Hallsted’s Prescott Arizona Blog

We spent some quality time together over the Thanksgiving Weekend visiting the World’s Largest Gingerbread Village diplay at the Prescott Resort. I highly recommend this display, especially for the Pre-K through Grade School age groups. There are about 100 houses on display, some are quite elaborate. There is no charge to see the village (you may make a donation to the Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters if you wish, it is a fundraiser. Last year they received donations from the ‘lot sales’, gingerbread men cookie decorating and the donation “house” at the end of the display).

After viewing the display, my two youngest (the little sister and her big brother) were inspired to create this gingerbread house from a kit we picked up at the Joann’s sale.

But that’s okay, we like our vegetables. This is about a 3 day pick from our Garden 2009. Needless to say, we are also supplying friends and neighbors with some fresh veggies also. Clockwise from top right: Yellow Squash and some round zucchini like squash, lettuce, eggplant, carrots,Beets, Turnips, tomatoes, green beans, Green Anaheim chiles, Jalapeno chiles, bell pepper, cucumbers, “lemon” cucumbers, and zucchini. YUM!

It took us a couple of years after moving from the low desert to the high desert to learn how to garden again. We had to get used to late freezes, cool nights, and a short late season. I think we’ve finally got it down. Our garden is producing in leaps and bounds (and toads, and lizards, and bumblebees).

We are eating local these days:
Dinner: Short ribs from the beef our friend raised which we received in exchange for veggies and watching his animals while he was on vacation -
Zucchini, eggplant, and salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes & carrots) from our garden, dessert: goats milk ice cream - from our goats (the milk, they don’t give ice cream even though I keep trying to convince them that would save energy!) - All organic and hormone free!

It’s happened to all gardeners at one time or another. You missed a zucchini last time you picked and you end up with a zucchini large enough to feed 3 families for a week.
Make Evil Chocolate Zucchini Cake!
Unbelievable! This is the BEST chocolate cake ever! Here is zucchini EVERYONE will eat! Let everyone guess what the secret ingredient is!

1/2 cup Margarine
1-3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2-1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1/2 cup Milk
2 cups peeled, seeded and grated Zucchini
2 squares semi-sweetened chocolate squares, cut up (or 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep 13″ x 9″ cake or bundt pan with “Pam with flour”. Cream margarine and sugar together, add vanilla and eggs. Sift flour and remaining dry ingredients together. Combine flour mixture, creamed mixture, oil and milk and beat well. Add chocolate squares which have been cut into pieces. Pour batter into pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into cake and removed comes out clean. Frost with chocolate frosting if your family can wait that long. Enjoy! This is even better the day after it is made.

Note: I grate, blanch, and freeze zucchini boats and use them throughout the year in recipes like this! Don’t ever throw a zucchini boat away - if you don’t have time for freezing, at the very least find a friend who has a hungry iguana.