Zucchini Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This is a delicious twist on zucchini bread. I always seem to grow too many zucchini plants, so I've been experimenting for years, trying to figure out some of the best ways to use them. This is one of my favorite recipes for using up an abundance of zucchini. I also keep frozen shredded zucchini in the freezer to use during the winter months. This bread is a special treat on a cold winter's day. For best results, if you do use frozen shredded zucchini, be sure to let it drain well after thawing. Otherwise the mixture will be too wet and not rise well.

Zucchini Pumpkin Bread Makes 2 loaves

3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin (can substitute butternut squash)
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, melted butter and vanilla, mixing well. Combine all dry ingredients. Stir well until spices are mixed throughout. Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts or raisins. Pour into loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick or knife comes out clean when inserted into center of loaf. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Kathy enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit her KitchenAid Mixer Attachments website and check out the Ice Cream Maker

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Hupp

Will Cutting Carbs Really Help Lose Weight? by Michael Desire

Initially Yes. But gradually it will have serious repercussions. Let us understand why? When we are consuming lesser carbohydrates for a prolonged period of time, our body gets used to it and starts attacking the stored fat to release energy, thus resulting in weight loss for initial period. But once we stop taking Carbs, fat formation and accumulation stops and our body starts attacking the muscle tissue to release energy in the absence of fat. Thus even though we exercise hard, we are unable to tone up the muscles and start losing an element which we should not.

Cutting Carbs will help one lose weight for some time in the beginning, but the most effective way is to use the low carb diet for a week or two and then manage the intake according to the required body mass index. Carbs are an important element required for a healthy body, so cutting it totally will be harmful for the body. Ways must be sought to strike a balance between the low carb and high carb diets.

Cutting Carbs alone will never help in reducing weight. Is starvation a right mode to reduce weight? What we would end up being is a smaller, weaker fat person. The reason is simple. Our body requires energy and if we would not provide it sufficient fat to convert it into energy, it will start consuming our leaner tissues and make us only unhappy. Thus the best way to lose weight is to have a balanced Carb diet and be involved in lot of activities. Amount of physical activity undertaken is thus a true barometer of reducing weight.

Another important concept related to cutting carbs is to first understand the perfect blend of protein and carbs in our diet. A meal which is full of Carbs but lack proteins would make a person feel hungry sooner as the glucose level will instantly rise and then subside eventually. This would result in making a person consume something soon. But if we take proteins, the glucose level will be stabilized and we would feel fuller and energized for a longer period of time. Thus Cutting carbs would surely help us maintain the glucose level only if we proportionately substitute it with proteins.

Whenever a person thinks or vows to become lean, cutting carbs is one thought which flashes immediately. As we all believe that to lose weight fast, it’s the most simple and obvious ingredient of our meal to be avoided. But what we miss is that it’s also one of the most important and contributing factor for proper brain and memory functions. One may avoid bread or rice but then should definitely switch to banana or potatoes which are supposed to be fattening. The essence here is that you may avoid high carb diet but consume enough carb to sustain a healthy living.

One thing is for sure that instead of ruling out carbohydrates entirely from our plate, we should start following a low carb diet regime. It would focus on energy stimulation and in fact would also assist in controlling the required levels. As Carbs are the most important source of body energy we should be very careful in reducing the intake and always substitute it by following a low Carb diet rather than a No Carb diet.