Apple Zucchini Bread

I love this time of year!  I love the cool fall nights.  I love the fruit on the trees.  I love the smell of the air.  They have just started picking the apples in the orchard across the street from my house.  There are 10 acres of trees that I get to look at every day.  In spring they blossom and get leaves.  In the summer there are tiny apples developing and growing into juicy, delicious fruit.  And in the fall, the apples are red, green and gold and every color in between.

This recipe takes advantage of both the summer and fall crops.  This has a large amount of vegetable oil in it, so next time I think I'll replace half of the oil with applesauce.  I found this in an old Taste of Home magazine.

Apple Zucchini Bread

4 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 1/2 shredded zucchini (seed the zucchini if its large)
1 1/2 cup shredded peeled apples
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (I left these out, I'm allergic to pecans)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  In another bowl beat eggs.  Add oil, sugars and vanilla.  Pour over the dry ingredients; mix well.  Stir in the zucchini, apples and pecans (batter will be stiff).  Pour into 3 well greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until it tests done.  Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 3 loaves.

Source:   Taste of Home