chocolate zucchini muffins

These don't have a real strong chocolate taste (to me anyway), but it was a good way to sneak veggies to my kids! Also - it calls for cloves and cardamom, I didn't have either of those so I just left them out and they taste great to me!

* 3 eggs

* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups grated zucchini
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease two 12 cup muffin tins with shortening or line with paper cups.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs.
4. Beat in sugar and oil.
5. Add cocoa, vanilla, zucchini, and stir well.
6. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
7. Mix just until moist.
8. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins until 2/3 full.
9. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
10. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
11. Store loosely covered.

frozen "cupcakes"

Can you tell I'm still waiting to get my oven fixed? LOL It'll happen this week though and then watch out!

I just love making things miniature sized. One or two bites and you're done, and if you eat a second one you won't feel like you're stuffing yourself.

I had some "batter" left over so I got out my 6-cup muffin tin and made some full sized ones too.

Dave's only request is that next time I make them, I use just a graham cracker crust (this one is almost more like a granola than just graham).

more pomegranate goodness

This time it's sorbet (which I really prefer to ice cream anyway). I figure I have the juice, and no one but me wants to just drink it, and until my oven is finally fixed this week I'm not baking anything. I'm going through withdrawls!

* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 cups pomegranate (or pomegranate/blueberry) juice
* 1/4 cup lime juice

Directions
1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat water and sugar to boiling over high heat.
2. Boil sugar mixture 5 minutes, reducing it slightly to a syrup.
3. Remove syrup from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. In bowl, combine syrup and both the pomegranate and lemon juices.
5. Cover and refrigerate mixture until cold.
6. Transfer sorbet to airtight container and freeze until firm, 2 to 12 hours.

How I spend my summer vacation

My Thursday nights over the summer are spent teaching. Not in a classroom, but outdoors, and not with just people, but with dogs, too.

I have been involved in the Erie County 4-H program for the last 17 years. I started as a member joining when I was 13 and then as a leader when I was too old to be a 4-H member anymore.

Our end-of-the-season show (our Round-up) is coming up on August 9th at the Waterford Fairgrounds. The horse show is the following day, but the majority of the events happen that Saturday. Not only will there be our dog show, but all of the other projects are judged that day as well. There will be cows, pigs, rabbits (and possibly guinea pigs this year - I'm not sure), along with the other non-animal projects including small engines, bowling, sewing and cooking, just to name a few. There is also a small carnival to benefit the MDA, each game booth is run by a 4-H club.

If you don't have plans for that Saturday, please come check us out! I'll be the one running the dog registration table (usually under a blue tent) with the camera attached to her hand if you want to say hello!

pomegranate ice cream

This was by far one of the easiest things I've ever made - and it's absolutely delicious! The original recipe called for freshly squeezed pomegranate juice but I couldn't find a pomegranate, so I bought a bottle of 100% pomegranate/blueberry juice when we went shopping last night. That worked out perfectly! I will definitely be making this again.

Also, Teresa is giving away a cupcake scented gift set by Embrace Bath & Body, over at her personal blog. The contest is for USA and Canada only. (I had to add that to the blog entry - what better for a cupcake themed blog than the chance to win cupcake-scented bath things?)