{ Zucchini Bread Muffin Recipe }

I know I mentioned in my last post how I have dozens of monster zucchini growing in my garden, I figured what better to do with them then make tons of zucchini bread and muffins and freeze 'em! I realize that a lot of you probably have tons of zucchini ready to harvest as well so I thought I'd share my recipe. Now I have tried TONS of zucchini bread recipes but this one is hands down the very best!

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

{1}Preheat oven to 325 degrees F .Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.

{2}In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture.

Divide batter into prepared pans.

{3}Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

 

* I never add the walnuts since I am not a fan of nuts in baked goods but I have added chocolate chips and it turned out great. I also do half oil and half apple sauce to try to make it a bit more healthy. Also watch your bread/muffins because mine NEVER takes as long as it states to bake.

 

Does anyone else have any great recipes for zucchini?

{ The One With All The Random Stuff }

So much stuff going on recently....

{1} We have had this rubbermaid 5 shelf thing in our garage since...well since we built our house! It used to hold all the extra pantry like food items that our small pantry could not hold. It was seriously weighed down! Over a year ago we got all these FREE shelfs from my old job and we intended all along to put them up in our garage so that we could actually have a decent area for food storage. Shoot forward to the present...we finally went and bought the brackets/hardware and hung them all up! We organized all our food storage out there and now it's SOOO nice! Kinda like my own little grocery store! ♥ it!

{2} I really want to re-paint my livingroom and add some board and batten to the walls..BUT..before I can go starting another massive project I have to finish up my scrapbook room. So I am proud to say that I have finished painting it all ( a really pretty grey color) and I have finished putting up the beadboard wallpaper (which rocks!) and now all I need to do is have Geoff help we install the chair rail around the room! I'll post pictures once everything is back in it's place!

{3} We are growing a garden again this year with cucumbers, yellow and green zucchini, onions, snow peas, watermelon, tomatos and strawberries. Well our zucchini plants were taking over! They were growing SO big so finally we decided to trim some of the leaves of just a bit. Tonight Geoff went out there to water and came in and told me that it might be time to pick a few of the zucchini. I followed him out and sure enough a half dozen of the zucchini were the size of my forearm! No joke! So I guess trimming the plant did it some good. Anyone have a any good recipes involving zucchini other than bread?

{4} A couple weeks back my sister and me went to Ross Water park in Pocatello with my friend Ashley and her daughter Addy. Us girls had so much fun just watching Addy run around in the zero depth pool that they have and floating the lazy river. At one point Addy found herself a little beau to boss around and we three adults found ourselves super entertained by the little "couple" It was SO cute, Addy simply just told him what to do and he jumped to it!

{5} Made this new recipe for Greek Pasta Salad and it was DELISH! Find the recipe here.

{6} Lately I have been obsessed in looking at home decor blogs and what not and I found THIS A*M*A*Z*I*N*G blog! I just love her style and her tutorials rock! Everyone needs to check out the

House of Smith's blog for sure!

Other then that I hope everyone is having a GREAT summer!

{ ABC's }

A- My AIR CONDITIONER is set on:
68 degrees...yes I realize that seems low but Geoff and I really like it cool.


B- My BEDROOM theme is:
Mocha colored walls, white furniture, chocolate and teal fleur-de-lis print bedding, lots of picture frames with photos of just Geoff and I ( we are SO vain).


C- The CAR in the driveway is:
A white Ford Explorer


D- My DESK looks:
Looks like a scrapbooking store vomited ALL over it! I am in the middle of serveral projects currently.


E- The EXACT time I wake up daily is:
I don't really have a SET time when I wake up. It varies day to day.


F- The FIRST thing I wash in the shower is:
My hair



G- My GARAGE is filled with:
Geoff's truck, Geoff's bullet bike, a punching bag, various totes with random crap, lots of lawn stuff, furniture that I bought on the cheap and need to refinish, etc


H- My HOUSE is:
A constant work in progress. As soon as I finish painting and decorating all the rooms I have to start all over with a new idea!


I- If you peeked INSIDE my bedroom you'd see:
A made up bed along with two dogs that seem to think it belongs to them!


J- My favorite JUICE is:
Pomagranate Apple



K- The best part of my KITCHEN is:
That it is huge, seriously it's like my kitchen ate two other kitchen. I love it!


L- The LAST person who visited my home was:
Some missionaries were here a few days ago.



M- The last piece of MAIL for me was:
I think it was either a insurance offer or a postcard from Tai Pan with coupons


N- My NEIGHBORS think I'm:
Uhh let's not even go there...lol


O- If you OPENED my fridge you'd see:
A whole lot of stuff- milk, sweet tea, strawberries, grapes, greek yogurt, leftovers, carrots, condiments, cream cheese, etc


P- My last house PARTY was:
A house party? Well the last party I had at my house was in May



Q- A QUICK meal I like to fix is:
Crock pot lasagna, super simply and yummy!


R- My favorite ROOM of the house is:
Probably my scrapbook room, even though it's not 100% the way I want it. My kitchen is a close second.


S- The SHAMPOO brand I use is:
Usually use Tresemme sometimes I change it up though


T- My largest TELEVISION is:
42 inches I think...



U- UNDER my bed you will find:
Nothing...well maybe a dog toy.



V- The last time I VACUUMED was:
Today. Seriously with two dogs AND two cats vacuuming is a daily thing around here.


W- Looking out my WINDOW I see:
The kids that live in the house behind mine jumping on their tramp...haha with a sprinkler under it! I remember doing that except we also put dish soap on the tramp to make it slippery!



X- I wish I had X-TRA:
 Everything!


Y- My YARD is:
Needing to be mowed, and have some serious weed killer put down in a couple areas!


Z- ZZZZZZZ My bedtime is:
Usually pretty late...like midnight

{ New Dinner Recipes }

I thought I would start posting the recipes that I find online and make and really enjoy so those of you out there can make them as well. So here is a few I have tested lately...

{1} Lemon Basil Pasta w/ Grilled Chicken- I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks, if you have never visited this blog you need to. NOW. She always has the most amazing recipes w/ step by step photos that are so helpful. This recipe was SO good! Everyone was raving about it when I made it. Very simple as well whch is always a bonus.

{2} Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs- This recipe was great because not only was it so delicious but you make it in the crockpot! I serioulsy have a love affair going on w/ my crockpot since it's been so warm outdoors...This takes a few kinda random ingredients that I doubt you have in your pantry such as fish sauce and red chili paste but is still really worth making!

{3} Ice Cream Sundae Brownies- Now I know these are not a dinner but I just had to give a shout out. These brownies were AMAZING. I found the recipe on Picky Palate and seriously now just wanna add ice cream to EVERYTHING I bake. I made these and took them to Oregon for my family reunion and let's just say they were a BIG hit!

{ Recent Happenings }

Does anyone else have an extremely hard time blogging during the summer months? The weather is too nice and therefore provides far too many distractions. In an attempt to somewhat keep everyone up to speed here is the quick list of recent going on's in our house.

* Geoff and I made a trip to Sisters, Oregon last month for a family reunion on my dad's side. We rented these amazing cabins at Black Butte Ranch and had a great time hanging out with family!

* 4th of July was a blast. We did the usually, had a BBQ, watched the fireworks down by the river, set off our own fireworks, took in a baseball game and went tubing at Warm River.

* My friends Ashley and I have been taking the Wilton cake decorating class at Michael's. We completed the first series of classes in June and are now on to the second series. I think it's safe to say that I do not have a future at a professional, however I do have a lot of fun trying!

* I met Jill in said Wilton class and found that she hosts some great crops at her house every other weekend which is great since Roberts closed I haven't been able to find a crop I enjoy. Bonus: Jill is freaking funny! Check out her blog by clicking on her name above.

* The INL had the largest ever recorded wild land fire so Geoff was super excited to have some actual BIG flames to put out. He ended up spending  5 straight days on call as a result. Needless to say I think he was just as excited when he finally got to come home!

* I finally found a great armoire to house my TV in my living room. The best part? It was $50.00 on Craigslist. Which is an amazing deal considering it is a Broyhill. Stay tuned for the before and after pictures as I attempt to refinish in myself!

* The weather has finally heated up enough that we had to turn on the good old AC. Which now means that even our dogs are reluctant to want to leave the cool house and venture into the backyard!

That about wraps it up! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

{ L ♥ v e }

Here's the list of things I'm loving on right now......

{1} Dear Lizzy Enchanted Line from American Crafts. Now technically this line won't be released until Summer 2010 CHA but I still am drooling over it almost daily. Just love the colors and prints!

{2} M&M Pretzels....I am digging the sweet and salty combo of these newest little creations from M&M.

{3} Sure Cuts A Lot software for my cricut....this amazing software now allows me to cut any of my TrueType fonts. No more spending $50.00 on ONE cartridge for me!

{4} Whippy Cake Hair Accessories....now I can make these on my own but hers are just so lovely. Amazing color combos...

{5} TomKat Studios....you want to drool over some serious eye candy? Look no further. Gosh I could spend literally hours looking through this blog.

{6} My new Lime Ricki swimsuit.....I just love their swimwear! So cute!

{ 4th of July Cuteness }

The 4th of July is THIS weekend! I just love the 4th of July, its hands down my favorite holiday. I came across some super cute red, white and blue ideas that I'd like to share....

{1} This adorable ruffle flag shirt from Make it and Love It.....you can find it here. I am seriously considering making one for myself...I mean your never too old to wear a ruffle flag shirt right?

{2} This delicious looking chocolate dipped pretzels....wouldn't they look so cute on your 4th of July bbq table in a cute little mason jar or such? This would be a great recipe to make with your kids also!

{ 3} These amazing looking red. white and blue tarts from Martha Stewart. I'm drooling just looking at the picture of these! Find the recipe here.

{4} Another Martha Stewart recipe...Vanilla Raspberry Sundaes w/ Spoon Shaped Cookies!

Find the recipe here.

{5} Super cute red. white and blue decor! Look at those cute stars in the salad!

{6} And my favorite the perfect 4th of July cake! This one is from Make it and Love it as well as part of their new Make-A-Cake series. Super cute cake right?

And then SURPRISE! It's even cuter once you slice it!

I am for sure making this cake for this weekend! You can find out how she did it here.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July weekend!

{ We Have....}

Lately with the gorgeous weather we have been having Geoff and I have been hanging outside in the evening and doing a lot of THIS....

and THIS....

and of course after you done that for a hour you must do THIS....

{ Delicious...}

Any ideas as to what this fab little stack of fabrics has been turned into? Pictures to come....

{ Love at first sight...sigh }

Omigosh how I love these necklaces! I have been seeing them all over the blog world and these two have got to be my absolute favorites! Who is not loving the color combo with the yellow, teal and gray....♥♥♥. I have attempted this look with headbands and they came out pretty stinkin' cute so I am going to have to give these a try! Wish me luck! I'll post pictures if they turn out!

{ 20 Things I Bet You Didn't Know About Me }

1} I hate using paper plates.
2} I am addicted to celeb gossip magazines like In Touch and US Weekly
3} I hate my feet...and anyone elses for that matter.
4} My favorite author is Jodi Picoult...I ♥ that I can never guess how her stories will end.
5} I am attempting to become more organized.
6} I spent 7+ years working in a hardware store.
7} I am a fantastic bread maker...surprisingly.
8} I use more hairspray then anyone I know.
9} I can't eat chicken in restaurants for fear it's undercooked.
10} I have only lived in 2 states my entire life...and I am okay with that.
11} I HAVE to purchase new earrings anytime I buy a new shirt/outfit. Therefore I have more earrings then I can count.
12} I believe I will be an excellent mother...when the day comes.
13} I have no understanding of the inner workings of a vacuum cleaner. I never have been able to change a bag or a belt. Ever. People have made fun of me for it. I don't care.
14} I could spend hours searching through the Target clearance sections. And many times I have!
15} I hate cars that are any color EXCEPT white, black, red and yellow. Although the champagne color is growing on me.
16} I ♥ animals. I stop along the side of the road weekly to pick up lost/stray dogs and find their owners. Seriously weekly.
17} I despise roller coaster rides.
18} I dream about building a dream house one day. I am constantly collecting ideas for it.
19} I ♥ dessert for breakfast...and breakfast for dinner.
20} I am addicted to chap stick. NOT lip gloss. Chap stick. I have hundreds of tubes/pots all over my house, purse and car.

{ Boys Will Be Girls }

{ Bountiful Basket }

Recently a friend of mine told me about this food co-op called Bountiful Basket. Basically you get on their website (http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/) and sign up and every Monday you place your order for your "basket". Baskets cost only $15.00 or $25.00 for a 100% organic basket. You then go to your chosen pick-up location on Saturday and retrieve your "basket". Let me tell you, it is SO worth every penny! You get so much fresh food for the money...easily over $50 worth had you gone to a typical market/store. Last weekend Geoff and I picked up out basket and it had....

8 Apples
8 Oranges
2 Giant bags of Red Grapes
1 Large carton of Strawberries
4 Grapefruit
1 Pineapple
1 Cantalope
6 Large Carrots
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Package of Cherry Tomatos
1 Package of Mushrooms
2 Crowns of Broccoli
4 Sweet Potatoes

Plus we paid an extra $7 and got the Mexican Pack which came with...

4 Avocados
6 Large Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Pack of Cilantro
6 Jalapenos
5 Limes
4 Green Onions
4 White Onions

And for $10 you can add on 5 loaves of Whole Wheat bread which I hear is delicious. Serioulsy where else can you get that much fresh food for $22. I strongly urge everyone to check it out. The great thing is your basket is different every week and it's always produce thats in season so you get to try alot of items you might never purchase at the store! I think they currently have offerings in Idaho, Utah,Arizona, and Washington, and maybe more. However I know if you are interested in it for your town you can contact the gals and try to get one up and running!I know one thing for sure...we will be for sure purchasing our basket next Monday!

{ Nooks }

I think it's so fun to see how everyone decorates there house/craft areas! I have to admit I love looking at blogs for this reason so that being said...what are some of your favorite corner/nooks in your house? Here is some quick shots of mine!

{ HOppy Easter }

Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter!

{ I AM }

I am Thinking...


I really hope the weather holds up this week because I am beyond ready for spring!


I am Wearing...

Dark jeans, white lace top, brown cardigan, brown ballet flats.


I am Creating...

A new scrapbook room. When Geoff and I first built our house I painted my scrapbook room bright pink. Well that ended up giving me a headache so I have tried several other colors and finally settled on a light gray on the top half of the room with a chair rail and this amazing wallpaper on the bottom half. So now I need repaint my wall shelfs black, make new curtains and pillows, and add new decor in the new colors of light gray, black, red, and teal. I'll post pictures when it's finished!

I am Reading...

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. I adore all of her books. She always manages to completely shock you in the last chapter!

I am Looking Forward To...

Getting my fence installed next month, summer, and girls weekend in SLC the last weekend in April


I am Hearing...

Nothing. Geoff is at work and my dogs are in the back yard. I take that back I can hear the kids outside playing!


Around the House...

Kira, our malamute, is shedding like crazy which means I have to vacuum every 2.5 seconds to try to keep up! Thinking of taking her to Petsmart to get their new Furminator treatment!

Some of My Favorite Things Right Now...

Geoff, my cute little animals, the weather, my job, yummy banana bread, potato/egg salad, my new brown ballet flats, and the fact that my house and garage is super clean!

My Upcoming Plans...

Traveling to Spokane for work conferences in April, Girls weekend the next week in SLC, where we will hit up Tai Pan, IKEA, Hobby Lobby, Melting Pot, and every mall w/in a ten mile radius!

{ Scrapbook }

{ Amazing Lemon Blueberry Muffins }

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening (or butter*)
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this makes extra - you can try cutting it down if you want...I personally like lots!)

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tb lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar


Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs, milk and shortening. Stir in blueberries. Add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

*I substitute butter because I love the taste! It works great either way.

{ Darbi }

My little sister asked me to take some pictures that she could give her boyfriend for Valentines Day.....this was my favorite from the bunch!