Vicki Stewart

You know the expression, ‘You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family’? Some of my closest female friends are like sisters to me. We encourage one another; we tease one another when we do something stupid (which we often do), and we cry with one another when one of us goes through a difficult time.

Life can be whatever you make of it, and it’s much more enjoyable when you surround yourself with people who you care about and who care about you. Tori, Ben, Piper and Logan have been together since their days at the FBI academy and have formed such a deep bond; they would willingly give up their own lives to protect each other. And as most close friends do, they also tease each other like siblings.

Children from the Light, Chapter 16 “…Giving Tori a raised eyebrow grin, Ben asked, “And how is that a healthy breakfast option for you and the twins?”

“They have zucchini in them! That’s healthy!” Tori argued, trying not to laugh.

“Zucchini in a cupcake, that’s chick food,” Logan snorted, derisively.

“Don’t worry, buddy, I’ve got you covered,” Ben advised. “We also have scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns.”

Logan nodded in approval and said, “Awesome. Now that’s man food!”

“Man food? Since when did eggs, bacon, and hash browns become man food? Women eat bacon too, you know. You’re both such dorks,” Piper sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Remember who drove here today, Pip,” Logan teased.

“Don’t worry; I would drive you home if he bailed on you,” Tori promised.

“Thanks, Tori! See? That’s how you treat a friend, Logan. You should take notes,” Piper joked…”

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 zucchini, grated
1/3 cup olive oil
2 eggs

For the Frosting:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper or foil cupcake liners.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

3) In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the grated zucchini, oil, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest and then add the mixture to the larger mixing bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.

4) Divide batter evenly into the muffin pan, filling each liner 2/3 full.

5) Bake the cupcakes 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

6) Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

7) To make the frosting, blend the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl until creamy.

8) Mix in the vanilla and gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar.

9) Pipe a generous swirl of the frosting on top of each cupcake and serve.