Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Last summer we ended up with an over-abundance of zucchini, so I had to find a way to use some of it.  We are fans of breakfast breads, well actually bread in general, and so I was on a search for a zucchini bread recipe.  I found this recipe from the Joy of Baking, and started shredding zucchini.  As I was making the bread the first time, I realized that there were some ingredients that we either didn't have, or that I couldn't find, so I made some emergency substitutions, and we LOVED it.  We liked it so much that I decided to make it again, this time, with the original ingredients, and while it was good, it just wasn't the same.  So what made the bread so magical?  My secret ingredients...

 

That's right, Nesquik and Hershey's bars.  I found that there was no stopping a pregnant woman on a mission and I REALLY wanted to make this zucchini bread.  Partially because I was sick of seeing MULTIPLE zucchini sitting on the counter, partially because I was excited about finding a way to "hide" the zucchini in some yummy chocolate bread.

We did make the bread according to the recipe, once the "babybrain" subsided a little and I placed my fingers on the cocoa powder, and frankly, we just didn't like it as much.

Nesquik Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded raw zucchini
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Nesquik
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Hershey bars chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a loaf pan.

Grate zucchini and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, Nesquik, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Mix in chocolate.

In mixing bowl, beat the eggs, add oil, sugars, and vanilla extract.  Mix until well blended.  Add zucchini and mix well.  Slowly add the flour mixture and blend until combined.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean (55-65 minutes).  Place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

This can be stored at room temperature for a few days, but in our house, we are lucky if it lasts to the second day.

Morning Refections

This morning has been particularly difficult for me, knowing that in just about a month I head back to school, in a couple weeks Little Man will go to his new daycare for the first time, and that I will no longer be able to spend my days watching him grow and experience new things.  The last few weeks have been such a blessing because I have been able to hang out at home with Little Man and watch him develop into a joyful little guy who is stubborn, determined and brings a smile to just about everyone's face, even when he is screaming.

Yesterday was one of those days.  Tuesday he broke his third tooth, an upper tooth, and the other three up there are days away from breaking through his gums, making for a sore little guy who only knows how to tell me he is in pain by screaming.  I so wanted to be able to take that pain from him yesterday, and knew that there was not much I could do other than try to comfort him and redirect his attention to other things.  And this is one of those things that breaks my heart about going back to work.  I won't be the one who is able to do that for him during the day, that will be the responsibility of someone else.  Don't get me wrong, we are so thankful for the placement that we have for Little Man and are very pleased with the facility and the staff that will be working with him, but it is new and unfamiliar territory for us right now.  When I went back to work in January, Little Man's Godparents watched him during the day.  I knew he was in wonderful hands, and the people watching him are like family to us.  This fall is a completely different situation.  He will no longer be in the home and arms of people we know so well and who we know love Little Man.  He will be in very capable hands of providers at the Child Development Center on Post, he will be cared for, he will play with other children close to his age, and Paul will be able to visit him during lunch, but it's not the same.  I know that at this season in his life, this is where Little Man needs to be.  It is still our goal that I stay home with him and teach him, and we are taking steps toward making that goal a reality, it just isn't reality yet.

Letting go is hard.  Knowing that Little Man will be receiving excellent care helps a little.  I know that part of my hesitation and anxiety stems from work and the fact that every day last spring I had to convince myself to get out of the car and walk through the doors at work.  When someone asks if I love my job I can honestly tell them no.  Do I still love teaching and working with students? Yes.  Do I still like the people that I teach with?  Yes.  Do I like my administration? No.  Do I agree with their decision?  Most of the time, no.  Are there days when I would rather stay home and snuggle with Little Man?  Yes, in fact those days are more frequent than I would like to admit.  My heart isn't in it 100% anymore and I realize that.  I still love watching the kids have an "ah ha" moment, when everything clicks.  I love watching those struggling students start to succeed and really start to think that they can do it.  I love hearing about where my graduates are and how they are succeeding, and my heart goes out to those who aren't doing as well as we all thought they might.  I still root for the underdog, the one everyone this is a failure, and I live for the smiles when students do better than even they expected.  I am fed up with the education system in the US.  I fear the fact that student performance is linked to my pay and evaluation.  I hate the fact that I often feel as though I am standing alone, and there is no one to advocate for me.  I am tired of being told that I don't know how to teach science by former football coaches, history teachers, and people who haven't sat in a science class for at least 15 years.  I am tired of being told that teaching math so the kids can do science isn't my job, but that I have to incorporate common core (math and reading) into each lesson.

I am going into this school year knowing that it is going to be a challenge, and accepting that challenging.  Balancing Mom, Wife and Mrs. Lilley is going to be a challenge unlike the one I experienced last year due to the new demands placed on me at work.  I am going back to work confident that Little Man is going to be taken care of, challenged to grow, and in the right place.  Does any of this make the transition any easier?  Absolutely not, but I have a wonderful support system at home, and I know that we are a team.  My administration does not know that family comes first, and that if the opportunity arises for me to be able to focus on my family, that I won't let it go.  I know that I will be able to work with youth in some capacity, and I don't think that I am done working with teens, but I do see this season of my life coming to an end.  The end is unclear, but there is a sense that it is coming.  While I am saddened by it, I can't help but remember Ecclesiastes 3:1,  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

Camping as a Family of Three

The weekend was one of many firsts.  Our first camping trip as a family of three, Little Man's first experience with pizza crust, his first trip to the ocean, and his first big fall.  We were blessed with a pop-up camper for our wedding from Paul's grandparents, and decided that we wanted to take it out this year for a mini-vacation.  Unfortunately, it was pouring on Friday when we left for Killen's Pond State Park in Felton, DE, and the tension was high as we made the trek, as there were spots with standing water in the roads that rose to the bottom of the door on many small cars.  We made it safely to the park, Paul backed the camper into the spot on the first try, and got the camper set up, all in the pouring rain.  By the time he was done, he was soaked to the bone, and was glad when I suggested that we go out for dinner rather than trying to make dinner either in the camper or under the small canopy with whipping winds and rain.

Saturday morning we piled into the van to make the trek to Ocean City, MD to spend some time at the beach and with Paul's mom, but realized that the battery was angry with us for leaving doors open for too long on Friday, and we had to ask for a jump from our nice neighbors.  We made it to OC in time for lunch, so to Dough Rollers we went, and Little Man was able to experience the joys of pizza crust for the first time.

After lunch we headed down to the beach, and watched Little Man experience sand and cold ocean water for the first time.  Fortunately he didn't seem to mind the sand on his hands, feet, arms, legs and even his face.  The water, on the other hand, was not quite as positive of an experience.

We didn't spend a lot of time at the camper, in fact, the most time we spent there was Saturday evening (most of which Little Man was asleep for) and Sunday morning when we were trying to get packed up.  This is when Little Man had his first fall.  He woke us up at an unacceptable time for vacation (5 am), but we changed and fed him, then the three of us fell back asleep until about 8:30.  This was wonderful, until we realized that we didn't have much time to get packed up and pull out, especially since Paul had to run to Wal-Mart for a new tow bar and ball wrench, and Little Man was not focusing too well on his breakfast.  This made us try to hurry, but get everything packed where it was supposed to go, and I made the mistake of leaving Little Man in one of those nice folding camp chairs.  He had been sitting so nicely, so I walked to the other end of the picnic table to grab something when I heard a thud and then his cry.  Fortunately we made it out with just a couple scrapes and a scared little boy, but after much observations and cuddling, we had our babbling, restless Little Man back, eating Cheerios like a champ, talking to "Da-da," and watching the pretty yellow and black butterfly that found it's way into our campground.

 We managed to pull out of our spot exactly 5 minutes before checkout time, and headed to the "water park" that the state park has.  It was a nice set up of three pools, two for children and one larger pool.  The pool for the smallest patrons was zero entry, shallow enough that little guys could stand, but deep enough that parents could relax a little and soak while the little guys played.  Our Little Man was no exception.  He LOVED the water, and would scoot himself a little deeper as he became a little more bold.

The weekend seemed like a comedy of errors, and for some it would have been enough to never camp again.  For us, we decided that a camping trip can't get much worse and we are looking forward to more trips in the future.  We have a lot of work to do on the camper, a lot of organizing and purging, and trying to figure out how to make it our own, but we know that we have a little home away from home for a family vacation option.

We are trying to start the fire

We have started to get ready for our first camping trip as a family of three.  Sure, last may we went on a "babymoon" camping, but it is not the same as having a 9-month old attempting to get into everything.  And let's face it, Little Man tries to get into everything.  Just the day I was sitting on the floor with him and snapping fresh green beans that we got from our CSA, and Little Man decided that he wanted to try them.  Before I could wash any of the green beans he had 2 in his hands and was chomping away at them.  So yes, it was partly my fault for sitting on the floor while doing this, but someone had to keep an eye on him.

I digress...so we are getting ready to go camping.  We have started planning menus, have started making list after list of "stuff" we need, and we realized that we may (or may not) need fire starters for the weekend.  I told Paul that I would take care of them, having made fire starters for YEARS in this way, and being convinced this is the best way to start a fire.  Paul's ideal way to make a fire is to stack the wood and add an accelerant.  What can I say, I married and Eagle Scout, and my particular Eagle has some pyro tendencies when we are out in the woods.  I have been trying to convince him for years that the egg carton filled with dryer lint and wax is the best way to start a fire (after properly stacking the wood either in a tee-pee shape or log cabin arrangement), and most of the time he humors me and uses my methods.  Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised this week when he saved the dryer lint for me as we were trying to catch up on laundry, AND saving the paper egg carton from our CSA eggs.  Apparently I may have converted him to the "dark side" using an old Girl Scout trick.

While slightly time consuming, these fire starters couldn't be easier to make.  I always start by stuffing the PAPER egg crate with lint.  I try to pack it pretty tightly, and it never ceases to amaze me how much lint fits into those little wells, then I get the wax melting.  I know, as far as time goes, I should probably do it the other way around, but what I can say, I'm a creature of habit.  We have found that the best way to melt down candles for wax is to put the candles in a caning jar, and "double boil" it.  The jar get a fair amount of direct heat, but we have not had any problems, and this keeps almost all of the wax out of the pot we use.  The amount of wait time at this point will vary depending on the size of the candle (or wax pieces) that are being sacrificed to the fire.  Today I used tapers we had lying around as test candles for  our wedding, allowed them to heat up a little and then broke them in half, and they are taking forever to melt.  Fortunately I have an unexpected nap from Little Man right now, so I am able to eat lunch in the kitchen which keeping an eye on the melting wax, all while listening to "I want to fall in love with you," sung by Jars of Clay and have visions of the silly Christian Mingle commercial running through my head.  What a way to ruin a song for someone.  Again I digress.  Before pouring the wax into the egg crate I try to remember to cover my work surface with newspaper (multiple sections, layered over each other) so that when I spill it will be easier to clean up.

As I poured the melted candles into the crate, I realized that a couple more candles would have to make it into the fire, mostly because you want the lint covered with the wax.

With the extra wax, I decided to make some of those fancy fire starters floating around cyberspace that use the cotton facial rounds, just to see how they would work.

Once everything was cooled, into the bag of miscellaneous things that need to find a home on the camper they went.

Green Bean Carpet Box

Last year we decided that it was important to start supporting our local farms in a bigger way.  There is a wonderful dairy not far from us that have an ice cream "stand," where they sell homemade ice cream along with cheeses, milk, meat and hot lunches.  As summer was approaching, and the end of school was closing in on us, we made the decision to support one of the local produce farms by joining their CSA.  We had such a great experience, and so much produce that there were times when we would try to give away some of the fruits and vegetables that we had.

This year we decided to join the CSA again, and were so excited when we realized that Little Man would be able to eat a lot of the fruits and veggies that we were going to get.  So far we have received quite a bit of great vegetables, and even our first dozen ears of corn.  It has all been so good, and there have been times when have had an over abundance of produce, but that didn't stop us.  We had the opportunity to purchase a half bushel of green beans to freeze and can.  So we brought home our "special" green beans.

When we brought this box home it was heaping.  I have found that shelling peas/beans and snapping green beans somewhat calming.  Little Man and I started working on our box o' beans.  I started trimming and breaking them apart and throwing them into a stock pot, and Little Man was taking them out of the pot to snack on them.

Yes, he had HANDFULS of beans that he was enjoying.

This look says it all.  Little Man loves the fresh beans and spent almost an hour with his beans and gnawing on them with his two little teeth.

Because it was so difficult to take care of the beans, and because I knew they needed to be processed sooner rather than later, I took care of them last night after Little Man went to bed.  I was working on them while Paul and I were watching our new favorite show "Sherlock," and it seemed like the bottom of the box was never going to appear.  We decided to can as many of the beans as possible because our freezer space, and it is easier to store canned beans.

Into the pressure canner the jars went, in shifts, during nap time today.

Four quarts and 7 pints canned, plus 1 gallon blanched and in the freezer with 27 1-oz servings frozen.

Granola Bars

We are always looking for a good granola bar recipe, mostly because we never buy them but always seem to want them.  Last summer I made some, and they were okay, but they were super sticky and it took us a while to eat them.  This summer, I stumbled upon this recipe (a basic granola bar recipe), which I modified slightly for the first batch.  The first time around I made cranberry white chocolate granola bars with some sunflower seeds added.  They were a hit, and within a week they were gone.

Cranberry White Chocolate Granola Bars
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/8 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup craisins
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
11 T butter, melted
1 egg
1 t vanilla

In a large bow mix oats and nuts.  Spread them evenly into a jelly roll pan, and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 15-20 minutes.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (I just the same bowl that I mixed the granola in).  Make sure to let the butter cool a little after it has melted so that it doesn't cook the egg.  

When the granola is done, dump into the bowl and mix well.  I found that mixing with my hands worked much better than with the spoon (although MUCH messier).

Grease jelly roll pan and press the mixture FIRMLY into the pan.  The more firmly it is packed, the less likely the granola bars will be to fall apart.  I used the paper from the butter to press the granola so it wouldn't stick to my hands, next time I think I will use a glass 9x13 pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  I baked mine for about 25 minutes until the top was golden brown (mostly because I couldn't see well in the kitchen).

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Cut into desired size.  I cut the bars in half so that I had two long, narrower pieces of granola bar, then each of those halves into 9 or 10 pieces.  Each bar was wrapped individually in plastic wrap then stored in a gallon-sized zipper bag.

These were a HUGE hit in the house.  Putting in a little extra work up front (by wrapping them individually) made it super easy to grab one on the go.

**As I was writing this post, I was working on our second batch of granola bars.  This time we decided on peanut butter with some chocolate.  I used the same basic recipe, with a few minor changes.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Chocolate Drizzle
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 T butter, melted
5 T peanut butter, melted
1 egg
1 t vanilla

These turned out even better than the first time around.  I used a greased 9x9 glass pan in order to press the granola bar mixture into the jelly roll pan, which resulted in a bar that didn't fall apart nearly as quickly as the first batch.  These also weren't nearly as sweet as the first batch.  We didn't realize just how sweet they were originally, but once we tasted these, we knew we had a winner.

Chicken Salad and Picnics

Currently my favorite trick for making chicken salad is to throw cooked chicken breasts into my Kitchen Aid mixer with the consumers and let it do the work. It may seem a little over kill for making chicken salad for two, but with Little Man and having to do these types of things during naptime, it is a lifesaver.

Today we are meeting Paul at one of the local playground for lunch, and instead of buying lunch, we decided to pack. Last night Paul cooked up the chicken. Quite frankly I have no idea what he did to the chicken other than com it in the same getting pan that he used to cook the Italian sausage for tonight's dinner. We put it in the fridge overnight and this morning I pulled it out and the it into the mixer.

Also in the midst goes mayo and some Dijon mustard with white wine. Use whatever you like and the amount of each you like, but I never measure and just go by look.

Then comes the fun part, letting the mixer do it's thing. I do find that when the chicken is warm it sheds a little easier, but like to make my chicken salad from child chicken. In approximately 1 minute, two chicken breasts went from being while to nicely shredded.

At this point I would add in more mayo if it looked to dry as well as celery and onion, but we don't have those in the house at the moment, so into the fridge it goes, to cool and allow the flavors to do their thing. Right before we leave I will add in some shredded cabbage for that crunch.

To complete our lunch I sliced up some cucumber to do in salad dressing, grabbed a handful of sugar snap peas to do the same thing, and made pudding with blueberries. I my humble opinion a picnic is not complete without chips, so in the bag those go too.

It is not often that Paul and I get to meet for lunch. They grown upon us leaving the building for lunch frown the school year, so during the summer we try to meet at least one a week, and this summer, due to a tighter budget, we are having to become more creative with what we do for lunch. I know that at this age Little Man is not going to remember having lunch with Daddy, but it is a price I think is important to start now, instead of having to try to start it in a couple years when he will remember.

**Our picnic was a huge success.  We managed to find a table in the shade, under a beautiful tree and enjoyed our lunch.  Before Paul arrived, Little Man enjoyed some time on the swing.  He loves to swing now that he is big enough to sit up on his own, and he just soaks in everything that is going on around him.