24 In food/ Recipes

The best lemon zucchini bread

loaf of bread with white glaze on top, shredded zucchini and grated lemon zest on plate with a summery lemon dish towel

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Give classic zucchini bread a summery twist with fresh lemon zest in this lemon zucchini bread recipe.

This is the best lemon zucchini bread ever! One of my favorite things to grow in my garden is zucchini. Not only is it easy to grow, but it’s so versatile and you can use zucchini for so many recipes! Lemon zucchini bread will quickly become one of your favorite ways to eat zucchini, I promise! It’s great with a cup of coffee in the afternoon for a pick me up or in the morning for breakfast. Scroll down for the best lemon zucchini bread recipe and more gardening ideas from my friends in the The Cozy Creative Collaborative.

The Cozy Creative Collaborative

Every month some friends and I get together and bring to you some themed DIYs, craft ideas and recipes. This month we are showing you some of our favorite gardening ideas!

The Cozy Creative Collaborative

The ladies of The Cozy Creative Collaborative

Kelly – The Tattered Pew

Heidi – Eleanor Rose Home

Charity – Mornings on Macedonia

This month we are excited to have Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse joining us! Did you see her DIY metal wreath? It’s a great Anthropologie inspired dupe!

And if you are coming over from Rachel’s blog, Welcome!!! I hope you will stick around for awhile 🙂

Using zucchini in recipes

Every year we grow an abundance of zucchini in our garden. It’s great for low carb meals like making zoodles or zucchini pizza crust. But it’s also great for baking. Think of zucchini similar to baking with applesauce, it adds an amazing texture and is a great way to sneak in some veggies too!

You can see some of my other favorite zucchini recipes below:

Fudgy chocolate zucchini brownies

Creamy zucchini corn soup

Greek turkey meatball bowls

Boy carrying large zucchini from his garden

The best lemon zucchini bread

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
  • zest of 3 lemons
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • About 1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini, drained (I used 2 1/2 medium sized zucchinis)
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

For the glaze

  • 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

mixing bowl and white canisters on counter with lemon, zucchini, bowl of shredded zucchini and grated lemon zest

Directions:

1.) Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F.

2.) Spray your loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3.) In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest until fragrant.

4.) Add in the wet ingredients- vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract and zucchini and whisk together.

5.) In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

6.) Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until combined.

7.) Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until you can insert a butter knife or toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

8.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

bread on a cooling rack on table with lemon and zucchini

9.) Once cooled, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and free of lumps.

bowl with glaze mixture for lemon zucchini bread

10.) Drizzle the glaze over the bread. Top with some shredded zucchini and fresh lemon zest.

Enjoy!!!

loaf of zucchini bread with glaze on a white plate with fresh zucchini and lemon

 

Pin my recipe below

loaf of bread with glaze and shredded lemon and zucchini on top on plate

And sign up below for more delicious recipes right to your inbox

 

 

 

Now head on over to my friend Heidi from The Eleanor Rose Home and check out her kitchen windowbox herb garden!

 

loaf of zucchini bread with glaze on a white plate with fresh zucchini and lemon

The Best Lemon Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread with zesty lemon is the a refreshing twist on a classic baked good. Topped with a lemon glaze this is the perfect afternoon pick me up with coffee or morning breakfast.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 lemons zested
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, drained
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

For the Glaze

  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Spray your loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest until fragrant.
  • Add in the wet ingredients- vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract and zucchini and whisk together.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until you can insert a butter knife or toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
  • Once cooled, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and free of lumps.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the bread. Top with some shredded zucchini and fresh lemon zest.
Keyword baked goods, bread, desserts, zucchini
8 In link party

Weekly Link Party #349

blue plate with scallops and salad, red, white and blue popsicles, galvanized tray with fabric diy red, white and blue flags, and diy spool patio table

Welcome to this week’s weekly link party #349!

Whether you are whipping up some delicious recipes, or maybe you’ve tried your hand at a recent DIY project, this is your time to shine! Come share your ideas below and be inspired!

Who’s ready for Memorial Day? I know I am looking forward to a 4 day weekend!

It’s supposed to be nice weather and I am planning on being poolside and grilling with out family and friends. I love this time of year! It feels like the official kick off to summer!

These boozy bomb pops are so fun for the adults and are sure to be a hit at your celebration. Linking my recipe here!

Boozy Patriotic Bomb Pops

And before you know it, it will be the end of the school year! If you are looking for a great teacher gift idea, I shared this gift basket with a free printable

Free printable with apple that says best teacher ever and "apples for the teacher used to be just fine but by June you deserve some wine" gift basket for teacher

Here are this week’s features – and they all feel like summer!

DIY mini flags from My Wee Abode

 

non traditional patriotic decor elements in a vignette

Red, White and Blue Popsicles from The Wooden Spoon Effect

 

Scallop Salad Recipe from Hen & Horse Design

 

overhead photo of orange scallop salad with red onions

DIY Farmhouse Wood Spool Table from Must Have Mom

 

DIY farmhouse style wood spool table ideas. Tutorial to make a side table from a wood cable spool

Now on to this week’s party

Rules:

Up to 3 links per person.

* Make sure you check out a few other links while you’re here!

* You MUST follow us on at least one social platform:

Nicolle Our Tiny Nest

Our Tiny Nest Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter

Grandma's house DIY link party

Grandma’s House DIY Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter

We will choose features every week and share them across our social media and in the next party!

By linking up you’re giving us permission to feature you in the next party by including your post URL and one of your images. You are also giving us permission to share one of your images across our social media platforms and in the Grandma’s House weekly DIY newsletter to promote the party.)

The party runs through Sunday at 11pm

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

22 In DIY/ printables

End of the year teacher gift idea and free printable

Basket with wine bottle, wine chiller, wine tote, best teacher ever book and an apple with tag that says "apples are fine but by June you deserve some wine"

This post contains affiliate links

Teachers will love what’s inside basket!  This end of the year teacher gift idea is easy to put together and comes with a free printable too! Because by the end of the year, teachers deserve all the wine.

I can’t believe it’s already almost the end of the school year.  Our teachers deserve to be spoiled for all the extra hard work they put in. Honestly, our oldest graduates kindergarten this year and his teacher has been fantastic! We could not have asked for a better experience. So I wanted to put something special together for her to celebrate the end of a great year and kick off summer.  This end of the year teacher gift idea is the perfect way to show your appreciation for all they do. After all “apples for the teacher used to be just fine, but by June, they deserve some wine!”

To make this you will need:

  • a basket
  • print out of my free printable, which I have linked below.
  • cardstock or paper
  • scissors
  • wine
  • ribbon
  • hole punch
  • filler for your basket
  • basket items (I’m sharing some ideas below)

Free printable tag

Here is the printable tag. Click here to download and print out your own tags!

Tag with an apple that says "Best teacher ever" and "apples for the teacher used to be just fine but by June you deserve some wine"

Once you have printed out your tag, you will need to cut it out.

cut out gift tag with an apple that says "Apples for the teacher used to be just fine but by June you deserve some wine"

Then using a hole puncher, I punched a hole in the corner of the tag and slipped some twine through with a ribbon, tying the ribbon around the neck of the wine bottle.

bottle of wine with a ribbon and gift tag that says "Best teacher ever, apples for the teacher used to be just fine but by June you deserve some wine"

Next it’s time to fill your basket.

What to include in your End of the Year Gift Basket Idea for the Teacher

End of the year gift basket idea for teacher with basket, wine chiller, wine tote, charcuterie board, turkish towel

The beauty of this gift basket is that it can be completely customized! You can do a fun summer themed basket, coffee, chocolate, honestly, whatever your teacher likes!  (But honestly, what teacher doesn’t love wine?)

Here are some ideas of what to include in your basket:

You will want to add some filler to your basket. You can use whatever you like but here are some that I like to use:

gold and white crinkle paper shred for basket filler tan brown crinkle paper basket filler

Then you will want to add your items to the baskets in an aesthetically pleasing way. I like to add the taller items in the back. Complete with some ribbon for a special touch.

Basket with a wine tote, bottle of champagne in a wine chiller with a ribbon and tag with apple that says "best teacher ever"

And just like that you have the perfect end of the year teacher gift!

Pin for later

Free printable with apple that says best teacher ever and "apples for the teacher used to be just fine but by June you deserve some wine" gift basket for teacher

Hope you enjoy your summer!

Here are some other blog posts you may enjoy:

Printable summer bucket list

How to have a root beer float bar

Make your own homemade ice cream

Back to school countdown

Back to school basket

Sign up below for more DIYs right to your inbox!

2 In Nesting

Nesting

Nesting family photo at golf course, preppy white and blue striped dress, coastal grandmother outfit

This post contains affiliate links

Nesting on this cloudy Sunday in May.

Last weekend was one of celebrations between Mother’s Day and my dad’s retirement. We were able to snap this little family photo and it hit me like a ton of bricks how big the boys are growing and how fast it is going. Our oldest graduates from kindergarten this year and I was getting all sentimental. I came across one of those facebook posts, “you only get 18 summers” and thought “well shoot, I guess I only have 12 more”. But here’s the reality, as I got to thinking, I’ll be 36 this summer and I’ve never missed a summer with my parents.  In fact, you can find me over there by their pool almost every weekend. And not just summer, but every season. So my message to you is, don’t worry about the “18 summers” and trying to make them count.  Because if you’re lucky, you will get a lifetime.

Memorial Day is next weekend! Every year our little town has a big parade, races and fireworks, it’s a big shin dig! It’s one of my favorite weekends, almost like a kick off to summer even though not officially until June 21st.

door basket with blue hydrangeas, white flowers and American flags to decorate for Memorial Day, Labor Day or 4th of July.

What are your Memorial Day plans?

I’ll link the DIY to this easy patriotic door basket here if you want to re-create it. 

Also how perfect is this dress, not just for Memorial Day weekend but breezy summer days?

 

It was an eventful week on the blog this week.

I teamed up with some friends to share some garden inspiration. There were so many great tips and beautiful garden spaces. Click here to see all 12 amazing of these inspiring gardening posts.

The best home and gardening ideas

I shared some of my favorite ways to use lilacs from your garden. You have got to try my lilac lemonade!!! It’s been a favorite for the past few years.

6 ways to use lilacs from your garden white pitcher filled with lilacs, lilac lemonade

Does anyone else get that slump around 2 pm where you crave something sweet and need an energy boost? I’ve got the perfect solution! I’m sharing my go to coffee recipe here. Enjoy!

mason jar filled with iced coffee coconut iced coffee with premier protein shake

This week I had to go into the office for work. For the first time in 2 1/2 years I had to dress up in something other than my yoga pants and sweatshirts. These pants are so comfortable and I love this sweater blazer.

Linking my outfit here.

apricot sweater blazer cardigan with black wide leg pants, white t shirt and and work bag

 

 

 

Here is this week’s menu:

MondayCrunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa salad. (I add shelled edamame for some protein and the leftovers are perfect for lunch!)

Tuesday – Dorito Taco Salad from Midwest Life and Style

Wednesday – Grilled chicken with roasted veggies and rice pilaf

Thursday – Leftover smorgasboard

Friday – pizza naans

Saturday.- MDW party – hot dogs/hamburgers/salads

SundayMy grilled steak charcuterie board with all the fixings and corn on the cob

 

Here are some of my favorite finds on the Internet this week:

This sushi train for sushi nights. The family and all your friends will get a huge kick out of this!

train on table with train tracks and sushi to go around and serve guests sushi train

These patio plantinis for some ambiance.

Don’t these daiquiris look delish? Perfect for Memorial Day if you ask me!

Frozen Strawberry Blueberry Daiquiri

 

Stay tuned for next week! I’ve got an end of the year teacher gift with free printable, a patriotic dessert and my pasta primavera coming!

So if you’re not already subscribed, be sure to do so below so you don’t miss a thing!

Enjoy your weekend!