An Amazing Day, and Faux-Fried Zucchini!

Today has been an AMAZING day!!!!! Love having days like this! Smiles all around! It started off having a wonderful brunch date with my super awesome friend, Deliesse. She planned a brunch at South Coast Winery for my birthday (since she wasn't able to come down for my birthday weekend last weekend). I had a deliciously healthy omelet; spinach, mushrooms, and pepper jack cheese. Yummmm!!!! And a mimosa to wash it down! It was so lovely. Gotta love having such a wonderful friend in your life. I am not going to waste your time telling you all about our girl date, but I am gonna post a couple pictures because she truly is an amazing friend and I want to share our awesomeness! :D

Windblown cuties!

I <3 my best friend!

Deliesse and her yummy mimosa!

Happy birthday to me! Oh and look at that omelet! Mmmmm!

Beautiful winery!

Alright, so now back to baking! My neighbor told me he had an overabundance of zucchini growing in his backyard garden and asked if I would like any. Hellllllooooooo!!!!!!!!! Yes I would!!!!!!! Love zucchini! I headed over to his house and snagged up those zucchini and came straight home and started chopping and smashing away! Fried zucchini is oh so yummy, especially slathered in ranch dressing, but trying to live a "healthy" lifestyle and watching the weight (aka calories), I decided to make some faux-fried slices......or "oven-fried", or "baked" (whatever you want to call them). They are actually pretty easy, and turn out just as oh so delicious as real fried ones do.

So here is all you need to replicate this yummy treat......

INGREDIENTS:

(adapted slightly from Hungry Girl)

-1 extra large zucchini (or 2-3 small ones, depending on how many slices you want) 

-1 cup Fiber One Original cereal (this is the main staple for anything faux-fried, so I recommend you pick up a couple boxes if you're gonna do lots of faux-frying! *Plus, it's really tasty if you decide to eat it as just what it is......cereal* (The idea came from Hungry Girl)

-Fresh ground pepper

-Lawry's Seasoned Salt (just a dash of this will do. You don't want to add too much sodium; besides, a little goes a long way anyway!)

-Onion powder

-Garlic powder

-Milk or 1 egg; beaten (I used the milk this time, but the egg will help hold the cereal mixture on the zucchini better)

Look at that ginormous zucchini!!!!!! =0

WalMart Milk.....and aren't my bowls so cute??? ;D

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Place cereal into sealable plastic bag

3) Sprinkle all seasonings into bag with cereal

4) Crush cereal mixture until it is a fine powder (some small chunks are ok), or, if you are fortunate enough to have a food processor, USE THAT!!!!!! It is sooooo much easier, I just have yet to acquire one! :/

5) Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices (it doesn't have to be exact, so don't go bustin' out that ruler to check each slice)

6) Dip slices in milk, or egg, and then flip around in cereal mixture

7) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place zucchini on top

8) Bake for 15 minutes 

Baggy of cereal mixture. Smells so good!

Ready to go into the oven! :)

9) Remove from oven and let cool.....then dig in. Dip with ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce....or just eat them as they are cuz they are sooooooo yummy!!!!!

Finished product....I had already helped myself.....because I couldn't resist! They were so good!

With it being almost 7pm, the weekend is coming to an end. Hope you all have a great week this week and I am so excited for Labor Day weekend! I get a 3 1/2 day weekend and am going to plan on making my margarita cupcakes, so look forward to that post.....as long as I don't drink too much tequila to type! ;)

Much <3!!!

Amy