You Got to Try My Friend’s DIY Zucchini Pimple Busting Mask Because I Saw How It Helped Her!

Zucchini is not only good to eat, but also has benefits for your skin.

If you have been suffering with an oily complexion that is prone to breaking out, then you might want to try my friend’s DIY recipe for this Pimple Busting Facial Mask.  I have dry skin so I can’t tell you from personal experience how it worked, but you wouldn’t believe the striking change in my friend’s formerly shiny, pimple-prone face with how it is now glowing.

The ingredients she used made sense.  After all, the grated zucchini had plenty of helpful antioxidants like vitamin A and C as well as skin-healing minerals from potassium and manganese, an amino acid, which can play a part in spurring the skin’s collagen production.  

The oatmeal was great, being a rich source of vitamins, minerals and lipids, especially for soothing as it mildly moisturizes due to its anti-inflammatory and  anti-oxidant properties. At the same time, it would be a gentle cleanser for aggravated skin due to its saponins.

Honey was another ingredient that would benefit troubled skin since it can kill bacteria with antimicrobial properties, necessary to help those pimples heal while also being a natural humectant to lock moisture in.

The final ingredient she had written down was aloe vera gel.  This was a fine choice since it also had antimicrobial properties for fighting bacteria.


Jan’s DIY Pimple Busting Mask  

1 tiny baby zucchini (about four inches long)
6 tablespoons of finely ground oatmeal to make your own colloidal oatmeal
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons of honey
2 teaspoons of aloe vera gel

Blend the zucchini with the water until smooth.  Next, strain and add the honey and aloe vera gel before setting aside.  

Take out your food processor, a coffee grinder or clean your blender and dry first before adding the oatmeal and processing until you get a fine powder. 

Mix about two tablespoons of the powder with ample zucchini liquid (but not all of it) in a small bowl.  Keep stirring until it starts to thicken to a paste.

Apply this mask to your freshly washed face.  Keep this mask on for about 30 minutes until it thoroughly dries.

Store the remaining liquid covered in a jar in your refrigerator to use over the next few days.  This will not keep for too long so put it up front in the refrigerator where you will be sure to see it.

The oatmeal powder is fine stored on your pantry shelf.  

I do hope that you try this recipe because it possibly could be the answer to your skin woes as well!

Recipe: Summer Is Not Complete Without My Delectable Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies!

Those that planted a garden should be harvesting their zucchini–that is, if your local wildlife has not thought of yours as their own private salad bar.  I, however, was forced to buy zucchini at the store this year for my delectable zucchini brownies since those greedy beasts didn’t even wait for anything to form and made a meal of the plants themselves!

My Delectable Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies are moist and bursting with intense extra chocolate, nuts and raisins.  Sharing space with the trio and zucchini is just enough spice to bring out that dark richness of the chocolate to perfection.  

As I mention constantly, I like good food but hate to work at it.  I hate those complicated recipes that have a million steps to turn out one dish.  The most difficult part of this recipe will be assembling your ingredients that you’ll need to prepare this and grating your zucchini.  

I do hope you try my recipe because it is so delicious and a great way to use your zucchini.


My Delectable Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

1/3 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of raisins
2-1/2 cups of flour
1-3/4 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa 
1 teaspoon of baking soda, leveled
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cups of grated zucchini
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts


All you do is peel and grate your zucchini before adding it to your large mixing bowl that also has the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat with a whisk or your electric mixer to combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Next, sift the flour with the leveled spoon of baking soda. Add to that mixing bowl along with the cinnamon, cocoa, and salt before stirring in the zucchini, raisins, chips, and nuts.

Grease two 9 x 13-inch baking pans and pour in the batter.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for about 40 minutes or until when nothing sticks when tested with a slender knife, cake tester, or toothpick.

Cool before cutting into squares to keep it from breaking into pieces.

ENJOY!

My Zucchini Double Chocolate Bars Are Delectable and Easy to Whip Up!

Before all the wildlife decided my garden was their feeding station, I used to make this recipe quite often when I had lots of homegrown zucchini.  These yummy chocolate bars are the perfect solution when you run out of ideas for what to do with all of those zucchini.  

You will find my zucchini bars moist and bursting with added chocolate awesomeness from chocolate chips.  What further compliments the flavor is the blend of spices and molasses, which does wonders to enhance the chocolate and add something extra to make it special.

Though I love to bake, I hate complicated recipes and prefer simple ones.  Trust me, but the hardest part of this recipe is rooting through your pantry and refrigerator to assemble your ingredients.  Of course, I am forgetting another step.  You will need to grate the zucchini.  Other than those steps, you basically just mix the ingredients together.

If you don't have any sour milk that you hate to waste, then add about a  tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to the cup of milk.  Stir and give it a few seconds before it will curdle for you.

I know you won't be disappointed if you do decide to make it!

My Zucchini Double Chocolate Bars

3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of brown sugar (light or dark), firmly packed
1/2 cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of molasses (light or dark)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of sour milk or buttermilk
2 cups of grated, drained and peeled zucchini
1 teaspoon of baking soda, leveled
1 teaspoon of baking powder, leveled
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1 cup of chocolate chips

Beat the sugars, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla with your electric mixer thoroughly. 

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, spices together in a large mixing bowl.

Take your dry combined ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.

Next, stir in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.  Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Pour your batter into a greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Test with a toothpick, cake tester or a slender knife to see if anything sticks judging it is done. 

ENJOY!

Wake Up Taste With My Easy Marinated Zucchini Salad!

If you want a quick and easy salad to have on hand, I have just the perfect one.  My marinated zucchini salad recipe is not only delicious, but is great to make ahead of time when you're in a rush.  Serve with a variety of main dishes and solved is a part of your dinner problem.

I hope you do want to try this salad because it's a tasty change from ordinary salads.

My Easy Marinated Zucchini Salad

2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Mix all the ingredients from above and then add:

1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 cloves of finely minced garlic
7 small zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced

Marinate everything for 24 hours in the refrigerator.  Stir several times during that period. 

This salad will keep for several days, but I doubt it will last that long!

Make My Yummy Chocolate Zucchini Bars and Prepare for Compliments!

Those of you with gardens know what a good crop zucchini is as a producer.   If you find yourself with lots and need some delicious ways to use them, I am here for you.  Though I only grow herbs, a few tomato plants, and jalapeno peppers now due to loosing that endless battle with the hoard of wildlife living in the neighborhood, I still have some fabulous recipes to use zucchini such as these bars.

This recipe has double chocolate flavor to spoil you silly  from cocoa in the batter to decadent chocolate chips, chewy chopped pieces of walnut for more texture to keep that enjoyment going, and a blend of spices that will send you practically over the edge with eating pleasure.  With a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk, you will think you died and went to heaven once you take a bite.

If you're thinking something so incredibly delicious must mean this will involve a lot of effort, then you will want to hug me when I tell you this is really easy.  The hardest part is basically grating the zucchini.  All you do is assemble and then mix everything together and bake.

Now, I know you must be excited as well.  So here is my recipe and really do try it one day!

My Yummy Chocolate Zucchini Bars

3 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/4 cup of molasses (dark or light)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of sour milk or buttermilk
2 cups of grated zucchini (well drained)
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Beat sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk together thoroughly. 

Sift the rest of the dry ingredients together in another mixing bowl.  Add the sifted mixture slowly to first mixing bowl and blend in.

Stir in the grated zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Grease a 9" x 13" pan and pour the batter in and bake at 325-degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Recipe: Watch Smiles Grow Once My Chocolate Zucchini Cake Appears!

Zucchini and any member of the squash family are big favorites of mine.  After all, they are easy to grow if you are lucky to be free of various furry garden raiders and are good producers.  Then again, you can still get a good deal on these vegetables at your farmer's market at this time of year to do so much with like making this easy recipe of mine that will spoil you with double chocolate decadence!

My chocolate zucchini cake is moist and uses unsweetened cocoa and chocolate chips for that extra bit of chocolate indulgence spiked with some ground cinnamon to truly boost that chocolate flavor to its peak.  This cake is so tasty just as it is that frosting it would be a waste.

I prefer to make this cake like the recipe I gave you yesterday in two loaf pans.  Instead of being tempted by eating too much at once, you can put one in the freezer and prevent hating yourself later.  Like the zucchini-pineapple cake, you can also make this in a bundt or tube cake pan. 

Another thing I want to share with you concerns measuring your baking soda and baking powder.  When I first started baking,  I used to use any teaspoon or tablespoon that I grabbed out of my spoon drawer to measure, which is a bad idea.  Use your measuring spoons for level measurements since too much or too little of either can ruin what you're making.  Therefore, if your baked goods weren't trying out as you had expected and you are at a loss to figure the cause, the way you measure could be the reason.

I hope the next time you get some extra zucchini and need a sweet fix that you will make my recipe.  Take care and I think you will enjoy it!

My Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa
3 large eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of canola oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of zucchini, peeled and shredded
1 cup of chocolate chips

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, salt,  and cinnamon together and set aside in a large mixing bowl. 

In another large mixing bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly.  Add the oil, sugar and vanilla.  Beat those ingredients together until creamy.

Stir in the zucchini. 

Add the rest of the dry ingredients.  Stir thoroughly in with the creamed mixture using your wooden spoon until moistened.

Next, add your chocolate chips.

Place into two greased loaf pans and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes. 

Use a toothpick or a slender knife to see if anything sticks for testing if it is done.  Different ovens and pan sizes can vary the time it takes for your cake to bake so check.

Let your cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan.  This little wait helps to keep your cake from falling apart.

My Zucchini Pasta Recipe Is Quick, Light And So Delicious!

You can make a lot of different recipes with zucchini like my pasta dish. 

This is the season to enjoy zucchini!   I love zucchini and any form of squash in general because of all the tasty things you can make from main dishes, pies, cakes, muffins, breads or simply eating just as they are as a vegetable.

This recipe that I have for you today is one of the easiest main dishes you can create that is so full of fresh summer goodness of grated, unpeeled zucchini, scallions, garlic lightly browned in some olive oil and later seasoned with basil before tossing together with your cooked pasta.  The seasonings are kept to a minimum so not to overshadow the wonderful flavors of those mingling fresh vegetables just waiting to be savored.  Top with some grated Parmesan cheese and this dish is the perfect light summer meal. 

If you are lucky enough to grow zucchini and have a bumper crop, this is a recipe that you'll definitely want to keep handy because it is truly wonderful!

My Favorite Zucchini Pasta

1/2 cup of olive oil, canola oil, or margarine (not spread)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of scallions, chopped
2-1/2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini
1 pound of spaghetti or your favorite pasta, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon of fresh basil or 1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Heat your oil or melt the margarine in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and scallions and saute them until tender.  Add the zucchini, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. 

Cook your pasta and drain. 

Add your sauteed vegetables and toss with pasta.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

ENJOY!