Kitchen Disaster

(F this is for  you.  It is a fair warning to enjoy that yummy 'chow' for the next 17 days because you sure are not missing out on anything here--except for a few laughs of course)

I am a horrible cook.

I hate cooking.

I know that homemade meals from scratch are way healthier, so..........much to my family's dismay I continue to keep trying.  I may have a stubborn streak in me.  I may need to let this desire to nourish my family go.....or take a cooking class.

Today I figured out (one of many) problems I have.

I improvise and stray from the original recipe way too much.

I need to plan what I am going to cook BEFORE I go to the store so I don't have this problem.

I decided, 'hey I have this zucchini from the garden (it was the sole item I got from my attempt to garden in pots this year--but that's another story) and well I know I have had some really yummy zucchini bread at Mom Life, so maybe I'll try that.

I googled zucchini bread and after a quick glance at the first 5 recipes I jotted down the ingredients and thought to myself, 'hmm I only have about half of the stuff I need, but I dont' use that other stuff anyways so I'll just replace some ingredients.  Yeah, this is gonna be good!'

This is the original recipe                                                  This is what I used
1 1/2 c wheat flour                                                               1 1/2 c wheat flour
1 1/2 c cake flour                                                                 1 1/2 c almond flour
2 tsp cinnamon                                                                     2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg                                                                      1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda                                                                  2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder                                                             0 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt                                                                            1/2 tsp salt (plus extra thanks to Miss O)
2 eggs                                                                                   hmmm as I am writing this I don't think put                
                                                                                              those in...... 
1/3 c vegetable oil                                                                 1/3 c coconut oil
3/4 c sour cream                                                                    3/4 c plain yogurt
1/3 c buttermilk                                                                     1/3 c whole milk and I threw in a splash of 
                                                                                              vinegar cause I think I remember hearing
                                                                                               that this is a substitute?  Might have just
                                                                                               made that up
1 c brown sugar                                                                     1/2 c brown sugar   1/2 xylitol
2 tsp vanilla                                                                            hmmmm....I didn't add this either--I am not
                                                                                               helping myself here
2 1/2 c zucchini grated                                                           2 zucchinis I put in the blender I did not 
                                                                                               measure
4 oz dark chocolate                                                                3.5 oz dark chocolate candy bar--minus
                                                                                               1/4 of it (O and I taste tested it)


 Yes, I think I see my problem now.  Too much improvising, not enough planning.  I feel like I should be able to improvise though because I do that all the time when I make crafty things with no problems.  That bag I made hardly resembled the original.  Not to mention the hundred other things I have not posted that worked just fine.  Now if only those traits were transferrable to cooking....

...Because these may look edible.  They even smelled good.  They did not taste good.  BLECH!