Zucchini Brownies by Julie

My girlfriend Julie gave these brownies a few weeks ago. It was so good. It was more like a cake or bread than brownies. We enjoyed it so much I asked her if I could share it.

The second one she gave us was more like a cake with frosting but it was her standard brownie recipe but she added two cups zucchini and increased the flower and sugar a bit until it was a brownie consistency. My kids liked it so here it is:

Brownies with Zucchini

2 cubes butter

2 Tbsp cocoa

Melt the above in a microwave bowl until melted.

Mix by hand:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

pinch of salt

Pour butter over sugar mix then add:

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Mix together until moist.

Add 2 cups zucchini and add flour until brownie texture again. You can add more sugar if desired.

Pour into a baking pan and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cover with your favorite frosting recipe. She uses a butter frosting which my girls and I enjoyed just fine!

Zucchini Muffins or Bread

First off, I think a good mixer is important to making your bread and muffins. I have used this Bosch mixer for about 20 years now. I have never had a problem with it and use it regularly. I have family who have bought and used several other types of mixers and my mixer has outlasted them all.

My mother bought a Bosch before I started Jr. High 30 years ago and hers still works. It is a good brand and holds its value.

I have a standard recipe I use but add different things in the end turning it into several flavors by adding chocolate chips to a third, nuts to a third and both to the last third. It gives variety and allows for options for those with nut allergies or aversions.

I know that I can triple the recipe in my Bosch so I always make a triple batch for sharing and freezing of whatever goodies I am making.

One trick I use as I am making muffins that my sisters said they had never seen before. I put the muffin liners in the tins and then I spray Pam cooking spray over the top of the muffin tin which keeps the muffins from sticking to the tin as they bake over the edges. It helps in clean up also. I have four tins with six slots each and two tins with twelve slots. This way I can have one tray ready to go in as soon as the other trays are removed from the oven.

I buy holiday muffin liners after the holiday on clearance for a huge discount and always have plenty as I bake often.

Here is the recipe: Zucchini Muffins/Bread

3 eggs

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1 pkg chocolate chips (optional)

Sometimes I add coconut, dried cranberries, raisins etc.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix eggs and sugar together well and then add the rest of the liquid ingredients. Once that is well blended, add all dry ingredients with mixer on. Once it is well blended, pour into muffin tins with liners. I usually fill them to near the top.

Bake at 325 for approximately 30 minutes. If you are baking bread, depending on the loaf size, adjust time accordingly. The bread or muffin should be rounded at the top and turning a golden brown on the top. Makes 2 normal sized bread loaves.

I take the muffins out of the tin immediately and let them cool on cookie racks until cool enough to put in Tupperware for freezing or storing. I will also put a few of each variety on little colored plates from the dollar store and take them as thank you gifts to friends and neighbors.

Hope you enjoy your muffins as much as we do!

Zucchini, Zucchini, Everywhere Zucchini

I think this week will be dedicated to what you can do with zucchini. I have the green wonders everywhere. I have had 2 large zucchini on my counter for a few days, I have several in the fridge along with some in a pan from dinner, (which was really good by the way - as you can see in the photo) and several large zucchini in the garden.

I made zucchini muffins today. It is the third time I have made them this summer and each time I tripled the recipe. I put them in Tupperware and distribute them around the neighborhood. We have had a run of deaths in our area and it was nice to be able to take something over for the family to nibble on rather than a full meal. Sometimes in grief situations, small things are easier to digest. So, twice this week I took a large Tupperware of muffins and a Tupperware of dried mixed fruit over with a sympathy card.

I always have a few Tupperware sectioned containers full of fruit that the kids can take to parties or I can give for a gift. Lately, we have given them for bereaving families as well.

For years now I have made large amounts of muffins of all kinds. Our favorites are zucchini, banana nut and apple. I put several of each kind in a Tupperware so there is a variety in each container and freeze them.

I sent one of the frozen container to college with my daughter last month. She said how nice it was for her to be able to grab a muffin out of the freezer, put it in the microwave for a second and eat it for breakfast on her way to school and work.

I actually like eating muffins frozen. I also like to heat them for a second in the microwave and put butter in the center after cutting it in half.

So, tomorrow I'll share my favorite zucchini muffin/bread recipe. Here is to going green!

Saving your Recipes from Disaster

A few years ago I had a huge stack of recipes that I collected from friends, family, stores and magazines that I couldn't use because I couldn't find the one I needed when I needed it because they were loose.

Does anyone remember the magnetic photo albums that used to be popular but that would make your photo stick and when you tried to remove it, it would rip the back off the photo or cause them to yellow?

I had many of those I bought over the years and tried to think of a clever way to use them other than for photos. I came up with using them for a recipe book. They hold the recipe in place and the recipe card is protected by plastic so you can wipe it clean if anything spills on it.

Also, by placing them in a binder, you can add recipe booklets shared by friends or cut from a magazine just by punching holes into them and putting them in the right section of the binder.

I had so many recipes that I put them into three different binders. I have them by alphabetical order. It is so easy now to find the recipe I am seeking just by grabbing the appropriate letter binder for the section I need. Then opening to the section wanted, in this case Banana Nut Bread/Muffins, and there you have it! You can tell that the recipes at the top have been very used. Three of them are used regularly for many years. When I taste something I like, I get whatever paper available and write it down right then afraid that I may forget or not get with them later to get it. Most of the foods on this blog have been acquired that way, thus the many papers in my album.

Also, if I cut out a recipe from a magazine and it is in the album, if we make it and don't like it, it is very easy to throw it away. Even if it stuck, we can just cover it with another recipe we liked better.

I used old work binders and using the recycled photo album pages, they didn't cost a thing. I worked on cutting and sorting the recipes while watching family movies and writing down what was in each movie and who was in each scene. It was nice to be able to organize two things at once and keep myself entertained with family movies while organizing.

I like the pockets in the front so I can quickly put a recipe in there until I have the time to sort them. I'll watch a movie and sort them every few years if I get a collection going. It would be better to just file as you go but I'm not that organized..... Yet. :-)

Freezing Harvested Corn

Many years ago we had a friend that let a farmer grow crops on her land. The aggrement was that they could take what they and their friends and family wanted in exchange. So, we went and got garbage bags of corn. We would freeze it and eat it all year.

I tried dehydrating corn but it just doesn't rehydrate the same. So, my tried and true way to keep the freshness and enjoy corn is freezing. I think it is cheaper to buy canned corn that to actually can it yourself so I buy canned corn when it is on sale but when we get fresh corn, we freeze it.

I did blanch it in cheese cloth years ago but now, I just wash the corn and remove all silk and cut out any bad parts. I then get my Pampered Chef self sharpening knife out and start cutting down the cob.

I tried several types of "Corn cutters" but they made a mess, sprayed me with corn juice and I didn't get a uniform cut. Here is one I tried this week but once again was disappointed. I am sticking with my sharp knife and cutting board. Just make sure to wear an apron.

Once I have cut enough to put in a quart size freezer Ziploc bag, I fill the bag, lable it and put it in the freezer until I need it. It was very good in the Vegetable and Black Bean salsa I made this week and put on as a post a few days back.

It is such a quick way to enjoy corn. I have also frozen it on the cob in gallon bags but with limited freezer space and kids with braces, it is a better bet for me to cut it off the cob and then freeze. You can also put some Real Salt (our family favorite), pepper and a few tablespoons of butter in the bag so all you have to do it pour it into a glass dish and microwave or put it in a sauce pan with a few teaspoons of water, cover and steam for buttery fresh tasting corn.

There is nothing like farm fresh corn!

Birthday Flowers from The Philippines

I was visiting with a neighbor today when a flower delivery car pulled up to my house. They brought the most colorful and beautiful flowers to my door. The card read, "Heavenly Father loves you and so does your missionary! It had a scripture listed as well.

How my darling missionary serving in the Philippines pulled off the surprise is yet to be discovered. However, it really doesn't matter. When she tried to call us for Christmas, it took about 7 hours to get through. lol She had to plan early for this. How blessed I am to have such a wonderful daughter serving the people in the Philippines and me!

We found out this week that she will be home before Christmas. We thought for sure she would be home after that but we are glad the plans are set and look forward to enjoying our beautiful sister and daughter for the holidays.

What a perfect Christmas present. May you all be so blessed!

Baked at Home Corn Tortilla Chips

I went to a friends today to give her some of the vegetable and black bean salsa I made yesterday and when I walked in, her house smelled wonderful and she pulled homemade tortilla chips out of the oven and we took a hot chip and sampled the salsa I had just delivered.

I thought the timing was so funny as I don't visit this friend often but she often shares her excess of fruit with me knowing I dehydrate. I had no idea she was making these chips. I had actually never made my own chips before and she had some extra corn tortillas her son brought from the southwest on his visit. She sent me home with a stack to try.

She used Pam cooking spray on her chips. I used butter. I buttered both sides of the tortilla and cut them easily using a pizza cutter. I set the oven to broil and let it heat while I buttered and cut the tortillas. I then lightly salted them using "Real Salt" from Redmond, UT. I really like the flavor of this salt and that it has minerals in it. We buy it bulk and use it for everything.

I then broiled them for about 5 minutes checking frequently. Once they started turning golden, I removed them. The kids LOVED them and asked that I make another tray.

Neither tray lasted very long and the stack of tortillas was gone. I will have to do these again. The kids liked that they were warm and still a bit chewy with a crunch.

Served with the vegetable and black bean salsa on yesterday's post, it was our dinner! YUM!