Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

I really like a slice for breakfast

Along with summer comes natures bounty. With summer ending, I'm trying to preserve some of that freshness to enjoy all winter long. This year my garden didn't give me many tomatoes. I had 7 chipmunks (trapped and relocated) living and tunneling through my garden. They ate their way through my tomatoes as fast as they would turn pink. And oh how they loved my berries! But, my zucchini was plentiful.  I'm always looking for ways to use them up! As I run through a list of possibilities in my head,  I'm reminded of the Forrest Gump movie and the shrimp possibilities...zucchini fritters, zucchini quiche, zucchini cakes, zucchini incorporated in the cheese filling of my stuffed shells, grilled zucchini and then there is zucchini bread! I remember when my kids were young, they were very picky about their veggies. Zucchini bread was something they always loved and, I would smile slyly as I cut them an extra slice.


My grandfather had a very large garden, and the thing I remember most was the huge quantity of tomatoes and peaches he would have at the end of  summer. Before the first frost, he would have all of us running around gathering as many of those tomatoes as we could. Then my grandmother and mom would be canning tomatoes and making sauce and putting it up for the winter.  I remember walking into the kitchen with both of them hard at work and the kitchen feeling like a sauna. Several pots of boiling water on the stove...one to drop the tomatoes into for a few minutes so the skins would easily come off, and one for the water bath. They would also be canning peaches and pears from our fruit trees.  Of course, there would always be a peach pie! Yum!
I don't do canning. I freeze, make jam, bake breads and pies that incorporate the veggies...like this zucchini bread! I have several recipes for Zucchini Bread that I absolutely love. This one is healthy and delicious! Hope you have a few zucchini left over to give it a try! I found this recipe years ago in BHG.
 


Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3/4 cup raisins

directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon; set aside. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining sugar, the applesauce, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in zucchini, nuts, and raisins. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.

2.Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap and store several hours before slicing. Makes 16 slices.

Some of my beautiful zucchini

Grated zucchini

Batter for the bread...with nuts being stirred in

Ready for the oven

This bread is so delicious...and healthy