Holy Zucchini!!!

Sorry, I couldn't decide on a picture so I put them all on! How's that for giant zucchini? I tried to weigh the big one on my scale but it only goes up to 5lbs 4oz...I honestly did not know how much zucchini you could get from only 4 plants. Amazing! So, Dan was asking for bread of course (heaven forbid you just eat it the plain healthy way!) so I started hunting for a whole wheat healthier version and I found a great one that I modified. It's below, with pics! Anyway, if you have zucchini coming out of your ears like I do, or really like zucchini bread and want some all year, you can shred and freeze it. I slice it lengthwise so it will fit in my food processor and shred it that way. Then put it all in a strainer over a bowl and let it drain, pushing down occasionally, until it stops dripping. Use the liquid on your plants, I did and it seems to have worked wonders. Then put the amount your recipe calls for into a freezer bag, squeeze out all of the air, and freeze (don't forget to buy quality freezer bags so you can wash and reuse them!) Everything I found online about freezing this way said to use the liquid that is left in the bag but I didn't. I put the shreds in first and my batter looked really great and did not need the extra liquid. If you use a different recipe see what works for you. By the way, those two giant zucchini yielded 17 1/2 cups shredded!

Here's my zucchini bread recipe. I was inspired by this recipe and of course I had to make changes...I can't leave anything alone!

Mix 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4cup + 2 Tablespoons oil (I used smart balance), 3/4 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!), 1/4 cup honey, & 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.

In a separate bowl mix 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Gently combine with wet ingredients.

Fold in 3 cups packed, shredded zucchini.

Pour into two greased bread pans. I like the smaller glass ones. I think they are 4? by 8? something. 325 for about 50 minutes. YUM!

Eat Your Peas!!! Recipe: Chicken & Snow Peas

My mom let me plant in her garden this year. As you can see from the above pictures, Mackenzie was very involved in her first garden. We put in carrots, snow and shelling peas, green and yellow bush beans, broccoli, butternut squash, zucchini, green onions, and bell peppers! Look at it now!

We planted towards the end of May and now the snow peas are ready! So what did I do with them? A lot of them were eaten while they were being picked! Last night for dinner I took some of them and just sauteed them with sun dried tomato & basil olive oil as a side to chicken. And, I made this the other night:

I used to get this all the time at a Chinese restaurant that has been closed for awhile. Mine was a little different than theirs but it was really good. I only had the chicken and the peas on hand but next time I want to add some other things. Water chestnuts or cashews would be good additions. Anyway, here's what I did. As with any recipe please read through the whole thing before starting. I also like to cut and mix whatever I can before I start cooking, especially with a stir fry when everything is cooking so fast.

• In a hot wok or other large pan with 1-2 tablespoons oil cook 1 to 1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces. You could also use thighs or whatever. Remove from pan and set aside, try to leave any remaining liquid and oil in the pan.
• Add 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger (I used the kind in the tube but you can just grate or chop fresh), and 2-3 cups fresh snow peas to the wok. Saute for a minute or two, just until peas are bright green and everything smells nice.
• For the sauce, mix up 1.5 cups chicken stock or broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Add the chicken back to the pan and pour sauce over. Simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Serve over rice or noodles. I did steamed brown rice.