New and Improved Zucchini Bread Recipe

It's zucchini  season!  What do you do with your extra zucchini? I love sauteed zucchini as well as zucchini chips and even raw zucchini salad, but my favorite way to eat zucchini is probably zucchini bread. I've made several different versions of zucchini bread over the years, but this version is definitely my favorite.  Give it a try and see for yourself.

Zucchini Bread
2 1/2 C shredded and drained zucchini
2 1/2 C almond flour
4 eggs
1/2 C maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1C chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together except chips. Gently fold in the chips then scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350 *F for 20-30 minutes.

Two Fruit and Veggie Smoothies

The other day the kids and I were at Costco and the Vitamix demo lady had made a green smoothie with banana, apple juice and spinach. Surprisingly the kids tried it and LOVED it. They both asked me if I could make one like that when we got home. "Sure!", I say. Do I want to get more veggies into my kids? Heck, yeah!

So when I got home I concocted my own version of the green smoothie using the fruit and veggies I had on hand. I didn't have any juice but I had apple sauce thawed from last year's batch in the fridge and I had some zucchini puree from one of my HUGE zukes I got at the farmer's market a couple weeks ago. So I threw it all in...and guess, what...the kids drank it even though it was green! Shocking, no?

This morning, I thought I'd try the smoothie again but I hadn't picked any lettuce from the garden yet so I added some almonds and one of those little pink grapefruit cups in grape juice from Costco. This one wasn't green, but the kids liked it just the same. What do you like to put in your smoothies? I'm always looking for new flavor combinations!

Green Fruit and Veggie Smoothie
2 Bananas
2 Nectarines
1 Apple
1 C Apple Sauce
1 C Veggie puree (I used zucchini)
2 C torn spinach or lettuce (I used lettuce)
ice to fill the blender the rest of the way to the top.

Blend everything until smooth then serve immediately.

Not-Green Fruit and Veggie Smoothie
1 Banana
1 Nectarine
1 Apple
1 C Veggie puree (I used zucchini)
1/2 C almonds
1/4 C pink grapefruit + 1/4 C grape juice (or one of those little cups from Costco)
ice to fill blender the rest of the way to the top

Blend everything until smooth then serve immediately.