Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups shredded peeled zucchini
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 

 Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each). 

Yum! Moist and chocolatey. Definitely a keeper recipe.
I made 4 mini loaves and 12 muffins with this recipe instead of 2 big loaves. The muffins baked for 20 minutes and the mini loaves for 40 minutes. Yay!

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

½ lb. cottage cheese

1 stick butter, cubed

8 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

2 cups cheddar cheese

1. Cook beef and garlic in a pan. Drain any fat. Pour spaghetti sauce over meat.

2. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in a mixer until well blended.

3. Place half of the butter on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then layer half of

the noodles on top and spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles. Top

with remaining noodles, butter and the meat sauce.

4. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and return to oven for 15

minutes.

Another delicious dish. Thanks, Laura, for telling me about this recipe!! This was so much better than regular spaghetti that's just noodles and sauce. Sean liked it a lot too and said that this was a keeper!

Sugar Cookie Squares

 Sugar Cookie Squares

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy

about 3-4 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until

well blended.

2. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt and stir until well combined. With buttered 

hands, gently press mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish.

3. Bake at 375F for 16 – 19 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out

clean and edges are lightly golden. Cool completely, then frost and cut into squares.

Makes 24 squares.

Vanilla Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 Tbsp half and half

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Several drops food coloring (optional)

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together butter and powdered sugar

and half and half until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt. Add in food optional food coloring

and mix until well blended.

  Yum!! Sugar cookies have always been really hard for me to make. I always roll them out too thin so they come out crispy instead of soft. And I always use a ton of flour when rolling them out so they lose they're sweet flavor. Ugh. Hooray for sugar cookie squares!! No rolling required. And they were soft and chewy. I will be making these often!

The frosting was a bit sweet for me so I would use  maybe 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar next time. I also didn't have any half and half so I just used milk. Brandon and Katy were my helpers. Brandon picked the color for the frosting.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian Season, salt, and pepper)
1 egg, lightly beaten
12  chicken tenders fillets, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup bottled marinara sauce
1 cup shredded four-cheese blend
Cooked ziti (or spaghetti) and marinara sauce (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375F
2. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and egg in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, shaking off excess. Coat with bread crumbs.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining chicken.
4. Spoon marinara sauce over chicken in dish. Sprinkle cheese over chicken. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, until bubbly and cheese melts. Serve with cooked ziti and marinara sauce, if desired.

This isn't a picture that I took. But it's close to what it really looks like. Every time I make this I never remember to take a picture because it's too delicious! I just want to eat it! This is a favorite of Sean's too. Not so much for our kids, sadly. But we had ours tonight with spaghetti noodles and it was delicious and comforting. Mmmm.