Gift Breads: Homemade Zucchini Bread

Make this bread ahead and freeze it until gift giving. Many folks think that these gifts are good for single men who don't cook for themselves. Not true. Any woman that works will appreciate the gift of something homemade. Think about giving some gift bread to your child's teacher. I do know that I had threatened to hold a child back when I taught, because I loved the muffins her mother made me for Christmas. I, of course was joking, about holding the child back. The muffins were a treat that I enjoyed right away. I also saved some back and froze them for later.

You'll need to grease two loaf pans that are 9X5 and set the oven for 350 degrees.

Begin by beating together 2 cups of white sugar, 3 eggs, and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Add in 2 cups of applesauce and 1/2 cup of sour cream. In a plastic baggie mix 3 cups of flour, 1/4 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of ground cinnamon. Shake it well and then add it to the liquid mixture. You can add 1 cup of dates, raisins or nuts at this time, if you choose.

Pour the mixture into a pan and bake for 80 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

Wrap the bread well when it has cooled and place it in bags for the freezer.

Zucchini Bread

Let's try some zucchini bread for another gift idea. There is an old story that a visitor from the big city came into a small rural town. He was quite impressed with how the townspeople didn't fear leaving their house unlocked, allowed their children out after dark, and basically felt safe. It seemed to be true until his friend took him to a local restaurant.

"Lock the car." The friend told him.

The man was quite taken back, his friend had never locked his home, this seemed out of place. "OK, but you don't lock any thing else up? Why are you starting now? Are you worried that someone will steal your car?"

"Oh, no, I'm not worried about theft. It's zucchini season, and you never know how many of those bougars you're going to find when you get back."

If you've ever had a garden and have grown zucchini, you know that this is true. Near the end of the season one year, we had so many that we had a zucchini battle with zucchini bombs. I had already filled massive amounts of freezer bags with grated zucchini for bread, and sliced zucchini for my favorite hamburger, onion and zucchini stir fry. Everyone else in our town had a bumper crop, too.

That leads me to my next point. You don't have to make the bread now. Grate the zucchini and freeze it in bags with two cups per bag. Let's get on with the bread.

Beat together 3 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Add in 2 tsp of vanilla and 2 cups of grated zucchini. Shake 3 cups of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a plastic bag until blended and add to the egg mixture. If you choose add 1 cup of nuts, dates, or raisins.

Pour the mixture into 2 9X5 loaf pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-65 minutes or until a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take the bread out and wrap it for the freezer if you aren't giving it right away.

Another important hint is in line. Make an extra loaf or two for yourself. They store well in the freezer and are a great pleaser for unexpected company.