Mmm, these muffins are SO good, and they’re very easy to make! Despite this, I still messed them up the first time I made them here. First of all, the British grocery store employee had no idea what shortening was. So I used lard (I think I prefer shortening). And I was half-asleep when I was making them, so I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder. Thankfully, they still tasted pretty good, they just weren’t “feather-light.” So don’t make the mistakes I made! Pull out your ingredients before you start measuring so you don’t grab that baking soda by mistake. 🙂

These muffins are dipped in butter, so I’m sure they’re not very good for you, but you will have a very hard time not having more than one.

Serves: 8-10
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c. cake flour (I always just use all-purpose)
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. milk

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, cream shortening, sugar, and egg.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a smaller bowl; add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 325F/170C for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let cool 3-4 minutes.
3. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll warm muffins in melted butter, then roll in the sugar mixture. Serve warm.

**Each muffin has about 307 calories**

Mmm, this dish is very cheesy and yummy! It calls for shredded zucchini, but I didn’t have anything to shred it with at the time, so I used the vegetable peeler to make long strips. Andrew actually thinks he would prefer it this way, so I’ll probably use the peeler in the future when I make this again.

Serves: 6-8
Cooking time: 40 minutes

4 c. shredded unpeeled zucchini (about 2 lbs)
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. (8 oz) shredded mozzarella, divided
1 c. (4 oz) shredded cheddar, divided
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green pepper, chopped

1. Place zucchini in strainer; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out moisture.
2. Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of cheddar. Press into greased 9″x13″ pan.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 400F/200C for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini.
4. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through.

**This recipe has about 311 calories per 1 cup serving**