In the kitchen.

With the two zucchinis I had in my fridge--first vegetables harvested this season!--I decided to make a chocolate zucchini cake.

I love chocolate zucchini cake--it's so moist and delicious, and it's a good way to sneak some veggies into the children, because the green flecks are barely noticeable at all. And also, because it's chocolate. :)

This is the recipe I usually use:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened or melted

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded zucchini (I use the small holes on my cheese grater)

1 1/2 cups flour

4 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinammon

1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate chips

Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Stir in zucchini. Spoon onto greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with a couple handfuls of chocolate chips. Bake at 325 F for 40 minutes or until done.

Yum!

Yesterday I decided to do a bit more canning. I made another small batch of raspberry jam, because the first batch I made was so delicious that I know it won't last long. I also made a batch of grape jelly, using organic grape juice from the grocery store. The jelly didn't set at first--it was downright watery. I wasn't sure what I had done wrong. I tried opening one jar and boiling the contents for a few minutes. Then I poured it back into the jar and placed it in the fridge. A few hours later, it was definitely grape jelly, much to my relief. So I guess I just didn't boil it quite long enough the first time. I'll be more careful to boil jams and jellies long enough in the future.

I like my shelf downstairs, which is starting to fill up with jam. It's a lovely sight to my eyes.

We have the makings for a lot of peanut butter sandwiches there! (Actually, this is literally true, because the shelf below is filled with jars of peanut butter I bought when they were on sale.)

I hope, before the summer is over, to learn to can some other things besides jam--dill pickles perhaps, which is something else we go through a lot of around here. There's always something new to learn. :)

Comments

[Lise]

Pickles are way easier than jam...it'll seem like cake compared to getting the jam to set just right. You'll be an old pro in no time!

[Kathy in KY]

I love the looks of your raspberry and grape jellies, Miss Laura! I'll have to try your zucchini bread recipe. I used to make some with chocolate chips, too, not sure what happened to the recipe, though - so now I have yours to go by. Thanks for posting it. Take care of you and yours - have a wonderful Monday evening, from KY.

[Missus]

I like the picture of your canning shelf.

I always leave my canning on the kitchen island for 2 or 3 days after it's done, or until my husband complains it's in the way.

It doesn't need to cool that long. I just like to look at it.

[Andrea]

That jam looks delicious. The strawberry jam my husband made on Monday has not set, although it tastes great! I was really hoping to try it myself but I ran out of time before having to return to work. I'll have to remember your pointer about boiling it sufficiently. Ashley English from Small Measure has a canning book out, I've asked for a copy for my birthday!

Now that chocolate zucchini cake sounds wonderful, I knew I should have planted some this year!

[Teresa]

That cake sounds wonderful!

[Leslie]

I tried the chocolate zucchini cake today. The zucchini doesn't even affect the chocolate. I should have left the cake in the oven a few minutes more, but it is still light and kinda of fluffy, delicious. Thank you for sharing.

[Laura Jeanne]

I'm glad you liked the cake Leslie! It is amazing isn't it that you really don't even notice the zucchini at all. It just makes the cake moist. A perfect dessert for a picky 5 year old who doesn't like veggies. :)

[femmesteader]

wonderful Shelf pictures!
Laura, I too am probably at the same stage of self-sufficiency as you are. this is my first year gathering books and practicing skills. I am perhaps a bit younger than yourself, and no children, but as i type this i am listening to the "ping" of just-made-still-hot jars of Cherry Almond Jelly. :)

So far, i've got Carla Emery's book and Jackie Clay's book on home canning.

I've been dying to ask...where are you...what town? perhaps you can send me an e-mail, it's just that being in southern ontario myself, i've never known anyone local with this homesteaders' mindframe. I'm in the city too **Sad face** but hopefully not for long. we'll see.

your yard looks wonderful, and your children look happy, what a lucky woman you are!

-Femmesteader