Today after we finished a delicious lunch of nectarines and edamame (seriously, my kids consider the strangest things to be “meals”), Harper wanted to make some of “Mommy’s Favorite Bread.” MFB started earlier in the summer as an attempt to get the kids to eat more vegetables. Most of you know it as Zucchini Bread, but Harper insists on calling it MFB. We’ve been experimenting all summer and have the perfect recipe. It has tons of zucchini and the kids love it!

I’m not a huge fan of recipe books, so most of my “recipes” start as something I find on the internet and end up as a fairly original recipe. I like to make variations to suit our tastes. I’ve found that the kids like a ton of different things as long as they are prepared in a simple way. No giant concoction of herbs and spices and no fluffiness and they will eat it! MFB is a great recipe for kids because there are lots of steps that they can help with. Harper likes to use the sifter so she usually gets that job. So, without further ado, here’s our recipe for “Mommy’s Favorite Bread:”

Ingredients:

•  
  • 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 snack-size container unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
  • A few good shakes of nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 large handfuls of shredded unpeeled zucchini (shred in food processor), squeezed over the sink to get out excess water
  • 1 lemon, zested

Cream butter, oil, applesauce and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix well. Sift in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well. Stir in zucchini and lemon zest. Bake in loaf pan coated with baking spray at 350 for about 40-45 minutes, or until done in the center.