awesome zucchini bread recipe
My mom gave me a really good zucchini bread recipe, which I have improved by putting cranberries instead of raisins, and by adding extra spices:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Beat eggs; mix in sugar and oil.
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2.5 cups white flour
1.5 tsp baking SODA
1/4 tsp baking POWDER
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
Mix together dry ingredients (I am kind of guessing on the spices, I just shake in large amounts until it looks right.) Form a well in the center and add egg mixture. Then add:
2 cups grated zucchini
Mix. Add:
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts
Mix again. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cool on a rack and remove from pans.
It came out super-dense and moist, like a spice cake full of cranberries and walnuts.
In other news, things are going well. My advisor's husband (aka my other advisor) celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend, so there was a huge and ritzy party with delicious food and even better wine (hey advisors - if you're reading this, I really like it when you have parties!)
We are making preparations to disappear into the wilderness for a week. I had no idea that simply getting ready to go camping for a week could be transformed into this massive thing like preparing for an expedition to the Antarctic. Things we have had to purchase include:
- tent and footprint
- sleeping bags (2)
- frame pack for me
- daypack for Jonathon
- hiking boots (2 pair)
- wool socks (4 pair)
- raingear
- sensible and warm fleecy jackets
- rope
- compass
- map
- food that can't rot
- additional water bottles
- "cheap" pot for cooking over open flame (no yard sales had any and we had to buy one from Target. I sure as shit am not sacrificing one of my copper-bottomed saucepans.)
- other cheap kitchenwares whose loss will not sadden me
Things we have yet to purchase include:
- jack knife for me
- first-aid materials
- flashlights
- batteries
- matches
- bug repellent
- sunscreen
- brakes for the car so I can drive to the camping place
Things that I have prevailed upon my parents to get me for my birthday:
- water purifier
- camp stove
For a "cheap" vacation, this is turning into an extremely expensive vacation. I just hope the dog doesn't rip a hole in any of our camping stuff so that I can use it for many years of camping vacations, which will hopefully subsequently be much cheaper! (We are taking him with us. He will be very excited once he belatedly realizes where we have brought him.)
Also I have been running like 10 miles a week, almost every week, since I got Bucky Dog. Previously I had been running an average of 0 miles a week, possibly even negative miles a week. I have suddenly noticed that I am in much better shape than I was in May. Unfortunately, this means that the amazing dress I bought earlier this summer (and only had a chance to wear twice, since it came too late for the Thumper-Windphone nuptials) is already starting to be too big for me. Speaking of badthumper: If you are reading this, I am trying to locate your red palm oil, especially since I put your check in the bank so that I could ship it to you and I don't want to run off with your $40 in a choadly fashion. I didn't see it in your ex-room, but I DID see a battleaxe and what appears to be a pike. I am holding onto them for you, as I don't think I can ship medieval weaponry through the mail. If mounted invaders besiege our home, rest assured that I am now equipped to prevail against them (that pike looks pretty sharp, too).
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Beat eggs; mix in sugar and oil.
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2.5 cups white flour
1.5 tsp baking SODA
1/4 tsp baking POWDER
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
Mix together dry ingredients (I am kind of guessing on the spices, I just shake in large amounts until it looks right.) Form a well in the center and add egg mixture. Then add:
2 cups grated zucchini
Mix. Add:
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup walnuts
Mix again. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cool on a rack and remove from pans.
It came out super-dense and moist, like a spice cake full of cranberries and walnuts.
In other news, things are going well. My advisor's husband (aka my other advisor) celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend, so there was a huge and ritzy party with delicious food and even better wine (hey advisors - if you're reading this, I really like it when you have parties!)
We are making preparations to disappear into the wilderness for a week. I had no idea that simply getting ready to go camping for a week could be transformed into this massive thing like preparing for an expedition to the Antarctic. Things we have had to purchase include:
- tent and footprint
- sleeping bags (2)
- frame pack for me
- daypack for Jonathon
- hiking boots (2 pair)
- wool socks (4 pair)
- raingear
- sensible and warm fleecy jackets
- rope
- compass
- map
- food that can't rot
- additional water bottles
- "cheap" pot for cooking over open flame (no yard sales had any and we had to buy one from Target. I sure as shit am not sacrificing one of my copper-bottomed saucepans.)
- other cheap kitchenwares whose loss will not sadden me
Things we have yet to purchase include:
- jack knife for me
- first-aid materials
- flashlights
- batteries
- matches
- bug repellent
- sunscreen
- brakes for the car so I can drive to the camping place
Things that I have prevailed upon my parents to get me for my birthday:
- water purifier
- camp stove
For a "cheap" vacation, this is turning into an extremely expensive vacation. I just hope the dog doesn't rip a hole in any of our camping stuff so that I can use it for many years of camping vacations, which will hopefully subsequently be much cheaper! (We are taking him with us. He will be very excited once he belatedly realizes where we have brought him.)
Also I have been running like 10 miles a week, almost every week, since I got Bucky Dog. Previously I had been running an average of 0 miles a week, possibly even negative miles a week. I have suddenly noticed that I am in much better shape than I was in May. Unfortunately, this means that the amazing dress I bought earlier this summer (and only had a chance to wear twice, since it came too late for the Thumper-Windphone nuptials) is already starting to be too big for me. Speaking of badthumper: If you are reading this, I am trying to locate your red palm oil, especially since I put your check in the bank so that I could ship it to you and I don't want to run off with your $40 in a choadly fashion. I didn't see it in your ex-room, but I DID see a battleaxe and what appears to be a pike. I am holding onto them for you, as I don't think I can ship medieval weaponry through the mail. If mounted invaders besiege our home, rest assured that I am now equipped to prevail against them (that pike looks pretty sharp, too).