Zucchini Bread and the Anti-Drafting "Technical Art"

What do you do when you have a stack of zucchini in the refrigerator?  Zucchini Bread, of course.  My favorite recipe for Zucchini Bread is very old... a recipe I still have from my high school home economics class.  I still remember the week we learned pumpkin bread, banana bread, and zucchini bread - and I still have the old photocopied handout in my recipe binder!

Who takes home economics in high school anymore?  Well, apparently I did.  My high school counselor tried really hard to get me to take drafting instead... but I wouldn't budge.  If I needed more "technical arts" credit, it was going to be from something that interested me, and drafting was not it!  Consequently, I won the Home Economics award (a trophy) that year.  I think I still have that trophy somewhere... maybe I should find it and put it in the kitchen?  Haha.

Zucchini Bread:

2 c. zucchini, shredded
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
1 c. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 c. walnuts, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

2.  Shred approximately 4 medium zucchini to make 2 cups.

3.  Combine zucchini, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Mix until combined.

4.  Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger with a whisk, in a large bowl.

5.  Dump the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients, and gently fold together.

6.  Divide the batter between the 2 loaf pans.  Sprinkle tops with large sugar crystals, if desired.  (The sugar crystals are not part of the original recipe... but I found it improves the texture of the crust, and the eye appeal of the final product.)

7.  Bake for 1 hour.  Let pans cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto wire rack.  Cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap to store (5 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months).