Zucchini Cheesy Bread

My Facebook page is riddled with video recipes these days.  They come across as so quick and easy. But much more time consuming then they appear.

Recently though a friend shared this recipe by Delish on Facebook and I was intrigued.  Intrigued and haunted! The Zucchini cheesy bread was in my dreams that night, so the next morning I ran out and stocked up on the ingredients. I had to!

Truth be told - any 'bread' that doesn't use flour or grains grabs my attention. That, and anything that even resembles pizza in any way.

Luckily I was given a food processor recently and it makes all the difference in speeding through the grating/grinding process. Hand grating 3 zucchinis and all that cheese could be quite laborious and time consuming.

The recipe was easy to follow though, and impressively mine came out looking exactly like the video.  And the taste!  The taste was a winner and everyone raved.  I have made it successfully three times now.
Tips to share:

1. Be sure to squeeze all the liquid out of the grated zucchini.  If it's too wet it takes twice as long to bake (how do I know? don't ask!) and it doesn't firm up as well.

2. Definitely serve it with a marinara sauce for dipping.

3. Excellent leftover too!

Enjoy!

You can find more of my art in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint.
Or check out my daily illustrations on Instagram

Celery - it's what's for breakfast!

More raw vegetables! - one of my resolutions as we rolled into 2017. Easy to say, and even easier for that decision to slip away in the day to day routine.
I realized even if I made the effort a few days a week it would be an improvement.  Every little bit counts. Every little bit adds up.

At the top of the list was to add more dark leafy greens (the kale crisps are a tasty option), second only to more celery!  
I have been reading so much on the tremendous health benefits of celery so I keep looking for interesting ways to add it in. 

     Reduces inflammation
     Detoxes
     Helps prevent kidney stones
     Aids digestion
     Loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber

I chop it into tuna, egg or chicken salad, tossed salads, soup, jambalaya, but recently I have been experimenting with my magic bullet for breakfast... blending a stalk or two with a combination of the following that I have on hand: carrots, bananas, frozen strawberries, orange juice, yogurt, etc. 

I like to play and make different combos each time to see what I can create.
My favorite is 
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
6 frozen strawberries
2 oz of OJ
2 ice cubes.
Refreshing and inspiring!

If you enjoy my art you can find more in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint.
Or check out my daily illustrations on Instagram

Gluten Free Apricot Chicken review

I am constantly in search of gluten-free dinner recipes - simple and flavorful are my biggest qualifiers. And on day that I am on the run - a crockpot meal will seal the deal!

The other day I felt I covered half the state of NJ and ended the marathon with a nighttime drive back from my daughter's basketball game in a combination of heavy rain, flooding, snow, sleet and fog! 

The light at the end of the stressful tunnel was Apricot Chicken waiting for us - hot, tender, flavorful and ready upon arrival!  


I found Stephanie O'Dea's Apricot Chicken recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking.  The apricot sauce was easy to make and started with a jar of Apricot Preserves... I used Polaner All-Fruit (clearly labeled gluten-free).

The only change I made to the recipe was the addition of 5 cloves of garlic, minced.  (We are a garlic loving family).
The aroma that met us when we dragged in wet, tired, cold was truly delightful.

The chicken with it's sweet and savory sauce were poured on piles of steamy rice - a huge success! It will be part of the regular dinner rotation going forward.

If you enjoy my art you can find more in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint.  Or check out my daily illustrations on Instagram