Apricot Zuchini Bread (with chocolate chips)

Apricot Zuchini Bread (with chocolate chips!) 

I had these wonderful yellow zuchini I wanted to make something sweet with.  I also wanted to use up some of the apricots from my tree that were really ripe and almost mushy. And I love chocolate chips (what's not to love?). And I also had lots of leftover cuties that I needed to use up before they dried out in my fridge. So here is what I came up with. It is a basic zuchini bread recipe for 2 loaves. I doctored it up a bit to use up my fruits and zuchini. It turned out wonderful!

Yellow Zuchini is so pretty and looks great in soups and salads too! 

The yellow zuchini tastes the same as regular zuchini but it is just so darned PRETTY! It's such an easy veggie to grow too! Here is a yellow squash that my neighbor brought over. Her hubs is a green thumb! Me, not so much.....

But we did get some great apricots off of our tree this week. I picked about 20 the other day. They are so yummy!

 We have been working so hard on our yard this summer. My hand is kind of stiff from hours of weeding yesterday morning. But the front yard sure does look tons better! (And we actually finally took down the Christmas lights and here it is JULY!

Apricot Zuchini Bread.....mixing it up was a snap!

Almost ready to bake....I just HAD to add chocolate chips. The hubs said it's better without.....(what's wrong with that guy...better without CHOCOLATE?) well....maybe....

 Yeah, we are not a driven, organized team. We are lazy and most Saturdays we love to go and play, not do things we really SHOULD be doing (like cleaning out the garage, you can't even walk around in there anymore!) EEK!

I have heard of orange zest in sweet breads but I had never tried it. It is a fun little hint of a taste that adds a little something to your bread, but it is entirely optional! 

Everything is better with chocolate!

 Zuchini Apricot Bread (with Chocolate Chips)

2 1/4 C flour
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C butter
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/3 C sour cream
2 1/2 C grated zucchini
2 apricots diced fine
2/3 C chopped walnuts
3/4 C chocolate chips
zest from one medium tangerine or small orange (optional) 

Zuchini bread is a great way to use up your garden zuchinis! And neighbors really like it too! 

Cream butter, oil, sugars and eggs together. Add vanilla. Then grate zuchini and add in with the apricots and sour cream. Then add salt and soda to the flour mixture and dump that in. Mix well. Then add cinnamon and nutmeg, walnuts and chips one at a time.  Spray 2 bread pans with Pam. Pour batter in pans evenly. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes. Let bread set for 10 minutes on cooling rack before slicing. Mmmm....it's SO good.

Apricot Zuchini Bread....it turned out so yummy!