Vegetables!

If I use vegetables to make cupcakes does that make them healthy? If I eat 5 of them, can I count them as my "5-a-day"? I don't see why not!

A friend of mine gave me these recipes for Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes and for Carrot Cake that I couldn't wait to try, especially because the zucchini in my garden is still very plentiful and I have to be honest and say that my neighbors are probably as sick of zucchini bread as I am. This was a good way to mix it up a little bit.


Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C butter, melted
3/4 C vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C buttermilk
2 C grated zucchini (squeeze all the water out of it too)
1 C mini chocolate chips
2 C flour (I made an effort to make it a little more healthy and substituted
1 C flour for 1 C whole wheat flour)
1 C cocoa
1 tsp allspice (I didn't have any of this so I added a little cloves and nutmeg
and called it good)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, butter, and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini, and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture and mix well.

Separate into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes for minis and 20 for regular size.

(Warning: this makes A LOT! It made 8 dozen mini muffins, so you may want to half the recipe if you aren't planning on making them for an event or giving them away to neighbors like I always have to do)


Ruth's Carrot Cake

1 C corn or canola oil
1 1/4 C honey
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 C flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon (be generous)
3 C grated carrots
1 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 C raisins (optional)

Heat oven to 325. Mix oil and honey well. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Sift flour and other dry ingredients. Add to oil and honey mixture and mix until just blended. Fold in grated carrots (and nuts and/or raisins). Bake in 2 greased and floured 8x8 baking pans for 30-35 minutes.

I made cupcakes, of course, and I baked them for 15 minutes. It makes 3 dozen normal size cupcakes...again, a lot!

These were amazing though, and actually healthy for the most part. I didn't add any frosting to them either, although it was really tempting to slap on a huge glob of cream cheese frosting. I was trying to be healthy though! I honestly ate 2 right out of the oven and 3 the next morning for breakfast!

I can't even get my kids to stop eating both of these yummy cupcakes. I'm actually not trying to stop them either because I like the fact that they are getting some vegetables of their own free will and choice. One less battle I have to fight today!