I took a longer break from cupcakes than anticipated.
I was still going strong the weekend after July 4th, but then remembered
that if I didn't get back to working at my vintage clothing business, there wouldn't
be any excess cash to feed this cupcake affliction.
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| Enjoying zucchini muffin with fresh Amish butter and a good cuppa! |
My boys have loved
my zucchini bread since they were very little.
I don't remember where I got the recipe, unless it was from my Grandma
Lucy. The first year after Hubster made
me my new raised bed garden, my zucchini was prolific and I made probably 6 or
8 batches of zucchini bread. After the
first couple of loaves, we realized that the waistline was becoming the
wasteline. I found 3 little loaf pans
stashed away in my cupboard and started making mini breads, but quite time
consuming with only 3 little pans, so I graduated to muffin/cupcake pans. A perfect snack for one! I froze the muffins, I gave the boys muffins
to take with them wherever they went, and finally ended up freezing them. I even froze the shredded zucchini so I could
make it later, but it was so long before anyone could stand more that it got
freezer burned.
The past 3 summers,
I've tried to grow various squash including zucchini. We were actually missing the bread
again. :) I only got a few "proper" sized
zucchini at the beginning of the year and used/froze those. By the time I was ready to let them grow to a
larger size, they were attacked by squash bugs.
This year, I hadn't planned on even attempting any squash until I
learned the secret to getting rid of them (other than soap that didn't work for
me or chemicals that I really don't want to use and didn't work either).
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| I'm PROUD of my zucchini plant! The radish flowers are actually kind of pretty. |
To try it out, I
planted 2 hills of zucchini seeds - no use planting a bunch and feeding the
entire county's squash bug population.
Then I added the secret:
Radishes. I planted radish seeds
around each hill and then scattered some randomly. They have to be left to go to seed. I think it's safe to say that it's a success,
now that I've got 2 HUGE plants that have produced the nicest zucchini I've
ever grown. Now they're doing the
turning-from-a-little-bitty-zuke-one-day-to-a-caveman-club-the-next thing that
they're so famous for, so it's time to crank up the oven, get out the pans, and
shred that zucchini! I'll notify the grocers that I'll be needing every available egg again!
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| Power tools make life worth living |
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| After I cut out the seeds, I thought of my small ice cream scoop. Easy peasy! |
SERIOUSLY YUMMY
ZUCCHINI BREAD
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3
|
|
Eggs
|
|
2
|
C
|
Sugar
|
|
1
|
C
|
Vegetable Oil
|
|
2
|
C
|
Zucchini, grated
|
|
3
|
tsp
|
Vanilla
|
|
1
|
tsp
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Salt
|
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1
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tsp
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Baking Soda
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1/4
|
tsp
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Baking Powder
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3
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tsp
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Cinnamon
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1
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C
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Walnuts, coarsely
chopped (optional)
|
Beat the eggs until
light and foamy. Add the sugar, oil,
zucchini, and vanilla and mix lightly but well.
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda ,baking powder, and cinnamon . Add to the egg and zucchini mixture. Stir until well blended. Add nuts,
if desired, and pour into greased pans.
(I tried using the candied walnuts used in salads. They added a nice little crunch.) Bake in preheated 350o oven. Bread is done when
toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out and finish
cooling on wire racks.
9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans,
bake for 1 hour (there should be
enough batter for 2 loaf pans of this size)
Muffin tins, bake
for 20 minutes (approximately 20
muffins)
Mini loaf pans, bake
for 27 - 30 minutes
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| Hungry? |
These freeze really
well.
