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!

Garden Fresh Zucchini Bread

Our sweet neighbors let us use their garden this year to plant whatever we wanted to since they weren't going to use it. Because we are first timers, we weren't sure what was going to happen, and not much did to be honest. But, we are so proud of the one zucchini that grew and I couldn't wait to make lots and lots of zucchini bread with it! Look how big it got! I made 4 loaves and didn't even use half of it!

I'm not much of a photographer, but look at all those beautiful bits of zucchini in that bread!

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

*grease bottom and sides of 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. (note: I have the Williams and Sonoma loaf pan, and it's twice as big, so I had to double the recipe. Be sure to check your pan size)
*combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in medium bowl. I like to use a whisk for my dry ingredients to keep them light and airy.
*in another bowl, combine the sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon peel.
*add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in walnuts or pecans.
*spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350.
*cover with aluminum foil and bake another 10-15 minutes or until center is cooked through.
*cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing loaf from pan to cool completely on the wire rack.
*I like to brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mixture for a little extra health benefit. SO GOOD!

Enjoy!