I’m going out on a limb here and assuming that you have probably guessed that I really, really, really like to hike. Growing up here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest I have been very fortunate and lucky with all the outdoor activities offered. We’ve got the Cascade Mountain Range, Mt. Hood, Mt. Saint Helen’s (talk about an active volcano too!), the Pacific coast, Willamette River, Columbia River, and much more. I’ve been white water rafting in Central Oregon, dipped my foot into the deepest lake in America (it’s Crater Lake in Southern Oregon, FYI), camped near the Oregon coast where it literally took a good four people to pitch our tent because the wind was blowing so hard that it kept flying away, and I could go on from there, but I only have so much time 🙂
Anyway, yesterday was no different and I went hiking with my brother in one of my most favorite spots in all of the Pacific Northwest: the Columbia Gorge. For those of you who don’t know, The Gorge is separated by the beautiful and strong Columbia River, as a natural barrier between the states of Oregon and Washington, where it eventually flows into the Pacific Ocean to the west. Have I convinced you to visit yet? Oh, no? Well, how about after this photo:
View of the Columbia Gorge from Angel’s Rest hiking trail
You eventually get used to all the green 🙂
Like I said earlier, I went hiking in the Columbia Gorge, and they have TONS of hikes to explore there. Many with gorgeous views similar to the one above. They are all fantastic and wonderful in their own right. Each with their own personalities and quirks. The hike I took is called Angel’s Rest. It is a stunning hike with lots of great views of The Gorge and oh about a good 1,500 feet elevation gain! This hike will definitely make you sweat, but it is worth it at the very top. And after a good 4.5 mile hike about 26 miles outside of Portland, it was even better coming home and smelling the baked goodness of a Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake:
YUM!
My mom tends to make this decadent dessert a lot during the summer months, mainly because we always have an abundance of zucchini from our garden and there are only so many ways you can cook zucchini! My mom got this recipe from a family friend and it has become a favorite among my family. First of all, if I didn’t tell you, you probably wouldn’t guess that it has zucchini in it. You eat it too fast to notice the subtle strips of green in the chocolate cake 🙂 Secondly, the zucchini makes the cake so moist and fluffy! Maybe, I should add this to every cake…
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Makes 1 9×13 inch cake
Baking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cup flour
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups grated zucchini (peeled or unpeeled)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (we use milk chocolate)
Directions:
1. Mix butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add milk, vanilla, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Stir into creamed mixture. Gently stir in zucchini.
3. Grease and flour 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour in batter. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips.
4. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Enjoy and don’t forget you’re getting some good vegetables in this dish! That still counts as being healthy in my book 🙂 Also, we have an abundance of tomatoes from our garden too if you’d like some:
Spoonful of Sugar 