It was one of those days. You know, one of those days where you look at the bananas on the counter and the zucchini in the refrigerator and just know you have to bake. Waste not, want not, right? So, I made two loaves of chocolate zucchini bread and a dozen banana nut muffins.

"They", the elusive "they", say that you should write what you know. I may not write what I know, but I write who I am. If Sage likes to bake, well, it's probably because I like to bake. And I like to bake.

The recipe for the zucchini bread can be found at the end of the third book in the Blue Moon Mystery series, "Desert Gold",  but I'm including it here for those who haven't yet purchased the book. (and why haven't you?) The banana muffins were made from a recipe found here:http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins/0ce7024a-b13a-4b18-852c-22f2d89ffb1a. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups freshly grated zucchini (use the freshest squash you can find. The fresher the zucchini, the moister your bread will be.)

2 tsp. vanilla

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp baking powder-

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs. cinnamon

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8x4” loaf pans

In a large bowl of mixer, beat eggs until well blended. Slowly mix in oil and sugar. Add zucchini and vanilla and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture, mix well. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake on middle rack of oven for 60-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted close to center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and continue to cool. Bread will firm as it cools. Best cut with a serrated (bread) knife.

*To make Chocolate Zucchini Bread (a great way to sneak vegetables into a kid’s diet):

Add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (NOT Dutch processed) with the other dry ingredients.