Got extra zucchini?

I have a great friend who is always willing to share her bounty of veggies with me. So this weekend I inherited 3 giant zucchini. Now I'm a fan of zucchini bread, but not 20 loaves worth. What to do? Bake chocolate zucchini brownies!!! Everyone loves brownies and this makes them healthy enough for me to justify eating two (even though I'd eat two if it didn't have zucchini in them). Mine turned out fluffy like cake, but in all honesty I like them just the same, in not better. I think the type of brownie you get depends on your zucchini. Some are drier than others. Now if you're thinking your kids are gonna bolt when you try to feed them something with veggies in it, rest easy. My daughter had one (without frosting...she couldn't wait), and I had no idea there was zucchini in it. She only figured it out when she overheard me telling my friend. Try them! You'll like them!

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

2 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 c. shredded zucchini

1/2 c. walnuts (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt.

Then add vegetable oil and vanilla. 

Fold in the zucchini and flour and nuts, if desired. 

Don't expect to pour this batter into the dishes. 

Just dump it in a 13 x9 pan and press it down. 

It will become moist as the zucchini cooks and sheds it moisture. 

Bake for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

6 T. cocoa powder

1/4 c. margarine or butter

2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

Melt margarine/butter and mix cocoa powder in. 

Set aside to cool.

Mix rest of ingredients together.

Add in cocoa mixture.

Spread on cooled brownies.

A true suburban housewife confession

I have hit a new low. Although it wasn't on purpose, I still allowed it to happen. As I canned this afternoon, my husband opened the door to a lady offering to clean our living room carpet, if she could do her Kirby demonstration. Yes, the famously expensive Kirby vacuums. And as she comes in and I realize her deal right away, it crosses my mind that my carpet need a deep clean...badly. And as a now working woman...I have no time for that. So I continue to cook and can sundae sauce, as she cleans my windows, vacuums my kid's mattress, vacuums the ever present cat hair off my favorite chair, and then the cherry on the top...vacuums and steam cleans my living room AND hallway. Now friends, I know there is no possible way I could afford this vacuum. I'd love one granted..it does ceiling fans, leaf blower, kitchen floor cleaner, vacuum, steam cleaner, and does windows...oh and it has a scalp massager and paint gun. (YES I PAID ATTENTION). But I don't stop her sweetly and tell her that my budget lacks the $250 a month freedom in order to by this. Nope. I offer her a Dr. Pepper and allow her to go on till my house sparkles. Its a new low. And after she finishes, I let the husband who let her in, shoot her and her manager down without a chance at selling us one. I let a woman do my work, and you know what? I can understand why my husband's life is sweet! I'd like a woman to come clean for me too while I take care of the things I want to do too.

Dessert Time!!!

Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Sauce

4 1/2 cups crushed raspberries

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

4 T. lemon juice

3 cups of sugar

1- 1.75 oz no-to low-sugar pectin packet

Crush the raspberries and add in lemon juice. Put in a large saucepan.

Combine cocoa powder and pectin in a small dish.

Whisk the cocoa powder-pectin mixture in to the raspberries until dissolved.

Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.

Add all the sugar at one time and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute after it reaches a boil.

Remove from heat, and if there is foam (I didn't have any) remove.

Pour into half pint jars, leaving 1/4" head space, and process for 10 minutes in water bath.

Makes 6 half pint jars.

Put it over ice cream! Scoop into muffin mix, or swirl it into a sweet bread. Spread it on toast, or on top of a muffin. Many many uses...and its super delicious!!