Zucchini Bread (or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins)

Zucchini Bread

Description:
Got this from my mom's cookbook. It is LaVee Kawakami's recipe.

Ingredients:
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 c oil
3 eggs
2 c grated zucchini (or pumpkin or applesauce)
3 c flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped nuts*
1 c raisins*

*optional

Directions:
Beat eggs. Gradually add sugars and oil. Combine dry ingredients. Add first mixture alternately with zucchini. Stir in raisins, nuts, and vanilla. Pour into 2 slightly greased and floured 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pans.

NOTE: I don't care for raisins, so don't use them in much of anything. I like zucchini without any nuts. I like pumpkin with chocolate chips, so leave out the raisins and put in the same amount of chocolate chips. I didn't try the applesauce, but we made it for Enrichment tonight with raisins, and they liked it. This also makes good mini muffins, which need to bake between 20 and 25 minutes.

Note from Kathi 9/30/08: I made one loaf from this reciple last night. Had to use a little more flour than 1/2 of what the recipe calls for - you want the batter to be a little thicker than pumpkin pie filling! It baked up very nicely in about 1 hr and 5 min.

I also made a loaf using splenda instead of sugar and about 7/8ths of a cup of rice flour and 7/8ths of oat flour. Everything else (except the eggs), I just halved. It also cooked up quite nicely in an hour. It is very very tender, but it has a nice texture and tastes really good.

Number Of Servings:2 loaves

Preparation Time:10-15 minutes, plus 1 hour to bake.

Peanut Butter Granola Squares

We love baked oatmeal and all things peanut butter in this house ... this is a wonderful mishmash of the two. Got it here.

Peanut Butter Granola Squares

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or another kind of flour if you prefer)
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

1 cup butter*
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (preferably organic PB with no sugar added)

Directions:
Combine oats through salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Heat butter through peanut butter in a sauce pan until all are melted. Add melted mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Stir to make sure oats are completely covered.

Spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

*****
Comments: I used 1/2 c butter (well, dairy free margarine) and 3/4 c applesauce, and added about 1/2 c craisins. They were done at about 27 minutes. I used regular white flour (because I'm a dork and my wheat flour has gone bad).

The pan lasted for more than 2 days as it's very filling and we all could only eat one at a time, and they're portable and healthy, triple score! I'm actually eating the last one right now (because I work nights and need something to get me through). Kiddo loved them for breakfast, and even ate the craisins. lol. Hubby loved them, too, grabbing one in the morning as soon as he got home from work. They are soft to begin with but if you forget to cover them, they harden up a bit. We did take a couple squares in baggies while we were out and those were softer as well.

I would give them 5 stars because even if I wouldn't take them to a dinner party, I would serve them to house guests for breakfast.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins

This is a two-part recipe. My mom always made cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. It's a gorgeous ruby color and isn't cooked, so it tastes very fresh, of cranberries and oranges. But we always had some left because the recipe makes about 2 cups, and people usually only used 1-2 Tbs with their turkey. So, one year, I bought relish instead of making it because I was short on time, and there was a recipe for muffins right next to the relish. Ta-da!

I've had to modify the relish a bit because mom used to put the whole orange through her food grinder, and my little food processor can't handle that.

Mom's Cranberry Relish
1 package fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
1 navel orange
scant 3/4 c sugar

In your food processor or food chopper, grind the cranberries until small-ish (the size should look like pickle relish). Put cranberries in a bowl. Zest the orange, then juice it, right on top of the cranberries. Add the sugar and mix well. Refrigerate and let sit for several hours before the meal.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins
1/2 c cranberry relish
1/4 c shortening, butter, or margarine
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla*
3/4 c milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Cream shortening and sugar; add egg. Beat until fairly smooth. Add dry ingredients, vanilla, and milk and stir until just mixed. Fold in relish and swirl. Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

*I added the vanilla because I love it and it was the challenge ingredient. ha.

Five stars -- kiddo and baby loved them. The husband isn't home from work yet, but he'll eat them, too, and I'm taking a dozen to a family party later on. Yay!

Breakfast

So this morning, we were all starving. I made eggs in baskets.



(not my picture)

Made 6, plus 1 scrambled egg and a piece of toast for the baby, and I put some ham on top of the husband's. Total cost: approximately $1.75.

We could have had it a bit more balanced with fruit or juice, but we didn't. haha.

St. Paddy's Day Pancakes

1-1/2 c flour
2 Tbs sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp lime juice
3 Tbs margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp green food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until blended. cook over medium heat until done, flipping only once.