Zucchini Burgers

I still have zucchini hiding in my refrigerator so I decided to try making some Zucchini Burgers or Patties. I thought they were wonderful! They have a nice onion, zucchini flavor. They would be good with cheese melted on top in a bun too!


Zucchini Burgers

2 cups zucchini, grated
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 slices whole wheat bread, make into fine breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika, or regular paprika
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Heat a griddle and spray with Pam.

Mix all the ingredients except the whole wheat flour in a bowl. Make into patties. Put the whole wheat flour in a bowl or plate and coat the patties. Fry on both sides until brown.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Today is Works-For-Me-Wednesday idea hit me as I was letting the cuff out of my son's suit slacks. I've told him for the last few years that he can't have a birthday because I don't want him to grow up! But, alas, he keeps getting taller! I bought his suit because the slacks had a cuff and I figured I could let it out and he could wear them a little longer.


As I was getting ready to press them I remembered back when I was a teenager and I decided I didn't want to wear my mini-skirts anymore, but didn't want to get rid of them (since I had made them and they had 2 inch hems) I would just let the hems down. I had trouble ironing out the creases, so my mom told me to use a cloth soaked in vinegar and water to dampen the old crease. Well, I just so happen to have a spray bottle with water and a couple of tablespoons of water in it (I keep it by the front door to spray the dogs when they try to jump on people, they don't like the vinegar in their eyes, so when they see me grab the bottle, they run!) so, I grabbed it and sprayed the crease!



Viola! The creases are gone! So, there are two vinegar and water tricks that work for me!

Has anyone figured out a way to keep kids from growing up? I thought if all of us mom's banned together we could come up with something. You know, before they hit that age when they don't want to hang out with mom and they don't talk much....

Now head on over to We Are That Family and see what everyone else has shared, but first check out the recipe I found for using up some zucchini!




Have you visited Kevin at Closet Cooking? He always has the best recipes! He is also really good at taking pictures of his food. That's something I need to work on! The other day on his blog he mentioned that when he bought zucchini at the farmers market they gave him some extra. I've had lots of people giving me veggie's, and I hate to say no! I was excited that he had a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini bread, and it's a healthy version! It has lower fat, he's included some yogurt and whole wheat flour. I left out the nuts, my kiddo's like things without nuts. So, I made three loaves yesterday! I still have lots of zucchini though! So if you need any.....I could do some door ditches when it's dark tonight....


Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 cup zucchini, grated with peel on
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with Pam.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixer and mix on low. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

A Sunday Hike, Sunflowers and Zucchini Brownies

We went on a little hike Sunday with some friends. This cement culvert was on the side of the trail, and I thought it was a great place for a picture!


Sloan and one of her friends picked some sunflowers for me! I thought they looked so pretty in this vase!

I came across this recipe in one of my cookbooks. I love a new way to use zucchini. Did I tell you I don't even have a garden! I have kind neighbors and friends who give me zucchini, and I hate to tell them no! I know this winter I'll look at it in the store and wish I still had some in the fridge! These went over really well with the kids. I love zucchini and chocolate, you can't even see the green! I'm so sneaky!

Zucchini Brownies

2 cups zucchini, grated
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.

Beat the oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini.

In a bowl whisk the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix in the wet ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Metamorphosis Monday and Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is a project I made for my daughter Sloan's bedroom.


Here's a fun way to make a box into a dresser catch-all. You need a sturdy box.



The way this one is made, I can do two out of it!



Then you find your son and tell him you want to teach him how to use a can of spray paint.



This is a fast easy project to do, and if the paint runs a little, it gets covered up anyway!



I also spray painted some little wooden doll head, 4 for each box, then I hot glued them on. I cut some fabric scraps and tied one around the box, hot gluing the ends down. Then I made a pink rose out of some more fabric scraps and hot glued it on.


There they are, two very cheap dresser catch-alls! Now head on over to Between Naps on The Porch and see what everyone else is up to for Metamorphosis Monday! Wait a minute, don't go yet! You have to see this yummy Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe my son Chauncey helped me make!




I think this is one of the best chocolate cake I've ever had! And it has zucchini in it, so it's kind of healthy. Ok, I know, it's got some fat in it, but it has some yogurt too! It would even be good without the frosting. So, if you have some zucchini in your fridge, listen for the voice, do you hear it? It's saying....you need chcocolate cake! I found this recipe at The Repressed Pastry Chef. When Chauncey saw the recipe on my Google Blogger he said we had to make it!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 stick butter
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sour cream, I used yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini, I leave the skin on
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Frosting (I used a this frosting recipe, the original is different)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl beat the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

In another bowl whisk the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt and zucchini. Beat in the chocolate chips.



Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

When the cake is cool, beat the frosting ingredients together in a mixer. Pour over cooled cake, and spread.

Zucchini Casserole

I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks, and since I knew my zucchini was multiplying in my veggie drawer in the fridge, I decided I should make this for dinner. It was really yummy, quick and easy! I loved the grated carrot peaking out, it gives it a little color.

Zucchini Casserole

5 cups zucchini, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb hamburger
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cube butter, melted
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing, any kind
onion powder, garlic powder and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 50. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.

Cook zucchini in boiling salted water for 5 min. Drain in a colander.

In a bowl mix Stove Top Stuffing mix with melted butter.

Brown hamburger and drain.

In a large bowl mix hamburger, soup carrot, zucchini, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and onion. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle Stuffing mixture over the top and bake for 25 minutes.

Zucchini Spice Coffee Cake and yesterday's run! Also Two Contests!

I got up at 4am to make this for breakfast for my family yesterday morning. I went out on a 15 mile run down a canyon 45 minutes away. So I set out all the ingredients the night before and whisked all the dry ingredients in a bowl. I left the butter out so it was room temperature too. It was real fast to mix this up and get it into the oven. It was nice to use up some of the zucchini that friends and family are giving me. I hate to turn it down! I used one of those big killer ones for this cake. You know the one, it looks like it's going to take over the kitchen counter and there is no room to hide it in the fridge, but you're afraid to throw it out!? Here's a tip I found for the big ones. Cut it in half and use a spoon and scrape out the seeds, then grate it up. You'll never know it was from a killer zucchini! You can even use it in a casserole.

Oh, if you're wondering how the run went, we started running in the dark, it was drizzling, then it turned into a downpour. At that point we were halfway down the canyon, so not much point of turning back. I know, you think I'm crazy! (I was running with a friend too!) Well, it turns out we weren't the only crazies out there! Another gal caught up with us and ran the last 6 miles with us. We passed some guys that were running up hill in the rain! I asked my friends if they knew what was worse than running downhill in the rain, and they said "NOTHING WAS WORSE!" I said yes there is, running uphill in the rain! When we drove back up to get the other car the rain had stopped and there were lots of people running down the canyon. It's the canyon where our marathon is next month. I was glad to have the run over, and at least it wasn't hot out.


Zucchini Spice Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups quick oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini (I left the peel on for color)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Topping

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam.

In a mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients. With a hand mixer mix in the zucchine, eggs, vanilla, butter and yogurt until just mixed. Pour into baking dish.

In a small bowl mix the flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon with a whisk. Mash in the butter with a fork until chunky. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

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