You know that moment when you have an ingredient rotting getting older in your fridge and you know you need to use it but you are not sure in what?
Enter my hero. No really-you want amazingly delicious, healthy food that your kids will eat, your husband will eat and you will even enjoy eating? Search no farther then Catherine over at Weelicious.
She has written two cook books that are seriously on my "every mom must own you should buy them like right now so click the link" list. No really. I am totally serious. At least four or more times a week I am pulling out her "Weelicious lunches: Think Outside the Box with more than 160 Happier Meals" or her "Weelicious: 140 Fresh, Fast, and Easy Recipes". Or at least get them from the library.
Note: I did not receive any compensation for recommending these books- I just adore them and know you will too :)
Anywho,we are moving on.
I was on her website and found this recipe for "Lightened Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting". I figured I have zucchini
#1: In a small bowl mix together 2 1/2 cups flour (I used a mix of white whole wheat and all-purpose), 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
#2: In another bowl add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cream together.
#3: Once you have creamed those together at in 1 egg and a few dashed of vanilla (I adore vanilla so I always put in more then the recipe calls for).
#4: Once these are creamed together slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
#4: Grate 1 cup of zucchini and add to bowl.
This is where I had to start tweaking the original recipe because it called for 2 cups of zucchini
#5: Add in 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut. Then it called for 3/4 cup chopped walnuts but I am not a nut person (even though some would maintain I am definitely somewhat nutty) and one of the comments on the original recipe had suggested chocolate chips. I had chocolate chips in my freezer but I also had one step better-WHITE chocolate chips. So in went 3/4 cup white chocolate chips in place of the walnuts (and yes I was good and did not dump the whole bag in).
#6: Look at this adorable almost 11 month old, six new teeth coming in boy of mine playing on the floor at my feet and smile.
#7: Mix all the ingredients together glorying in the lovely veggie colorfullness of it! I had squeezed out the zucchini and carrots so they weren't as moist but next time I will leave it in because I did have to add a few splashes of water so it would be more moist.
#8: Put into paper lined muffin tins (I decided that would be more fun then another cake considering I have been making a lot of those lately).
#9: Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 22 minutes or until golden brown on top. In the meantime, take a real life this is what my kitchen looked like after mixing these together while making dinner and keeping two under two from completely destroying the house. (Notice I didn't take a picture of the sink lol).
#10: Supper is finished and the timer has gone off!! Take the muffins out of the oven and enjoy :)
The one the I love about this recipe is that there is barely any sugar in them (which is what most of Catherine's recipes are like) so I don't feel guilty giving them to Elijah.
Everyone loved them and we will be making them again! :)
So that is my Zucchini Bread that became Zucchini/Carrot/White Chocolate Chip Muffins.
What about you? Do you have a food blog/cook book that you swear by for your own family?
Do you like to take a recipe and improvise either by necessity or just for fun?
