What to do with zucchini...

I love zucchini!  Celia, Charlie, and Andy- not as much.  However, it is my goal in life (while this seems like a strange goal, it's true!) to get my family to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible.  I strictly stick to the 5 to 9 a day rule and try to sneak them in as many meals and dishes as possible.  Last night for dinner I made these Zucchini Pancakes as a side dish.  I loved them!  In fact I ate them cold for lunch the next 2 days.  Charlie and Celia did not like them as much, but Celia did eat the batter before I cooked them and Charlie was impressed that they were green.  I think in general, it is an adult recipe, at least for our family.  They would be great served with Tzatziki sauce.

Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 Small to Medium Zucchini
1/2 Cup Cooked Oatmeal (I used plain, but I think Apple Cinnamon would taste okay too)
1 TBSP French Onion Dip I(if you don't have this, use salad dressing)
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Chopped Green Peppers
2/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder


1. Cook oatmeal in microwave following oatmeal directions.
2.. Chop Zucchini into large chunks.  Put into Magic Bullet, blender or food processor with dip, egg and green pepper.  Blend until at least semi-smooth.  Small bits of pepper or zucchini are okay.
3. In a bowl, mix together zucchini mixture, oatmeal, flour, sea salt and curry powder.
4. Heat a large skillet to med-high.  To cook mine, I used 2 TBSP of coconut oil, but olive oil would work as well.  When oil is hot, add scoops of batter to the pan.  Cook on each side 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned.  Add more oil as needed.  Makes 10 - 12 pancakes.

What to do with instant oatmeal?

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What's cooking What's for Leftovers readers?  This has been a great spring break week, but since we've been so busy, I haven't actually been doing a lot of cooking.  The other day I did make peanut butter cookies for our Community Group.  We did not bring a single one home, so I think everybody liked them.  For breakfast that morning, I had fed Celia and Charlie instant oatmeal.  This was my first time preparing it, but it is like a gold mine.  It is so easy to make and they loved it!  Well, I made Celia's great, but I think I got distracted with Charlie's and did something wrong (I know you're asking yourself, who messes up instant oatmeal!?).  To thicken it up, I had to open another packet.  Instead of making a huge amount of instant oatmeal, I saved the rest of it and added it to the peanut butter cookies.  According to Belinda, it made the cookies look healthy :)

Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 Cup Peanut Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Pecan Meal (Finely chop pecans in your food processor if you don't have pecan meal)
3/4 Cup Honey
2 TBSP Instant Oatmeal (You can add a whole packet if you don't have one open already)
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Flour
M&M's (Optional)
Powdered Sugar (Optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, eggs, pecan meal, honey, instant oatmeal, baking powder and flour until dough forms into a large lump.
3. Place dough in freezer for fifteen minutes.
4. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Take cookie dough out and roll into small balls.  Place several M&Ms on top of balls (optional).  Put remaining dough back in freezer.
5.  Bake in oven for 11 to 13 minutes.  Cookies are finished when they puff up and start to turn light brown.  Take out of oven, sprinkle with powder sugar (optional) and let cool.  Repeat until dough is finished.

**Makes 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies**