Carrot Cake

It was Dennis' birthday this week and since I didn't have time to make his #1 favorite (cheesecake) I had to go with #2; Carrot Cake. I think he likes the frosting more than the cake but I love them both. I don't like raisins in cake so my carrot cake is always raisins free. I use my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook as always. . .I did try to make it a bit more fancy adding the nuts around the edges and my filling is always just more FROSTING!

Ingredients:
4 beaten eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cups cooking oil
chopped pecans and almonds

Directions:
Grease and flour 2 round pans (or one regular cake pan if you aren't doing layers). Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Set aside. In another bowl combine eggs, carrots and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour into pans.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

If you are doing layers, the cooling completely is neccessary. I frost a little on my cake plate to hold the cake in place and then add the frosting filling and then stack with 2nd layer and coat completely with frosting.
To get the nuts on, I don't know if there is an easier way, put I just palmed the nuts and pressed around the edges.
I ate about 1/4 of the cake my-self! Yum and more yum!

Cheese Burger Flat Breads

These were soo yummy!! I found the recipe on the site Kevin and Amanda. I rarely eat red meat so instead of ground beef I used 1 package of Morning Star Farms Veggie Meat and I didn't really measure but added 1 package onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar (approx 1/4 cup) and water (approx. 1/4 cup) to the meat and simmered. While that cooked I rolled out Pillsbury pizza dough and cut into six pieces and toasted each side on my pancake pan until golden brown.

Simply top your flat bread with meat and grated cheddar cheese and YUMMY YUM YUM!! This is a definite repeat recipe. Fast, easy and good!



I served it with a Strawberry, Spinach and Almond Salad.



For this I just had spinach leaves, sliced strawberries, and sprinkled with slivered almonds and tossed with sweet dressing. Most use a poppy seed dressing but I didn't have any so I found another dressing recipe online:

Dressing:

From Kayln's Kitchen, I adapted just a little.
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper
1-2 tsp. squirt of mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Roasted Veggie Pasta

I got this recipe from my Cooking Light cookbook. I added my recent attempts at roasted veggies. This was sliced zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onions, yellow squash, and mushrooms but you could do whatever sounded good or was in season.
In a jelly roll pan lay out veggies drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic or garlic powder and 1/4 cup cooking wine.
Roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
I also added steamed peas after the other veggies were roasted.
Then top over cooked penne pasta (I used a whole wheat pasta).

Dennis said he liked it but would have liked the veggies mixed into a regular red sauce, but I liked it this way just fine. It was light and felt healthy so I enjoyed it. Yum.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

These were another try from another blog I visit and really like. I added 1 Tbs. wheat germ and 1 Tbs. flax which made them very hearty and filling. Yummy, yummy!!

Chocolate Banana Muffins:
Recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
Combine the oil, sugars, egg, and mashed banana and mix until creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Strawberry Shortcake

My grandma used to make this on occasion and it is something I start craving in spring time. I use the recipe from my old standby the Red Checked Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book!

Ingredients:
whipped topping
6 cups sliced strawberries (although I never measure, I just cut up what I want)
1/2 cup sugar divided (1/4 cup for bread, 1/4 cup for strawberries)
Splash of vanilla (I added this little bit and it's pretty tasty)
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
Stir 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla into cut strawberries and set aside. Stir together remaining sugar, flour and baking powder. Cut in butter until crumbly. Combine eggs and milk then add to flour mixture until moistened. Spread in greased round pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool, cut, split and top!!!

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins

I found another great new food blog called For the Love of Cooking. This is the first recipe I have tried and and it turned out great!!! I didn't use the nuts because my kids don't like them but next time I might do 1/2 with the nuts for Dennis and I.

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins with Pecans: Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net (see my sidebar) Original recipe from Southern Living ~ April 2006

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar • 2 large eggs • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large) • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 1/4 cups of flour • 1 cup of whole wheat flour • 3/4 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin tray with cooking spray. Beat the butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Slowly add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each one. In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, cinnamon, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Do not over-beat. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling two thirds full. Sprinkle the pecans over each muffin evenly.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 that I just picked up the other day because let's face it, I'm hungry!!! I thought there might be some good ideas and this is one of them!!

Dennis and I both enjoyed this tasty salad, the kids of course turned their noses up to it but what's new?

Ingredients:

10 oz. Brocoli slaw package

12 oz. baked chicken cooled and chopped

green onions chopped (how ever much you like depending on your love of onions)

slivered almonds (my personal addition, recipe called for water chestnuts) I just added what looked good about 1/3 cup.

large can mandarin oranges (drained and chopped)

Lite Ginger Sesame salad dressing

Directions:

Bake chicken in sesame dressing (I just coat and cook on 350 degrees for about 40 -60 minutes). Cool and chop. Combine all ingredients. I just added enough dressing coat. Toss and let sit for at least 2 hours (important step, don't skip). Then enjoy!