Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 sm. zucchini (about 1/2 lb. total) or 2 c. grated
4 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 (8 x 4) loaf pans. (Or, prepare muffin pans)

Grate zucchini. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine zucchini except the chocolate chips. Stir into dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely. Bake muffins about 20 minutes, about 10 minutes for mini-muffins.

For a single batch, I got 2 dozen regular-sized muffins & 2 dozen mini-muffins. Muffins freeze well & reheat/thaw easily in microwave.

For more fiber, use 1/2 whole wheat flour & 1/2 white flour. Optional: add 1/2 c. wheat germ, 1/2 c. flax seed, 1-2 Tbs more milk, and double baking powder.

Cheezy Hashbrown Casserole

1 bag Hashbrown potatoes (shredded or cubes)
1lb Cheese, shredded (your favorite or a combo of cheeses)
Cubed ham or cooked chicken
1 can cream soup (I use cream of chicken)
1 can evaporated milk (sometimes use just milk & omit soup)
onion powder
garlic powder
parsley flakes

Mix soup and milk, then season according to your taste with spices. Add cheese & combine well. Stir in potatoes & ham/chicken until everything is well coated & evenly distributed. Put in a greased casserole dish & bake @ 375 for 45 minutes to an hour. It's done when the edges start getting brown & crispy (my fave!) and the middle is hot & bubbly. Leftovers reheat well for breakfast or lunch.

Mom's Enchiladas

1 Can Rosarita Enchilada Sauce
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb hamburger
1 lb shredded cheese
16-18 corn tortillas
canola oil

Fry the torillas in oil shortly to make them pliable. Set aside to cool.

Brown hamburger & drain. Add cream of mushroom soup & enchilada sauce. (You can leave the sauce thick, or dilute a little with a can of water.) Mix well. Place about 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of casserole dish (sprayed first with baking spray) or a 9" X 13" pan.

For enchiladas, put cheese on one edge of tortilla & roll up. Place in dish on sauce. Continue until all tortillas are rolled.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until cheese is bubbly. (If sauce is hot to begin with, bake for less time. If not, add a little baking time.)

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash - about 3 lbs, cooked & mashed (I cooked mine a while ago & put it in the freezer)
2 Tbs. Butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-4 C. chicken broth/stock
2 C. Apple cider/juice
Salt & pepper

Sautte onions in butter until carmelized & sweet. Add garlic & cook for a minute to mellow the flavor. Add 2 C. apple cider, 2 C. broth and cooked squash. Use immersion blender to make smooth consitency. Simmer a few minutes until flavors combine. If needed, add more broth to achieve desired consitency. Add salt & pepper to taste.

It was really yummy. The sweetness of the apple cider compliments the savory flavor of the garlic. Mmmm...I was inspired by some recipes on the internet. Some were very simple. Others more complex. I did find one that actually used apples. This is what I ended up with.