you look familiar/brown-sugar zucchini bread

I have this horrible habit:  (and I'm totally outing myself here) but I experience a little bit of panic when I see people in public that I know. My first impulse? Duck and cover.

In examining this about myself, I think I know why:

When you've been kicking around in LA for over a decade, there are a million possible random places from whence you may know someone. There are the regular places that everyone can relate to: work, through friends, the gym. But then you have to add to that: acting classes, auditions, odd on-set interactions...

Here's the THING though: you might just know them because you've seen them on TV or from a little place called The Movies. So you could potentially (or most-certainly) make an idiot of yourself by asking, "do we know each other?"

Once I saw a guy in an audition waiting room and I knew I knew him--it was killing me.

Maybe we went to High School together, I thought, or maybe college. I went through the list: Acting class? Yoga? Pilates? That random self-help workshop? Starbucks?

Well. I couldn't recall and I kept stealing quizzical glances at him, wracking my brain. He seemed clueless about me, and that added to the conundrum. Finally it hit me: I was in a movie with him (don't get too excited, it was a very small role in a very small movie) and we worked together in one scene for one night 9 years ago.

OK, you think, that's not bad, Jolie. You can't be expected to remember everyone you've ever worked with. 

Wanna know the scene? We were in a car at a drive-in movie making out and he was repeatedly squeezing and releasing one of my boobs. We met on set and crawling into the car, it was literally: "Nice to meet you. Shall I grab the right one since its closer to camera?"

And I couldn't remember him. What's worse? I turned to him in that audition waiting room:

Me: "Hey there, I finally realized how I know you."

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "We did [that movie] together."

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "We made out in the drive-in?"

Him: [blank stare]

Me: "You repeatedly squeezed and released my downstage boob?"

Him: [pained expression] "Oh...I think I remember that...." [he didn't] "Nice to see you."



Really?


Yesterday at Trader Joe's, I saw a guy I worked with for one day on a TV show. We caught eyes quickly and then both pretended not to know each other even though on camera we hugged while I comforted him on the loss of his dead wife whom he potentially murdered. I felt good about this decision, bought some zucchini, and came home to make this bread.



Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread
adapted from Bill and Cheryl Alters Jamison

This is one of my most favorite go-to recipes for a weekend breakfast. It's super moist, has great texture because of the oatmeal and it's not too sweet (but the sweet crunchy top is SO delicious!). It's yummy warm but even better once it cools and has a bit of time to sit. For a gluten-free, carrot version, go here!

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 4 T packed dark brown sugar
6 T granulated sugar
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 t vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2-3)
3 packets Sugar-in-the-raw (a couple tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Or spray it with my favorite, Pam for baking (it has flour in it!)

Stir the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. When combined, add the oats. Whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla together and then add that to the dry ingredients. Combine lightly (It'll be a bit dry) and then gently add the zucchini. Do not over mix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the Sugar-in-the-raw. It's great if it has a nice crunchy, sugary top, since the bread is not too sweet. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. After it cools, wrap it tight in plastic wrap and it'll be even better the second day.
 

Happy Wednesday, Lovelies!
xo
jolie