Our Dolphin Tale @ Clearwater Marine Aquarium

1 Reply

We all can use something cute and inspiring—what better than a spunky dolphin with a heartwarming story?

dolphin tale, winter, clearwater aquarium

 

Last week we visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. You know the place I’m talking about: it’s the home of Winter, the plucky, persevering dolphin who’s survival story enchanted millions when she starred in the movie Dolphin Tale.

If you’ve seen the movie (which I highly reccomend as one of the best family movies of the decade) you are familiar with Winter’s Hollywood story.  The real tale is slightly different, but just as remarkable.

At just three months old, Winter became entangled in a crab trap line in the Mosquito Lagoon (East coast of Florida near Kennedy Space Center). A team of marine rescue experts transported her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  Winter made it, but her tail did not.

Harry Connick Jr. and Morgan Freeman did not swoop in to rescue her (as in the movie) but Dr. Mike Walsh and Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc. did.  They created a prosthetic tale (several, actually) for the growing Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin, while the team of marine mammal trainers at CMA trained her how to swim. (For the complete story check out the CMA’s website.)

winter the dolphin, winter's tail, how winter's tale works
Visitors to the aquarium can view one of Winter’s physical therapy sessions. Trainers attach her tail, work with her in the main tank, and remove the tail.

Trainers put on a “sock,” a soft rubbery material called “Winter’s Gel” to reduce friction and help the tail stay put. (This material is now used to reduce pain/friction on human amputees as well.) It also looks like a giant condom.

Then comes the “cup” placed at the base of her peduncle, a suspension strap, a sleeve, and a rubber band.  Sounds like something my kiddo would make at home, right?

With her tale in place, the trainers run Winter through her therapy session, encouraging her to swim in a normal up-and-down manner instead of the side-to-side motion she adapted.

Then they take it all off and the other dolphins at the aquarium, Panama and Hope, come out to play.

Though Winter is the main draw today, the CMA  has grown as a marine education, rehabilitation, and research center over the decades. Over 250 volunteers care for the animals and the 100,000 guest per year who pass through the center. They provide experiences from dolphin interactions in the main facility to four-day adventures including shark tagging (I totally need to find out about this!).

 

Most families who visit the aquarium can plan on spending about a half-day exploring the facility. Besides Winter and the other dolphins, you can pet stingrays, check out rescued sea turtles, fondle sea urchins,  watch otters frolic, and gaze into the eyes of a nurse shark.  The focus is on education, and all exhibits have detailed information boards listing fun facts about the species and the particular animal’s rescue stories. I found the info much more interesting than my kiddo, and I would have loved to spend more time reading about the animals and fish.


If you want more Winter, there is a second facility, Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure, included with your admission. You can enjoy a complimentary trolley ride or a boat trip across the bay (take the boat!) to the Historic Downtown Clearwater’s Harborview Center. There you get a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie.

I’d say this area is more for older kids or adults — those familiar with the movie or intrigued by the story.  Displays feature many of the movie sets with movie trivia vs. facts.  This movie museum involves a lot of reading, so if your kids are young, expect to practice your oral skills. It also has a totally cool Hurricane Experience exhibit. The whipping rains, wild winds, and cracks of thunder freaked my kiddo out a bit (in a good, boy-thrill way). Or maybe it was the chair flying at him?

Tickets are $19.95 for adults, $14.95 kids. Discounts are available if you search online, but if you can afford full price, pay it. Your admission fee is not going line some corporate billionaire’s or stockholder’s pockets. It’s going to help save the lives of injured marine animals.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is not fancy,  not a theme park attraction —  it’s a simple, working marine rescue facility run by amazing people dedicated to preserving wildlife and our delicate ecosystem. And it’s worth an afternoon if you’re ever in the Tampa area. Check it out.

*All opinions and photos in this article are my own and I was not compensated in any way for this post.

Swim for Survival: How to Prevent Drowning

5 Replies

It’s that time of year again: sizzling summer heat has been driving people coast to coast into lakes, beaches, and backyard pools.

Which means it’s time for record drownings.
This morning the Today Show revealed the alarming numbers. Since Memorial Day (2012):
77 people have drowned
78 near drownings
Drowning is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR KIDS 5 and UNDER.
Time to leap onto my pulpit: you MUST teach your children to swim.

Drowning deaths can often be prevented.

A child sneaks out an unlocked door and Grandma doesn’t notice for a few minutes.

 A water wing slips off and the child glides under.

It my not be a massive swimming pool — it could be a bathtub, a ditch, a plastic backyard blow-up pool just like yours.

A mother turns her head for a moment to answer the phone, text or go to the restroom.

The responsible aduls beside the crowded pool, lake, or beach take their eyes off the child for just a few seconds.

Usually there is little to no splash, just a slide under the water and a quick gasp for breath as water floods  starving lungs.

It is a silent killer.

A few seconds and you lose your child forever.

What You Can Do To Prevent Drowning:

  • Learn to Swim.  The American Association of Pediatrics urges parents of children age one and up to enroll their children in swimming lessons. However, this won’t “drown-proof” a child.  Even when children have had formal swimming lessons, constant, careful supervision is necessary when children are in or near the water.   According to the CDC, participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children aged 1 to 4 years.
  • Do Not Use Air-Filled or Foam Toys.  Never use water wings, noodles, or inner-tubes in place of life jackets (personal flotation devices). These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.  They can slip or fall off. A child can easily flip upside down and be unable to right himself.
  • Always Supervise When in or Around the Water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bath and all children swimming or playing in or around water. Supervisors of infants, children, and weak swimmers should provide “touch supervision” and always be within arms reach.  Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity (such as reading, talking/texting on the phone, or mowing the lawn) while supervising children. 
  • Install Barriers Around Water.  Install a pool fence around an in ground swimming pool.  Make sure waterfront property is fenced in and secured.  Always ensure sliding glass doors,  exterior doors and windows are locked.  Consider pool alarms or a rigid pool cover as another line of defense.   Do not leave toys in or next to a pool, filled tub, or body of water.
  • Buddy System. Always swim with a buddy. Select swimming sites that have lifeguards whenever possible. 
  • Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could make a difference in someone’s life.

It doesn’t matter if your kids eat high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and drink from plastic water bottles.  They’ll live if they watch too much tv or if they’re addicted to the Real Housewives or watch movies with inappropriate violence or language. Breast vs. bottle, cry it out vs. rock to sleep, vaccinate vs. delay — these over-debated and proselytized issues will not make a dramatic difference in our children’s life expectancies.  But please, please, teach your children how to swim or they can die.

I’ve heard all the excuses as to why parents don’t enroll their kids in swim lessons:

  • But they are afraid of the water. That won’t keep them away from it or prevent them from accidentally falling in it.
  • They’ll cry/scream. They will get over it.  And so will you.
  • It costs too much money and/or we just don’t have the time. If you have the time and money to shuttle your kids to dance, gymnastics, soccer, and karate you can get them to swim lessons.
  • But we don’t have a pool.  Chances are there is at least one in your neighborhood or you live near a body of water or you take trips to the lake or the beach.
  • We forgot this year but we’ll do it next summer.  You may not have until next summer….

All parents know to teach their kids how to look both ways before crossing the street, not to talk to strangers, to stay away from the stove, not to play with matches. But far too many loving and otherwise competent parents neglect to teach their children one of the most basic survival skills.

Be vigilant. Be safe. I beg you, I implore you, please…you MUST teach your children how to swim.  Give them a fighting chance.
  
To find swim lessons near you:
 SwimLessons.com
American Red Cross
YMCA
USA Swimming
Infant Swimming Resource

 Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

DEMETRIE’S Infamous CHOCOLATE PIE {you know the one I’m talking about}

Leave a reply

Today’s recipe is from The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, a compilation of 100+ recipes from favorite classic and contemporary novels.  The thoroughly delicious book review is up at Bookshelf Bombshells.com.

I simply could not resist trying Demetrie’s Chocolate Pie from The Help by Kathryn Stockett. If you read the book (it must have been in the movie, too) you know the pie I’m talking about — the best chocolate pie south of the Mason-Dixon line — with a little extra bit of something dark and rich in it if you happen to be a nosy racist b*tch.

*recipe courtesy of The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp*

1 2/3 cups water
5 tbsp. Sweetened cocoa powder, such as Ghirardellis (must not contain milk)
3 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
1 9-inch ice shell (plain or graham cracker) **See graham cracker recipe below
whipped cream (or if it’s not too humid, you can top with meringue)

  1. In a medium-size cool saucepan, mix water, cocoa, and cornstarch with a whisk until all the lumps are gone, making a paste. Stir in condensed milk and egg yolks. Heat     to just under a boil and stir until it’s thick.

   

  1. Reduce heat to low and stir in butter. Add in your good vanilla, and keep stirring well. Turn off the heat and let it cool some. Pour into a prebaked pie shell, store-bought if that’s how you do things.

   

  1. Let the pie set up in a cool spot, like a plug-in refrigerator, covered with waxed paper so you don’t get a skin. Dollop cream on tip, or top with meringue.


Yield: One 9-inch pie, 6 to 8 servings.

**Now, needless to say, I made the scrumptious chocolate pie sans the special ingredient. (If you read the book, you what I’m referring to.) Show up at your book club with this pie and your cohorts will most likely force you sample a slice first. Once they see the chocolate bliss on your face, they will dig right in and the compliments and bathroom humor will start flowing.

This is simply the best damn pie crust in the world. It’s easy (as pie!) to make and makes everything taste better. Everything. {Sorry Mom, the secret is out. . .}

prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 10 minutes

9 whole graham crackers (1 1/3 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick melted butter or margarine ( 1/2 cup)
**optional 1/4 cup shredded coconut

*If starting with whole graham crackers, put them inside a gallon sized ziploc bag.  With a meat mallet, or wooden rolling pin mash to fine crumbs. {Great way to get out stress for a minute!}

Mix together crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter/margarine. {I usually pour all but 2ish tablespoons in and mix. It should be moist, but not soggy. Add in the rest if necessary.}

Press mixture firmly and evenly on bottom and up the sides of a greased pie pan. {sometimes wax paper or foil helps, but this is easy}

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.


Photobucket

Check out the FULL BOOK REVIEW @ BOOKSHELF BOMBSHELLS and make your next book club meeting a feast for your brain and your palate.



and for more ideas check out The Book Club Cookbook.com
Pin It


Be gentle, it’s my first time

4 Replies

 I sent off the first chapters of my manuscript for critique last week. Old friends and fellow writers held my temperamental, sometimes ugly baby at their mercy. To critique. To read. To shred into 90,000 rough pieces.

Except for the few brief snippets I’ve posted here, no one had read any of it yet. Not even my Hubby. {To be fair, I know he’d just say, “It’s great.” Though the sentiment may keep me from going all medieval, it isn’t particularly helpful in developing the work.}

Now they have.

Three different people with three vastly different opinions.  No one told me to toss it into the grill and use it for fuel for my 4th of July barbeque. Not one said I should wipe it from my hard drive and fill the memory space with ALF reruns instead.

But I have quite a bit of work to do to whip these words into shape.  I’ll be hiding in the depths of my manuscript for a while if you need to find me.

 ******

Blogger/Writer Tip:

Thanks to the helpful and generous writers at Writer Unboxed I’ve discovered an amazing tool for all bloggers and writers: EditMinion.com. Paste in your text (it seems to handle at least a couple thousand words in one bite) and it spits out a list of issues you may want to check.

The program highlights all of these issues in your text enabling you check them, change them, or curse yourself for having so many sentences that end in a preposition.  Though it cannot totally replace a thorough proofread, it certainly helps to pick out things your eyes may glaze over.  And it’s free. Check it out.

Review: There’s a Puma in the Kitchen and Other Unexpected Tales of Motherhood

3 Replies


It is with great pleasure I introduce a debut author to you, Heather J. Kelly. Well, new to you — I’ve known about her brilliance for over twenty years. . .

My collection of essays, “There’s a Puma in the Kitchen and Other Unexpected Tales of Motherhood,” Provides a glimpse into all of the things I expected about pregnancy and motherhood… and all the things I actually found awaiting me. You will read about my broken boobies, my inability to let my youngest daughter sleep through the night and, oh yeah, that time I dented my oldest daughter’s forehead. ~H.J.K.


Personal bias aside, I loved this collection. Kelley’s transparent writing and irreverent voice made me feel  as if I was sitting around having a drink with an old friend, sharing war parenting stories. Likeable, relatable, and real.  Sometimes I wanted to be laughing beside her, sometimes I wanted to drag her out for a much needed drink, and sometimes I just wanted to reach out and hug her as she endured the struggles of parenthood.

The book is a collection of twenty-three essays capturing the bright, bemused tone of a blog post even when tackling ticklish topics. Yet they’re far from frivolous: the longer essays venture further into the all-access zone than most bloggers would dare tread. I was amazed how much deeply personal stuff Kelley actually put out there. It’s one thing to relate the story of how you picked out baby names, but another to describe your breast reduction and breakdowns (which we all have endured, but don’t necessarily have the balls to talk about).  She bravely lets it all hang out as she takes us on her journey to find sanity amidst two toddlers, a husband, a full-time job, and a puma dwelling in her kitchen.
Many women will appreciate the “Crazy In My Head” essay about the author’s struggles with postpartum depression.  The last few paragraphs of the essay were some of the strongest in the entire collection — every mom will read it and think, “Yes, yes, that’s IT. . . “

Honestly, I wish I had read a collection like this BC (before child).  It’s helpful, it’s fun, it’s entertaining — it’s the warning that none of us received— yet it also speaks of the joys outweighing the chaos. Well. . .usually. . .

Recommendation: BUY IT.  It’s only $2.99 on Amazon, and it would make a fabulous read whenever you don’t want to feel alone as your kids are giving you one of those days.

You can find Heather at her writing blog: 

Run For Cover

Leave a reply


The phone chirped again, seeming possessed by a bird I couldn’t exorcise. Each time it went off I experienced the primal urge to duck under shelter, afraid mockingbirds plotted to dive-bomb me with poop. They say that’s good luck, which might explain how such an ordinary girl could end up with my extraordinary life. But every time that chirp-ring sounded I looked to the sky for evidence of its eminent collapse. I thought it had caved in yesterday, the ethereal debris washed away, leaving only a lingering trail of blood and permanent case of the baby blues. I thought wrong. 
**This is a snippet of fiction, hooked up with:

 BLUE (adjective)
1  : of the color blue
2  a : bluish
    b : discolored by or as if by bruising  
    c : bluish gray
3  a : low in spirits : melancholy
    b : marked by low spirits : depressing
Below are three fairly generic passive phrases. Your goal is to make them active in a short scene, either fiction or non-fiction. You can choose one, two, or all three to play with, but you only have 100 words.
  1. [he/she/I] was devastated by […]
  2. [feeling] was experienced by […]
  3. [person/thing] was possessed by […]

Stray Cat Sucker Punch

1 Reply

Saturday afternoon, after my Hubby finished mowing the lawn, we heard cries from the bushes, like a kitten mewling in distress. We edged against the house into the bushes to find a grown cat, clearly terrified, far too skinny, and far too friendly.

He hasn’t left our yard since.

I couldn’t help it. I set food and water bowls by the front door while I waited for him to dart home. Nope. Kiddo named him Charlie,  picked him up, and carried him around the yard. He loved it. I sat out on the front bench reading; he jumped in my lap and purred, let me scratch his belly. I melted, fearing he’d be scared by the fierce storms we’d suffered lately and creaked open the ancient dog door to our porch. He found his way in and made himself at home.

Dammit. I don’t want or need another cat.

Our current pet, another rescued kitten we were suckered into, is rather a bitch. She will not be happy.

I rode around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon on my grandfather’s retro bike, pulling Lost Cat fliers from the basket and taping them to stop signs. This guy (and his cahones prove he is definitely a male) is a lover, and someone, somewhere must miss him, right? He’s so sweet we are fighting the urge to rip the fliers down.

He only leaves our porch to use nature’s litter box. He’s tried to sneak into the house even with mean kitty glaring at him from the other side of the glass door. He sleeps curled up against the kitchen window, as close as he can get to indoors, our home. I have no doubt he’d curl up with us in bed if we let him.

Dammit, we’re going to end up with another cat, aren’t we.

***How long do you wait for a possible outdoor cat to return home?  A week? A month?
How long until you decide he’s yours and take him to the vet and let him into your heart? Anyone?

 

Pinterest HIT: Crock Pot Mexican Chicken (and Veggies) Recipe

3 Replies

I am slightly afraid of my Crock Pot. It sits alone, clean and shiny, atop dozens of cookbooks in my cupboard. So many recipes call for browning and precooking before you toss things into it, which seems like an utter waste of time. Why bother?

After seeing half a dozen pins for Crock Pot Taco Chicken, I decided to adapt one of my tried and true stove top recipes. Same concept, just instead of poaching the chicken on the stove (which involves watching and timing) I toss it into the crock pot. So simple, there was no way I could screw it up, right?

crock pot recipes, paleo chicken

Right for once.  Easy. Easy. Easy. Incredibly adaptable. You can add beans and veggies and make it with organic and/or clean ingredients. Make a big batch and freeze leftovers for easy weeknight meals. Total HIT.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken {and Veggies}

*inspired by pins from Chocolate Therapy and The Gracious Pantry*

basic recipe:

6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast (I plopped them in frozen)
1 16 oz. jar salsa (I like Newman’s Own Pineapple, Mango, or Farmer’s maket)
1 packet taco seasoning or equivalent (great *clean* recipe here)

healthy options:

1 can black beans (drained)
1/2 bag frozen or small can corn
1 bag Birds Eye frozen bell pepper stir-fry (or fresh sliced onions and peppers if you have them)
1 cup shredded or juilenned zucchini

Arrange the chicken breasts in as close to a single layer in the pot. {I dumped them in frozen.} Add salsa and seasoning and gently mix.

Cook 4 – 6 hours on high (4 worked fine from frozen for me) or 6 – 8 hours on low.

If you are around, flip the chicken after two hours or so so it cooks faster. About 1 hour before you plan on eating (after 3 hrs on high) or when chicken looks pretty cooked through, take it out and shred. It should practically fall apart when you pull at it with two forks. Dump back in pot. Add in beans or veggies and stir. Continue cooking for at least another hour or until you are ready to eat.

Pin It

***If you aren’t home at all while this is cooking you can dump it all in at one time. I just happen to be home and I like my veggies crisp if possible.

***Serve on tortillas, over rice, in enchiladas, as fajitas — the options are endless.  Add your favorite cheese, veggies, sour cream, guacamole, etc. and you have a meal.

***With chicken, black beans, corn, and peppers, this made easily enough for 3 meals for 2 adults + 2 kids.  Leftovers went straight to the freezer for easy meal to thaw.

Easy. Healthy. Hit.
Did you try any Pinterest inspired recipes this week? How did they work?
 Leave a link in the comments if you’d like to share.
Follow Me on Pinterest

 

Frankly my dear. . .

Leave a reply

This excerpt is from The Last Resort, my WIP. Just a snippet, cut down for proper size.

*******************************************
A yellow jeep sat in the bodega parking lot. My stomach dropped. Rye strolled across the pavement, whistling, his arms heavy with shopping bags. Zoe dragged me across the alley towards him. 
 
“Hey hot stuff, we need your help,” she said.
 
“Nice to see you  Zoe . . . Evie . . .” His eyes seemed to brighten as he said my name. I swallowed down the butterflies rising through my chest. “I’m always willing to come to the aid of a damsel, or sea nymph, in distress. How can I be of service today?” 
 
Zoe nudged me forward. My voice seemed to be snagged somewhere in my throat. I stood taut as wild horse about to bolt.
“I need twenty-five dollars cash to open my dead husband’s post office box.” The words just burst out, harsh and forthright. My fists clenched at my sides. 
 
Rye’s face hardened. He crossed his arms and leaned with a deliberate grace against his jeep. He studied my face, taking in each freckle dotting my flaring nostrils, each eyelash quivering as I seethed.
“What can you give me for collateral?” His voice was firm and smooth, his eyes slits, measuring my worth.
“Collateral?” It was twenty-five dollars, not a high-risk mortgage. Was he making fun of me because he knew I defaulted, my credit was gone? Why was every man out make my life impossible?As hysteria threatened to send me over the edge, I noticed a tic jumping from the side of his lips. His chest jerked against his  forearms,and  soft snorts escaped though his slightly asymmetric nose. Then the dam burst and laughter spilled from him in choppy waves. 
 
“Relax, Evie. Didn’t you ever watch or read Gone With the Wind?”
I blinked at him blankly. 
 
“Famous book? Oscar winning film? Rhett was in the horse jail. Scarlett asked him for money to save her plantation. She blurted it out just like you did.” He shrugged and flashed his suggestive half smile. “I just couldn’t resist a little tease.”                 ****
I nearly melted into the asphalt sizzling below me. Fate was fucking with me.  As a teen I’d cuddled up with my worn copy, dreaming of luring the shameless Rhett Butler away from his lusty ladies of the night, of becoming a woman so irresistible he couldn’t live without me. Layla said my infatuation with the cad had left me destined for a life full of scoundrels and bad boys. Like my former husband. Like Rye. 
The man standing before me looked far too blonde and scruffy to be mistaken for a swarthy Clark Gable, but he was just as sexy, just as dangerous, and much more attainable. I didn’t want to give a damn. 
“Of course I’ve read it. It’s just been a rough day. You caught me off guard.”
“That seems to happen often.”
“And if I recall correctly, Rhett was asking for quite a bit more in collateral than I’m willing to provide.”
“Hmm. . .” Rye pulled out his wallet. He removed three bills and fanned them between his erect fingers. “So, you’re not willing to become my mistress for twenty-five bucks?”
“Not a chance. But I will gladly borrow your money, thank you very much, and return it to you as soon as I find a working ATM in this ass-backward country.” I snatched the bills from his fingers, startled by the charge created by the brief brush against his skin. “I’ve already spent too much of my life being a kept woman. It’s high time I struck out on my own.” Flashing my most flirtatious smile, I pivoted away from him, and strutted away on my terms. “Besides, you couldn’t afford me.” 
His hand cupped my shoulder, halting me mid-step. “Forgive me for being so forward, 
but. . .” His hand slid down to my hip. My gasp sounded more like a drunken hiccup as he firmly and slowly brushed against the seat of my jeans. Shock waves coursed through my body.
 “You had dirt on your pants. We wouldn’t want you going around town with everyone staring at your derriere for the wrong reason, now would we?” 
 
Damn it. I just could not be around this man without turning my own shade of scarlet.

******************************************
 And if you were wondering about the waterfall from the last excerpt/prompts (Into the Wild), this was my inspiration for the ethereal setting.
Linking this up with the Yeah Write Challenge. Check it out.
read to be read at yeahwrite.me

Pinterest Hit or Miss Monday – Zucchini Tot FAIL

Leave a reply

They looked so good: wholesome, family friendly, healthy, fun. . .

They were a royal PITA.


Zucchini Tots. They were called zucchini bites, but I like “zucchini tots” better.
 They are the healthy version of tater tots. 
The recipe for these couldn’t be any easier. 
~ Pinterest caption
Zucchini Bites
Recipe adapted: The Naptime Chef
yields: 12 mini muffins

1 cups zucchini, grated
1 egg
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best)
1/4 cup bread crumbs – I used Italian style
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

 ********************

They looked so good I made a double batch.

I used my handy-dandy mini food processor to grate my zucchini early in the day — so simple. I headed the warning about the *really soggy* mess and drained the zucchini pulp on paper towels for hours in the fridge then squeezed the living tar out of it before mixing.

Apparently not nearly enough.

I used cheddar cheese (you can never have too much cheddar) and followed the recipe exactly.

They smelled divine cooking. My tummy rumbled.

I got this:
 

 They suck to the pan, the insides were complete mush, and there was not a hint of *totness* anywhere in my kitchen even after I baked them ten minutes longer than called for.

I can only assume I didn’t squeeze hard enough or I had some really damn juicy ‘chinnis.

They DID taste divine, and I piled the mess onto our plates. Even the kid said it was yummy. It tasted just like squash casserole to me — pretty much the same thing, so next time I’ll just make the much less time consuming casserole.

Oh, and the pan. . . it took two days of soaking to get that darn non-stick pan clean.

I’d have to vote this as a MISS.

Vinobaby's Voice

Follow Me on Pinterest
Pin It