LYDS BAKES: Zucchini Bread.

On Friday we were visiting my family for the day, and while we were there my mom and I decided to bake some zucchini bread. It's one of my favorites! Not only does it taste great, but it's quick to prep and doesn't take too terribly long to bake.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 egg

1/2 cup nut mix

In a mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl combine sugar, shredded zucchini, cooking oil, egg; mix well. Add flour mixture; stir until just combined. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from the pan; cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.


(Recipe from an older Better Homes + Gardens cookbook.)

We also made a small batch of muffins sans nuts, so that Tatum could try one. She ate half of one and really loved it! 

I definitely recommend adding butter to your slice. Just do it. 

RECIPE: let's make funnel cake.

Last night Josh decided he wanted to make funnel cakes, because he'd been wanting them for days. So we did just that.
When making them, we found that Josh likes his to be really thin and crispy, while I like mine to be thick and fluffier.
They are so easy + quick to make! And you really can't mess them up.

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2 cups of oil
2 eggs
1 + 1/3 cups of milk
4 tbsp. of sugar
2 + 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of baking powder
powdered sugar (as much as desired!)

1. Heat your oil in a deep skillet.

2. Beat together the eggs + milk. In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry mixture to the eggs + milk, beating as you go. Continue until smooth.

3. Pour the mix into a big ziploc bag and seal. Cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners and squeeze batter into the oil, working from the center of the skillet outwards. Make a fun swirly little pattern with your batter. (Remember that the amount of batter used and how you use it will determine the taste and such of your funnel cake!)

4. Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Add powdered sugar and enjoy.

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Recipe Share: Steamed Eggs w/ Vinegar + Herbs.

Yesterday Josh and I went grocery shopping. It was my first "real" grocery shopping trip, so I was pretty excited, to be honest. I made my list of items I would need for meals for the next week, and I stuck to it. I even stayed within my budget, which I was especially proud of. You guys are probably like, "Laaame."

But I'm new at this "grown-up" thing, and sometimes I think it's kind of fun. : )

So, this morning for breakfast, I made my first planned meal* for the week. I got the recipe off of the Shape magazine website. It was really, really good, so I figured I would share it with you all. Steamed Eggs w/ Vinegar + Herbs. (Click the link to be taken to the recipe!) I love that it's healthy and low in calories, without sacrificing great taste. Which I think is true for most healthful foods, but people are afraid that it won't be. You just have to give everything at least one chance! Most of the time, I think you'll find that meals like this don't disappoint. 

(source)

I cooked my eggs a little different than the recipe says to, but I'm pretty sure it's the same principle. Instead of steaming them and cooking in the oven, I poached them in a pan on the stove. I love cooking eggs like this, because they cook really beautifully and the yolk stays all gooey, which is my favorite. (If you happen to hate that gooey factor, just cook them a little longer. You'll be able to tell.)

For my eggs, once they were cooked I used oregano, sea salt, and regular vinegar to flavor them. The vinegar sounds a little off-putting, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. So if you try this recipe, I highly recommend you don't skip out on the vinegar. Don't pour it on your eggs, just a little splashing will do! 

Let me know if you decide to try this recipe out, and if you do, whether or not you liked it. : )

*I mentioned that this was one of my recipes from a planned list of meals. I decided to try a new tactic for getting on track with a healthier eating plan. I looked up lots of different meal ideas and snacks yesterday and wrote down ones that I thought sounded particularly great. I picked out enough to last for over the course of a week. Then, when Josh and I went grocery shopping, I only purchased items that were to be used for snacks and meals. I'm hoping this new approach will work, and I sort of like the planning part of it. (I'm a list maker! Shrug.)

I don't have any updates as far as my 30 Day Challenge. I threw it out the window, and I hate that I let myself down, and since I included all of you I feel that, in a way, I let you down, too. I know that's pretty silly! But I'm looking forward to the next week...knowing there will be changes in my diet, and in my exercise. In the next couple of days I'll update about things, letting you in on what I'm doing to make some changes happen.