Worth the Battle

It’s Zucchini season; the prolific vegetable that gardeners can’t seem to give away! I grow Zucchini every year and I struggle to keep a plant alive. In the spring the vine borers destroy the plant at the root base. Then the squash bugs come out full force to finish them off. I battle these sneaky and allusive bugs by hand picking them, drowning them in a bucket of water and olive oil, then feeding them to the chickens. Despite the adversities, this year we seem to have won and are blessed with a nice supply of Zucchini to enjoy. Recently, I tried a new recipe – Keto Zucchini Fritters. This is a low-carb version of what would resemble Potato Latkes with sour cream.

Keto Zucchini Fritters (serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini

½ cup almond flour

2 Tablespoons onion powder

1/3  cup onion, finely chopped

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½  teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1/3 cup avocado oil

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

Instructions:

1. Grate the zucchini.
2. Put the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Mix salt in by hand and let set for 5 minutes. This will draw out some of the moisture.
3. Squeeze as much of the moisture as possible out of the zucchini with your hands and place into a medium size bowl.
4. Add the eggs to the zucchini and mix together.
5. Mix the remainder of the ingredients then add to the zucchini. Mix thoroughly.
6. Heat the oils in a large pan over medium to medium/high heat. The oils should completely cover the bottom surface of the pan.
7. When the oil is hot, stir the zucchini mixture then measure out a ¼ cup of the batter, dumping it into the pan, gently pushing it into a flatter shape resembling a thick pancake.
8. Cook for 4 minutes on each side adjusting the heat to your liking. You may need to add a little more oil for the additional fritters to keep them from sticking.
9. Drain the zucchini fritters on a paper towel and add additional salt or seasoning to your liking. Then serve topped with Greek yogurt and chives. Yum!

 

Rhubarb and Reminders

 

Mother’s Day, spring lilacs, recipes, etc.! There are so many reminders of Mom. When a friend of ours offered to help us with some house projects the only payment he requested was my Rhubarb Crisp. I agreed with slight hesitation, my Rhubarb Crisp recipe was passed on to me from my dear mother. Her transition to heaven is still fresh and I’m faced with many reminders of her.

Stewing and Trials

It was a fun week visiting family in Colorado.  Among the highlights was celebrating our daughter’s Golden Birthday!  We all pitched in to gift her an instant pot (replica brand).  We were not experiencing the ridiculous temps that Iowa was having, but it was still cold enough to enjoy beef stew created in her present.  Note: we had to exchange her original gift because it malfunctioned presenting us with what we called “smoker eggs.” 

Hot and Spicy Meets Cold and Snowy

Hot and spicy meets cold and snowy.   I re-purposed our left-over chicken to create a “warm you from the inside” treat.  This one pot meal is perfect for hospitality, since it’s an easy clean up and feeds sixteen people!  We were hiding from the storm, so we froze it for future cold days (I imagine there will be more).

“Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”  – Romans 12:13

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

New Gadget: The Instant Pot!

Juicy, tender chicken in 15 minutes!  All because of an upgrade!  One of my gracious clients upgraded her Instant Pot and gifted me her old one.  She had no idea that I had secretly wanted one for some time and that she was being used of the Lord in a special way. This simple gadget is another reminder of God’s gifts to His children.  As I pondered on this I recognized that God gives gifts in other packages as well… financial loss, health difficulties, challenging relationship, etc.