Zucchini Everything

Well it *should* be the case 'cause I've been watering every dang day, but my garden continues to explode.

Love the peachy blooms on my hollyhocks.

Russian sage

Too bad the dog made the day lilies his trampled-down bed.

Lately my six year old has been going out each morning to hunt for ripe zucchini. He comes back with 1-2 every day. Yikes. Around my neighborhood I'll be the Oprah of produce.

YOU get a zucchini! And YOU get a zucchini! EVERYONE GETS A ZUCCHINI!

In this month's newsletter I included a savory zucchini recipe, but here's a sweet one for you. This has been my breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays for a month now. It is SO good- totally satisfies the pancake craving for a lot fewer calories and more nutrition. Perhaps the best part? Only four simple ingredients.

Zucchini Banana Pancakes

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

Dash of cinnamon

1/2 zucchini, grated, blotted with a paper towel (to absorb excess moisture)

Heat griddle to 350 degrees. Alternately you could cook these in a large pan on the stovetop, but I think the griddle is less prone to burning these.

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Spray griddle with nonstick cooking spray once heated. Pour pancake batter into two pancakes. Similar to regular pancakes, there will be tiny bubbles on the top once the bottom is cooked. Flip when bottom is golden brown, and cook until done.

I serve these with a tablespoon of maple syrup on the side. It's an oldie-but-goodie Weight Watchers trick to dip your fork in syrup (or salad dressing) and then spear your bite.

One serving is both pancakes- a pretty hearty portion. Compared with traditional pancakes, you'll get more fiber and protein in these while consuming much fewer calories. Per serving: 194 calories, 30 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams fat, 8 grams protein, 80 mg sodium. If you add 1 tablespoon of real maple syrup, this becomes 249 calories, 44 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fat, 8 grams protein, and 83 mg sodium.