All Squashed Out

My friend and gardening partner in crime, Brett, recently declared himself to be "all sqaushed out." At first I was mildly offended... and then I realized that I am--in fact--all squashed out, as well.

Our families have been eating zucchini as part of practically every single shared dinner since, say, May. We've baked, roasted, grilled, seasoned, and steamed them. The massive green squash have been chopped into chunks... and rounds.. and half-moons... and we're running out of ideas. Let it suffice to say that I could happily wait until next May to eat another zucchini. With the recent heat wave, however, I'm facing a whole new round of them!

What to do with these confounded cucurbits? Aside from sharing with family and friends, my second favorite way to dispose of all that squash (and trick my kids into eating it) is to bake zucchini bread. Here's my most recent loaf.


I actually prefer to pour the batter into muffin tins to produce mass quantities of grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks. You can make the recipe with or without the nuts (my family prefers without but I prefer to sneak in a little extra protein by including them). In my book, zucchini muffins are a tried-and-true back-to-school remedy: take two in the morning and you'll get through recess without a growling tummy!

The entry below is my mom's classic recipe with an updated name. Don't choke when you see the amount of sugar in these babies. They're worth the calories! Remember you're eating your veggies, too. You could also try upping the nutritional factor by incorporating some whole wheat flour.

"All Squashed Out" Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Beat eggs in large bowl or stand mixer until foamy. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 9" x 5" loaf pan or lined muffin tins. Bake for 1 hour for a loaf or 20 minutes for muffins at 350 degrees. If making a loaf, be sure to test the center to be sure it's cooked through before turning off the oven. You definitely don't want it to be gooey inside.

Store up to a week in a ziplock bag; they probably won't last that long!