Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Have you missed me?

I wish I had some sort of really good excuse that would explain away my absence, but I really don't. Life has been happening. School was wrapping up, I was shutting down my classroom, packing for two separate trips to Texas, and now I'm enjoying a sweet six days home before I'm off again.

It is safe to say that my posting is at an all time low, and as much as I'd like to promise to be better, I can't. My summer is a cycle of home for a cluster of days, gone for several more, home again, gone again. And while I am away, my fingers itch for my mixer. My brain is filled with recipe ideas. I'm dying to spend a morning, barefoot in my kitchen, watching my neighborhood come to life.

But, when I get home... It doesn't always come to fruition. After being gone for so many days, there is so much to do. So much that doesn't get done when I'm not here. I seriously think the cat needs to start chipping in with the housekeeping, or paying rent. Either that or she needs to get a job.

One thing that does, to some extent, manage to take care of itself while I am gone is my garden. Back in April, I planted a little patch of my backyard with zucchini, bell peppers, summer squash, tomatoes and an artichoke. Now, the summer squash died. The artichoke isn't anything to brag about. The tomato desperately wants to be transplanted to a new location that is less crowded. The bell peppers are overshadowed by the gargantuan zucchini plans. And the zucchini... well, they're taking off. I kind of think they are the bullies of the garden, stealing everyone else's water and nutrients and getting HUGE when I am not looking!

I picked several small (about 6 inches long) zucchini before I left for Houston on Wednesday. I came home Sunday night to find these monsters! I've never fancied myself to be much of a green thumb--most of my gardening success can be attributed to my friend Kerri, who seems to be a wealth of knowledge on just about every topic.

The picture doesn't do them justice. The largest was at least 12 inches long, and about three inches across!

Not wanting my bountiful produce to go to waste, I've scoured the internet looking for recipes. I've thumbed through cookbooks and magazines. I've tried -a lot- of things. You would think that zucchini would be a pretty easy thing to work with. Not the case! I've had more flops in my past attempts than successes! And by flop, I don't mean inedible. Or even bad. Just not worthy of sharing with the world, or adapting and making my own.

That is, of course, until this morning. My whole kitchen still smells faintly of baking cinnamon, cardamom and chocolate. It is a divine smell. It kind of makes me want to eat everything in sight. Which is why I need to get going on this run I got myself psyched up for.... 45 minutes ago...

Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from a whole bunch of recipes from all over the place

Delicious, adorable and vegan. Just like my friend Kerri! (ok, I'm not sure if she is actually delicious... We don't have THAT kind of relationship)

Because I love my friend Kerri so much, I made this recipe vegan... But you could easily change it by using real eggs and butter in place of the apple sauce and oil. But the vegan version is just as delicious! (If you don't have egg replacer on hand (you can get it at Sprouts!), bananas work!)

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
•  1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Equivalent of 1 egg, using Ener-G egg replacer, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• splash of olive oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 apple, peeled and shredded
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine all the wet ingredients.
2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt and spices. Stir in the sugars.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
4. Fold in the zucchini, apple and chocolate chips.
5. Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3s full.
6. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.
7. Enjoy!