Five things to do with all that Zucchini

Welcome to this week's Friday Five. If you are new here, Friday Five is nothing more than a short (hahaha) list of five random(ish) things. They might be favorites, thankfuls, pet peeves, or frankly whatever else strikes me on any given Friday.  - And, let's be honest, my diligence has been greatly slacking on the summer blogging front. Don't worry, I'm not going to throw out any excuses. Take it for what it's worth, I'm just busy creating a summer full of memories! ;) 

That said, since my blogging has been less than abundant, I'm devoting my Friday Five this week to something that is ever abundant: ZUCCHINI.  

Summer is zucchini season. Whether you grow your own garden or not, chances are you've got a zucchini or two sitting on your counter begging to be used. Fear not, ye who are zucchini riddled, for I too am not traditionally a fan of this popular little squash; however, over the years I've found ways to not just tolerate it, but to actually ENJOY it... and thus, here are my five fav things to do with zucchini: 

1. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies  - A close sister to the ever delicious pumpkin cookie, this is my very favorite thing to make when I've got a zuc or two laying around. Years ago I modified my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe to accommodate for all of my not-getting-eaten zucchinis. Eat these cookies fresh, or freeze them for later = delicious!! (Get the Recipe Here)

2. Zucchini Roll - Also derived from a pumpkin recipe that I modified. What can I say, I'm a dessert fanatic and when you add cream cheese = heaven!! (Also freezable!) 

3. Grilled Zucchini - So, this is probably the only way I enjoy zuc as a traditional veggie. Slice into spears, marinate in italian dressing, then grill. Easy and tasty. 

4. Spaghetti Sauce - I'm sure I'm not the only mom to try the hide-veggies-in-everything trick. When my kids were little I tried to pack them full of veggies every chance I got. They never even noticed when I loaded their spaghetti sauce up with shredded zucchini (and carrots too), but they did notice when I stopped doing it. Though they all enjoy veggies in their un-hidden form now, we still love to pack our spaghetti sauce with them. 

5. "Mystery" Pie -  Like apple pie but with zucchini instead of apples. Sounds strange, but if you keep it a mystery, no one will know that they are eating zuc instead of apples. - Deceptive, you say?... yep, that's how I roll!