The Sisters' Zucchini Bread

This summer, for the first time in 13 years, I decided not to grow a backyard garden. I even grew a clandestine veggie garden outside my apartment while in Med school, so this was a big change! Instead, we bought shares in a local CSA and we've been up to our ears in produce. I've never had so much salad in all my life! The challenge of 'eating down' the veggies before the next week's share is delivered has been fun. I've also enjoyed the variety of vegetables.

With my small home garden, I never had the space for a sprawling zucchini plant, so we've never enjoying baking it up in bread. This recipe is adapted from my mother-in-law. This is the tried and true recipe that 'The Sisters' use...meaning that this recipe has passed the test in the kitchens of 3 Midwest grandmothers. While not exactly low-fat or low in sugar, it is classic.

Sisters' Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 heaping cups grated zucchini, skin and all
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 egg replacers ( I use Ener-G)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour (I have experimented with 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat and it works)
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

Crumb Topping (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 T. dairy-free margarine, melted ( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)
1/2 t. cinnamon

1.) Preheat oven to 325.
2.) Mix the first set of wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3.) Mix the second set of dry ingredients together in a larger bowl.
4.) Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until everything is just blended.
5.) Divide the batter evenly between two greased bread pans.
6.) Mix the crumb topping ingredients together in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the batter. You'll have extra, so save it in the freezer for topping muffins someday.
7.) Bake for 1 hour. They're done when the center is set. You can try inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out dry, or just touch the tops. When they spring back, the bread is done.
8.) Let them rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove from the pans to a cooling rack.

The first loaf gets devoured immediatly, the second loaf gets cut into slices. I put a small piece of waxed paper or parchment between each slice and freeze...perfect for lunches or mid-day snacks!

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NDQ Sandwiches

From the age of 14 until 20, I spent every summer working in various ice cream shops, everything from the little local stores all the way up to the big time...a real authentic Dairy Queen. At Dairy Queen, the secrets of the Buster Bar, Dilly Bar, DQ Sandwich and the Perfect DQ curl were finally revealed. I wish I could say that all those summers ruined me from ice cream, but I'm pretty resiliant. I probably eat ice cream every day in one form or another. The DQ Sandwich is still my favorite little treat, and I'm happy to present the Non-Dairy Queen Sandwich.

Now, there are plenty of dairy and egg-free ice cream sandwiches available at the grocery store made by Tofutti or So Delicious. But those are soft sandwiches, not to mention that the Tofutti chocolate cookie is made of some crazy mix of cocoa and glue because it sticks terribly to toddler fingers and teeth. These are crisp cookies, and super chocolatey. The ice cream is so easy to make, I'm a bit embarrased to post it...but after all that hard work on the cookies you deserve a break!

NDQ Sandwiches

(Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches)

1 1/2 cups cake flour (I use Swan's Down, be careful...Pillsbury Softasilk has egg and dairy.)
3/4 cup cocoa powder ( I use Nestle)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks (14T) dairy-free margarine, room temp ( I use Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine)

1.) I found these to be pretty fussy as far as measuring goes. For the flour, cocoa and powdered sugar, I first fluffed up the item to be measured with a spoon or my measuring cup and then scooped with the measuring cup and leveled off with a knife.
2.) Place everything except the margarine into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
3.) Slice the margarine into the food processor bowl.
4.) Pulse about 8-10 times until the margarine is well blended, the mixture is still crumbly and hasn't come together into a ball yet.
5.) Dump the crumbly mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat disk.
6.) Refrigerate for at least an hour.
7.) Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 3 inch rounds or hearts. I have a really cool set of nesting fluted round cutters that I got from Amazon, which I use all the time, the biggest size is perfect. Decorate with toothpick or cookie cutter impressions if you want.
8.) Place the cookies on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer.
9.) Preheat the oven to 350 while the cookies freeze.
10.) Bake for 10-12 minutes. They should puff up, then flatten out. When they start smelling good, they're probably ready.
11.) Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack, they're pretty fragile when hot.
12.) When cool, you can fill them with ice cream and freeze. Because the cookies are crisp, make sure the whole sandwich is well frozen before eating...otherwise the ice cream slides out!

The World's Easiest Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

3 cups mini-marshmallows or 20 big ones
3 cups Silk Vanilla Creamer (about 1 1/2 pints)

1.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows, 30 seconds at a time. Slowely pour in the creamer, wisking everything together until smooth.
2.) Freeze in an ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart, which works really well. Williams-Sonoma has a deal right now with an extra bowl, which is great to have.

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Back at it

August just slipped through my fingers, I'm still in a bit of denial about driving two kids to school every morning now. Jack, the 2 year old, has registered his protest about sitting in the 5 point harness for 45 minutes each day. I have a feeling he is going to chub up quite a bit this year, I just keep chucking food back at him.

Speaking of which, I went to the health food store to stock up on some treats and supplies and came away just narrowly missing our 4th ER visit in a year for little Jack (the first three visits were for a prolonged febrile seizure, anaphylaxis after his first sip of cow's milk and a head laceration...when we go, we go big).

The culprit this time was an apparently benign box of Enjoy Life Caramel Apple cookies. You know Enjoy Life, right? "Eat-freely, allergy-friendly, gluten-free and free of the 8 most common allergens." Well, I guess we've moved beyond the top 8.

He was squawking, I grabbed the box off the shelf, opened it and gave him one so I could go on reading labels in peace. He coughed, I looked up and thought I should read the box...sunflower butter....hmm. Well, he's had sunflower oil before, our other allergic kid eats Sunbutter without a problem. I took the cookie away anyway and gave him some gluten free pretzels to calm his crying, sending up a quick prayer, "Come on Lord, give me a little break here, let us have sunflower seeds."

Apparently, we don't get many breaks around here. Fortunately, this resolved after 4 hours with just some Benadryl and driving around in that air-conditioned 5 point harness car seat to keep him from scratching his skin off.

iPhone distraction technique

His forehead laceration is still healing for crying out loud!

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