Zucchini Bread

One of my favorite things about summer is the plethora of zucchini that is everywhere. We grow it but you can also buy them cheap at the store/market AND if people know you enjoy cooking they bring lots to you as gifts. So I always have zucchini on hand in the summer/fall...YAY!! Here's a favorite Zucchini Bread recipe that I got and adapted from several recipes I've come across.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (use all-purpose if you don't have any of this)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil (you can use applesauce if you want it healthier)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (DON'T squeeze the water out of them unless you want dry bread)
• 1 cup of chocolate chips OR walnuts OR pecans (optional)

Grease and flour two bread pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl. In another bowl beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add dry sifted ingredients to this bowl and mix together. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips or nuts until combined.

Pour into bread pans and bake for 50-60 minutes (check with a toothpick to see if the middle is done). Cool bread for 30 minutes on a rack and then take it out of the pan. Let it completely cool before slicing. Enjoy!!