Oven Baked Zucchini Sticks

 These oven-baked zucchini sticks are a great way to use the abundance of your zucchini crop. They make a perfect appetizer for any meal, or just have them as a snack.

These zucchini sticks or fries are so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Bobby and his girlfriend Abby made dinner the other night. They made these delicious zucchini sticks as an appetizer.

If you don't have a garden, just pick up a couple of medium-sized zucchini at the grocery store or your local farmers market. With a few more ingredients that most of us already have in the pantry, you'll be on your way to making this easy and tasty appetizer. 

First, peel and cut the zucchini in half. Then, slice them like french fries, about 3 to 4 inches long. This part was my job, Bobby and Abby did the rest.

They set up a dredging station with flour, a beaten egg, and seasoned bread crumbs. First, the flour, then dip them into the egg, and then the bread crumbs. 

Baked Zucchini Sticks Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini peeled and cut

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg beaten

1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to your taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Peel and cut the zucchini into 3 to 4-inch pieces.
3. In a flat dish add the flour, salt, and pepper.
4. Beat the egg in a small bowl and mix with olive oil.
5. In a flat dish mix the breadcrumbs, paprika, and parmesan cheese.
6. Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Dip the cut zucchini into the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Place them at least 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown.

Serve right out of the oven with your favorite pizza sauce or ranch dressing for a tasty appetizer or snack.

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Checklist for Travelling Abroad While Leaving a Senior at Home! FYI

Our lives seem to take turns and detours that we never expected.  That makes for an interesting time and a time to learn all kinds of things that we had never thought of before.  This is Coming from the Heart and I hope it might help you as well.

We are finding out that talking to friends in similar situations helps. Yet depending on where you are living and what kind of "help" is available for seniors, your plans may have to be adjusted accordingly.

Let me back up a little and explain:

We are currently looking after my 92 year young mother.  She has just moved into our home as she is no longer able to take care of herself properly.

We have help that comes into the home 3 times a week to bathe her  That is a chore that I really didn't want to do as I have mobility issues myself.

So now there is a new wrinkle in the mix.  Both my husband and I were planning a trip before Mom came to live with us and we are not getting any younger either,  So what do you do?

Mom is not able to live on her own and we are running out of time to go on this trip.  The options need to be looked at and plans made for her care before we commit to our own travel ideas.

So we need to make sure there is a place that will take her for a short-term stay.  One that is clean and nice.  One that cooks meals that she will enjoy,  One that has some activities to keep her mind active and off of the fact that we are not there.  One that will look after her medications and also her general health while we are gone.

That's not too much to ask, is it?

So where do we start?  

• Thank goodness there are places that have "RESPITE CARE".  These are rooms that are set up like a bedroom (sometimes private or semi-private) in Registered Nursing Homes. We are in the process of checking out 3 or 4 of these homes and choosing the one that seems to fit all our requirements.
• Making sure that the place of temporary residence has all the required information regarding 1. prescriptions. 2. Family Doctor's phone number.  3.  Next of kin in case of a great emergency.  4. All necessary tools to make her stay comfortable (glasses, hearing aids, walkers etc.)
• Labelling all of her clothing.
• Packing her favorite toiletries, creams, lotions and potions.
• Making sure she has shoes as well as her slippers.
  

There is a lot of things that need to be looked after  before we can leave and not need to worry.  Also the grandchildren (who are well into their 40's and beyond) will know where she is so that if they feel like going out for dinner with her, they will know what the ground rules are as well.

Preparedness is key in doing this,  Everything needs to be in order and then we can go on our holiday without the panic that might otherwise make a holiday into a nightmare instead.

I am preparing a Mom's Diary, a book with all of her most important information. Lists of Medications, Doctor's phone number, hospital where she has been before, grandchildren's phone numbers, Health Card information, Dentist info (just in case), and any other information that may benefit the caregivers at the home.  Allergies and food sensitivities will be noted as well.  Favorite foods and least favorites will also be listed.

We are trying to make this a good experience, so that if we travel again, we know exactly what we need to prepare.

Clothing labels for her personal things. We are looking for labels that are easy to attach and yet are not irritating to the person wearing them.  As always, Amazon is a great place to find just about anything and they have a whole bunch of "label" possibilities!  This is the one that I happen to like:

 

But there are many other choices as well.

We are hopeful that by taking all these steps, we will make sure that my Mom has the best of care while we are away and that putting all of this into play, we may be able to travel again and have a much easier preparation because some of it has already been done!

I will come back here and let you all know how successful we were and if there were any other things we should have included or not!

Hope this helps anyone who is thinking or living the same journey as we are on!

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Worlds Apart by Jane Crittenden

If you're after an easy-to-read romance with a dash of teen angst then Jane Crittenden's debut novel, Worlds Apart is perfect for you.

Amy moved to New Zealand with her family as a pregnant eighteen-year-old and has made a life for herself and her daughter in Auckland, New Zealand. As she is nearly finished with a day of celebration at her cafe on the beach in walks her high school sweetheart.

The novel switches between four friends in the sixth form (16-18 years of age for people who aren't familiar with the UK schooling system) in the UK to the present time in Auckland, NZ. As teens Amy, Olivia, Chris and Paul are in Sixth Form together and hang out outside of school. Amy and Chris are in love with each other, Olivia is in love with Chris and Paul is mooning over Olivia.

When Amy finds herself pregnant as her parents are planning to emigrate to New Zealand she ends up writing a letter to Chris to let him know about the pregnancy and gives it to her beloved dad to deliver. She then moves to New Zealand with her parents and waits for him to follow. He doesn't and she ends up raising her daughter as a single mum and also using her baking talent to make a name for her cafe set beachfront in Auckland.

There are some twists and misunderstandings abound in this book, along with a second chance at romance - can the flames between first loves be reignited 18 years later?

It was definitely an easy read so if you're looking for something non-taxing to read while relaxing this fits the bill. I read it in less than a day. I think if you like authors such as Jo Jo Moyes or Barbara Davis I think you'll enjoy this book.

As a side note, I found it interesting as to how different a personality her best friend in her late 30s, Shannon, was to her best friend in her late teens, Olivia, was. It made me think about how different my circle of friends has become in different stages of my life.

I read this as part of my Amazon Prime membership, if you enjoy getting sneak peeks at new books as well as access to the Prime Reading as well as Amazon Prime videos then this is definitely something to consider getting. You can watch every episode of Jack Ryan, among other things.

If you've read Worlds Apart, let me know what you thought in the comments.

Pin Me!

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Reviewing Captain Jack's Bt and Controlling Garden Pests Organically

As a new gardener, I was thrilled when I had a group of beautiful and perfectly formed cabbage heads growing and approaching harvest. I was so proud. Then I went away for 3 days. When I returned, the leaves were full of holes and the plants were covered in slimy spots. My cabbage was no longer perfect and I was concerned that it wasn't edible. Honestly, the mysterious damage caused me to lose my appetite.

I immediately  turned to my gardening mentors on the internet and they informed me that I had severe insect damage. Some folks called them cabbage worms and some folks called them cabbage moths. The slimey black dots were the droppings. I did wonder which it was... the worms or the moths. Turns out, it was both. The life cycle of this destructive thing includes moth and worm. 

The moths are white. The type I recall seeing since childhood in pastures and gathered on the edge of mud puddles. The worms are green... almost the color of my cabbage and very difficult to see. Once I knew what to look for I found that I did have a severe (and sudden) infestation.

Some friends stated they use insecticides that most consider to be chemicals. Others stated they use an oil in order to remain organic.  I opted for Captain Jack's Bt spray as it is advertised as organic. And I ordered the chemical powder as a back-up because I didn't trust that something organic, after this much damage, would take care of the problem.

One heavy spray of Captain Jack's Bt took care of the worms and the moths! 

Ultimately, I was disgusted by the amount of droppings I had observed on the cabbage so I didn't end up eating any myself. But the chickens loved the heads of cabbage for snacks.

Captain Jack's Bt Organic Spray

Please do your own research. I am a very new gardener. So I am only passing along what I have been told and what I observed. I do not feel that I can personally confirm that Captain Jack's Bt is fully organic. But it was so strongly recommended as an organic treatment that I feel I must share the information. 

The active ingredient of Captain Jack's Bt is "bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis". This is a naturally occuring bacteria in the soil. When eaten by certain insects, it damages the gut health of the insect and kills the insect. 

When you spray the Captain Jack's Bt on the cabbage, the moths and the worms ingest it.  I found that this works very quickly (a matter of days) and my cabbage moth/worm problem was solved.

It is reported that bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) does not harm beneficial insects as the normal chemcial balances in their guts are not impacted by the Bt. Same with humans.

Captain Jack's Bt is useful for the following insects:

• cabbage looper
• hornworms
• tent caterpillar
• gypsy moth
• bagworm 
• and many more

In addition to cabbage plants, it is useful for the following:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• kale
• mustard greens
• eggplant
• pepper
• melons
• tomatoes
• shade trees
• ornamentals

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or as new as I am, you may find that Captain Jack's Bt is a great choice for you. I know I'll be ready next year and treat my cabbage before I lose all of those beautiful heads to pests.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Witchy Boo-Boos Halloween Word Search - Hot Off the Press

I've recently completed my 32nd published activity book, and this one is a fun word search puzzle about Halloween witches and their goof-ups! Step into a world where witches aren't brewing potions, but they're stirring up giggles and guffaws! 

Halloween Delights: Spellbinding Word Searches with Wacky Witchy Combinations: Crack the Clusters, Seek the Words

I'm breaking all the witchy rules this Halloween with a word search experience unlike anything you've seen before. Welcome to the enchanting realm of Witchy Boo-Boos, where the magic of laughter meets the spirit of Halloween.

🔮 Discover Witchy Mishaps: Dive headfirst into a spellbinding universe filled with comically disastrous adventures and quirky witchy escapades. These aren't your typical spells; they're hilarious blunders, mishaps, and bewitching bloopers that'll leave you in stitches!

🕷️ Hashtag Hauntings: It's like a social media feed from the witching world! Solve word clusters that resemble hashtags - guess the phrase, find the phrase, and let the hilarity ensue.

🎃 1440 Phrases and Words to Unearth: Get ready for a delightful challenge as you uncover 1440 bewitching phrases and words. Each word search is a potion of amusement, guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and cast a chuckling spell on you.

🧹 Cackle-Worthy Confessions: Brace yourself for fits of laughter as you stumble upon funny, sarcastic, and eye-rolling boo-boos and witchy bloopers. These spellbinding slip-ups will have you howling with glee and enchanted by the whimsical world of the Broomstick Brigade.

I've brewed up 60 puzzles, each telling a tale of a wacky witchy escapade or mishap. 

Here's a sneak peek at some of the puzzle titles you'll be unraveling:

1. Magical Mayhem: When I Accidentally Summoned an Army of Squirrels
2. The Spellbook Shuffle: When I Got My Potions and Recipes All Mixed Up
3. Magical Mess-Ups: The Comedy of Failed Attempts at Flying
4. When My Witchy Love Spell Went Crazy Wrong
5. Brewing and Belly Laughs: The Hilarious Stories Shared in the Witch's Tavern
6. Bewitched Cooking Blunders: The Disastrous Kitchen Curse

⏱️ Race Against Time: Unleash your competitive spirit as you race against the clock to conquer each spellbinding puzzle. Challenge yourself or fellow puzzle enthusiasts to see who can master the witchy quest with lightning speed!

📚 Enchantment on Every Page: Dive into an enchanting experience with one puzzle per page, designed for easy readability and maximum enjoyment. And when you're ready to reveal the magic behind the words, rest assured that the answers to your witchy riddles are tucked away at the back of the book.

Available on Amazon

What Makes This Halloween Word Search Book Different?

I aim to make unique word search books. This book is another one of those original creations.  The word phrases to find range from funny, silly, and humorous to eye-rolling. All created by this witch in spirit!

Plus, it's a game that lets you compete with yourself or friends to claim the title of the ultimate witchy word searcher. 

I thoroughly enjoy designing, creating, and writing funny word search books, so you'll always get something original.

Here's a Sample Puzzle for You!

Halloween Witch Word Search by StumpedBooks

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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