Time Change is Approaching

So I have accomplished a lot but I am not done with my list yet. Since I only have until Sunday I better get crackin' on my bi-annual cleaning spree! Here is my original list:

1. Check all smoke detectors.
2. Replace fridge's water filter.
   
3. Clean out kitchen cabinets. Donate what's unlikely to be eaten and rarely used small appliances.
4. Move and clean behind stove and fridge.
5. Clean all interior windows.
6. Clean all exterior windows. (YIKES!)
7. Get carpets professionally cleaned.
8. Dust all light fixtures and replace at least 1 bulb in each room with a CFL.
9. Get yard ready for winter *directions to follow* including getting all toys boxed up and inside.
10. Clean baseboards!

And here is my revised list:

1. Reclean all interior windows and make Killian stop licking them.
   
2. Schedule carpet cleaner
3. Replace fridge's water filter.
4. Organize kitchen cabinets. Collect unused appliances and give as Christmas present to poor, unemployed brother.
5. Clean behind stove. (Did the fridge!)
6. Finish the light fixture cleaning.
   
7. Clean baseboards!

I am more than halfway done if you look to see that many of the BIG jobs have been removed. I mowed my lawn and had the sprinklers winterized already. All toys and wood from the deck project have been placed in an appropriate area until next year. I may do a bit more work, like chop the weed field down and get the junk pile on the side of the house to the dump but all necessary lawn care has been finished. I have gone through both the kitchen and the cold storage for excess food and donated it all to either the food bank or the poor/unemployed brother so now I need to go through my mixing bowls and small appliances to get my cupboards nice and bare. Some light fixtures have been cleaned but unfortunately I had to replace all the bulbs in my ceiling fan so all my cfl bulbs are in use and will not be spread throughout the house at this time. I will continue to replace burnt bulbs with a cfl though.
As for the exterior windows, they were really not that hard to clean. I fear no ladder so I just climbed up with a bucket of soapy water, a squeegee from Bed, Bath & Beyond, a few dry rags and Windex. For detailed instructions post a comment and I'll get them to you. It was actually kind of fun playing with a bucket of soapy water on a nice warm and sunshiney day. Of course there was a storm that same week so all my work was for naught. Such is the life of an overly ambitious housewife!
I am now down to a few very manageable tasks that are all under the 20 minute range. If I could make myself do them instead of reading a new novel every spare minute...

What to do with all this zucchini?

My neighbor has a plethora of vegetables in his garden and he likes to share the wealth. I am botanically challenged so I gladly accept all hand-outs from those so inclined. So far this year I have gotten grapes, yellow and green zucchini, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and basil. I've made numerous tomato dishes and sauces as well as salsa and pico de gallo. With the recent addition of fresh, local and organic yellow zucchini to my kitchen counter I started searching for recipes. My 1 year old son is allergic to milk and eggs so traditional zucchini bread wouldn't work. Using the ingredient search I found a great recipe without eggs. I did change the flour from all purpose to a healthier blend that is courtesy of Missy Chase Lapine



Kingman's Vegan Zucchini Bread

"Delicious and fluffy zucchini bread can be made without eggs!"
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour *or 1 cup white flour, 1 cup wheat flour & 1 cup wheat germ*
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, Grease and flour muffin pan for 24 muffins.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, & baking powder, in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture and shredded zucchini until moistened. Use a small 1/4 cup of batter per muffin.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
(Original recipe slightly altered by Katy but copyright & credit still remains with Allrecipes.com)


The result was a plateful of delicious and healthy muffins! They weren't too dense, they rose beautifully and they tasted delicious. Next time I will decrease the white sugar by half and replace it with additional brown sugar. My son loves them just the way they are though and I couldn't be happier. I will keep these in the freezer and pop them into the microwave to warm. If I add a bit of Parkay Squeeze (also vegan and allergy friendly and oh-so tasty) they are a homemade breakfast that we can eat on our way to story time, music class or running errands.