The Cat Days of Summer & Zucchini Bread

I haven't been doing very many art or baking projects lately. We just went through a hot spell where the cats and I weren't feeling really active. That's not unusual for the cats as they sleep all the time, anyway. Hot summer days are ideal for them - roasting themselves in a patch of sunlight seems to be a favorite activity. They also enjoy sleeping on cold days, too, of course but usually in someone's lap. I guess being a cat is pretty ideal, in general.

I've been reading a lot of books (Including Julie & Julia, which was okay but not my favorite because the author is, well, kind of a jerk)

So, it's mostly been too hot to bake. I did just finish grating a million zucchinis for freezing and made a batch of zucchini muffins from this recipe: www.allrecipes.com/Recipes/Moms-Zucchini-Bread/

I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour and used yogurt instead of oil to make them a little healthier. I don't think all muffins or cakes should be tampered with that way but zucchini and carrot breads are already pretty heavy so the wheat flour and yogurt blend right in. It doesn't work for light and fluffy cakes, no matter what health nuts say. Don't do it! Just enjoy a smaller piece of cake.

Zucchini Fritters

I couldn't quite find a recipe that worked for me on the web so I took a little bit from lots of recipes. These would probably be tastier if fried (what isn't really? I mean, you can improve oreos by deep-frying them and who woulda thought you could improve oreos?), but I cooked them in a non-stick pan to keep them as healthy as possible.

Zucchini Fritters

1 large zucchini, shredded (about a cup or a little more)
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, diced or 1/2 cup green onions
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
salt & pepper to taste

milk (optional)

Beat eggs lightly in a bowl. Add zucchini, carrot, onion, and basil. Add flour and mix until all the vegetable mixture is coated in flour. The mixture should form a ball that sticks together easily but isn't too wet. If too dry, add some milk. If too wet, add a little more flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drop a tablespoon of mixture into skillet. Squish down to flatten and cook until browned.

I served mine with a peanut sauce (peanut butter + curry paste) and a plum sauce (plum jelly, soy sauce, red pepper flakes) for dipping.