Zucchini Cookies...The Most Correct Way to Eat Vegetables

I picked three zucchinis from my garden this week while I was out looking at the progress on my cucumbers.  This is the most successful garden we've had in the time we've lived here.  We relocated it from the east side of the property, where it wasn't getting enough sun exposure.  We also cut the size of it in half.
I have no gardening experience.  I can barely buy vegetables.  My father-in-law would have survived in Colonial 'Merica with his sweet gardening capabilities.  They would have thrown me overboard somewhere in the Atlantic.
I bought six different veggies to plant. Four made the cut; I did not have room in my raised bed for squash or melon.  As it is, the cucumbers have totally wrapped themselves all over the rest of their neighbors (sorry, peppers.)
I've been watching the zucchini blossoms and cucumber blossoms.  Then, all of a sudden, BOOM.  There are cucumbers.  It's been so awesome to see them grow.  And I thought nothing was doing on the zucchini plant...but I was looking in the wrong place.  If I was an animal, I'd die off because I wouldn't be able to find the vegetables in the garden.  The zucchinis are nestled at the bottom of the plant.  Nice diversion.
So, to put those lil zuccs to good use, I thought I'd go sweet with them.  Sure, zucchini boats stuffed with sausage and cheese is all the Pinterest rage, but I say, buck that.  Also, these were a little too small to put filling into (in my opinion.  Who wants a measly amount of stuffing?  In those recipes, the zucchini is just an edible plate.)  If I can reap some bigger zucchinis, I will try them stuffed.  But for now, we add chocolate!
This recipe comes from the Food Network.  The dough is more like scoopable brownie batter than chocolate chip cookie dough.  Nothing wrong with that; just making it known so you don't get the same confused look I did when everything was put together and it looked loosey goosey.  It'll hold.

It thickens up by the second or third sheet...

Before you begin, have everything measured, shredded, melted.  It's easier than having to stop in the middle of mixing to measure, shred, and melt.  You'll also need either parchment paper or silicone baking mats for your cookie sheets.

3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz chocolate (original recipe calls for semi-sweet; I used 4 oz German chocolate and 4 oz semi-sweet because that's what I had on hand)
6 oz butter (that's 1 1/2 sticks)
2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice, or no nuts if you're not down for nuts)
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. grated zucchini (1 1/2 of my zucchinis equaled 1c.)

Things to do beforehand:  grate your zucchini, melt your 8 oz of chocolate with your 6 oz of butter on the stovetop, chop your walnuts.

In a small bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar for 4 minutes with a mixer on medium-high speed.  Beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla, then add in the flour mixture, walnuts, chocolate chips, and zucchini.

Drop spoonfuls two inches apart onto paper/silicone lined cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Give em room!

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

First sheet out of the oven...minus one...I had to make sure they were good enough to blog about...

I think you could easily throw this batter into a 9x9 pan and bake them like brownies. They taste like that. They also taste like I had three before this blog was finished.  It's cause I wanted to make sure I ingested my daily intake of zucchini.

Bake and enjoy!!

Reese's Ice Cream Cake

The best time to try to make an ice cream cake is when it's 77 degrees outside and your kitchen is on the second floor of your house.  Take my word for it.
Trust me--I succeeded.  You can, too.  This is very easy, and much cheaper than the beloved, tasteless DQ cakes that pop out during summer birthdays and other celebrations.  You don't even have to wear extremely short shorts and look disdainfully at everyone to make it, but you can if you want.
I used my leftover hot fudge from the peanut butter pie I made earlier in the week for my husband's birthday.  This cake is also for his birthday.  My goal is to make him heavy enough that he can't run from me.  Soon.
Feel free to go store-bought on all the ingredients.  If you make your own ice cream sandwiches, use em, and tell me how you get that kind of free time.

Ingredients:

18 ice cream sandwiches (Much as I hate the Walmart, they have quite the selection of ice cream sandwich flavors.  I picked a chocolate/vanilla hybrid.)
1 cup peanut butter, nearly melted
Hot fudge/Hot sauce (original recipe said 6 tablespoons, but I forbid you to measure this)
Caramel sauce (same forbidding here, as well)
12 Reese's cups, chopped (that's one package of 6 two packs...it sounds like common core math, I know, but they're right in the candy aisle)
Cool Whip (I used one of the big tubs o'Whip, but you just use how much you want.  I won't know unless I'm there eating it)

If you have a nice, long serving plate, assemble and serve it on that.  Can you believe I don't?  I sure don't.  So I assembled mine and it will be served on a cookie sheet.  We ain't fancy folk.  We want cake to mouth by any means necessary.

So, prep is best in assembling this cake.  Chop the cups up, melt the peanut butter (30ish seconds should do), and make sure the Cool Whip is thawed.  When you are ready:

Lay 6 sammiches out (3 across/2 down)
Spread half of the peanut butter on the sammiches
Spread 4 chopped cups evenly over the peanut butter
Drizzle hot fudge and caramel over cups
Lay another 6 sammiches on top of that, pressing a bit to make even
Spread other half of melted peanut butter on sammiches
Spread 4 chopped cups evenly over the peanut butter
Drizzle hot fudge and caramel over cups
Lay last 6 sammiches on top
Frost with Cool Whip

 This is about what yours will look like in the Cool Whip frosting step.  Ooey, gooey goodness, I say!

What I like to call the Cavities Shot.  Always trying to drum up business.  Tell my boss.

Make sure to check hand and forearm for stray peanut butter, hot fudge, and caramel splotches.  Those are best licked off at the end as a reward for sweet, sweet assemblage without melting it all.

Do I need to mention that you must keep this bad boy frozen (Let it gooooooo!  Let it gooooo!) until you serve it, and then put it back in the freezer, should any remain? Ok then.

I'm so very excited to try to transport this the 10 minutes it takes to get to my folks house.  This is when I will praise the lead foot that my husband bought on e-Bay.

Assemble and enjoy!!!