Five on Friday

It's Friday - finally and what a joy! I joked with a friend this morning that this week hasn't seemed long and it hasn't really been hard but I'm still just very glad to see Friday arrive! Cheers to the weekend! 

One. Lemon Squash Bread - A friend from the office brought in huge squash from her garden and I took two home with no clue what exactly I'd do with them... I scoured Pinterest and ended up finding a recipe for Lemon Squash Bread (think of Zucchini Bread) and I decided I'd give it a whirl! I made it last Saturday and it was a big hit - so I thought I'd share that recipe here with you! 

 

For the Bread

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest from one lemon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup yellow squash; grated

For the Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon milk 

 

• Spray well a 9/x3 bread pan & preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the eggs. Add the 1/2 cup of oil and the 1 1/3 cups sugar and mix until well blended.
• Add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture and blend well.
• Add the 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of baking powder all at once. Blend on low spend just until everything is incorporated and most of the lumps are gone.
• Add the one cup of grated yellow squash and fold in using a spoon.
• Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
• All the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pans. Then slide a knife or spatula around the edges to loose and turn out on a cutting board. Allow to cool completely. 
• Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon milk until well incorporated and drizzle glaze over cooled bread!

Two. A Little Something Red - I have wanted a new purse for the last month but I've gone back and forth, back and forth because I knew I didn't "need" a new purse... you know, it's always about weighing the wants and the needs. *sigh* However... 

I received an email from Kate Spade last week and the Wellesley Small Camryn purse was part of a flash sale - while it normally sells for $329 (cue my eyes bugging out of my head) it was on sale for that day only at $79! Y'all - I couldn't resist that absolute steal and it arrived earlier this week and it just the best!

Three. Weekend Plans - I actually have a pretty full weekend and I think that's the first time I've said that in months! Hazard of the Year of COVID, am I right? I'm going to enjoy my Friday night tonight with a movie and just enjoying chilling out because I have plans the rest of the weekend! I'm attending a Memorial service for a friend's sweet Momma on Saturday morning and then I'll be changing my clothes, grabbing my pup and heading into the mountains where my parents are camping...

I am not much of a camper - but I am going to hang out at their campsite for a bit on Saturday afternoon and evening! We are going to hike Upper Hawksbill Trail, which is the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park and hopefully I'll get a picture like the one above! I'm going to enjoy some campfire food and then head home to my bed, ha-ha! Sunday I'm having brunch with a bunch of friends to celebrate a graduation and let me tell you - I feel like I'll blink and the weekend will be over!

Four. Perfect Weather - Oh man, the weather lately (as in - this past week) has been divine! The temperatures have hovered in the upper 70's and lower 80's and it's just been the best. I've spent a lot of time on the deck reading and you can bet I'll be doing some of that this weekend too!

Five. Turkey Chili - That's right, it's another recipe! I have been on Weight Watchers since the beginning of the year and as of today I've lost 42 pounds - so it definitely works! One of the recipes I have fallen in love with is the Turkey Chili and since Autumn is just around the corner, I thought I'd share that with you!

Turkey Chili

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6 medium sweet red peppers; diced
• 2 uncooked red onions; diced
• 2 pounds 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 pinches table salt
• 3 pinches cumin
• 45 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 15 ounces black beans; rinsed & drained
• 15 ounces pinto beans; rinsed & drained
• 15 ounce canned refried beans
• 1/2 cup water

To Make

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add red peppers and onion, cook and stir frequently, until onions are translucent - about 10-15 minutes.
• Add turkey, chili powder, salt and cumin. Cook stirring and breaking apart turkey as it cooks until meat is just browned, 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally until chili is sufficiently thickened - about 45 minutes. 

This is a great recipe and if I could make just one adjustment it might be to add a chili seasoning packet to give it just a little more flavor. It tastes delicious but doesn't quite have that "kick" or heat that you usually associate with a chili!

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I'm a little mind-boggled that we are already past the halfway point of August! This month is flying by and then we will be to the final quarter of the year! What in the world?!? Y'all stay safe, be healthy and have a good weekend!