This past week, I had a day off where I could do all my necessary errands. The number one item on my to-do list? New work shoes.
Being on my feet for 8+ hours a day means that I need super comfy shoes that are still business professional… which can be a challenge to find. So we ended up going to a specialty shoe store that we used to go to with my grandmother, the YIA-C. She had extremely hard-to-fit feet and needed special sizes… so every time she would come to my house, we’d go shoe shopping. I can still remember her picking out the same style of shoe (but this season’s version) and buy it in three colors – black, tan, and blue. It was a tradition that may have seemed mundane at the time, but now, I look back fondly.
Unfortunately, my grandmother is unable to visit us anymore so the trips to the shoe store ceased… until this week when I showed up to the store and bought two pairs of shoes – black and gray. I felt so connected with her during that trip, my mom and I reminiscing about our trips there so many years ago. So when I got home, I decided to continue to honor the YIA-C and make the other thing she was famous for – her zucchini bread. Our visits together never went without a loaf of her famous zucchini bread for breakfast (with some extra muffins to enjoy after she left!).
While this zucchini bread is not winning any nutrition prizes, I believe that food not only nourishes the body but the soul as well. This zucchini bread recipe helps me connect with my grandmother and keep the cherished memories of our breakfasts together alive.
Zucchini bread starts with…
…you guessed it – zucchini. You need a heaping 3 cups, so a couple medium-sized ones will do. Or part of a huge zucchini. Your choice.
The dry ingredients are super simple – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I actually sifted them together…
I am super lazy when it comes to sifting but please don’t skip this. It gives the bread a great texture.
For the wet ingredients, grab your stand mixer, your hand mixer, or get your exercise and use a whisk.
Beat together some sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and some vanilla.
The slowly add the dry ingredients… and don’t take a picture because you were spacing out thinking about how good this zucchini bread is going to taste.
When the batter is just combined, add in the zucchini.
And some walnuts. The YIA-C put walnuts in her’s and they do add a nice crunch. But if walnuts are not your thing, please feel free to leave them out.
Pour into two loaf pans and bake for about 45-60 minutes at 325.
Then you have two loaves of delicious perfection.
A great accompaniment for coffee, tea, milk, juice, or ice cream!
And a perfect remembrance of wonderful mornings spent with my grandmother.
oxox,
Her Granddaughter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 heaping cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8”x4” loaf pans with non-stick spray and place parchment paper on the bottoms. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- To combine the wet ingredients, use either a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or a bowl and whisk – your choice. In a bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Gently fold the zucchini and walnuts into the batter. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool slightly, remove from the pans, and then let cool completely. Enjoy!
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