Cook of the Week

The weather has been heating up and I thought it would be time for some ice-cold pink lemonade. I found a very easy recipe to make. This should hit the spot on a hot summer day or evening.

And the gardens are now starting to over-flow with all kinds of vegetables. If you have zucchini, you know how they can grow and multiply once they start to ripen. I found a recipe for a zucchini coffee cake. You won’t taste the zucchini in this delicious coffee cake. It is a great way to sneak some veggies into your diet!

Old-Fashioned Pink Lemonade

9 cups water

2 cups white sugar

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 cup cranberry juice, chilled

Ice as needed

Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and cranberry juice in a large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves.

Serve in tall glasses over ice. NOTE: You may garnish with mint leaves and orange or lemon slices.

Zucchini Coffee Cake

1 zucchini (10 ounces), ends trimmed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 / 4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 1 / 2 cups white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 / 2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Using large holes of a box grater, shred zucchini. (You should have 2 cups packed.) Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel. Roll up; squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in sour cream, then white sugar.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

Stir in zucchini and vanilla.

Fold in flour mixture with a spatula, mixing just until incorporated.

Spread batter into prepared pan.

Stir together pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter until crumbly.

Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before serving.