Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread is so yummy and very easy to make.  Kids won't even know they are eating zucchini!

Mix together:
3 eggs
2 C sugar
1/2 C Oil
1/2 C applesauce
3 C peeled, grated zucchini (no seeds)
3 t vanilla

Sift together:
3 C flour
3 t cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1 t soda
1 t salt

Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture.  Beat well.  Pour into 2 loaf pans sprayed with pam.  Bake 350 degrees for 50-60 min.  Let cool 10 min before removing.

If wanting to do a crumb topping:
1/2 C regular oats
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C flour
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C butter
Mix and cut the butter into mixture.  Add on top of zucchini bread 15 min into baking time.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is an online recipe that is a yummy, mosit, chocolate cake.  It's a tricky way to sneak some zucchini into your kids.  Kids love the chocolate taste and parents like that kids are getting some veggies in their cake!

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 C applesauce

3 cups grated zucchini

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray with pam a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs, applesauce and oil, mix well. Fold in zucchini until evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Homemade chocolate frosting:

3 C powered sugar

2/3 C baking cocoa

1/4 C milk

1/2 C butter (1 stick)

1 t vanilla

Blend sugar and cocoa together.  Melt butter then add butter, milk and vanilla to sugar/cocoa mixture.  Beat for a few minutes until well blended.

Cake Mix Cookies

If you are looking for a fast sweet treat, cake mix cookies are a simple way to go.  You can turn them into a ice-cream cookie or put frosting between two cookies or just eat them plain.  Either way is a yummy treat.

1 cake mix - any flavor
1/3 C oil
2 eggs

Mix and form into calls and flatten slightly.  Bake 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

Ice-cream Pie

Here is a simple ice-cream pie to please just about anyone with a sweet tooth.  I made this for my husbands birthday and he loved every bite as did I!

• 20 oreos with cream middle taken out
• Some extra oreos for decoration 
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1 C hot fudge topping warmed up
• 1/2 gallon icecream (your favorite flavor)
• whipped cream optional

Directions

1. Crush the cookies to make crumbs. Combine crumbs with melted margarine and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Spread about 3/4 cup of warm fudge topping over crust. Freeze 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, soften ice cream in microwave or on countertop. After crust has chilled, spread softened ice cream over fudge layer and leave a little extra ice-cream for the on top.  Place some additional oreos in the side of the pie for decoration.  I cut my oreos in half.  Freeze 1 hour.
3. Scoop the remaining of ice cream into balls with a mini ice-cream scoop and arrange in the middle of the ice cream pie. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. For decoration I sprinkled some crushed oreos on top, added some mini oreos and drizzled with fudge.  Be creative!

Yummy Pulled Pork

I gave this recipe a try and it turned out great!  It's so simple and the crockpot does all the work (well mostly)!

One Pork Roast

1 can A&W rootbeer
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 C brown sugar

Put roast and 1 can of rootbeer in the crockpot on low for about 8 hours.

Afterwards place pork roast in another bowl to shred and discard rootbeer liquid.

Place shredded pork back in the crockpot on low and pour in your favorite BBQ sauce to suite your taste along with 1/4 C brown sugar and mix well.  Cook on low until heated.

Serve on buns and enjoy a good pulled pork sandwich.



My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a yummy recipe I received from my sister-in-law. These cookies are at the top of the list for favorite cookies. 

1 c butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/4 c flour
3/4 c regular rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped pecans (opt)

Cream the butter and sugars together until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, oats, soda and salt. When almost mixed, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by a medium ice-cream scoop (if you dip the scoop in water after every 3 or 4 cookies, the dough will release from the scoop easier) onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The cookies should be just beginning to brown around the edges. Let set for a minute or so before removing to a cooling rack. (I actually cool my cookies right on the counter on a paper towel. I don't use a cooling rack.)
Makes about 4 dozen good sized cookies

Homemade Granola

My mom makes this homemade granola and it is so yummy to munch on....maybe a little too yummy because before you know it, the granola is all gone.  I like to sprinkle granola on yogurt with fresh fruit.

4 C Oatmeal
Dash of salt
1/2 C chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C coconut
1/4 C flax seed
1/4 C wheat germ
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey
1 t vanilla
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C raisins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray jelly-roll size baking sheet with pam.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients.  In a small saucepan, stir together brown sugar, oil and honey.  Stir until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Stir honey mixture into oatmeal mixture until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into baking sheet.  With clean, moistened hands, press mixture evenly in pan. Bake 15-20 min.  Put in dried fruit in after granola is cooked.  Let cool.  Using spatula, gently lift and break apart into pieces and place in an airtight container.