All over the map...

Disclaimer: This post is all over the map with thoughts and pictures. I'm trying to make connections but I might be stretching it...

Although I'm in complete and utter denial about school starting up (our K-12 system doesn't start until after Labor day) Emma insisted that we needed to do a teeny tiny bit of school shopping today. She's now the proud owner of skinny jeans, a brown sweater vest and brown loafers.



We're getting ready to celebrate my Mom's birthday on Sunday.



After my latest trip to the Allegan Antique Fair, I'm just so excited to put my new fan appetizer plates to good use. Check out our fancy table spread. Hey family - Josie's rearranged everything at least three times, so there is no guarantee everything will be in the same place by the time you arrive. To make the paper lantern using a votive candle holder, click here to see a previous post.



Aside from birthday festivities and good food, the weather is suppose to be unbelievably HOT. I'm hopeful that our nephews and the girls can finally enjoy the pool. I think the girls have been in our little above-ground pool less than five times all summer. Our solar cover just hasn't had much to work with when the temperatures have been in the 70s. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for pool pictures (and I guarantee they won't be of ME).

Despite the strange summer weather in West Michigan, our little garden has managed to produce some lovely zucchini. I tweaked a muffin recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook and made some yummy zucchini bread this weekend. I added half a cup of shredded apple to give it some additional flavor. Between you and I, the reason I used a muffin recipe stead of a bread recipe, was because I was short on flour. The bread wasn't quite as tall as a normal loaf, but it was equally delicious.



Here's my modified recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded apple
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I substituted applesauce for oil)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray
*extra cinnamon and sugar for bread topping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine flour and next five dry ingredients in a bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. Combine zucchini, apple, milk, oil (or applesauce) and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
4. Spoon batter into a bread pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon of sugar to 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and dust batter with cinnamon/sugar topping.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. If you are making them as muffins, bake at 2o minutes.
7. Remove bread or muffins immediately from pan; place on a wire rack to cool.



Hope you are having a fabulously relaxing weekend. I'm trying to!!