Scandinavian Almond Bars

made these last night for a birthday gathering.

i already handed out the recipes for two of them:

get the ginger snap recipe here.

get the pumpkin choco chip here. Now we're gonna make these yummies.
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. banking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon almond extract
milk
confectioners sugar
Stir together flour, baking powder & salt. In large bowl beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and extract and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.

Form dough into log, flatten, cook at 350 for 12-14 min. I cut it lengthwise (while hot), then diagonally (1" strips) with a pizza cutter.

Cool-drizzle with icing.
Icing: 1 cup confectioner sugar, 1/4 tsp. or more almond extract and 3-4 or more tsp. milk.

Parmesean Zucchini Sticks with Smoky Roasted Romesco Sauce

My love for zucchini will never die.

*to save time, use your own marinara sauce instead of making the one from the recipe. Yield 8 servings (serving size: 6 zucchini sticks and 1/4 cup sauce)
Ingredients:
Sauce:
3 medium red bell peppers
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (1/2-inch) cubed French bread baguette, crusts removed
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked almonds
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large garlic clove
Zucchini:
3 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute
Cooking spray
Preparation:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare sauce, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves and tomatoes, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten bell peppers with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop, reserving any liquid.
3. Combine bell peppers, reserved liquid, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. To prepare zucchini, cut 1 zucchini in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 8 wedges. Repeat procedure with remaining zucchini. Combine breadcrumbs, panko, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg substitute; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sauce.

*recipe from cooking light

mason jar love

Anyone that knows me knows that I love Mason Jars. There's so much to do with them.

Sara & I have recently decided every Sunday we would make a treat for someone in need & deliver it to become more selfless :)

(i'm not gonna lie, it really bothers me that the pinkish ribbon clashes with the red salsa, but it's all i had & i couldn't send it plain. don't worry, my mama sent more ribbon this week to me. babe.) This Salsa is so good. My mom always makes it & now I make it weekly because everyone loves it so much.

JD even made it as one of Ashley's favorite foods when he proposed.Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 can black beans (undrained)
1 can white corn (undrained)
1 packet of Italian Dry Dressing Mix
Cilantro
Green Onions (optional)
Mix all things together in a bowl. There you have it folks! Easy as can be.