.Paula's chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Paula Deen...there's not much I can say about this lady except how much I ADORE her! Other than my love of food and budding interest in cooking, she is the reason I started watching the Food Network Channel so much (and when I say so much, I mean that every time I sit down to watch TV, its always the first channel I check - I even look at their website everyday!). She is a freaking hoot, and she'll without a doubt make you laugh while she makes you drool over her food. She cooks mostly southern food, and in almost every dish I've seen her make she uses an insane amount of butter...not the healthiest, but right up there with the tastiest! Anyway, I don't have many pictures of this bread 1) because I didn't grease the pan well enough, so it got ripped apart, and 2) because we ate it pretty dang fast! It's FANTASTIC - the orange zest gives it a little tang that I'm sure you'll love...we did!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

by Paula Deen of the Food Network Channel

Ingredients

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. grated zucchini

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. pecans, chopped

1 Tbsp. orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease 2 9x5 loaf pans. sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices. in a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. add sugar and continue beating until well blended. stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, & orange zest. stir in sifted ingredients & pour into loaf pans. bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of the middle clean. remove loaves from the pans and cool.