Zucchini Bread

Another favourite from when we had zucchini coming out our ears in the garden in Montana. We often made the mistake of seeing a zucchini on the vine, and thinking we'd wait and pick it the next day. Then, next day, when we went to get it, we'd find it had tripled in size overnight! So....lots of Zucchini Bread!


Ingredients:

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 a cup of nuts, chopped

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl 'til well blended.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Stir the 2 cups of shredded zucchini and the vegetable oil into the egg mixture. Add the dry ingredients and stir until they are thoroughly moistened. Turn into two loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer or a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean. Let sit on a rack in the pan for ten minutes, then invert bread onto the cooling rack. Cool thoroughly.

Wrap in cling wrap or foil and store in the fridge.

Tina's Banana Bread

I think I got this recipe when we lived in Montana..........Long time ago! Been making it regularly ever since.

Ingredients:
3 mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 cup melted butter [or margarine]
1 [scant] cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups flour [I sometimes mix half brown, and half white, flours and throw in 1/4 cup or so of wheat germ.....
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt---barely.

Mix the flour, salt and soda together in a medium bowl.

Break eggs into a larger bowl.

Add the sugar to the eggs and blend well.

Stir the mashed banana, the half cup of melted butter and the tsp. of vanilla into the egg and sugar mix. Blend well, then stir in the flour mixture until it is incorporated.

Grease and flour a bread pan [9"x5"x3"].

Pour in the batter and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

It gets very dark but must be baked the full time to make sure it is baked in the middle! Poke it with a metal skewer. When the skewer comes out clean the bread is done. Let the pan rest on a cooling rack for ten minutes, then invert the pan over the cooling rack and gently remove the loaf from the pan. Cool thoroughly before eating or storing.

To store, wrap in cling wrap or foil. It tastes even better if you store it wrapped, in the fridge, for a few days before eating, and it freezes beautifully. Defrost by letting it sit at room temperature for about an hour....

Tastes very good with butter or cream cheese.

Can make 18 regular size muffins....Bake for twenty minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool in pan for five minutes or so, then shake loose and cool thoroughly on wire rack.


Note: A handful of chopped nuts can be added with the banana.