Honey-Zucchini Bread

Lock your car doors! Its zucchini season and if you haven't grown zucchini in your garden spot, your friends who did will be glad to fill that void. We use about 6 zucchini a year, so instead of planting, I wait for the generosity of others who are anxious to share their abundance.
This year I tried a new recipe for Zucchini Bread that I was pleased with. It is quick to make and quick to be eaten! The recipe (from Better Homes and Gardens Fall Baking) calls for honey. When I started the recipe I realized the honey jar was very low, but there's always a substitution. This substitution was one I'd been wanting to try - Agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay).

 
Agave, also called agave nectar or agave syrup, is produced from a plant that grows in Mexico and southwestern U.S.  The plant looks similar to the yucca plant with spiky leaves; tequila is also made from this plant. It is sweeter than sugar and honey and has about 60 calories per tablespoon, compared to sugar's 40 calories per tablespoon. Some sources suggest substituting same amounts, some suggest using a little less agave than the honey called for.
I made the recipe once with agave and later with honey. I used the same measurement of the sweetener for each preparation. The loaves made with agave do taste a little sweeter.

Honey-Zucchini Bread                       

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 ½ cups coarsely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup honey (or agave)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
½ cup granola

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the bottom and ½ inch up on the sides of two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans, set aside. In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of this flour mixture and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, shredded zucchini, sugar, oil, honey (or agave), and vanilla. Add this mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Add nuts if desired. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with granola.
3. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overgrowing, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
4. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Wrap and store overnight before slicing, or freeze for serving later.

Quilt Retreat Salad

Recipe for Quilt Retreat Salad: Mix 20 - 25 women and sewing machines gathered from across 3 states, a few hundred yards of colorful fabric cut into fat quarters or smaller, and tubs of patterns, notions and other door prizes. Sprinkle in walks in the countryside, bountiful covered dish meals and shared sewing tips. Bubble with laughter and creative ideas in a southeast Kansas hunting lodge for 3 days.

The recent Quilt Retreat weekend I attended was full of all that and great fun. The meals proved that quilters are also good cooks. I took a Spaghetti Squash Salad that many were interested in. Remember the joke about locking your car doors in the summer in a small community? Zucchini and other squash will appear from your friends' bountiful gardens. I've been enjoying some of that bounty by trying new recipes.

Spaghetti Squash Salad                    

1 spaghetti squash (about 2 ½ pounds)

1 small bunch green onions, finely chopped

1 cup sugar

1 cup diced celery

½ cup chopped sweet red pepper

½ cup chopped green pepper

¼ cup chopped black olives

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan. Fill pan with hot water to a depth of ½ inch. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the squash, separating strands with a fork. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl; add the squash and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon as a salad or as a relish with burgers and hot dogs. Store in the refrigerator.

This was a large spaghetti squash

lots of seeds inside to scoop out

after baking 30 minutes, the pulp comes out
in spaghetti-like strands when scraped with a fork 

this is all that was left after
removing the 'spaghetti'

Ransom Paid

Usually when our adult kids come to visit we find what they've accidently left after they leave. After the last visit we discovered what they'd accidently taken. With all the electronic devices in the house that weekend (at least 4 smart phones, 3 computers, 4 IPads), someone forgot that Dad actually had one also. A few days later he noticed his IPad charger cord was missing. The search was a few quick texts  with the responses - "will send for cookies", and from the other direction "will send 2 cords for cookies".
So, cookie packages were in order. This called for the most favorite recipes. Most of these have been featured in my blogs before but they are favorites I make often.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BROWNIES                                             

from August 6, 2011 blog

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup vanilla or white chips

½ cup chopped pecans

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until blended.

Pour into 2 greased 9-inch square baking pans (or large baking sheet pan). Sprinkle with chips and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES                   

1 cup butter, softened  (I use 1 stick butter, 1 stick margarine)          

from December 18, 2011 blog

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 ¾ cups flour

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (1/2 bag) chocolate chips

Combine the oats, flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream fats and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool.

 SPECIAL BANANA NUT BREAD

                                          

from August 4, 2013 blog

¾ cup butter, softened

1 package (8 0z) cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups chopped pecans, divided

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add to creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup pecans.

Transfer to two greased 8 inch x 4 inch x 2 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients, drizzle over loaves.

SNICKERDOODLES

(from July 17, 2011 blog)                                             

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup margarine or butter, softened

½ cup shortening

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar, margarine, shortening, and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 - 11 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on rack.

Yield about 4 dozen.

When I make Snickerdoodles, I portion all the dough
with a cookie scoop, roll into balls by hand,
and set all aside. Then each ball is rolled in
cinnamon & sugar as it is placed on the
cookie sheet. This makes the prep easier! 

Ransom packages of cookies sent. That was 10 days ago. As of yet, no hostage-held cords have been returned. Other negotiations?