Jolene's Recipe Journal

Even though the clock is ticking down on summer, the farms are still loaded with quality produce, and I'm busy stocking the freezer with meals. On my last trip, I grabbed some to make these Zucchini Carrot Muffin s, but had 2 left over. What to do with the rest? I searched the Taste of Home website and found this recipe for Stuffed Zucchini. The recipes calls for 4 to 5 zucchini, and I considered halving the recipe, but I also had 2 cubanelle peppers, and I thought the filling would work well in those too. Only a few small changes to this one.  I don't like green bell peppers, so I used red.  For the bread crumbs, I used chunk of a locally baked loaf of Parmesan, Basil and Oregano bread.  Be careful not to pack the filling in too tightly, or it won't cook properly. I ate one immediately after cooking them, absolutely delicious.  The rest I put on a baking sheet and into the freezer.  When they were solid, I vacuum-sealed them in single portions. Thank you so much to

School starts tomorrow and I've been working to stock the house with easy on-the-go snacks and after school treats.  These Zucchini Carrot Muffins from Taste of Home are definitely perfect for both of those things! I made no changes to the recipe except to omit the nuts due to allergies.  Usually I crush up crisped rice cereal and use it in place of nuts, but I didn't have any on hand.  I overfilled my muffin cups and got 12 full size, plus a dozen mini muffn size. I also sprinkled the tops with raw sugar, I just love that sparkle and crunch! I adjusted the baking time to 24 minutes for the full size, and baked the minis for 13 minutes. These are great the day of, but they also freeze well.  I set them on a baking sheet in the freezer until they are solid, then I wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap.  I slide them all into one large ziptop bag. So easy to grab as many as I want. They can be microwaved to defrost, or you can do it on the counter.  Thank you so m

  Overnight oats have been my go-to breakfast this summer.  It's been great to just go out in the yard and add blueberries or blackberries from our bushes into the jar each day.  But fall is on the way, and what a great way to transition into it than with these Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats from Taste of Home? I like to layer my jars, so I started with half of everything.  Oats first, salt, cinnamon next.  Then I topped that with 1/2 a teaspoon of chia seeds.  Next came the apple and raisins. Repeat once more.  Then I pour in the milk, which in my case  was almond milk. While I was doing all this, I had some pecans toasting in a pan on the stove, the last little bit I had left from another recipe. Maybe 10 pecan halves.  Note to self: never turn your back while toasting nuts.  I went to give the pan a shake, and the bottoms were burnt.  Into the trash they went. You could also use shelled pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you want some crunch. The next day, I enjoyed this out o

How's your back to school prep going? We're still clinging on to the last few weeks of vacation here in NH.  I think I'm partially in denial, but the part of me that isn't has been trying to get some easy school day breakfasts squared away.   Pancakes are always a hit here, and I pinned this recipe for Yogurt Pancakes immediately after I saw it. The only change I made to the recipe was to use Greek yogurt rather than regular yogurt for the added protein boost, and a little splash of vanilla.  I did some with mini chocolate chips, some with blueberries, and some plain that we will enjoy with some strawberry butter or blueberry syrup. I loved these because they are simple to make, a breeze to customize, store well, and reheat quickly. Thanks so much to Cheryl B. for sharing her recipe! Be sure to go and check out the other awesome #backtoschool ideas the #FestiveFoodies are sharing today by clicking the links at the bottom of the post. Yogurt Pancakes P

Summer is coming to a close.  It's sad, but true.  My son starts school in just a few weeks, and I'm trying to get a jump on the craziness by nailing down some new easy weekday breakfasts.  He loves blueberry pancakes, and when I saw this baked version on the Taste of Home website, I couldn't wait to give it a try. I made no changes at all to the recipe except to use whole milk.  This spring, I moved some family heirloom blueberry bushes from my parent's property to ours. It's been so great to just walk out in the yard and get fresh berries.  My husband's blackberry bushes are going into overload, and I'm thinking a version of this with blackberries would be outstanding too. This was great the day of, and also reheated very well.  They'll be just fine even without the syrup on days that he's really in a rush, but definitely enjoy them with real maple syrup if you can.  Thanks so much to Erin W. for sharing her awesome recipe! Here are some ot

Today is the last day of Farmer's Market week, and I'm finishing up with one of my favorite veggies, eggplant!  I love eggplant parm breaded and fried.  I love it breaded and baked.  But how about grilled? I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home site, and I knew it would be the perfect way to enjoy eggplant parm without heating up the house. This comes together so quickly, and I didn't change a thing, except to use sliced cherry tomatoes instead of full sized ones.  I loved getting all the flavors of the traditional dish but in a lighter, healthier way. If you don't have a grill, you definitely can do these inside on a grill pan and finish it under the broiler, or on a panini press. Thank you so much to Joann P. for sharing her recipe. I hope that you've enjoyed #FarmersMarketWeek as much as I have!  Thank you again to Ellen and Christie for hosting, and to all of the #FestiveFoodies for sharing their amazing recipes! Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Tomatoes are one of my very favorite foods of summer.  I'm always looking for fun new ways to serve them up. I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home site, and immediately put the ingredients on my shopping list. This is so fast and easy to put together! The only changes I made was to use dried chives instead of fresh, and Greek Yogurt cream cheese instead of regular. I cut the dough into 4 portions to make it a little more manageable.  They grilled up beautifully, crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. I loved the herbed cheese mixture, and I'll be making more of that up and stashing it in the fridge!  It will be perfect with celery or crackers. Thanks so much to Tina M. for this perfect summer meal! Want to see what the rest of the #FestiveFoodies are cooking up for #FarmersMarketWeek?  Check out the links at the bottom of the post! Grilled Cheese & Tomato Flatbreads Print With Image Without Image ingredients: 1 package cream cheese (

I absolutely love this time of year! I've been eating as much fresh, local produce as I can get my hands on, but it's been so crazy hot that I've been avoiding turning my oven on as much as possible.  When I saw this recipe for Southwest Stuffed Peppers on the Taste of Home site that's done via the stove top and the microwave, I jumped on it! I'm not a big fan of green peppers, but I'll eat orange, red and yellow ones all day, so that's what I used.  The beef mixture comes together really quickly, and it froze great too.  I plan on adding some black beans to the next batch. This was a great main dish meal, and would also make great appetizers if made in the mini/baby bell peppers that are available now. I hope you're enjoying #FarmersMarketWeek as much as I am!  I'm printing and pinning recipes like crazy.  You can check out what the rest of the #FestiveFoodies are making today by following the links at the bottom of the post. Southwest S