Heather's Bytes

Fried pickles. A year ago I might have given you a face like this at the thought, but then we actually tried them and I looked like this.

They were good, but the restaurant gave us a whopping 12 pickle chips to split between the five of us, which wasn’t so good. (I’m looking at you, Buffalo Wild Wings.)

Anyway, I knew I could easily find a recipe for them online so the next time I went grocery shopping I picked up a jar. And it’s sat in the pantry for months because knowing I can do something sadly doesn’t trump being lazy.

This weekend Mike and the girls have been glued to one football game or another, so I was able to sneak into the kitchen this afternoon and tackle something of my own. (Sorry.) Read More

We’re finally heading into fall in the desert southwest with temperatures that look to be staying under 90 degrees for the rest of the year. This means it’s time to whip out the soup recipes!

One of my favorites is baked potato soup. It gets extra brownie points because I can put it all in the crockpot in the early afternoon and have everything ready by dinner time.

The original recipe that I found didn’t specify that you’re supposed to mash up the potatoes, and while I do like chunks of potato in the finished soup, I don’t like the whole thing to be nothing but. It’s easy enough to do by using a regular potato masher right in the crockpot after the potatoes have cooked for several hours, and preferably right before you add in the dairy ingredients.

If you’re vegetarian, you can easily omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Baked Potato Soup

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
4 (10.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 large potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Cook bacon in a skillet until evenly brown. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain. When fully cooled, cover and refrigerate the bacon. Drain all but a tablespoon or so of the bacon grease from the skillet and place chopped onions in to cook until soft.

Transfer onions to a slow cooker, and stir in chicken broth, bouillon cubes, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, stirring occasionally.

Using a potato masher, mash the cooked potatoes in the slow cooker until desired consistency is reached (you can also use an immersion blender, or transfer some of the potatoes and broth to a blender for a smoother texture, and put back into the crockpot when done).

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and half-and-half. Stir into the soup along with the evaporated milk. Add cooked bacon. Cover, and cook another 30 minutes before serving. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped chives.

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This chocolate zucchini cake is the perfect end-of-summer treat! Zucchini are now ripe and ready for harvesting and if you’ve got an abundance, consider baking up a few of these for the neighbors instead of just handing them some vegetables – they’ll appreciate it!

Zucchini also freezes very well. Just shred it, squeeze out as much liquid as you can using a tea cloth or clean towel, place in zip-top freezer bags, and stack in the freezer. To defrost, put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

This recipe comes from my friend Laura’s mom, who humored me at the age of 14 when I asked for it. I’ve made it every year since, even though I have to buy my zucchini at the store now! Read More

I never really cared for casseroles growing up, but when I started cooking for my own family I discovered how convenient and diverse they really are.

Though it was probably my least liked as a kid, one of my favorites has become tuna casserole, and thankfully my own kids don’t seem to share my propensity for the tuna hate, and ask for it often.

I came up with this one after several attempts with different recipes, and finally hit on a combination that isn’t bland or boring. You can use chopped broccoli florets in place of the peas, or even cauliflower or small chopped pieces of asparagus. Though the rest of the ingredients aren’t the healthiest, just remember you’re not eating the whole thing yourself, and it’s perfect with a salad or some steamed veggies. Read More