Not Just Any Chip...Zucchini Chips

by Anita

Are you trying to eat more veggies or at least find a radical way to eat them to balance out your intake of licorice, diet soda or  cookies? Well, I am happy to say that I rarely eat or drink the aforementioned items but I certainly want to learn new ways to eat nature's savory candy. This recipe for Zucchini Chips is easy once you have the prep station ready. These are a great go-to for appetizers or a side dish and believe it or not they are still tasty chilled. To make Zucchini Chips healthy you can bake them however, I decided to fry them to get even more golden brown.

Zucchini Chips

Serving Size: 4 - 6

• 2-medium zucchinis
• 3 eggs (organic or free range)
• 1  to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs (I used Trader Joe's brand)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Olive Oil or vegetable oil 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Thinly slice the zucchinis about 1/8" round pieces; if they are too thick they will take longer to bake/fry
2. Prep station (2 shallow bowls): one for the beaten eggs and the other for the bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil (about 1 Tblsp) or 2 Tblsp of vegetable oil in a large saute pan  . Set to med-high heat.
4. Prep the zucchinis (using tongs, fork, or your fingers) by dipping into the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Toss them in the breadcrumbs to coat. 
5. Put the breaded zucchinis on a plate to gather enough to make one layer of zucchinis in the hot saute pan.
6. Continue to coat another batch of zucchini chips while you monitor the chips in the pan. Turn over after 3 minutes. The oil will get hotter as you continue to cook. If you add more oil, be sure that it is heated before placing the chips in the pan.
7. Place the finish zucchini chips on a paper towel on a plate and cover while the others cook.
8. Repeat the process until all the zucchini chips are cooked to a golden brown. Enjoy your revolutionary veggie chips and save some for a late night snack!

The prepping station for your new veggie chips. It gets a little messy.

WHOLE WHEAT bread crumbs makes this REAL food

Egged. Breaded. Zucchini Chips in the making.

Single layer of Zucchini Chips in the hot saute pan

You can see the complete, all vegetarian meal that I created with zucchini, black beans, new baby potatoes, Bibb lettuce, and locally grown tomatoes. 

roughin' it.

by Crystal

When we found out about the Perseids meteor shower last weekend, we knew we needed to be outside for the night. Considering we live in such a thriving metropolis (I mean, come on guys, there's like 10,000 people in this town), we thought it best to head out of town and in to the country - camping!

We planned on going Friday, but when we saw that there was 95% chance of storms, we figured we could wait, sleep in our own comfy bed for the night and head out in the morning. Yes, that's how committed we were.

After packing our vehicle to the brim, we head out.

When we got there, we set up camp and hiked to the top of a mountain.

Here we're doing balancing poses on the Balancing Rock. Only appropriate.

 While at the top, we decided it would be good to take note of my ensemble. I realize this is not the most fashionable or flattering outfit I've ever worn, but folks, when you're walking up a mountain in the heat, you need to think about staying cool and comfort first. Essentials to hiking attire:

• A hat, or something to cover your head (watch out for those tics!)
• A breathable top/tank top
• Comfortable shorts or pants - I usually choose pants to avoid bug bites
• A sturdy pair of shoes - mine cover my ankles too, to avoid sprains or rolls on uneven terrain

E wanted to take part in the fun too. Notice he honors the same hiking attire rules that I do!

At night, we hiked down to an area with an open sky, climbed a fence, and laid down a blanket to watch the show. We saw around 20 meteors. Seriously. It was awesome.

The next morning photo. A few other essentials to take note of:

• Sunglasses
• A bandana for greasy, day-after a hike hair
• A percolator - coffee is necessary
• Portable speakers
• Gallons of water
• Citronella candles - I can't stress enough how much I hate mosquitos
• Trash bags - keep our planet clean
• Food to grill on an open fire 
• Not pictures: board games!

 

I'm convinced my fiance should be a professional open-fire chef. Lemon-pepper tilapia with red potatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Aka deliciousness!

 Before we head home, we did a short hike that led to a small waterfall. Perfect way to end the weekend!

Don't be fooled. I'm about to fall down in that last photo. Definitely time to go home.

wedding attire.

by Crystal

A few weeks ago, E and I had the pleasure of heading back to LA to attend the wedding of one of our great friends. He met an awesome girl who we are happy to welcome into our family of friends.

I love dressing for weddings. Scratch that. I love any reason to get dressed up. But this year, I couldn't wear just any dress, no no no. I had to put some thought into it. This was my first brunch wedding - I wasn't sure if an earlier wedding was more casual than an evening wedding? We were going to be outside all day - I needed to think cool (literally and figuratively). And most importantly, my very own wedding dress is strapless - I needed a dress that wouldn't give me tan lines.

I took to the internet. Actual shopping is a little harder to do when you live in a town where most people get their clothes at the Super Wal-Mart. I found myself on the Forever 21 website.  Ok, I know I'm not a 15 year old girl anymore, but seriously my friends, sometimes I just can't resist a $10 dress.

So that's what I got. Actually, I think it may have been $20 or so. Paired it with these wedges (that I'm obsessed with), and an "E" necklace, and I was set!

Some of what I wore, and what others wore (as capture through photos of drinks and dance).

She's wearing: Cynthia Rowley from TJ Maxx. Another cute, inexpensive purchase you can't pass up!

They win the award for best coordinated couple.

group shot!

And the beautiful couple (stolen from their photographer's Facebook page!)

Late Summer Snapshots

by Katie

 Some snapshots from my garden as summer has progressed.