Christmas is for Baking

As the holidays quickly approach, so does my urge to start baking. One of my favorite things to bake is zucchini bread. Not only is it a delicious treat, but it also makes a wonderful gift. (ie: coworkers, postal worker, neighbors)

Thankfully to my parents plentiful garden over the summer, I have plenty of zucchini frozen to last me all winter making zucchini bread. I never consider myself a baker (my husband is the baker in our family), but this recipe is super easy! When I bake this zucchini bread, it is probably the only use I get out of my KitchenAide mixer.

Zucchini Bread Recipe
Courtesy of my Grandma Sue

Mix 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

Combine 3 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Slowly mix dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Then, add 1 cup crushed pineapple (with most of the juice), 2 cups shredded zucchini, and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts and mix all together.

I always cook mine in greased mini loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy! (:

Popcorn Balls: A Family Tradition

If there is one thing you will quickly learn about me, it is that I have a lot of family traditions.  I have family in Philippi, WV and every year for Christmas, they make popcorn balls from my great-grandma's recipe.  Well this year, we decided to make them with my family in Wheeling.

This was a first time for me and I had no idea what to expect.  But after gathering some family members who have previously made the popcorn balls, the ingredients, recipe, and some much needed patience over the hot stove, they turned out to be a success! (Although your dentist would not agree!) 

It's the little things in life that make it worth living, and popcorn balls is just one of the little things in my life that make it so grand!  Not to mention, all the family time we got while making them!  Even though I had to leave before they were all made, the little time I spent there was a memory I will never forget!   :)

Some of my family who helped with the first batch of popcorn balls. 
From left to right: My cousins Becky, Sydney, Kelsey, Sheri, my grandma Sue, and cousin Alyssa in the front middle.

Recipe for popcorn balls handwritten by my great-grandmother. 
The recipe is very vague, but just proves that you have to have made them with someone who knows, to truly understand the recipe. (You can even see a little math my great-grandmother had done on this recipe card!)

A New Adventure.....

I have always wanted to start a blog, but never knew what I would write on it.  I have seen some beautiful places and done some amazing things.  I may re-live my past and plan my future on this blog.  Who knows, this will surely be an adventure for me! 

The hardest part so far of this blog was coming up with a name.  I was trying to think of something that would describe me, and "Everything's Copacetic" came to mind.  For one reason, this is something my great-grandfather always used to say, and for another reason, I say it to my husband a lot- not those exact words, but I tell him, "Everything will be ok." 


I don't know how often I will be posting, or again, what I will be posting, but I hope you find it interesting!     :)

In honor of the title of my blog, this is the sign to my great-grandfather's farm in Philippi, WV