Blueberry Zucchini Bread

     While researching recipes to freeze for after the baby is born, I happened across a recipe for blueberry zucchini bread. I've never made or even eaten zucchini bread, but I've always wanted to try it. And when Tim saw me looking at the recipe, he encouraged me to give it a shot. I ended up baking three loaves, two of which I froze for after the baby is born. That way we can have a little treat at some point and have something besides cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. The bread ended up tasting very good. I think it would be even better during the summer with fresh blueberries and zucchini. 

     I used some of the extra shredded zucchini in the spaghetti sauce we had Friday night. I froze two quarts of it for after the baby is born. You can't even tell it's in there, but I wanted to make sure we were eating plenty of vegetables after the baby comes and not a ton of fast food and unhealthy stuff. 

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (I used frozen)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans (I used three slightly larger pans).
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared loaf pans.
3. Bake 50 minutes (mine took closer to an hour, so check often) in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

The blueberries and little flecks of green zucchini skin make the bread look really pretty when it's sliced. I made it on Friday and we've almost demolished a loaf already. So try out this recipe sometime if you like to bake. Or tuck the recipe away until spring when zucchini and blueberries are in season. You won't regret it.