Strawberry Almond Overnight Oats

We have been digging overnight oats at our house lately!  It's an easy way for me to make my hubby breakfast he can take to the office, because lets be honest...I'm ALWAYS asleep when he walks out the door.  We have made some we loved, others leave something to be desired.  So the good ones are the ones you will see here.  My other go-to one is the Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats.  In our trials of different oats, I have found I need texture.  I can't just have oats with mashed up bananas.  I need chunks of fruit, or nuts, or both.  Hence this one made the cut!  It was super yummy...in fact I got a text the morning after I made it from the mister saying "these oats are super good!"  So there you go...husband approved ;)  Enjoy!  


Strawberry Almond Overnight Oats


1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon strawberry jam (plus more, if desired)
2 teaspoons honey, or more to taste
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
4 strawberries

In a jar or bowl, combine oats, almond milk, chia seeds, jam, and honey. Stir until well combined and all the oats are covered in liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For serving: warm oats in the microwave, if desired. Add almond butter and little more jam and stir just slightly so that you can see the swirls. Top with sliced almonds and strawberries.

Recipe Source:  Julie's Eats and Treats

Ultimate Granola

I am always on the hunt for new healthy options for meals and snacks for the fam.  I was excited to see this recipe with healthy oil and honey as a sweetener.  It is delicious on it's own, over yogurt, and I am excited to try it over ice cream when I'm feeling indulgent :) It's super yummy and you won't feel guilty eating it. Win-win!

Ultimate Granola

6 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. wheat germ
2 c. coconut 
1 c. peanuts or cashews (I use roasted peanuts)
1 c. slivered or sliced almonds
1 c. pecan pieces
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. coconut oil
1-1/2 c. honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl.  Heat coconut oil and honey in microwave safe bowl until melted.  Pour over oat mixture.  Stir well. Divide mixture onto 2 cookie sheets and spread out into an even layer.  Place on separate shelves in oven and cook 6 minutes.  Swap the two pans places and cook 6 more minutes.  Stir well.  Put back in oven for 6 minutes, swap and cook 6 more minutes.  Stir well.  Turn oven off and place pans back in oven and let cool.  This may take overnight.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Leah Young's Instagram :)

Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats

I feel like I have been going through old-fashioned oats by the bucketful lately.  There are much worse things I could be consuming, I suppose ;)  Anyhow, this last weekend we headed out to our favorite berry patch to get our first dibs on this season's blueberries.  We also got 30 pounds of cherries, which we froze most of, and some dang delicious strawberries.  

I've had overnight oats pinned for years on my breakfast board and thought it was high time I tried them.  They fit in perfectly to my new ways of eating, are filling, and lets be honest-dang delicious.  My favorite is fresh fruit in these (enter my previously stated blueberries).  I am really excited to try the other 20 varieties I've had pinned!  The Mr. also gave this one 2 thumbs way up :)

Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice, or water)
1/2 of a medium-large banana, mashed
2-3 Tbsp. fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. lemon zest

Mix all ingredients up and place in a 1/2 pint mason jar.  Cover and place in fridge overnight.  Top with extra blueberries in the morning, and breakfast is served!

Recipe Source:  Another Root

Monster Cookie Energy Balls

I have been so happy about my progress over the last 7ish weeks.  I followed the 21-Day Fix meal plan fairly closely for a few weeks, and since then I have just been doing my own thing.  If anything else, it gave me a better idea on what portions should be and how much of certain food groups I should be eating.  My weight loss has slowed, but I am still losing while not counting containers either.  I have still been eating many 21-Day fix meals, just not worrying about the container counts.  

So, during my whole pregnancy I am pretty sure the only thing I ate was sweets.  No joke.  Cookies for breakfast, pudding cups for snacks, and lets just say I stocked up on Halloween and Christmas candy (yikes).  Cutting back on sweets has been hard, so what I've tried to do is find healthy alternatives.  Frozen grapes work sometimes, and my Shakeology holds of my morning cravings, but in the afternoon or after dinner I need a little something.  Enter energy balls.  I have been so happy with these!  My kids have been requesting these over cookies, and since they are filled with things like flax, chia, what germ, and small amounts of sugar, I am glad to have these for them for after school snacks or an on-the-go breakfast. 

Try them.  You will like them, especially cold out of the refrigerator.  YUM!

Here's some benefits to some of the components of these balls:  

Peanut Butter- Full of protein, fiber and potassium. Gives you an energy boost.

Oats- Filling, whole-grain, full of fiber and so much more!

Honey- Natural sweetener and full of vitamins.

Flax Seed- High in Omega 3, full of antioxidants and vitamins.

Chia Seed- Full of Iron, Omega 3, and even more vitamins and minerals.

Wheat Germ- Boosts immune system, full of nutrients.

Monster Cookie Energy Balls

½ cup creamy Peanut Butter
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oats
⅓ cup ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
optional: 2 Tbsp. wheat germ
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup mini M&M's

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes then roll into balls. Keep energy bites stored in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe can easily be adapted to your preference. M&M's can be omitted and substituted with your favorite nut or dried fruit etc. I usually add shredded coconut instead.

Recipe Source:  Love To Be In the Kitchen

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

I did something for the first time...I put cottage cheese in a smoothie.  I knew it would all taste fine in the end, but just scooping it in for the first time freaked me out just a bit, I'm no afraid to admit it!  It yielded a different texture than I could have gotten with lets say, yogurt.  So I will be using it more and more in my smoothies, hopefully not cringing next time :)

This smoothie turned out super good, perfect consistency and fulfilled my craving for something sweet that was pretty darn healthy as well.  

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

One ripe banana, quartered
⅓ cup lowfat cottage cheese
⅓ cup lowfat milk
1 packet sweetner (optional...I like Stevia)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup ice
Graham crackers (I just threw one whole cracker in)

Add all of your ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into glass and enjoy!

Recipe Source:  A Night Owl Blog

Orange Muffins

It happened...our church time got switched to the afternoon. It is always stressful just thinking about trying to deal with church with young kids during nap time, let alone trying to make dinner after we get home.  Whenever this happens, I have to switch gears.  I generally make big breakfasts and take Sunday dinners to the simplistic level.  So be prepared for lots more breakfast posts from me!

These muffins were just what I was hoping for.  I LOVE baking with citrus fruits, and this gave me the tang I was craving.  They are not overly sweet themselves, but the glaze adds just enough sweet to balance it all out.  So good :)

Orange Muffins

For the muffins:

1 cup milk

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup sour cream

2 large eggs

2 sticks (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1½ tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Zest of 1 orange (organic if possible)

For the glaze:

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1-2 tsp. orange zest (organic if possible)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line 16 wells of a muffin pan (or pans) with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, sour cream, eggs and melted butter.  Whisk together to blend.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to blend.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the orange zest with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.

To make the glaze, combine the orange juice, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl.  Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary to achieve your preferred consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm.  Allow the glaze to set before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Source:  Annie's Eats

Blackberry Lime Scones

 Well, we hit up our favorite berry farm for what feels like the 100th time.  We LOVE it!  I love that our freezer is always packed with frozen organic berries ready to use at my disposal.  But-it is even better when we first pick them!  Some of my blackberries were starting to look not-so-perfect anymore, so I thought I'd make us some yummy Saturday breakfast.  

The pairing of blackberries and lime was so great in these scones!  And for those of you that may think scones take way to much time, think again!  These took no more time than whipping up some muffin batter.  Not bad at all :)  These are super yummy, and the little pockets full of gooey berry are so so good.  Worth every carb ;)

Blackberry Lime Scones


Yields 8 large scones

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, VERY cold and cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
8 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, do not thaw first)
For the egg wash:
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon milk or water
2 tablespoons sugar, for sprinkling
For glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions

Heat oven to 400°(F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and lime zest.

Cut the butter into small cubes then work it into the mixture (using your fingers) until lit resembles a coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk, then add to flour and butter. Use the fork to stir everything together until just moistened.

Add blackberries and gently stir into dough. Don’t worry if some of the berries break up a bit.
Empty the loose dough out onto a clean, floured work surface, then shape the dough into an 8-inch circle.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges and carefully transfer to the prepared sheet.

Lightly brush each scones with the egg wash, then sprinkle the top of each scone with sugar.

Bake for about 16 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Cool for about 10 minutes, then make your glaze.

For the glaze:
In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice and confectioners sugar. Drizzle over warm scones and serve at once.

Recipe Source:  Baker By Nature

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble

We eat bananas around here like crazy!  I'm surprised I had some brown up for once.  I decided to try a new recipe this time around, and I found this little number with the cinnamon crumb topping.  The pin I found was pinned over 13,000 times, so I figured it was probably a good one.  It was...it was REAL tasty!  Enjoy :) 

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble

Bread:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 overripe bananas, mashed

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

In a large bowl of a mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Add the butter and beat until smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour in the batter. * Note that not all loaf pans are the same size. You may have extra batter, so just pour in enough so there is still about an inch or 2 of space before the top of the pan.

Make the crumb topping by combining the powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon salt and melted butter. Using your hands, crumble the mixture over the batter in the pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 Recipe Source:  Little Bits Of

Coconut Almond Breakfast Quinoa

Here is another recipe that has been sitting on the back-burner for a while.  I came across it when I was in my quinoa-testing phase and it was one that just didn't get made for whatever reason.  Anyhow, glad it finally came out of the woodworks!  

I've been eating a lot of granola and oatmeal for breakfast, and this will be a good one to throw in the mix every now and again.  Yum!

Coconut Almond Breakfast Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 cup light coconut milk (from a carton, such as Silk brand)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For serving:
fresh berries
toasted coconut

sliced almonds
additional coconut milk
honey or agave syrup
additional brown sugar if desired

Place rinsed and drained quinoa, coconut milk, brown sugar, and almond extract in a medium-sized pot. Stir ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover pot, preferably with a clear lid (so you can see through it and keep an eye on the quinoa). Stir a few times during cooking. If mixture seems to be boiling out, crack the lid to release steam, otherwise, keep covered. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. In the last few minutes of cooking, feel free to add a little more liquid (water is fine, or additional coconut milk) until desired consistency is reached. I prefer my breakfast quinoa on the soft side with enough liquid to make it more of a porridge.

Divide quinoa into bowls and top with fresh berries, toasted coconut, sliced almonds, and a splash of additional coconut milk. If desired, add a drizzle of honey or agave or a sprinkle of brown sugar for sweetness. Yields, about 4, 1/2 cup servings. 

Recipe Source:  Our Best Bites

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I know I talk about it PLENTY....but I always have tons of blueberries at my house.  We load up in the summertime, and I love having them year-round for smoothies, baked goods, syrups, etc.  

I made this one night when I wanted some breakfast for dinner.  So after whipping this up and having some omlets, dinner was served...and it was AWESOME!  Enjoy :)

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar

Zest of one lemon

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 cups of flour (divided)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup of buttermilk

2 cups of fresh blueberries

1 tbsp white sugar (for the top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together with a mixer until creamy & smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the blueberries and toss to coat evenly. Mix the remaining flour together with the baking powder and salt until well mixed. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries gently. Spread batter into the pan evenly. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on top of the batter. Side note: The batter will be very thick.

Place into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  For the Love of Cooking

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Granola Bars

Some of the greatest recipes I have ever made are from ward cookbooks (and maybe a few flops have come from there as well :)  There are some wonderful family recipes shared in these books, and I am very thankful these folks that share are willing to do so!  These are seriously easy...under 10 minutes to make, and I definitely prefer them over the store bought variety.  The boys gobbled these up quick, and we quickly made the second variety shared in my cookbook for a s'mores granola bar (which I'll post another day)!!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Granola Bars

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. rice krispies
1-1/2 c. chopped pretzels
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine oats, rice krispies, and pretzels.  Sed aside.  Mix butter, sugar, and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes.  Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.  Add oatmeal mixture.  Stir well and then press into a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and firmly press down.  Let cool and cut into bars.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in gallon size ziploc bag to store.  Yield: about 24.  

Recipe Source:  Rattlesnake Mountain Ward Cookbook via Angie Thomas

Mormon Muffins

Once upon a time I lived in Ogden Utah (ok, it was almost the first 25 years of my life!).  In Ogden, there is a restaurant that is famous for their...get this...BRAN MUFFINS!!  They call them "Mormon Muffins," and I'm not sure why, nor have I done my research.  In any case, these bran muffins have always been my favorite!  Put a little dab of butter or a squirt of honey, or even some homemade honey butter, and you have a divine treat!  The restaurant is called the Greenery, and it is inside Rainbow Gardens.  So next time you visit O-town, pass by and give these a try!

I won't lie, I haven't had one of these in years, so I won't tell you they are a dead-on match, but they must be close since the recipe is on their website!!!

Mormon Muffins

2 5 1 2 4 1 5 1 4 2 1	cups tsp cup cups each quart cups tsp cups cups cup	boiling water baking soda shortening sugar eggs buttermilk flour salt All Bran Cereal 40% Bran Flakes walnuts (chopped)
Add soda to boiling water and set aside.  Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs slowly.  Mix well.  Add the buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again.  Add the soda water very slowly.  Gently fold the cereals and the walnuts into the mix. Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes. Muffin mix must sit in the refrigerator over night before baking.  Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated.  Yields 3 dozen muffins.

Recipe Source:  The Greenery Restaurant

Delicious Blueberry Muffins with Blueberry Swirl

It has been far too long since I made muffins from scratch seriously...like over 2 years since I tried a new recipe!  It is now time to redeem myself!  So, here we go with a muffin that doesn't only taste good, but is darn pretty to look at!  These muffins have whole blueberries inside as well as a swirl of some beautiful blueberry syrup.  The result is a cakey, moist muffin sure to please anyone!  

Stay tuned, I feel a muffin-baking spree coming on and have lots of recipes on my list to try!  Some are healthy, some just look sinful ;)

Delicious Blueberry Muffins with Blueberry Swirl


Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
zest from one lemon

Muffins:
2 cups frozen blueberries (or 2 cups fresh)
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the topping, stir together sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

For the muffins, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse one cup frozen berries under cold water and spread on a double layer of paper towels to dry well. Bring remaining one cup berries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Toss the berries that have dried on the paper towels in with the flour mixture. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be lumpy with a few dry spots of flour – don’t overmix. This is the key to moist and tender muffins.

Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill the muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full. Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. Using a skewer (or a chopstick), gently swirl the berry filling into the batter using a figure eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

Bake until the top of the muffins are golden and just firm, 17-18 minutes. Cool muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.


Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Well, I have been looking ahead to Christmas a little bit...I can't help it!  With a new baby coming and anticipation of the holidays, I have been testing out all sorts of recipes a bit early this year.  We aren't going to be with our extended families on Christmas this year, so I want to make a yummy breakfast for our family since we will be missing out on some of the traditional stuff.  This recipe is definitely a contender!  

It is super simple to make, as it uses the store-bought cinnamon rolls and frosting.  It definitely would not take long to throw together Christmas morning.  I love the nuts on it, but feel free to leave them out if you so desire...I'm sure it would be equally as delicious :)  My 5 year old gave his approval and had 2 servings of this (something he NEVER does).  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll French Toast


2 packages of cinnamon rolls
1/4 lb. butter
5 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter and spread in a 9 x 13 pan.

Separate the cinnamon rolls and cut each roll into 8 pieces.  Spread in pan.  Save the icing to use later.

Beat eggs together completely in bowl.  Then add the cream, vanilla, and cinnamon to the eggs and mix thoroughly.  Pour over the cinnamon roll pieces.

Drizzle syrup all over and Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.  (I just put pecans on half of mine) 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 22-28 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool for about 15 minutes.

Take the metal cover off the icing and stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds or until it is thin enough to drizzle.  Drizzle icing all over the top of the baked cinnamon rolls.

Serve with syrup if desired.

Recipe Source:  My Life According to Pinterest

{Overnight} Ham and Cheese Enchiladas

In the last few months I have discovered the wonderful ham steaks from Costco.  They are perfect for all those ham recipes I want to try without having to cook a whole ham...and if you do want to cook a whole ham, this is a great way to use up leftovers.  

These would be great for breakfast, but we actually had them for dinner.  They are definitely hearty enough for either meal!  

{Overnight} Ham and Cheese Enchiladas
2 cups cubed and cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
1 1/4 cup half-and-half
4 whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
salsa, sour cream, and additional green onions for serving

In a medium bowl stir together ham, green onions and 2 cups of cheese (save the remaining 1/2 cup for later). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop out cheese mixture onto a tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Roll up all tortillas and place them into the baking dish with the sides touching.

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, salt, and flour. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350º. Bake covered for 30-40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over enchiladas. Bake for 10 more minutes or until tops are golden brown and the egg mixture is set.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and additional green onions.

Recipe Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Lemon-Glazed Zucchini Bread

There is nothing more gratifying than picking your own vegetables out of your own garden!!  This is the first year we planted a garden, and it's been a learning experience.  We have had some great successes and failures.  Our zucchini and jalapenos are definitely thriving, hence all the recipes you will soon be seeing :)  

This bread is extremely tasty...very moist, and not too sweet.  It has a lot less sugar than many other zucchini recipes you will come across.  The glaze is the perfect compliment to the bread.  This would be a great brunch item alongside some fresh fruit!

Makes one 9×5″ loaf

Lemon-Glazed Zucchini Bread

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes; also, if you make this in an 8×4″ loaf pan, your baking time may be a little longer…about 5 to 10 minutes more). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

LEMON GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

Recipe Source:  Nancy Creative