Zucchini Bread

Zucchini is absolutely one of my all time favorite foods. Ever. I know, I'm weird.

One of the first things I learned how to bake was zucchini bread. It's simple, delicious, and in no way tastes like zucchini. Odd. Yummy.

Thank you, Carolyn, for being my hand model! It made taking pictures and multi-tasking so much more simple!

Prepare your zucchini by getting one from your garden (or one that your neighbor dropped off in your car, on your doorstep, or in your mailbox...) that's too big to cook. If it in any way resembles a baseball bat, it's too big for anything else. I know, it's awesome that we have this recipe to put them to good use. Waste not!

...oh yeah, um, peel your freakishly large zucchini. Cut off the top and the bottom, and slice it in have lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Use your cheese grater to shred the zucchini. Wonder why on earth you decided to make this bread: what a pain!! Don't worry. The worst is behind you.

Now prepare your bread/loaf pans by greasing them up with shortening or butter. Just do enough that it's all shiny inside.

Now sprinkle some flour in the pan... and shake it around enough that all the shiny surfaces are floured up. Trust me, it will make your life so much easier when it's time to remove the bread from the pans.

Go ahead and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Grab your clean bowl and mixers. (Note: I doubled the batch so the pictures show a lot more batter than a single recipe; I'll give the recipe for two loaves, which is a single batch.)

Beat 3 eggs. Don't skip this step. It's important.

Add 1 cup oil. I use canola oil. It has a great mild flavor, and works beautifully. Blend it into the eggs until it looks buttery.

Add 2 cups sugar. Blend in well.

Mix into this beautiful batter 2 teaspoons vanilla. Vanilla makes virtually everything that's baked even better. Yummy!

Switch from your beater to your paddle. It's zucchini time! You will use 2 cups of your previously prepared goodness. Fold it into the batter.

Now add 1 1/2 cups flour. Mix into the batter.

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda,

1 teaspoon salt,

1 teaspoon cinnamon,

1/4 teaspoon baking powder,

and the rest of the flour.

We must pause for a moment to mourn the fact that my family doesn't like nuts in their bread. So sad for me. If you like nuts in your bread, this is when you'd add them.

Mix the ingredients until well incorporated, but don't beat the daylight out of it.

Pour into your prepared pans.

Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. Test with a toothpick-- if you stick a toothpick in the middle of the loaf and quickly pull it out, you can tell if it's done: gooey, not done- dry, done.

Let this delicious bread cool on your bakers rack or a clean towel. It's easiest to slice when it's cooled, I hear. You see, mine never can wait that long...

Keep the bread (or whatever of it you don't snarf down in the first 20 minutes) in an air tight container in the fridge. It also freezes really well.

*Note 2: you can freeze shredded zucchini in freezer bags and then use the thawed zucchini later in the year, like when your garden has become a frozen waste land.

Zucchini Bread
Mix well:

3 well beaten eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups prepared zucchini

2 t. vanilla

Add:

3 cups flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 cup nuts, optional

Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Toothpick test for doneness. Store in refridgerator or freeze. Eat, sigh, repeat.