Newsflash * Raisins are not substitutes for chocolate chips!!

                                                                {source}

Hi there, friends.
By now, everyone has buckets and buckets of garden zucchini.
You know the old saying.." never leave your car unlocked in the summer, while at church".
Around here, the same could be said for leaving your car unlocked at the store, bank, or post office.
It's not that it isn't safe to leave your car unlocked in the summer time, it's just that you may get a few bags of zucchini deposited on your front seat~!

Anyway..... I've frozen zucchini, I've cooked with zucchini, and I've baked with zucchini.
This recipe has been a new favorite of mine, this summer.
The image is from the site, as our cookies didn't last long enough to snap any pictures of them.

The other day, when I mixed up a batch of these cookies, I found that I only had a cup of so of chocolate chips left.
Being the genius I am, I decided to mix in a cup or so of raisins.
I told our daughter about running out of chocolate chips and the reason that I mixed in raisins too.
She proclaimed , " Raisins are not substitutes for chocolate chips!" " Just call Martha and ask her!"

Duly noted.

     ~ Chocolate Oat Zucchini Cookies `

Zucchini-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: About 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 1 - 1 1/2 medium)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Learn Basic Food Safety Tips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Add zucchini and with mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture. Stir in oats, walnuts and chocolate chips (I reserved 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips to press into the tops of dough balls before baking, just for looks which is totally optional).
• Shape dough into balls, 2 Tbsp each, then transfer to a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 11 - 14 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
• Recipe Source: adapted with slight changes from Nestle