THE CAVENDER DIARY

Bored,

Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored, Bored……

In the past couple of weeks we have done everything we can to keep ourselves busy; we’ve cleaned out the garage, every closet, every drawer. I’ve painted art, made candles, taught my dog a few new tricks, built a wood storage box for the bathroom, and revamped an industrial pendant. We’ve taken long walks and watched everything there is on Disney+ and Netflix.

EVERYTHING.

Everyone on the Face-Space seems to be baking banana bread.

But we don’t have any bananas.

After a quick survey of the kitchen, we do have zucchini and carrots.

So today we’re making Zucchini/Carrot Bread.

That’s right, now I’m making bread with leftover vegetables.

Here’s what ya need:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
•  1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2  Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Oil
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Chopped Pecans
• 1 Cup Shredded Zucchini
• 1 Cup Shredded Carrots

Shift together the first 6 ingredients – flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder – into a bowl and set asside.

In a separate bowl use a kitchen mixer to mix together the next 6 ingredients – sugar, brown sugar, oil, honey, vanilla, and eggs – on low until well-blended.

*Here’s a helpful hint. Measure the honey in the same measuring cup you use for the oil. The light coating of oil will help it to slide right out. You’re welcome.

Now to grate the veggies.

If you happen have a food processor, aren’t you lucky?

If you’re like me, and don’t have a fancy food processor, just use a regular cheese grater over a bowl.

Be careful of those fingertips – no one wants any extra strips of protein.

Grate the zucchini first and then squeeze out as much of the water as you can.

Not need to do this with the carrots. They have almost no liquid. If you’ve ever juiced one, you know this already.

Two 8-inch veggies will make just about a cup shredded. There are no exact measurements here. If you want more, then add more.

Roughly chop a cup of pecans.

Why pecans and not walnuts?

Because Texas, that’s why.

Mix the shredded vegetables and about 3/4 of the pecans into the wet mixture.

Then slowly fold in the dry mixture with a spatula, about a 1/2 cup at a time.

You want to make sure everything is mixed well; no clumps, no dry pockets.

Divide the mixture into two 8-inch loaf pans. I sprayed them down with a butter flavored cooking spray first.

Now bake the loaves at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes.

(After 50 minutes, your house should smell like heaven. Insert a toothpick into the middle of one. If it come out clean, they’re ready. If not, pop them back into the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes.)

Let the hot bread sit-in the pan for about five minutes then gently slide them out and let them cool on a drying rack.

I smear a big layer of cream cheese over the top of the bread and sprinkle it with the remaining pecans.

It’s a dense bread,

Almost cake-like, but not too sweet.

Give it a try sometime…

What else are you doing?