Sweet Potato Pie

So I didn't make up the recipe, I got it from my mom ages ago who got it from...someone else...and this isn't technically a pie either, it's a casserole. But I put it in a pie dish and since I really dislike the word casserole, I call it a pie. This year I will be adding a bottom pie crust to mine to truly make it a pie (because I LOVE pie) but you can try it out either way, with crust or without, this stuff is pretty tasty. My husband will eat it, and if he will eat it, it must be fairly decent.

Sweet Potato Pie

-unbaked pie shell
-3 C pureed sweet potatoes (you can peel, cut up, boil and mash, or wrap in foil and bake, and then peel and stick in a food processor)
-1/2 C sugar
-1/2 C melted butter
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/3 C evaporated milk
-2 eggs

Topping:
-1/3 C melted butter
-1 C brown sugar
-1/2 C flour
-1 C chopped pecans

-mix the sugar with the butter, vanilla and milk until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the pureed sweet potatoes.
-add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth
-spoon mixture into the pie shell or large pie dish if you wish to omit the bottom crust

-Mix the flour with the brown sugar and add the melted butter and mix until crumbly. Add the pecans and mix again.
-Top the sweet potatoes evenly with the crumble mixture

Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes

Zucchini Bread

For the record, I don't like zucchini bread. I actually don't really like zucchini at all, except for maybe once a year. However, I planted 3 zucchini plants in my garden this year and they grew better than just about everything else. Which means we had A LOT of zucchini. After we got tired of having fried zucchini, my husband convinced me to make some zucchini bread. Even though I dislike zucchini bread, I gave it a go anyway. It was actually pretty good. It still ain't got nothing on banana bread, but if you are a fan of zucchini, you will LOVE this stuff. I blend my zucchini up a food processor because I like the texture better, but I'm sure it will still taste lovely if you grate it instead.

Zucchini Bread

-1 C Butter                
-1 C Brown Sugar     
-1 C White Sugar       
-1 tsp Vanilla            
-1 tsp Salt                            
-1/2 tsp Nutmeg
-1 tsp Cinnamon
-2 eggs
-3 C flour
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1  1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 C buttermilk
-2 C zucchini puree (or grated zucchini)
-1 C chocolate chips
-1 C chopped walnuts

-Cream together butter, sugars, vanilla, salt and spices until light and fluffy
-add eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated
-sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda
-starting with the flour mixture, add a little bit and mix just until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix again, just until combined. Add more flour until combined and then alternate adding the zucchini with the flour until it is all combined. DO NOT OVER MIX or your bread will be tough.
-gently fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
-spoon into 2 greased bread pans
(this recipe usually makes 2 loafs, AND 10-12 muffins or 24 mini muffins)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes

(or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean)

Variation: if you want more spice flavor, feel free to add more to taste...or less depending on personal preference.
You can omit the chocolate chips and add 2 C chopped walnuts to the recipe, or omit the nuts and add 2 C of chocolate chips