My Famous Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

OK Jen this one is for you!  I must really love you like a sister if I'm going to share with the world my famous chocolate zucchini bread recipe!  Remember this!  I can no longer take this bread to MoPs, because everyone will have the recipe.

BTW I shred my zucchini & prepackage them (3 Cups) & toss in the freezer for later use, usually during the winter months when I feel like baking.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs

1 C oil

3 C grated zucchini

2 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 3/4C flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 C cocoa

1 C chopped pecans (optional)

1 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Beat eggs until foamy, add oil & sugar, mix well.  Add shreddred zucchini & vanilla.  Mix well.

Combine salt, flour, baking soda & powder, & cocoa separately.  Mix well then add to the previously mixed ingredients. 

Add chocolate chips & nuts.  Mix well again.

Spray 2 loaf baking pans w/Pam.  Split the batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake both loaves at the same time @ 325 for approx 60 mins - Makes 2 loaves.

I've got the skills to pay the bills ~ My Safeway deal

$27.02 OOP a 75% savings!

Seriously, I was only going to Safeway for the cheap creamer & BBQ sauce, but came across a few AWESOME deals.  This is the reason I add EVERY coupon to my card, you don't know when you'll be able to use.  Like the coupons for 7 packages of hot dogs that made me $1.25, which paid for my cube steak, or the Bailey coffee creamer which made me .52.  I was happy to pay $1.37 per package, but to make money is better. The other notable items were BBQ sauce for .24 each and spread for $1.  The chocolate was $1.50 no coupons needed!  Oh how I love the orange "50% off" or the green "75% off" stickers!

Sometimes I impress even myself.  I only had 4 paper coupons totalling $3.05 & 1 - $2 doubler.  The rest of the deductions came off my card.  Don't forget to add all the coupon to you card!

I seriously should've grown up in Ireland.

My mother calls me a dark Irish.  Dark brown hair & neon white skin.  Opalescent to be exact.  Except when we moved to the PNW, now a stay at home mom, my arms are tan, well tanner than "normal" compared to my legs.  My husband says that my freckles just morph into one big freckle during the summer.  Thanks babe, love ya too.   For a few brief months I look good.  I can shed my Irish genealogy & be seen in a tank top. 

In honor of my Irish ancestry I decided to grow potatoes in my garden this year.  Never grown them before, seriously the easiest thing to grow.  No wonder my ancestors have a knack for drinking, you don't have to do too much to potatoes, except water them & give them a nice mound of dirt to grow.

I planted, (like how I said I) two different kinds of potatoes: red & russets.  Went to the good ole feed store & bought potato seed.  Potato seeds are basically potatoes, but they don't have a growth retardant sprayed on them like the ones you find in the stores.  Cut them into pieces so each piece had two "eyes" & plopped them into the ground.  When the leaves are about 6 inches high mound dirt around them.  That's it folks.  Water them once a day & wait until the leaves die back before you dig them up.  Let the potatoes dry in the sun for a couples of days to get the skins hard.

Red

White

Pretty good for just one plant.  The big ones are on the smaller side.  Maybe 1/2 of the size you'd find in a Costco potato bag.  I still have about 24 more of each variety to go!  I know that I'll be putting up a bunch of potatoes this year.

How I nearly started a house fire by trying to be healthly.

I thought I'd try something new the other day making Kale chips.  I was over at our community garden & another gardener said I had to try this.  According to her "They are awesome.  I love making them."  OK.   Challenge accepted.  I should have rethought that decision. 

My first attempt was baking them in the toaster oven 400 degrees at 7 minutes.  No prob.  I went to check on it.  I opened the door and WHOOSH fire exploded.  I screamed & shut the door.  I nearly ripped the socket out trying to get that fire filled appliance out of the house. My children just sat there with their mouths open & watched.  Then talked for hours "How mom saved the house."   Yes kids, I'm Super Mom!

My second attempt was last night.  Nervously I decided to use the oven because it wasn't that hot.  First I cut the rib out of the kale.  Then I sliced pieces & put them on a baking sheet.  I sprayed them with Pam & add desired seasoning.  I'm kinda partial to course salt.

Before

After

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes.  Let rest & eat.  Seriously we, well actually it was mostly me, went through a dozen leaves just today.  They have a taste of a pumpkin seed.  Next year I'm going to have to grow some.  They're quite tasty.