Does anyone else think that this basket of zucchini is the most glorious sight ever?!?! It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy because zucchini is in season!!!!!! I can’t get Noah to eat any green vegetables except for zucchini! He LOVES zucchini! So I decided to blog about it in honor of him. 🙂
Fun facts are super important for Mommies to have up their sleeves at all times. When you are at the grocery store and your child points to a zucchini and asks you, “What’s that, Mommy?” Not only can you respond with, “Why, that’s zucchini, dear!” but also you can say, “I know some really magical things about zucchini!” Then share the following with them and watch their little eyes grow wide with wonder.
- Zucchini is a memeber of the cucumber and melon family.
- The word zucchini comes from the Italian zucchino meaning a small squash.
- The term squash comes from the Indian skutasquash meaning “green thing eaten green.” Haha!
- The world’s longest zucchini was 69 and a half inches!!!!
Once you’ve shared these interesting bits with your kids, they are definitely going to want to buy some zucchini, so fill up that cart! Have a Zucchini Celebration and make some of the below recipes for your family to enjoy. Or jot the fun facts down on a zucchini shaped card, wrap it up with a loaf of zucchini bread, and drop it off at a neighbor’s house! Share the zucchini magic!
DELISH Zucchini Bread (Ryan’s FAVE)
Ingredients: 3 eggs, beaten; 1 cup oil; 2 cups sugar; 2 cups zucchini, grated; 1 T vanilla extract; 3 cups flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
Directions: Mix together eggs, oil, sugar, and zucchini. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except nuts. Add to zucchini mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into 2 lightly greased 8″x4″ loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.
Summer Squash Casserole (My mom’s recipe! Requested ALL the time in our house!!!)
Ingredients: 2 lb zucchini, sliced (about 6 cups); 1/4 cup chopped onion; 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup shredded carrot; 1 (8 oz) pkg herb-seasoned stuffing mix (like Pepperidge Farm); 1/2 cup butter
Directions: In saucepan, cook squash and onion in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Combine soup and sour cream. Stir in carrot and drained vegetables. Combine stuffing mix and butter. Spread half of stuffing in bottom of baking dish. Spread remaining vegetable mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining stuffing over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Turkey Cheeseburgers (Ryan told me that he wishes he could eat these every day)
Ingredients: 1 1/4 lb ground turkey; 1 medium-size zucchini, trimmed and grated (about 1 cup); 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp dried basil; 1/4 tsp black pepper; lettuce; tomato; whole wheat hamburger buns
Directions: Combine turkey, zucchini, cheese, salt, onion powder, basil, and pepper. Mix well and form into 4 or 5 flat patties. We like to grill them on our George Foreman, or you could broil them 2 inches from heat for 6 minutes per side or until 165 degrees.
I’d love to hear about your adventures with these recipes! Enjoy summer’s bounty with your family! Make memories in the kitchen with Zucchini Magic!
And then laugh together over a slice of delicious zucchini bread and this joke…
Q. What kind of vegetable likes to look at animals?
A. A ZOO-chini!
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