Zucchini Oat Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've been known to not exactly always have a working "filter". The translation is, sometimes I say things that are best unsaid. This morning my husband was full of goofy energy and silly spirit.  I, on the other hand, was on a mission full of purpose. I created a check list of recipes to make using the large quantity of ripe zucchini and summer squash given to us by our good friends and their bountiful garden.

The list was not short or simple. So to hear the many calls of "Wifer" (yup, that's my nickname) from the garage or the slaps on my bottom as he breezed by this morning began to wear thin. At that moment I was overcome with a genius idea to blurt out "I'm going to call your boss and beg him to find work for you today"(of course I would never call his boss, it was just fun saying it!).  It wasn't an overly offensive statement. There have been worse.  But in a house like ours where my husband works in both construction and in the National Guard, time together can be scarce.

The ironic thing is, his boss called 20 minutes later &  he was, indeed, needed at work today.  His youthful energy was missed after he left for work & I discovered pretty quickly that all I was left with are a bunch of dirty dishes and clock watching moments.  I was anticipating the after school arrival of our kids and my husbands short visit back home before he leaves for 2 nights of what I like to call "Army Man Training". I'm here to tell you, "be careful what you wish for".

Beyond the dirty dishes and clock watching please enjoy a bit of today's deliciousness:

• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup agave
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oat bran
• 2/3 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Cream butter and agave. Add egg, yogurt and apple sauce.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, oat bran and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture then mix on low.

Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Pour into the muffin tins and this don't rise much so feel free to fill them nearly to the top.

Bake for 20 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins



Ps- If you've made my muffins before (the oat, flax, blueberry muffins) you'll know that I don't tolerate a dry muffin that needs to be choked down with coffee or water.  This dandy is full of texture and moisture, which isn't for everyone, but hey, that's what makes the world go 'round.