Sweet Summertime

I love summertime. I am not a huge fan of the steamy, hot, 100+ days, but I love everything that comes along with it. Playing outside, kids swimming, suntans, the smell of sunscreen, fresh garden veggies, peaches, and my list could go on and on. We had a lazy Saturday at home yesterday, and I loved every second of it....well, except for the few meltdowns that my sassy little two year old had. Good golly she is full of sass!

We filled up a pool that Landry got for her birthday, and the kids had a blast! It took them a little while to get used to the ice cold well water since they are used to heated swimming pools...just a tiny bit spoiled!

Like I mentioned before, the fresh veggies in the summer are one of my favorite things. Squash and Zucchini are some of my favorites, so when I saw this cookie recipe, I was thrilled!

The picture below is a picture-of-a-picture I took out of a magazine. Mine looked nothing like these. They actually looked a little disgusting...a little like "cow patties." For those readers that aren't from Arkansas, you might not know what those are, but trust me...yuck. 

Anyway, back to the delicious cookies. I KNOW you are hungry after that description! :)

 These cookies are yummy, healthy, and seem really light. Michelle and I both ate FOUR right after we made them. She is pregnant, so she has a better excuse than I do. I am making sure to use my "I'm still nursing" excuse to the full extent this month though...little Mr. Collier will be weaned before long. Happy/Sad/Happy/Sad...I can't make up my mind!!

Here is the recipe. The icing on our's turned out more like a glaze and just made the cookies shiny looking. They still tasted awesome, but I wouldn't plan to take these anywhere that you were wanting to make an impression other than how they taste. :)

Chewy Zucchini-Lemon Sugar Cookies

 Cookies:

1 medium zucchini or yellow squash shredded

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup raw cane sugar (I used a mixture of turbinado and raw coconut sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (we doubled this)

2 tablespoons milk

Icing/Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Place shredded zucchini in a colander lined with paper towel. Let sit for 30 minutes to drain some of the moisture. 

2. Preheat oven to 375. 

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter for about a minute. Add the sugar and beat 1-2 more minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and milk. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture in batches and mix. Fold in zucchini. 

5. Use a tablespoon to scoop balls of cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet. Slightly flatten out the dough with your fingers. Bake for 14(ish) minutes, until just barely golden brown. The cookies won't appear done, but they'll set as they cool. 

6. For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and zest until combined. Use a knife or spoon to smooth/pour over the tops of cooled cookies. Allow 5 minutes to set. 

Enjoy!!