A Fresh Week, A Fresh Outlook, and My Mini C-Cups

 First I would like to wish everyone on the Eastern Seaboard of North America all the best and I hope everyone is safe and sound after Irene passed through.  My thoughts are with you all.

The Little Kitchen is soooooo ready for a new week to start, even if it is my last week of holidays!  I am going to be honest with you: I am glad this week is officially over.  Things can only really get better from here.  We are a little lost with out the BBQ at our disposal.  You never realize how much you use an item until some jerk steals it from  your back yard.  We are also adjusting to life as a one cat house after the heartbreaking passing of our beloved Daisy.  Daisy was the first family pet we got when we moved into our current house 10 years ago.  We didn't choose her, she chose the boy.  We had heard through the grapevine the local animal hospital had a litter of cats dropped off for them to adopt out.  The Boy and I stopped by to visit them and "think about getting a cat".  Well let me tell you, the vet's assistant brought Daisy into the room and put this sweet, midnight black kitty on the table.  Daisy walked over to the boy, put her head on his shoulder and started purring....she had found her human.

I used to wonder why nothing ever grew in that pot, it was Daisy's nap spot!

Needless to say, we took her home with us that night and from then on, she was the Boy's protector.  Standing in between us if he was in trouble, scratching at his bedroom door to be let in, and cozying up to him while he read.

This was a tough week and I know that in the grand scheme of things we have had tougher weeks. We will get through.  We always do.  The summer really has been a great summer so we are doing our darnedest to not let last week keep us down!

Friday morning helped, I got an email telling me I place 3rd in Canadian Beef's 'Who Rues the Grill' contest for my Chipotle lime Flank steak!! Yay!!  Of course now I wish my BBQ hadn't been stolen...ACK!

Zombie head and mini cupcakes cheer me up!

One of the ways I relieve stress is to bake.  With all the zucchini coming out of the garden, I can't help but keep making Chocolate Zucchini cake!  This time I changed it up a bit and added some coconut!  I don't mind telling you that I needed a moment alone with these cupcakes....they were just that good!

Chocolate Zucchini Coconut Cake

Printable recipe

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup oil  (you can also use all butter if you wish, omit oil and use ¾ cup butter in total)

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp coconut extract (1 ½ tsp, or 2 if you like it more coco nutty flavor)

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk soured with 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups zucchini, grated (or shredded)

1 cup cup chocolate chips (optional, but why would you leave those out?)

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Pre heat oven to 350F

In a bowl and set aside until ready to use, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a bowl and a hand mixer, or in a bowl with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease....) cream together the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time until mixed in.  Mix in the coconut extract and buttermilk.  Keep the mixer going for a few minutes on medium low until the mixture is a nice pale yellowish colour.

Now find the bowl you set aside with the dry ingredients and add it all to the mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined. 

Add in the zucchini, coconut, and the chocolate chips, and once again mix to combine.

Now scoop the batter into a pan that has been greased and floured or muffin tins with liners.

Bake minicupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Zombie cupcakes make good eats and make us laugh!

Coconut Frosting

4 tbsp softened butter
4 cups icing sugar
2 tsp coconut extract
enough water to make icing the right consistency (about 4 tbsp or so)

Cream butter with extract and sugar.  Add the water 1 tbsp at a time until icing reaches the desired consitency.  Thinner for dipping, slightly thicker for piping.

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!