Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Martina's Zucchini Tart

I came across a FANTASTIC recipe while watching The Chew on ABC.  Martina McBride was on the show providing her family's favorite recipe, Zucchini Tart.  It looked delicious, so I wrote the recipe down to save for a rainy day.  Well, today was rainy and I decided to make it.  Ooooooh I am so glad I did!  Try it and you will love it too.  Though I did make a couple of tweaks.  My alterations are listed below, but the original recipe can be found by clicking the link above (where it says Zucchini Tart).
     Ingredients
  • 1 Thawed, DEEP dish pie crust (not graham).  
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 3 Tbsp goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup oil packed sundried tomato, drained
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup green onions
  • 1 Tbsp oregano
  • 1 zucchini thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup half & half
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
Pour egg/milk mixture over zucchini
  1. Preheat oven to 400.  
  2. Cook pie crust for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to 350.
  4. Put in food processor = 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, basil, green onions, oregano and process until everything is chopped and mixed
  5. Sprinkle in the bottom of lightly cooked pie crust, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese
  6. Spread the mixture from the food processor on top of the mozzarella cheese.
  7. Top with thinly sliced zucchini.
  8. Mix in a bowl = 2 eggs, half & half, salt, and pepper.
  9. Pour over the zucchini in pie.
  10. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
  11. Bake for 35 min.
  12. Serve warm.
  13. Enjoy!!!

Here is mine!  Sooo cheesy on top!


Monday, May 21, 2012

Life of Books and Movies



Every time I read a book or watch a movie, I get sucked in.  I get so involved in their story that it becomes my own.  I become engulfed on their journey as they live the life of fantasy.  I follow them through their sorrow, pain, and woe into the light of love, romance, and joy.  I laugh with them.  I cry with them.  I ooh and ahhh when they fall in love.  Hardly ever an unhappy ending befalls on the sweet and hero-bestowed characters.  Just for a moment, or for the duration of the story, I wish I could switch places or perhaps at least be there in person to witness the life of perfection where everything seems to fall right in place when expected.  It is when the paper or film has ended that I sigh heavily with a bittersweet sensation.  On one hand, I wish the story could continue; that I could continue to follow the characters on to the next chapter of their lives.  On the other, I feel let down that the story is just that...a fictional story and not my own reality.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my family and the life I have with them in it, but to take them with me on the journey through the pages of someone else's script, where the sun never clouds, where smiles never fade, where trouble and heartache cease to exist....  Life of books and movies are just not reality, but we can always pretend.  Maybe I'll ask Justin later if he's ready to pack the kids up with me and move far, far away.  Perhaps Hawaii or Australia or Italy or even France is calling our names.  Or maybe I'll just go read another book.  :)