ZUCCHINI CUPCAKES
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Last Friday, April 25th, was National Zucchini Bread Day. I kept trying, all weekend in fact, to make these zucchini cupcakes, a recipe I found while checking out Vanilla Garlic. Finally, last night I had a few hours while Chris was off coaching ice hockey. Now don't go turning up your nose at the thought of zucchini in cupcakes. Think of a carrot cake type cupcake, but with a green tint instead of orange. Even Chris, who won't even entertain the idea of eating zucchini, said they passed his taste test!

Ingredients
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. turbinado sugar (substitute with brown sugar if necessary)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil
3 c. grated zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
3/4 c. raisins, currants, dates, etc.
1 stick butter at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
2 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix all ingredients. At this batter will be very thick. Add the zucchini and raisins, currants, or what you have. Note that I used dates for my recipe. The batter will gain more moisture and will become more of a cake batter consistency. Scoop batter into cupcake papers until each is a little over half full.

Bake for 18 minutes. If a toothpick comes out clean when testing the cupcakes, they are done. Place on a wire rack to cool. While cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and bottom. Slowly add powdered sugar. Add vanilla to taste. When cupcakes have completely cooled, spread or pipe frosting onto them.

Earth Day Follow Up

I reached my goal and bought reusable bags! After making the promise, I did a lot of research on reusable bags. You won't believe how many different choices are out there. Local grocery stores sell them, but being me, I didn't want to show allegiance to one store, and then show up with them in other stores. Instead I decided to buy from Get Hip Get Green. I purchased a pack of 5 bags (1 more than my goal) and they arrived last night. Of course the first thing Chris said was how they were pricy for reusable bags, but I didn't mind paying a little extra money for the cute design, and the fact that each sale also means a donation to the children’s environmental group, The Green Ambassadors, which provides high school students with experiences that foster personal growth, community service, cross-culture and global exchange and leadership skills to tackle the most critical environmental issues facing our planet. I suggest doing some research of your own and deciding what type of bags you want. I chose these based on their design, and the fact that they were larger, and have a hard bottom, which means that stuff will stay in place and not shift around like plastic or canvas bags. I do have to run to Trader Joes today, so I can test out my new bags there.

Side Note: When you bring reusable bags, or even just your own grocery bag to Trader Joes, they put your name in for a weekly $10 gift card to the store. I haven't won yet, but I'll let you know if I do!

The Great (Lunch) Debate

Are you one of those people who can't decide whether its better to bring your lunch to work, or simply eat out? I think that I am one of the few people who brings their lunch to work every day, or at least most days. When I was preparing my taxes this year, I was reviewing my bills from last year, and noticed quite a few restaurant charges. I can't believe how much I actually spent going out to lunch! Bringing your lunch doesn't have that dorky stigma that some might think. There are tons of great recipes for lunch items, its much healthier, and you save money. If time is an issue, pack it the night before and stick it in the fridge.

I want to challenge everyone to bring their lunch to work for one week, and see how you do. You should end up saving money, a typical lunch costs at least $8.00 unless you are eating off the dollar menu. That leads me to the next point, you will be eating healthier. Plus, bringing snacks from home will limit trips to vending machines or employee kitchens where lots of unhealthy items might be lingering. Here are a few ideas for bringing your own grub to work.

• Cut up fresh fruit for the week, then bring a portion every day. Fruit is healthy, and can help to curb your cravings for sweets. Melon is a good choice, as well as berries.
• Bring fresh salads. You can put anything you like on a salad, lean meats, nuts, and veggies are a good start. Don't forget to bring your own dressing. You will most likely be using less dressings than most lunchtime spots.
• Don't forget the snacks. Both a morning and afternoon snack will help you in your fight against boredom (sometimes disguised as hunger). I suggest trail mix, veggies, or healthy crackers in the morning, and a snack bar in the afternoon. Be careful of protein bars, some contain large amounts of calories and fat, and should be used as a meal replacement, not a snack.

Give it a try, you might be surprised how easy it is!