Zucchini Bread

3 c. flour (sifted)

1 T. cinnamon

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. baking powder

Mix together in separate bowl.

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. oil

1 T. vanilla

Mix in large bowl.

Stir in sifted ingredients.

2 c. zucchini, grated

1/2 c. nuts

Blend in.  (Can mix w/electric mixer.)

Pour into 2 greased and lightly floured 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 loaf tins.

Bake at 325 60-70 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Turn out on cooling rack.

For what it's worth, someone tried this with chocolate chips and her grandkids told her not to do it again.

Ukrainian Borscht

My college roommate Jana served her mission in the Ukraine and loved to cook for us. This is one of the recipes I loved. Her hands always ended up purple from cutting the beets, but she didn't mind. I remember learning why Ukrainian food is so good...they love sour cream on everything! :D  Following is Jana's recipe as shared with my by her sister.


Most on-line recipes call for dill and some meat, but this is what she learned in Ukraine from a lady named Vera. It turned out pretty well when I made it. I didn't have quite enough beets, but other than that it was really good.

Ingredients
Equal amounts of carrots and potatoes. Slightly more beets and cabbage.
• 12 cups beef broth
• 2 med onions, peeled, quartered 
• 6 large beets, peeled, chopped 
• 6 carrots, peeled, chopped 
• 4 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage 
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic 
• Bay leaf
• Dill opt

Big pot of water
Can sauté veggies first. It gets the process done faster. (Gets a bit of oil in it too-which is traditional). You can also brown and boil a hunk of meat for it like you would for beef vegetable soup (which also adds fat). 
Start heating your water. 
To save your cutting board from staining cut beets, first and set aside. Then do carrots, onion and end with potatoes to soak up color and onion flavor. Put carrots and onions into water. Once it’s hot add potatoes bay leaf, bouillon and garlic. Then add beets. After they’ve cooked a while if you’ve cut them similarly you should not be able to tell carrots from potatoes etc. Add cabbage toward end otherwise it will disintegrate, but make sure it is soft before serving. Add Tomato sauce. Salt and Pepper. White Vinegar. ½ --1 tbs—(will get stronger when leftover so err on the side of less)



Notes:
I'd use a little 8 oz can of plain sauce (be careful they've starting adding all sorts of stuff to those little cans of tomato sauce and I always accidentally get one with basil or something). If you taste it and it seems to be lacking tomato then add some more. (I bet that's helpful--sorry I can't be more precise)
I's say 12 cups of liquid either water and beef boulioun or beef broth.

Consider this a rough draft of a recipe. I meant to update it after I made it but I didn't. Soup is forgiving though.

And of course the sour cream is put in each bowl when it's served not mixed into the pot. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(From Betty Crocker Kids Cook!)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I like it with dark brown sugar...it's more caramel tasting)
1/2 cup butter, softened  
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (only use a pinch when using salted butter)
1 cup chocolate chips (or add toffee bits or white chips and cranberries, or mini M&Ms...)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375.  Mix egg, sugars, and butter.  Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop onto parchment paper or ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes until starting to get very light brown in spots.  Makes 18-24 cookies.

Can pre scoop and freeze. Just bake an extra minute or so.

I think my favorite time I did half salted and half unsalted butter and did 1/4 tsp coarse salt. Gave a nice salty kick. Next time I might instead use flake salt on top. Kyle thinks these are, dare I say, better than Panera's Kitchen Sink cookies. First time he tried them he said they were "heaven in my mouth."  Super easy and super yummy ;)  ENJOY!