Apple Zucchini Bread —rsquo; Something to Do With Your Hands When the Babies Finally Sleep

They both slept for two hours simultaneously on Tuesday. Two hours. I know this because I stood over their cribs for the first ten minutes making sure they were still breathing and then I went to the kitchen and made a pot of chili from scratch because it was there and I needed to do something with my hands that was not worry. Aldi ground beef, two cans of kidney beans, canned tomatoes, one green pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic. The apartment smelled like food I had cooked on purpose. I ate a bowl standing at the stove before I even sat down.

Ryan came home from shift at 8 AM and I was already awake having fed Owen at 5 and Nora at 6:30 and I had the coffee made and I handed him a cup and said your children slept for two hours and he said together? and I said together and he sat down at the kitchen table with a slightly stunned expression and we both drank our coffee in silence for a moment. This is what wins look like right now. Small, domestic, precious.

I called Kristin on Tuesday afternoon during the two-hour nap while the chili simmered. She asked how I was and I said tired and she said but good-tired or bad-tired and I thought about it and said mostly good-tired with occasional bad-tired interspersed and she laughed and said that sounds like the right answer. She is flying in for a weekend next month and I am already grateful in advance.

Seven weeks old, adjusted age minus two weeks. Owen has discovered his own hands and examines them with a focus that suggests he considers this a serious investigation. Nora has figured out that crying at a certain pitch and volume causes adults to respond faster, and she is deploying this knowledge strategically. I taught special education for three years and I know what it looks like when a small person is testing a system. She is testing the system. I respect it.

The chili that Tuesday was about survival, but it got me thinking about what I’d make the next time they both went down together — something I could mix with one hand if I had to, something that smelled like the apartment was being taken care of. Apple Zucchini Bread has become my answer to that question: it comes together in the time between one feeding and the next, it makes the whole place smell like a home, and there is something deeply satisfying about grating a zucchini with focused, deliberate attention while two small people sleep soundly in the next room. This is what I make when I need to do something with my hands that is not worry.

Apple Zucchini Bread

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 60 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium), excess moisture squeezed out
• 1 cup peeled and finely diced apple (about 1 medium, such as Gala or Fuji)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
3. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few streaks of flour remaining is fine. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in zucchini and apple. Add the grated zucchini, diced apple, and nuts if using. Fold gently until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
6. Bake. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is deep golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
7. Cool before slicing. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before slicing — it sets up better and slices cleaner. Or eat a slice warm from the pan standing at the counter. No judgment.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 225 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 165mg