Friday friend recipe number 336 and 337, MEGAN’s chicken, saltimbocca and baked zucchini

 

I must get this done!  At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

 because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

  e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to one of my favorite sisters-in-law, Meghan Stone's Baked Zucchini and Chicken Saltimbocca 

These were both really great.  My photos are not.

Saltimbocca is a traditional Italian dish that dates back to ancient Rome. The name saltimbocca literally means "jump in the mouth" in Italian, which is fitting given its delicious flavor.

So in other words, don't be swayed by my photos of the saltimbocca--just make it and taste it. It will jump in your mouth!

When I was little, I didn't think I liked zucchini.

I was wrong.

And again-- since I am getting closer to the end, these are the last recipes of Meghan's that I'll be posting.

We're saying goodbye.

(the Handyman just walked by, and I said (with tears in my eyes) --we're saying goodbye to Meghan now and he said WHY? I said--it's her last recipes in the FF Cookbook.)

Here is the Handyman's youngest brother Mike and his beautiful wife Meghan.

The story?  Ohhh, the story!

As you know I've saved a few answers from the Friday Friend Forum of years ago. (some I probably shouldn't share - yikes)

But here I go, giving Meghan's answers to life's pertinent questions.

Once I asked about Homecoming--

She said: I always liked school dances. Prom.  Homecoming, winter formal.  The Best Homecoming year was when I was a Pom-Pom girl and there was a flurry of activities and rallies leading up to the big game and dance.  I am sure the worst wqas probably my Freshman year--the Jr/Sr Prom.  I liked a Junior. He was taking someone else to the dance.  He did not know I liked him.  Found a friend to let him know and we started dating after that and he was my boyfriend all through high school. 

Me:  Well, it's a good thing it didn't last past high school--otherwise you'd be with someone else's family!!

And then once I asked about Voodoo.  I asked if you could use a Voodoo doll to hurt someone, who would it be?

She said: Voodoo...in reality, no, but in fantasy land, where this question was written...ANYONE who crosses the path of my kids or husband--POKE POKE!!

ME:  But my favorite answers of hers, were her little quips when I asked a food question.  She ran a catering business for quite a few years, and she is great cook, so they always struck me as funny.

I once asked about the famous, legendary, one and only, first and foremost Diner Foods--the open-faced hot roast beef sandwich. 

She said:  Not a fan...even au jus.  I need a toasty roll, quick dip and shovel it all in.   I prefer bread stuffing on the bottom of the roast beef and gravy pile, that I could dig.

Christmas eve dinner, once upon a time.

Meghan:   I am making spinach salad, and supposedly in charge of the roast (!!??)   My mom is having cracked crab and cold shrimp--with minestrone and spinach salad.  I am doing the salad and the minestrone....and maybe the shrimp.  So, my mom is doing crab. 

Should I just throw this hunk of meat in the crock pot and call it good?

And on eating alone:

The only time I eat alone is when the kids are at school...a lot of times I don't eat till lunch and then may dine out or grab something (UNHEALTHY) to go.

I'll have the leftovers from the night before for breakfast. 

*******************

I know that wasn't really a Meghan 'story', just great memories for me.

The way I met her was thru emails.  We became fast friends over the internet. LOL   And then she became family and then we met in person!

These are some of my favorite people/family members ever. They are adorable.  Just look at them!

So, friends, My friends!  These are recipes, #336 and #337

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

You can check out all of Meghan's recipes here.  Just click it.

Friday Friend Recipes #191 and 192 -- World's Best Cookies and Zucchini Flats

Come with me as I continue to countdown my Friday Friend Cookbook!

What is it, you may ask?

In a nutshell...
About 19 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.
I decided to count those down!
Why?

Because  one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog"
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said,  "you'll never EVER do that."
Well,  maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings me to recipes #191 and #192

Barb's Zucchini Flats and World's Best Cookies

World's Best Cookies?
I do love them!  A shortbread cookie with coconut and crunch (it's the cornflakes!)
I've seen them called Hawaiian Shortbread cookies.  Because of the coconut maybe?  Call them whatever you want, but you're going to love them!

I like zucchini -- some people don't.  What can I say?

Fried, dipped in Ranch dressing tho?  It's hard to be anything but good.

This could be a side dish or an appetizer.  Choose whatever suits your fancy!

As you  know, this all started from a 'friend forum' I used to have. I'm not sure how we got the idea of making a recipe book, but we did---and Barb ran with it.  I have saved our correspondence and printed them out and put them in notebooks.  Sadly, (to me anyway,)  I am going to toss the notebooks soon.  No one cares (like my family) about The Friday Friends daily conversations and the truth is, if you don't know anything about our past conversations it's hard to follow. Like it will never make it into a book or anything, so why keep them? 

  I have had fun tho---skimming thru them before getting ready to toss*

I came across this bit of correspondence that was about the cookbook, so thought it fit right here!

This note was from Barb..

Then later another from Barb to the Friday Friends:

Hey!  I wasn't really sleeping with another man!**

We finally got a few answers..... all of them a different category.
But I want to note the last answer from Shelly.  She was pretty new (I guess) to the Friday Friend Forum.  Funny how life turns out because now-a-days she is the one putting all this into a GREAT PHOTO SCRAPBOOK from Shutterfly for me!!  She is awesome!

*notice I keep saying 'getting ready to toss' and I haven't actually tossed anything yet.  It's a hard thing to do because when I do skim thru them, I always smile!

I'll share a couple pics of Barb on Mother's Day this year.

She and her daughter Kim. (who looks just like her)

Barb's caption for this one with her husband Doug...

Mother's Day would not be complete without the guy who helped make our wonderful daughter!

Geez Barb---kind of risqué!

** and this was the note that made her say I was sleeping with another man!

I thought I was so clever.... hahaha!

And that my friends brings  us almost up to 200 recipes made by me from the FF Cookbook.

Stay tuned for more!

Friday Friend Recipe #93-- Zucchini Patties

 

 

Friday Friend Recipe #93 -- Zucchini Patties

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #93

Barb's

Zucchini  Patties

 

 

***************

I must admit---sometimes I'm at a point where I don't care about what the photographs look like, because these looked and tasted a lot better than they photographed.

 

It was evening in the winter, dark outside and artificial light inside.

Do I say more?

You get the picture

(and I am amazingly funny with that pun!)

 

The patties were good.  IF you like zucchini that is.  I did put some olive oil and not Pam in the baking sheet and then... well, I might have left them a bit long and they got crispy on the bottom, BUT, they were really great that way.

I added the cheese, because they were just a bit too healthy for us.  And cheese (as well as bacon and cinnamon) makes everything better! Right?

 

 

Zucchini Patties

FF Barbara Brown

Buckeye, AZ

 

3 1/2 cups grated zucchini

2 T grated onion

2 T chopped parsley

1/3 cup parmesan

1 cup soft bread crumbs

3/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 cup egg substitute

fine dry bread crumbs 

 

Heat oven to 350F.  Spray cookie sheet with Pam. 

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from grated zucchini.  Combine it with all but the dry bread crumbs.

Shape into patties and coat with dry bread crumbs.  Place on cookie sheet, spray lightly with Pam and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.

 

*I topped with cheese

*and I coated the cookie sheet with some olive oil.  I didn't feel like being as 'good' as Barb in this recipe.

 

And now, once again Barbara Brown, the editor of the original Friday Friend Cookbook  (yes, she typed up all 400+ recipes in the first place for me)

Barb has 24 recipes so far--- out of 93.  That's a high percentage.  Don't ask me how high, because that would include me doing math, and... I don't really.

Is you want to check out all of Barb's recipes, just click on the link.

 

Interesting thing about Barb is that she collects frogs.  Figurines and things.

One time she lived in Monterey, CA--when I first met her. 

We were invited to their home to stay for the weekend, to bring in the New Year.  She and the Handyman were colleagues, managing JCPenney stores in the same district and they liked each other.

I was very nervous.  She had one nice little girl at home, I had three rambunctious boys.

 

**animal lovers, read no further**

 

We had a great weekend---it bonded us FOREVER.  We played games and ate good food and brought in the new year.

The kids got along very well --it was just good.

Until one afternoon, Barb's daughter, Kim, came inside and whispered something in her mom's ear.  Barb got up and went outside---of course my intuition knew I had better follow.  It seems that in Barb's backyard, there were 100's of tiny frogs.  Live ones.  They lived right upon a pond or watery path (creek?) that led to the bay, if I remember correctly. Anyway, close enough to water to have frogs.

My boys were.... were..... using the frogs for batting practice.

The. Live. Frogs.

 

 

 

(sigh) I hate to admit that.

 

Hello, Meet the Stone boys!  Boys will be boys? 

I don't really know what to say, except, how can these sweet little faces (because this is them right around that time)  be frog murderers?

Rest assured, their frog killing time went no further. 

They have went on to have jobs, graduate from college, nice families, hold jobs, make good friends,  and even....EVEN

Have pets of their own!!

 

 

 

This is a photo of Barb and Doug and Kim as we were leaving their home that weekend.  They were probably thinking get the heck out of here!!?

BUT... they did invite us back, so?

 

 

 

 

It's a good thing  after 25 years she still likes my boys!!

 

 

A picture of Barb and her husband Doug....

 

 

then: 

(at their wedding) 

 

 

 

 

and now:

(they're still happy, even if they're not smiling!)

 

 And that's my story!!

Friday Friend Recipe #58 -- Oven Fried Zucchini

Friday Friend Recipe #58: Oven Fried Zucchini

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."

WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #58

Barb's

Oven Fried Zucchini

I never do this anymore:

Do a tutorial.  I figure my way of chopping zucchini is not all that exciting. BUT-- (I can't remember what I was going to say.)

Hmmmm.... well, one thing,.... since this is a typed up homemade cookbook with recipes submitted by my friends, I am never sure if I am making it 'right'.  Or like they do.  None of them ever submitted one photo of their finished product, not to mention a tutorial on how I am supposed to make their dish!

Hey Barrrrrrbb--- does this look right?  Is this how you do it?

Oven Fried Zucchini

Barbara Brown

Buckeye, AZ

1/2 cup flour

1 large zucchini, cut into 4" long strips, 1/2" thick

1/2 cup egg substitute

3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

sour cream

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Coat zucchini strips lightly in flour. Dip strips in egg and then in crumbs. Put on baking sheet and spray lightly with Pam.  Bake 15-20 minutes or till lightly browned. Turn with spatula and bake another 15 minutes or so.

Use sour cream to dip in.

It was really good stuff!

I made it and the Handyman and I spend the afternoon devouring it.

And it's HEALTHY for you!  And good.  I said good already.  But I was surprised. 

One thing, I didn't do, was I didn't buy egg substitute.  I just used an egg.

This is Barb's 12th entry into the FF Cookbook.

( you can see them all here)

so, she really needs no introduction.

When we both lived in the state of CA, (neither of us does now), we used to spend weekends at each other's homes--we lived about  3 hours apart. And we would have marathon game weekends. 

(they are huge gamers in the true sense of the word-- with cards, dice, a board with pieces you have to move around.)

(and a tad competitive---they keep a record book of wins and losses---for Yahtzee!)

Anyway, one fourth of July weekend, they made me play golf.

They made me have a chipping contest in their backyard.

It was fun---- but I doubt I've ever held a golf club since!

And as you can tell (by the Handyman's hair color and the size of his glasses) this was a long time ago!

(I think I have red socks on---for some patriotic wear.  Or I had really sun-burned ankles!)

The Handyman and Barb must have won at least one game that weekend.

Barb and Doug.

I'm not sure what's going on here... but I couldn't pass up this picture!

GOODBYE!!

Y'all come back now!

I am going to link up with Weekend Cooking

hosted by Beth Fish Reads.