Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Okay I know I already busted out the pumpkin muffins, but I'm not COMPLETELY done with summer yet in the kitchen. 

I have been waiting for an excuse all summer to make this chocolate zucchini cake and I finally got it last weekend when Mark and Eli came over to watch the Ole Miss game with Josh and Knox.

Bingo!  My excuse to make chocolate zucchini cake!!

(Football = Excuse to make yummy food of any kind.)

I only wish Eli was old enough to try a piece of cake.  Check out this cutie!  I think he likes me. :)

My mom has been making this recipe in the summer for as long as I can remember.  I think this may be another one that originated with my Aunt Monica but I am not sure.  All I know is that it's AWESOME. 

And dangerous.  It's really hard to just eat one piece.  We love, love, LOVE this cake!

If you don't want anyone to know there is zucchini in your chocolate cake, just peel the zucchini before you shred it up.  Everyone will rave about how moist the cake is and you can just smile and nod and keep that secret ingredient to yourself.

But if you want to show it off, like I do (or if you are just plain lazy, also like me) feel free to leave the green peel ON. :)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup sour milk*

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

4 Tbl. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

*Just add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the milk to sour it.

Preheat oven to 325.  Cream butter, oil and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk.  Beat till well blended.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture.  Beat well.  Stir in zucchini and half cup chocolate chips.  Pour batter into greased 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Memaw's Pumpkin Muffins

Three years ago I went to my very first seminary wives' Bible study group.  "SWING groups" we call them... Seminary Wives in Nurturing Groups.

Our husbands meet a lot of people in class, but we student wives have to work a little harder at meeting people here sometimes.  SWING groups give us a fun and meaningful way to make friends, and connect, and grow together.

As I was preparing this past week for my new small group, I kept thinking back to my very first SWING experience...and all the wonderful friends I made...and all the things we learned together. 

And I also kept thinking about Memaw's delicious pumpkin muffins.  :)

Because at that first SWING meeting during my first semester in Dallas, a dear friend named Chelsey welcomed us all into her apartment with a warm batch of her Memaw's pumpkin muffins. 

They were delicious. 

(I've had the pleasure of meeting Memaw, by the way.  Not only does she make amazing muffins...she is precious!)

This morning I got to celebrate, with a very special group of women, the start of a new small group and a new semester and new friends.   

And we did so, appropriately, with Memaw's Pumpkin Muffins. ♥

Memaw's Pumpkin Muffins

Combine dry ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup flax seed
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger

Add remaining ingredients:
2/3 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can or 2 cups pumpkin

Mix until well combined.  Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

When Life Throws You Beets, Make Pancakes

One thing we have been very thankful for during our time at seminary is that Josh's brother Mark and Vanessa (and now Eli!) have been here with us the entire time. 

We all moved to Dallas on the same 110 degree day three years ago...sharing the same big moving truck. 

And we've all been here ever since. 

They've been a blessing in so many ways...it's good to have family close by.

This week, though, Mark, Vanessa and Eli are gone away on a trip.  And they left us with a very important black bin when they left.

It's their veggie bin that they use to pick up local (mostly) organic veggies every Saturday. 

That's right, we get to eat their veggies while they're away. :)

 Don't you feel healthier just looking at all those veggies?

It was really fun to get this bin.  There was a little bit of everything in there.  Including this kale, which Josh has been using in green super smoothies all week:

Bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, an onion, mini peaches, oranges, green beans, the cutest little eggplant, broccoli...

and beets.

Beets. 

The beets are what stumped me.  I had absolutely no idea what we were going to do with the beets.

I don't hate beets, but I don't love them either.  I'm just kind of on the fence about beets, you know what I'm saying? 

But I didn't want them to go to waste, so I found a recipe for beet, carrot & onion pancakes.  Doesn't that sound like a good way to consume beets?!

(Unfortunately) these aren't the kind of pancakes you smother with maple syrup.  No, these are the kind of pancakes you douse with salt instead.

It was an interesting experiment, and came out pretty good.  If you hate beets, you will tolerate these pancakes.  If you are on the fence about beets, you will like these pancakes.  And if you love beets you will LOVE these pancakes.  We would make them again.

And one thing is for sure:  No matter what your opinion is about beets, you will definitely feel like a health super hero and be very happy with yourself for eating so healthily after eating these pancakes.  :) 

So the moral of this story is:

Next time life throws you a box of beets...

Make pancakes.

Beet and Carrot Pancakes

• 1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely shredded peeled beets (from 2 medium)
• 1 cup coarsely shredded peeled carrots (from 2 medium)
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used a little less)
• Extra Salt (lots)
• Low-fat sour cream or cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Combine beets, carrots and onion in large bowl. Mix in egg, salt and pepper. Add flour; stir to blend well.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Using 1/3 cup beet mixture for each pancake, drop 4 pancakes into skillet. Flatten each into 3-inch round. Cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beet mixture, making 4 more pancakes.

Serve pancakes as a side dish with sour cream or as a main dish with cottage cheese.  Sprinkle pancakes generously with salt.



Sweet Beet Baby



Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan & Fresh Herbs

I just found my new favorite summer side of the season!!

It was another Epicurious find...Epicurious never lets me down.

I was going to make this for a "salad bar" potluck this past week but I wasn't able to go at the last minute so later in the week I made half a batch for Josh and Knox and me. 

And then we all wished I had made a whole batch. 

We polished off most of it with grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs for dinner and then Josh and I fought over shared the remainder for a late night snack the same evening.

And then I licked the bowl.

I did.

Who knew chickpeas could be so glamorous?!  It's the fresh lemon juice, garlic, basil, parsley and salt...they make them POP. 

I will be making the other half of my batch this week. 

We can't wait.

Chickpea Salad with

Lemon, Parmesan & Fresh Herbs

• 4, 15-to 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 small garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Coarse kosher salt

Combine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, chopped Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic clove in medium bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season chickpea salad to taste with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Chickpea salad can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.

Kimberly's Shells

It's hard to believe Knox's first birthday is behind us.

No more counting the months...now we start counting the years!  It's a little surreal.

Year #1 has been such a joy...an adventure every day.  And we can't wait to see what exciting things happen in Year #2.

Our little party might be over, but we're still singing "Happy Birthday" a couple times a day. 

It's just such a great song.  :) 

We also have a big pile of awesome new toys to remind us of that happy day... 

And this trusty truck balloon, which isn't sagging too badly yet:

Happily, we also still have a little leftover pasta salad!

So you see, the celebrating goes on. :)

My cousin Kim made this salad for us when I was in Vermont this summer.  I never think to make pasta salad, but when she served this tasty salad I couldn't get enough of it.  There's nothing more satisfying than biting into soft shells.  I love it.

I also love this recipe because it gives me a chance to use two ingredients that I hardly ever use otherwise.

Ham...

...and radishes. 

Aren't they pretty? 

(The radishes...not the ham.)  :) 

The radishes are halved and sliced very thin so there isn't a bitter taste, just a delightful color and tiny bit of crunch.

Kimberly's shells were perfect for our 1st birthday hot dog cookout.  We might have to make this a tradition. :)

Kimberly's Shells

1 lb. medium shells (I used large since they were on sale), cooked and drained

3 c. diced ham

1 cucumber, diced

1/2 cup celery (or fresh Italian parsley, which is what I used this time instead)

1/2 cup radishes, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayo

4 tsp. dijon mustard

1 + tsp. garlic salt, to taste

Doughnut Muffins

We just had another exciting week with visitors here in Dallas.  The day after my sister and brother-in-law left us, Josh's parents arrived to meet Baby Eli and hang out with Knox, too.  

We have LOVED all the time we've been able to spend with our families this summer...it doesn't always work out like this for us.  It has been a special summer.

 

While Josh's parents were here, I made my newest favorite muffin recipe...these doughnut muffins. 

I think I love them because they remind me of the homemade donuts the older ladies in my town always made for us when I was growing up.  These muffins are reminiscent of old fashioned homemade donuts...only much faster and easier to make.  I found the recipe on the King Arthur baking blog.

 

The only problem I have with this recipe is that my favorite part is the top half, the half dipped in the melted butter and cinnamon sugar.  It just melts in your mouth!  I wish that every muffin could have TWO top halves.  :) 

But I did discover a remedy to this problem...just mix up a little extra cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it on the bottom half of your muffin before you eat it...with a little butter, if you're feeling especially indulgent.

 

 

  

Doughnut Muffins

Batter:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups flour 
• 1 cup milk

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Batter

• 2 ounces butter
• 1 3/4 ounces vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 ounces brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 11 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 8 ounces milk

Topping

• 1 1/2 ounces melted butter
• 1 3/8 ounces Cinnamon-Sugar Plus or cinnamon sugar

Directions:

 

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar...that's what I did.

10) Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins.