by Megan Winfrey

I just returned from an absolutely amazing long weekend in West Texas with one of my very best friends. Four days of camping, hiking, swimming, driving, and letting this amazing state completely take our breath away. Hiking Guadalupe Peak, the tallest summit in Texas, was a huge accomplishment for me - and I couldn't have done it without the following recipe. This zucchini bread was tasty, filling, and easy to pack for an overnight hiking and camping excursion. I even made an extra loaf, wrapped it in foil, put it in a large ziploc bag, and froze it for when I got home!

Zucchini Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325ºF

Oil and flour two 8x4 inch bread pans. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients and beat well. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts, then pour the batter into the bread pans. The batter will be quite thick, which will lend to a dense, moist bread.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes, remove from the pans, then let cool completely before slicing or freezing. This bread will stay fresh at room temperature for over a week.