Chips! The healthy way (Shhh don't tell anyone)

Got a weekend away at the cottage which was during a heat spell. Lucky us! It made for great weather and great times with family and friends. Being by the lake during the heat wave is the only place I want to be. Basking in the sun, enjoying good food, drinks and great conversation, the time away flew by. Back to reality came too soon and I needed to get back in the garden. Weeds were growing like weeds but the zucchini didn't seem to notice. I've got an entire bushel full of zucchini.

Chips...all for me!

Sorry folks another zucchini post. I don't want to see an ounce of it go to waste so I'm making lasagnas, baked gratins and even loaves to keep using them. Pinterest has tons of pins with chips created from assorted vegetables, zucchini and kale. I've tried the kale chips and wasn't happy with the turn out finding them oily. Zucchini chips seemed only natural and if the chips turn out as good as they look as the pictures; I'm sold! 

Mandoline!

I used the recipe from the Naked Kitchen, a fellow blogger that focuses on food simplified. Enjoying the simple pleasures of food is what I'm all about. The recipe called for slicing the zucchini thinly thankfully I had my mandoline to help with this making the chips crispier.

The breading process.

 This recipe was easy to do, its just time consuming having bread the chips. I would definitely do it again because the first batch came out and was gone within an hour. Yep! Guilty as charged. I ate every single one of them. I loaded the next batch up in the oven and became preoccupied which burnt! (insert sad face here) I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a healthy snack.

Find the local farmers market, support farmers and eat well! 

Big ones, small ones..some the size of your head! (or baby)

The days are getting longer and finally we have had some heat. Work is picking up at the restaurant and our garden at work is beginning to share its goodies too! I'm heading up North in a couple of weeks and figured I should try this recipe before I make it for a vacation treat. The recipe was a keeper.

The garden is producing an overwhelming amount of green and yellow zucchini. They are coming in all sizes hence the title of this post. My mother and I have been trying to stay on top of picking them  before they get too big. The big ones aren't nearly as tasty and sweet as the little ones and I HATE having to fight with their seeds. If zucchini is picked before it gets too big you don't have to worry about any seeds at all.

 My favourite (and go-to) recipe with zucchini is lasagna breaded with panko breadcrumbs but since I'm trying new recipes I made zucchini loaf. I needed to lose a much as I could so I grated extra for the freezer for the winter months so that I could make these delicious loaves in the cold winter months. Mom bought a new loaf pan that is the same size as a regular pan but has four mini loaves spaces in it. Its so handy so I can make mini-loaves to share.

This recipe called for just cocoa powder but I added chocolate chips as well to get my chocolate fix! My nieces and nephews had no idea that there was zucchini in their chocolate loaf. Sneaky me. The new and improved Canadian Living cooking website is more aesthetically pleasing and the layout is easier to read when baking. I haven't been let down yet by any of their recipes and this was a crowd pleaser too. Find the recipe at the Canadian Living link above.  

Despite the increasing heat, get in the kitchen, turn on the oven and make this

sinfully chocolatey loaf.