Zucchini Bread

Baking is all about making a HUGE mess and having FUN! With my 6 year old son in charge of reading the recipe and my 3 year old daughter in charge of the mixing.....I have to have a fail proof recipe!

This one on Zucchini Bread is quick, easy & anyone can make perfect bread:)

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup oil & 1/2 cup apple sauce)
• 2 cups Zucchini (if using your freezer supply it will appear to have a ton of water...make sure you use this too...or your bread will be very dry)
• 1 cup nuts (optional)
• 3 tsp vanilla (or almond)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Combine all these ingredients and place into 2 well-greased bread pans & bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. Make sure to check your bread with a toothpick to see if they are done. Different stoves cook at different speeds. I average about 1 hour.

This recipe can be used in pans of all sizes (i.e. muffins, mini-loafs) and any type of pan as well (i.e. stones, glass, non-stick). Your cooking time will vary, so you must check on them often if experimenting with different "ideas".

Freezing Zucchini

Zucchini is not one of the most common vegetables to freeze, but I find it extremely easy to do and a time savor when cooking zucchini breads & muffins during the long winter months!

• Prepare the zucchini by cleaning it well and letting it dry.


• Then cut off the ends, cut in 1/2 (the long way) and shred.


• You then place the shredded zucchini into either freezer bags or vacuum seal bags and freeze.

I recommend that you freeze them in 2 & 4 cup measurements, as most recipes, that I have found, use 2 cups & 4 cups, if you choose to double your batch.

Zucchini will last 4-6 months in the freezer.

Freezing Corn on the Cob

When preparing your corn on the cob you will want to follow the following steps.

• First remove the husks. Then scrub the corn with a soft vegetable brush (or cloth) to remove all the silk. Wash and drain.


• Then blanch your cobs. I recommend 6 ears at a time. Allow 7 minutes for small ears, 9 minutes for medium ears and 11 Minutes for large ears. Drain them well.


• Next you must wrap individually in foil, molding the shape of the ear.


• Finally you seal the cobs in a freezer bag.

Following these steps your corn will last 4-6 months. Cook, without thawing, in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

If you want to use a vacuum sealer or own a vacuum sealer and need to purchase more bags, you can go to http://www.naturesway2grow.com/. My site offers many of these products at discount prices.

Blanching

One of the most critical steps in Freezing Vegetables, in my opinion, is Blanching!

Blanching is an easy technique that is used to keep vegetables crisp and tender. By boiling vegetables briefly (2-3 minutes) and then immediately chilling them in ice water (1 minute) will preserve texture, color and flavor.

The best part is that you can use products that you already have! One stock pot, a stainer, your kitchen sink, and your good to go!

If you don't own any kitchen supplies that will do the trick....consider going to http://www.naturesway2grow.com/ for a wide variety of kitchen supplies that are sure to make any task easy!

Freezing Broccoli

Many vegetables, in my opinion, are much better frozen, instead of canned.

Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies! I grow many plants every year so that I may harvest my crop, freeze it and enjoy it all year long. Another great benefit of freezing my collected produce is that I am feeding my family organic vegetables, not to mention the money I'm saving!!!!

In order to make sure that the broccoli is froozen properly I purchased a vacuum sealer from www.naturesway2grow.com. They also sell the freezer bags & many different kitchen aids that make the task of freezing broccoli a sinch. For those of you who have never frozen vegetables before, www.naturesway2grow.com also has some great books on the subject!

The basic steps to freezing vegetables:

1. Preparation of the vegetables for the freezing process.
2. Blanching the vegetables. The many advantages of blanching, prior to freezing, is to slows the enzymes that cause the loss of flavor, color and prepares the vegetables for freezing. Blanching vegetables also ensures that any harmful bacteria have been eliminated prior to freezing.
3. Packaging the vegetables, either in freezer bags or vacuum seal bags.
4. Freezing the vegetables.

Good Luck!