Encouragement for a Monday morning: I posted this on Facebook but wanted to share it with the whole blog crowd!
You were meant to be touching
The lives that you touch
And meant to be here
Making this world so much more
Than it would be without you in itYou were meant to be bringing
The gifts that you bring
And singing the songs
You’ve been given to singYou are perfectly, wonderfully,
Beautifully meant to be
You were meant to be.
- 2 cups zucchini, grated
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup whole spelt flour (or an additional 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (I used a bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Chips)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
- Grate zucchini. Dump into a mesh colander and squeeze it with a towel to get rid of excess moisture. Fluff it back up with a fork.
- In a large bowl, beat together the wet ingredients (oil, eggs, honey and vanilla). Stir in the zucchini.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (whole wheat pastry and spelt flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and cinnamon).
- Pour the dry mixture into the wet/zucchini mixture. Stir just until combined, and then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine was done baking at 30 minutes). Let cool completely.
These brownies were incredible. I did a bad job grating the zucchini. I just threw it in my crappy food processor and pulled out the bigger chunks. But they were amazing!! I ate some both last night and this afternoon!! That’s a seal of approval right there because I usually wouldn’t really eat brownies. 
So thick, gooey, & good!
The puppies and I had a little company today! Alex came over for some lunch and some puppy love!!! I sliced up some toppings to make paninis. I was so happy to find some ripe avocados at the Sunflower Market yesterday. Plus I’ll get to use the leftover toppings for grill night tonight!!
Aren’t you proud I ate something other than Alexia fries for lunch?? I really am. I need to have company more often.
In other exciting news, my Fitmixer goods came today!!! Totally looking forward to starting boot camp on September 10 (my bday!!!!) The box was 17lbs. That’s our first workout, right??? I promise all that sweat wasn’t from carrying it inside. I just finished a 5k with Pippa.
Since I had just gotten back from a run and hadn’t eaten breakfast, I decided I should try it. Woops!! I read the latter afterwards. Kind of like reading the card after you open the gift. I wasn’t supposed to open it yet. Oh well. IT TASTES LIKE FROSTING!!!!!!!! Haha.
I’m out of here early. Kevin is on his way home from work. We’re going to the gym & grilling out with no internet interruptions. Okay, I’m sure I’ll be on my iPhone. But it will still be fun. Maybe I’ll Instagram you a picture of the puppies to get you through the night!!
Brownies or cookies? I’m just asking. I think I might like brownies better. If they’re gooey. Either that or the ever-popular cookie DOUGH!
Who is someone who has touched your life recently? Or vice versa (from the song, in case you’re wondering where that question came from!). I’m going to be super lame and say my blog readers. I have gotten SO MANY encouraging comments and emails this week. I love ya. <3
P.S. You should read this: Beauty Full Day. One of my favorite bloggers met the baby girl she is adopting from China for the first time.
Brownies look delicious! And they’re healthy since they contain zuc, right?!
I am all about some gooey brownies
oh wow I can’t get over how moist those brownies look! YUM
Zucch brownies are the best.
PS. Just read the Beauty Full Day – wow!! Thank you for sharing her post. I wasn’t teary until the very end when she was talking about how baby girl fell asleep in her daddy’s arms. What a beautiful portrayal of true peace and rest. <3
Definitely brownies!! I’ve never cooked with coconut oil before. Is it special in some healthy way? Or would extra virgin olive oil work just as well?
i think i need to do just that, makes these and listen to steven. I heart him!
YUM! isnt choc and zucchini a to do for mixture??! i will have to try these and see how they compare to my chocolate zucc cake! delicious im sure!! these look so gooey!
These brownies are RIGHT up my alley. Super excited to try them!
Zucchini in brownies hence they count towards our 5-a-day…perfect!! I’ve always been more of a cookie girl but I wouldn’t turn down a warm brownie, served a la mode
!
“I wasn’t supposed to open it yet. Oh well. IT TASTES LIKE FROSTING!!!!!!!!”
Haha!!!!
These brownies look amazing!!! I love that song too! So perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Deciding between brownies and cookies is a tough one for me, but I think I’d have to go with brownies!
oh, that fitmixer thing looks neat. good luck! cute panini platter!
We are birthday twins!! We should totally have a joint b-day fitness party! WODs for all!
i just read the beauty full day post… tears running down my face… that makes me so happy! thank you for sharing!
Aww, I used to love Steven Curtis Chapman when I was a teen! He was one of my favs!
And those brownies look delicious! 
I would usually say cookies beat out brownies. But, the picture of your dark chocolate zucchini brownies?!?! Whoa. They look crazy good.
Great quote–it was nice to read something so beautiful and heart-warming on a Monday. Needed that.
OOooh the brownies!! Yum!!!!
I remember when my huge fitmixer package came- I still have almost all of the protein powder left because I think it tastes horrible. WAY too sweet (even for my sweet tooth!). Wish I could send you mine!
Loving the spread! Sounds like a marvelous monday for sure!