: Making Memories Spellbound Chipboard Alpha Stickers, Recollections Pearl Stickers
Ribbon: Bobbin Ribbon Black Rickrack, Orange
Other: Burlap, Staples

Scoop ...There It Is!

You won't appreciate this little kitchen tool until you've used it and realized how much time, frustration and mess it saves you.

I use it to drop cookies, make muffins, create the perfect size meatballs, and even fill perogies. Not only do you get a consistent size of whatever you are scooping, but it also keeps the your cooking and baking clean by simply squeezing the handle to release what you've scooped!

I purchased my scoop years ago from Pampered Chef. I find that I use the small (approx. 1 tablespoon) scoop the most.

Oatmeal Craisin Breakfast Cookies

Ok... these are just an excuse to eat cookies for breakfast. It's more like if you make these today, they'll be gone by breakfast tomorrow morning!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 12 Minutes  |  Makes: 36 Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup margarine softened

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

3/4 cup craisins

1/2 coconut shredded, sweetened

Instructions:
- Cream together margarine, sugar, eggs and extract.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Fold in oats, craisins and coconut.
- Spoon onto baking sheet (12 / sheet).

- Bake @ 350° for 12 minutes.

My Peony Story

My favorite flower is the Peony. I love their green glossy leaves, their big beautiful flowers and how they smell. My grandma had a peony bed on our farm... but I'll get back to that in a moment. First some info:

The Peony is named after the Greek God of medicine and healing, and has been cultivated for more than 2000 years as a medicinal and ornamental plant. Peonies are a hardy perennial that are drought tolerant, low maintenance, and deer-resistant (perfect for the prairies). The flowers come in a range of colors including yellow, coral, peach and lavender, in addition to the more common white, blush, pink, magenta, and red. The blooms may be single, semi-double, double, anemone, or Japanese in form, and their scent is kind of rosy, lemony, honey-ish, with a hint of musk. The only thing that I'm not a huge fan of are the ants that peonies attract.

As I mentioned, my grandma had a peony bed on our farm that I vividly remember. She'd tie them up to keep the stems upright, then cut them once they bloomed and bring them in the house where they found a home in a big vase. Many of my grandma's peonies came from my great grandma's farm then, which then travelled from my grandma's to my Aunt's farm and house... and now I have THEM. These peonies are well over 100+ years old and have survived all the transplants and divides.

I'm happy to report that the five plants I have, have all popped up this spring and are doing wonderful!! I can't wait to see the buds bloom.

So not only do I think peonies are gorgeous on their own, but they hold a place in my heart of fond memories and family history. Just like any good story, another meaningful chapter includes having peonies at our wedding as my bouquet, all boutonnieres, on our wedding cake and as the centerpiece on every table.

I'm sure My Peony Story is to be continued....

Toasting

I wouldn't go as far as saying that toast is my favorite food, however it is hands down the most diverse (in my opinion). You can put almost anything on toast - jam, peanut butter, honey, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, cucumbers, meat, cheese, garlic, chocolate spread... or simply just butter. Any sandwich tastes better toasted. And don't even get me started on all the different things you can toast... bread, bagels, english muffins, waffles, etc.

Needless to say, my toaster gets a work out every day. Recently, we welcomed a new one in the kitchen. It toasts thick slices, up to 4 at a time, has a reheat, defrost and bagel presets, plus it is all digital so I'm getting perfect toast every time. It's made by Breville.

A final thought - isn't it weird how toast is always better when someone else makes it for you? 

It's Grow Time!

Petunias are pretty much the heartiest, most colorful Annual that I plant. They take abuse. Hot sun, cold, wind and just when I think I've killed them... I give them a little water and voila they are back! I filled the front of my planter with them on the weekend. This year I chose Madness Red and Madness Purple.

Also, my secret weapon is Miracle-Gro Ultra Bloom Plant Food. I used it last year every few weeks on my flowering annuals and perennials and they were big and beautiful. What Annuals will you plant this year?

Back Row: Orange Pixie Asiatic Lily, Daylilies

Front Rows: Petunias (Madness Red & Madness Purple)

Zucchini

There is a prairie saying about zucchini that I remember going something like this - "Not to have zucchini, is not having friends". This means that zucchini is basically easy to grow, and usually produces many fruit (yes, botanically zucchini is a fruit, but we all treat it like a vegetable), which in turn results in gardeners always giving away their abundant yield to family, friends and neighbors. 

Zucchini is a squash and can be steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried and shredded. I find it really does not have much of a taste so I like it in recipes where there is an abundance of other flavors or seasoning; as well, incorporating it into baked goods helps to keep them moist.

My best ways to use zucchini - Zucchini Veggie Medley, Zucchini Pan Bread, Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake, and it is always good to add to homemade vegetable soup. What is your favorite zucchini recipe?

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake

Mmmmm.... zucchini doesn't get better than this! This cake is total comfort food for me, taking me back to summer afternoon snack time as a kid.

Cream together:
1/2 cup margarine soft
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup white sugar

Add and mix well:
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Mix in:
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Fold in:
2 cups zucchini shredded
1/4 cup chocolate chips

- Spoon into 9x13 greased pan, sprinkle with addtional chocolate chips (approx 1/4 cup)
- Bake @ 350° for 45 minutes

Zucchini Pan Bread

This savory pan bread is great for brunches or can be cut into smaller bite size squares and served as an appetizer with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dipping.

Beat together:
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup parmesean
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Mix in:
1 1/4 cup Bisquick

Fold in:
3 cups zucchini grated

- Place in 9x9 greased pan
- Bake @ 350° for 35-40 minutes
- Completely cool to set. It will have a quiche-like consistency.
- Tip: Give the shredded zucchini a little squeeze before adding to remove excess liquid.

Dandelion Wars

This is my "lawn" or shall we say, Dandelion Garden. As my husband was cursing these yellow, happy little flowers this morning... I joked and told him that the kids and I would go and pick them today to make Dandelion Salad from the greens and Dandelion Wine from the flowers. Regardless, the war is on - Zulyniaks vs Dandelions. So far the dandelions are winning.

Zucchini Veggie Medley

This is an easy and healthy way to use zucchini. It's a versatile vegetable side dish that is fresh and light for summer BBQing or warm and cozy for winter meals.

Chop into bit size chunks:
4 small zucchinis
10 medium mushrooms
10 cherry tomatoes
1 small onion

Drizzle and coat with:
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Season & toss generously with:
garlic salt
parsley
Italian seasoning
parmesan
pepper

- Place in glass baking dish
- Bake @ 350° for 45 minutes (don't over cook because the zucchini will get mushy)

Tasty Kitchen

A big thank you to Tasty Kitchen for publishing my Chunky Monkey Banana Muffin recipe! It's always exciting to see the reviews come in.

terrilw reviewed on 5.19.2010
These are amazing!! My new favorite banana-chocolate chip muffin. Thanks….

Twinks reviewed on 5.19.2010
These muffins have a very tender crumb and rise and brown perfectly. The only change I would make next time is to use peanut butter chips in place of the chocolate chips; just personal preference. Definitely give these a try.

tweetybirdus1 reviewed on 5.21.2010
I made these muffins for the kids at my daughter’s daycare and they were a huge hit. I had more than I needed for the daycare kids so I got to sample as well. Very delicious!!!! I omitted the coconut because my daughter doesn’t really care for it, but I made up for it by adding more chocolate chips. Thanks for posting this recipe.

misskim reviewed on 5.22.2010
These are amazing! I dropped the coconut and added walnuts and used mini chocolate chips. I baked them in Jumbo muffin tins and my family loved them so much they said I should go into business making muffins. I have a couple in the freezer right now to see how they freeze. Will come back and let you know….

Blossoms

My apple and cherry trees are in full bloom! The only thing more prairie pretty than the blossoms themselves is the sweet fragrance they give off. To catch a hint of that in the breeze is heavenly.

Hanging Pansies

My fabulous friend Faye gave me a bag of beautiful hanging pansies. What a nice surprise! I decided to hang them on a fence post to brighten up the dullness of it. These little flowers are so adorable, and perfect to withstand the prairie sun and wind. Water when they get a little droopy and they should prove to be very vigorous.

Freezing Bananas

Before bananas go bad, pop them into the freezer to use later.

I simply put the entire banana in a Ziploc freezer bag. The outside peel will turn brown and black, but they are just fine for baking (I use them in my Chunky Monkey Banana Muffins), adding to a pudding or even throwing into a smoothie.

Chunky Monkey Banana Muffins

I've finally perfected my banana muffins! I am very picky about muffins so please don't think this is just another boring, run-of-the-mill banana muffin. Not only do these taste amazing, but they also use my secret baking ingredient, buttermilk. Enjoy!

Be sure to read all the rave REVIEWS: Chunky Monkey Banana Muffins.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Makes: 24 Muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup melted margarine
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup coconut sweetened, shredded
1 cup chocolate chips

 Instructions:
- Beat together eggs and sugar. Then add in vanilla, mashed bananas, buttermilk and margarine.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Fold in coconut and chocolate chips.
- Fill lined muffin tins 3/4 full.
- Bake @ 350° for 20 minutes.

Tip: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Buttermilk

My relationship with buttermilk started when I was pregnant and suddenly had a craving for buttermilk pancakes. I made the pancakes but still had about half a carton of buttermilk left over. What to do with it? What NOT to do with it!!

Buttermilk is thicker and more tart than regular milk, which is due to the presence of acid caused by lactic acid bacteria. There is no butter in buttermilk, and surprisingly it is not as high in fat as you might think with nearly half the fat and far fewer calories than whole milk or cream.

If the buttermilk was good enough for my pancakes, then it should be good enough for some muffins I was about to make. I simply replaced the regular milk in the recipe with buttermilk. Amazing! The muffins where so moist, and deliciously decadent. Since then, I've been using buttermilk in most of my baked goods and have been replacing any liquid (water, milk, etc) with it. Not only have I found it improves the texture, but it also combats the grayish discoloring of adding blueberries or walnuts.

My other favorites are making buttermilk salad dressing and marinades. The acid in the buttermilk does a great job in marinades to break down the meat and tenderize.

Garden Gloves

My two little munchkins gave me the perfect Mother's Day gift this year! Some very cute garden gloves stuffed in two flower pots - the blue one from Kyler and the pink one from Abby.

Prairie Story ...care of Alison Zulyniak

Welcome, I was hoping you'd visit! I am very excited to be launching this blog. Prairie Story is about sharing all the good things that have been instilled in me growing up and living on the prairies, specifically in the Kitchen, Garden and working on Crafts. Part of the story behind the name Prairie Story, is that it is in fact a spin-off of my first blog, The Story After.

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