Sleepy baby, please!

Hoping this is what Molly does on the plane tomorrow...we're off to Vancouver!

Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

Tis the season for zukes!  I'm not a huge fan of them eaten just as a veggie and I tire of the traditional zucchini bread.  I found this recipe and subscribing to Stacy's theory, everything is better with chocolate!  They taste a bit like a brownie but must be much healthier since they have veggies in them (or so I told myself when I ate 2 for breakfast this morning).  Enjoy the recipe and hopefully I'll start posting a few more now that my 1st trimester aversion to food and cooking has passed.

Molly and me in the garden

Chocolate Zucchini Cakes (from The SoHo)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
nonstick cooking spray
24 walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together butter, sugar, salt, and egg until combined. Add vanilla, zucchini, and sour cream and stir until incorporated. Sift flour and cocoa powder into bowl and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate. Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Fill each cup with 2 tablespoons batter and top with a walnut. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let muffins cool slightly in pans on wire racks before serving. Makes 24. 

War!

Below is a picture of Molly eating one of the many delicious apricots we've picked from our tree this year.  This is the first time in over 5 years it's produced fruit and what a treat!  Straight off the tree, in a scone, for breakfast, for a snack, anytime of day.

We move from the tranquil, daytime scene to the intense, violent nighttime scene below with Jeremy bravely protecting our apricot tree from a family of 4 skunks and another family of 5 racoons armed with a hose, maglight, hammer, and garden clippers.  Nasty, little varmits!  We dare you to come back tonight, we just dare you!

Corn hole!

We finally got to take part in a corn hole tournament at the Mumm's on Saturday night.  England, aka Jonny, swept the bracket for a dominating victory.  Ivy and Molly were great supporters.  Thanks for a great bbq, Mumms!

Father's Day

Yesterday was a perfect day celebrating Jer...we headed down to Miramar for a beach/bbq/surf day.  Great weather, great friends, great dad!

Tickling the ivories

Monkey on my back