Grandma Pearl’s Zucchini Bread

It must be that time of year again because my parents keep showing up on my doorstep bearing zucchini by the armload. The neighbor lady brings it to their back door when she harvests extra. We like to make this casserole called Zucchini Italiano which really has no Italian ingredients in it except for tomatoes and possibly some oregano? But it makes for a hearty meal here at House Of Hipsters and resides in the church cookbook with my name beside it. I also make my grandmother’s Zucchini Bread recipe. A recipe I’ve eaten for years and years. A recipe I now make for my children that makes them squeal with glee. Today, I’ve decided to share it with you.

I will always remember Grandma Pearl sitting at her kitchen table peeling some sort of vegetable or fruit. Apples, kolrabi, potatoes, beets, carrots. You get the idea. Paring knife in one hand, peeler in the other. She was an incredible cook. Give her a basket of random ingredients and she’d turn into some yummy casserole. After dinner, you’d get whooped in euchre, hearts, spades or sheep’s head…really any game involving cards. You wouldn’t stand a chance. She played for money and for blood, and she’d never let you cheat, no matter how sweet and innocent you’d look at her.

 

Whenever I bake this recipe, I love the smell in my home. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon hangs in the air. I smile a lot. I hope she’s looking down and me…proud I’m keeping her tradition of baking in the family. The dude and Maus like to help pour and mix the ingredients. I hope to pass this tradition on to them one day.

YIELDS 2 -3 LOAVES (depending on pan size)

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs
1 cups vegetable oil
2 cups Sugar
3 cups grated zucchini (well drained)
1 tsp vanilla (I always add extra…like a lot extra)
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon (I add extra here as well)

Optional 1/2 cup walnuts

 

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and beat.

Pour in pans and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. (I always forget to do this…don’t, it’s the tastiest part!)

Bake for 325° for 1 hour.

Easy peasy.

 

Will ya look at the size of that GIGANTIC zucchini! The neighbor lady knows what she’s doing folks. I think she rubs them with a diaper and sings them lullabies at night. Only serious love grows a giant of such proportions. Like I said, we eat boatloads of Zucchini Italiano! So it’s not the prettiest thing to make, hence the lack of stylize photos in this post, but the end result is completely worth it.

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