Sunset Dreams and Coffee Cup Wishes
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  • A Dab of This...

It's a fruit, it's a vegetable, it's a...cobbler?

8/17/2017

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     Whether it's lightly sauteed, put in a frittata, roasted, or cooked in homemade spaghetti sauce, zucchini has perpetually proven it versatility.  And of course we can't forget the sweeter side of this yummy fruit in the forms of cookies and bread. Yep, you read it correctly, and I assure you I didn't write this post while caffeine-deprived.               Even though zucchini is usually served savory (that's how my grandmother prepared it) and as a side, it's botanically classified as a fruit. 
     Several months ago, knowing my competitive streak all too well, my older son Jonathan challenged me to find a new way to prepare this Italian squash. So, after sifting through what seemed like millions of recipes on the internet, I found a recipe for zucchini cobbler and adapted it to suit my tastes. The results? It tastes unbelievably like apple cobbler--so much that I entered the baked good in a bake-off and it won second place. The judges were convinced it was apple. Below is the recipe...enjoy!


Fake Apple Cobbler Bars
Serves 12


4 cups peeled zucchini (about 1.5 lbs.)
1/3 cup  lemon juice
1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375° F.


  1. In a large saucepan, combine all the filling ingredients and cook over medium-low heat 15-20 minutes covered, stirring occasionally, or until zucchini is tender.  Remove from the heat; set aside. 
  2. To prepare the crust: combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup of the crust into the filling. 
  3. Press half of remaining crust mixture into a greased 9. x 13-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread zucchini over top. Crumble the remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool, cut into squares and remove from the pan. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Going Bananas!

8/5/2017

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     I love bananas, but I'm a bit strange. For me, the best time to enjoy the fruit is a little after it's past the green stage. The texture is perfect, and I love topping an open-faced peanut butter sandwich with thin slices of the fruit, drizzling it with organic honey, and toasting it in the oven. Each delicious bite takes me back to my youth and afternoon snacks at my nana's house.
     The darker the skin on the banana, the more I'm repulsed. I don't like the smell, and I certainly don't like the slimy feel of the flesh.             Today, I remembered a bunch of bananas I'd bought at the store a few days earlier. Deadlines, edits, and errands has occupied my mind lately, and the fruit sat forgotten on my baker's rack. Now I wasn't happy with what I saw. The skin had more spots than a Dalmatian, and the flesh was soft, squishing easily in its enclosure. Great. The only option in my opinion was banana bread. 
     I love experimenting with different recipes, and I needed one that'd fulfill my family's sweet tooth and wasn't calorie heavy. I created a bite-sized, super-moist dessert that'll be bliss for any banana bread lover. To cut calories, I subbed half of the margarine with applesauce, and half the coconut palm sugar with Splenda™ brown sugar blend. These bites are great as a dessert, or as a perfect partner for a steaming cup of coffee.

Nutty Blueberry-Banana Bread Bites
Serves 18

¼ cup margarine, melted
¼ cup applesauce
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar Splenda™ blend
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 medium (very ripe) banana, mashed
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
½ cup fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
½ baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, stir together the margarine, applesauce, sugar, Splenda™, egg, vanilla, and banana. Mix until everything is well-combined and the mixture is smooth.

​Add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated and no flour is visible.

Pour into a 13"x9" lightly greased baking dish (I use this type of pan). Bake for 25-30 minutes
or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, then cut into 18 squares and remove from the pan,
​

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    A little info about me...

     Award-winning  author (and sometimes illustrator) Debbie Roppolo grew up in the Blackland Prairie region of Texas, where miles of grassland and her horse stimulated very imaginative adventures and served as writing fodder for later years. She had to do something with those memories; having tea parties with chickens was too good to keep to herself.

         She has written for several of the Chicken Soup books in addition to various magazines and newspapers. Her children’s book titles include: Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter-Loving, Overactive Imagination; Amelia Frump…is Cooking Up a Peanut Butter Storm (award-winning activity/cookbook);  and He’s My Brother.

          Shortly after beginning her own family, Roppolo discovered the reason why her mother turned prematurely gray, and that a cell phone, toilets and toddler make a poor combination. Rather than sitting in a corner, whimpering, and eating her weight in chocolate, Roppolo wrote her first parenting humor book, The Toilet is Overflowing and the Dog is Wearing My Underwear, that was based on her family’s antics. 

          After her younger son was diagnosed with autism, Roppolo and her husband co-founded Central Texas Autism Network, a network for persons who may have a relative or friend diagnosed with Autism, or professional that may deal with Autistic persons. She serves as an advocate for people with autism through her writing, by speaking to groups, and spreading awareness as various health-related functions.

         Cooking is her second passion, and Roppolo holds the honor of being an eight-time award-winning baker.

         Married for over twenty-four years, she resides in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and two children.

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