Zucchini Bread & Growing Where Planted

When we relocated back to my hometown in January, much had to be done to reacclimate ourselves. This time around, I was bringing back a father who was recovering from a stroke and the loss of my mother. At first, it was difficult...there were so many memories in every nook and cranny, in familiar faces and in the geography, itself. Sometimes it's difficult to go "home," especially when home has changed so much and precious people who were a part of home are gone. But, I believe that we were led here, not by accident or chance, but for a purpose and a plan. Each day, we see a little bit more of that plan unfolding and sometimes we have to exercise patience as we wait for the next part of the plan to be revealed. So, first things first...we set about getting my father settled again and taking care of business. As the cold weather turned warm, my father started talking about a garden. That was exciting news because my husband and I had already been talking of trying our hands at growing some things we hadn't grown before, so it was on! After much hard work, blood (yeah, we hurt ourselves a couple of times), sweat and tears (okay, mine, not my husband's), some crazy weather (unseasonably cold and hot spells, rain similar to monsoon season in the tropics and a tornado or three or four) we started seeing the fruits of our labors. My husband is like a proud new father to a whole brood of vegetables, with new ones joining the family each day. We have gorged ourselves on tomatoes and cucumbers...oh, how will we ever go back to store-bought when these taste straight from Heaven? The yellow squash and zucchini are coming in, so we've been making quiches, casseroles and breads. The spaghetti squash are getting plump, but aren't quite mature yet, but we check their progress daily. It's wonderful when you have so many goodies to enjoy and many more to share with family and friends.

All of this planting and working and growing got me to really thinking about God's goodness, as well as His purpose for us. I am reminded daily that nothing in life is guaranteed except His love, goodness and grace, He is there through every kind of weather, He asks us to sow seeds, nurture important living things, keep our soil fertile, to not grow weary and leave the rest of it to Him. If we are prepared and willing to do a little work, we can grow wherever He chooses to plant us...and He brings the sunshine just in time.

"Kiss of the sun for pardon.

Song of the birds for mirth.

You're closer to God's heart in a garden

than any place else on earth." 

~~  Dorothy Frances Gurney

Zucchini Bread

Stir Together:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Add:

• 2 c. unpeeled, grated zucchini, well-drained (I squeeze all the liquid out that I can and blot with paper towels)
• 1 c. finely chopped walnuts
• 1 c. golden raisins or currants
• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, well-drained (I squeeze all the liquid out of this, too.)

As you can see, I opted to use currants.

Beat Together:

• 3 eggs
• 1 c. cooking oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until well-blended.

Pour egg mixture into zucchini/dry mixture and stir just until moistened - do NOT over-mix.

Grease and flour two loaf pans; put parchment paper in the bottom of the pans, if desired. Evenly distribute mixture between the two loaf pans.

Place in oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven, or until a toothpick inserted into middle of loaves comes out clean. Cool for five minutes, run a knife around edges of each loaf and turn out on wire racks to continue cooling.

You can completely cool the bread or serve it warm. This bread may have a little more spice than you are used to, but we like it that way around our house. The recipe makes two loaves, so you can keep one and give one to a friend, freeze the second one or eat them both. The bread is especially good the next day, after all the wonderful flavors meld...if it lasts that long!

Psst...the fresh mint garnish 

came from my herb garden!

"So neither the one who plants

nor the one who waters is anything,

but only God, who makes things grow."

~~ 1 Corinthians 3:7