Zucchini Muffins

Had a huge zucchini from the garden I wanted to use up so tweaked my favorite Mom's Zucchini Bread Recipe to make a bit healthier and I also wanted to make muffins for some super quick breakfasts and snacks because I decided even cutting a slice of bread and eating from a plate feels like just too much work sometimes. This recipe can make about 6 dozen small muffins, or it can make two (maybe 3 depending on your pan size) loaves of bread. I made 27 muffins and one loaf of bread. My kids love picking veggies from our garden and find it absolutely thrilling to actually eat or help cook with the very thing they've watched grow outside and picked themselves. But if it's a battle to get your kids to eat their veggies, this is a great way to sneak them in because these are sweet and tasty enough that they won't even know they are in there. I think a crunchy brown sugar crumb topping would also taste really good on these, but I opted to leave out the extra calories on this batch.

What You Will Need:

- 3 cups grated zucchini (about 1 large zucchini or 3 small) Do not drain the zucchini! The natural water in the zucchini will add to the moisture of the bread

- 1 cup chopped walnuts

- 3 cups flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 3 teaspoons cinnamon

- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 1 cup white sugar

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1 cup oil (to make the 'healthier' version, substitute 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce).

- 3 eggs (healthier substitution - 2 egg whites and 2 mashed bananas)

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 325 and line your muffin pans with cups or grease & flour your bread pan.

- Sift all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl - your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon.

- Beat eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar in a separate bowl.

- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.

- Mix in your walnuts and grated zucchini, then pour batter into your prepared pans.

- Bake at 325 for 15 minutes if doing muffins or 55 minutes for bread. Definitely watch a few minutes before time, every few minutes I'd take out and test until the toothpick came out clean.

- Let cool, remove from pan, and enjoy!

DIY Magnetic Chalkboard

What I had hanging iny kitchen "Before":

And our new Magnetic Chalkboard "After":

With my son starting kindergarten (I know...what!) this week and the past few days in the 60s, I am all in super amped up back-to-school and organization mode. Just completed this DIY project (that was kind of hanging over my head for a while) to help bring a little more aesthetically pleasing organization to my kitchen slash life....I love the idea of a magnetic chalkboard because it serves the double purpose of being able to hang all.the.things that clutter my life kitchen - invitations, calendars, pictures, Landon's beautiful art work, school notices/reminders with magnets, as well as give you the ability to write your own notes, to-do's, quotes, lists, reminders, or even full fledge calendar with easily erasable chalk. With a stainless steel fridge, I had no place to hang all these things, and looking to buy my own in the large size I wanted was hundreds of dollars! SO I made my own and it was really easy enough for anyone to do. Other ideas of places to hang other than your kitchen: above a child's desk, in a home office, or play room.  Total cost of making this in this large size was about $45
Here's What You Need:
- a Frame. I bought my frame from Hobby Lobby (their backless frames are 50% off every week, so this one was normally $70 that I got for $35). Mine is a 24x 36":

- Sheet Metal. I bought mine from Home Depot. They actually carried sheet metal in exactly my frame's size so it worked out, but they will cut for free if you ask them to nicely in their tool rental section :)

- Chalkboard Paint. Because the magnets will work great against the metal you don't need a magnetic primer. Chalkboard paint can be found right in the paint section at Home Depot or Lowes.
- Roller/pan. I used the small one, any size will really do. Just don't use a paintbrush. The roller allows for the most even-tone coverage.

- Optional wood backing. If you buy a backless frame like I did you might want to get some additional wood backing for more support. You can put the painted sheet metal in without it, but the guys at Home Depot helped cut me down an additional thin wood backing to provide a little more support/baking, which I am really happy with. If you buy a frame that already had a backing you can use that. You will also need Bracket clips or nails to nail in the backing.
- Mount. Any mounting hardware will work.
Directions:
1. Paint your sheet metal. Wait for each coat to dry completely before painting another coat. I did a total of 4-5 coats.

This picture above is what it looked like after the first coat- even after the second it will still have some metal showing through, make sure you let dry completely before you start your next coat and do a good 4-5 coats.
2. Cut down sheet metal to size (can have them do this for you at Home Depot), and insert into frame.
3. If using a backless frame, cut down wood backing to size and nail in to secure into frame.

4. Hang mount according to package directions.
5. Hang up your new magnetic chalkboard and de-clutter your life and get organized for the school year!

Bits of Life Lately

    

proof that they really do love each other

garden picked tomatoes and basil, and my hand painted ceramic from Thrown Elements Pottery

Black Tie Wedding attire

& you guys ... my dress - Target

Date Night Nature Walk in beautiful Barrington

A grainy, blurry family movie night selfie

I know.

Blair's first ball game ... Made it to about the second inning

Shameless celebrity selfie with the talented Jordin Sparks ... love her new album!

Life's A Beach

Soaking up our last few nights of summer before school starts next week...

Bits of Life Lately

The Sacred In The Crazy

Make me a servant

Humble and meek

Lord let me lift up those who are weak

And may the prayer of my heart always be 

Make me a servant 

Make me a servant

Make me a servant today

I have found this to be the ONLY song Blair likes to be sung to her. It somehow completely calms her down and every night I rock her to sleep in my arms singing it softly to her. Once we were finished breastfeeding I got really sad thinking we wouldn't have anymore bonding experiences together, but sitting in this rocking chair lulling her to sleep with this song ... it does something in my heart and it reminds me that every day I am called to be the best servant I can be to these little people. 
Sometimes this work can feel unimportant and frustrating and so tiring. Many moments and many days I feel completely frazzled, forgetful, chaotic, and overwhelmed. But these moments, quietly singing this song to a beautiful, sweaty sleeping child sticking against my chest, I can experience a quiet-- sacred, space. Sometimes with life going at full speed I think we forget that the chaos, craziness, and times we feel overwhelmed won't last forever. It's not always a reflection of us. Even the hard stages of motherhood, they all pass and they are all temporary. For good or for bad. But it's only in the wake of those moments - the ones we might wish away - that we can really, fully feel the depth of the good parts. The light needs the dark to shine and in that sense I think we've got to know what the noise feels like to appreciate the peace. All you mamas out there, keep on keeping on. You are doing hard, hugely important work. We wouldn't get to experience the depths of the sacred without the pits of the crazy ... And help us to learn to be grateful for both. <3