it's what's cookin: 7/10/11

Why this blog??

Why this blog?? I often find myself stressing over what to make for my family for dinner. We live a busy life and some meals need time to prep, cook and let's not forget shopping for everything you need. I love cookbooks and websites, but there are so many recipe's at times it is overwhelming. The recipe's I will be posting are things I actually made. I will tell you if they are easy or more time consuming. I will also tell you if they are good. Most of these are recipe's I have made for years and continue to make because they are easy or quick and my family loves them and i know yours will too! I will also try to at least once in a whlie try a new recipe I've found on line or in a book and honestly rate it. I always encourage others to send me their favorite recipe's as well! I am a mom... not a chef. But I am a mom who enjoys cooking for her family and making a somewhat healthy meal (some days more healthy than others:) ) In each recipe I will share how I recommend serving it, any substitutions I can think of that are also good, or ways to prepare ahead of time to make the cooking part seem quicker! I am not a photographer, as you can see... most of these pictures are taken from my phone camera, so may not be the best! I love to hear from others who have made these recipes and what they have done to change the recipe... please post comments! Thank you! To "like" me on facebook, go to this link... It's What's Cookin

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Zucchini Buttons

A friend posted this recipe that she found on another cooking blog. It just so happened we were making a big italian dinner that night and I was in charge of an appetizer. This looked perfect. I made them and everyone loved them, including my one year old son! They were super easy and they reminded me of eggplant parm (but better since I like zucchini better than eggplant:) )

Here is the link to the blog I got the recipe from. http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2010/11/zucchini-coins-with-marinara-and.html?spref=fb The pictures on this blog are MUCH better than mine!! :)

Here is how I made them...

* 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices ("buttons")
* 2 T olive oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
*marinara sauce (I used the homemade sauce a friend made for the pasta that night, but if I make them
again I will use Prego.) (enough to cover tops of each zucchini slice
*Parmigiano-Reggiano- freshly grated
*Italian Seasoned Panko crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Coat zucchini slices in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Line baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Line zucchini buttons on pan. Top with marinara, sprinkle on some grated cheese and top each with a large pinch of the panko crumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until zucchini is tender and panko crumbs are starting to get golden.

Enjoy!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Peanut Butter S'mores on the Grill.

Ok, so i don't have any pictures of these right now. I was almost done with mine before I even thought about it. But I wanted to share this amazing idea so you can enjoy these as much as we do. So simple, so good!

Place tinfoil on grill and heat up grill to a medium/high heat. Once grill is warmed, place bottom cracker with chocolate and marshmallow on top on the tin foil. Close grill. While these are on the grill, take your top half of the cracker and spread peanut butter on it (we use Jiffy Creamy). Once done, check on the s'mores. If marshmallow looks gooey- they are done. Slap on the top cracker with the peanut butter and enjoy!

Facebook Page- It's What's Cookin!

You can now "like" my page have any new recipes I submit come up on your feed! Go to this link and like me. Thanks!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-Whats-Cookin/213589848678935