Ah, Saturday.

I can't think of the last time that I was so grateful to wake up at 0630 -- mostly because this morning, I realized that it was *Saturday* and I could go back to sleep guilt-free.

After a wonderful lie-in, I've had the sort of Saturday that gives a good name to all of them -- the weather was beautiful, everything was leisurely, there was an almost-nap this afternoon, and I'm rounding out the day with a little baking.

If you have any leftover zucchini -- or heck, if you just haven't gotten enough of the stuff this summer (which, I must confess, I never have done -- gotten enough of zucchini, that is) -- try my variation on many, many other zucchini bread recipes. Oh -- and also, try this chocolate cake; Nicole made it while I was in Bloomington, and it was fabulous. My co-workers raved when I brought it to work last week. Skip the chocolate chips & walnuts and go for chocolate frosting instead.

Never-Fail Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

a generous 3/4 c. oil

1 2/3 c. sugar (I like to mix white & brown or use turbinado)

2 c. shredded zucchini

1 tsp vanilla extract (Snell's good vanilla, preferably)

1 tsp almond extract

3 tsp cinnamon (I used pumpkin pie spice today. The batter tasted amazing.)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

3 c. flour (you can substitute 1 c. whole-wheat flour, but not more than that)

Beat eggs gently. Add oil, sugar & extracts and mix well.

Combine dry ingredients -- or heck, do what I do: add the spices & leavenings to the wet ingredients, and then add the flour by half-cupfuls, mixing as you go. I'm a little bit of a quick-bread renegade, I know.

Pour batter into two bread pans (I have one that's an 8" and one that's a 9" -- it works) that have been greased & floured.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes -- check for doneness, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (anywhere from 50 - 65 minutes, depending on your oven, and the water content of your zucchini). Cool on racks. This freezes well, but your co-workers would really enjoy that 2nd loaf ...

What else?

Well, I bought my last pair of 3-Day shoes today (Nike Zoom Vomero 4s -- alas, another pair of pink & silver shoes ... they're SO comfy, though!), and finally, dropped off all of my winter dry cleaning -- it's almost sweater-weather, after all. When I arrived at the dry cleaner, there was a man standing in the doorway, having a tantrum about not being able to have his polo shirts laundered for the price of a regular men's dress shirt. Hey mister -- have your tantrum elsewhere! I have thirty sweater-sets in need of dry-cleaning!

Enjoy the zucchini bread. And do not mock the sweater sets.