Scrumptious Carrot Cake

With real cream cheese frosting that is to die for!

I made this for Trevor's birthday cake

and it was so GOOD that I made it again for his welcome home cake from Wisconsin too.

I'm not a frosting person, but I REALLY love this cream cheese frosting! SO, that's saying something! This is also the same frosting I use when I make Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls.

Trevor says this is the best carrot cake he's ever had!

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans (we omitted these because Rae's allergic)

Mix first six ingredients all together. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Gradually add all of dry ingredients to the wet cake batter. Stir in carrots and nuts.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 350F for 45 minutes or so until when inserted toothpick comes out dry.

While cake is baking you can start on the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Mix until smooth. Be careful! The powdered sugar may want to fly out of the bowl at first! If the mixture is too stiff, it will soften as the cream cheese becomes room temperature. If it is still too thick, you can soften it by using a VERY LITTLE amount of milk, like 1 maybe 2 tsp.

Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Serve and enjoy! Refridgerate any leftover cake.

Whole Grain Waffles

These waffles are done in the shape of Hello Kitty, but it is a nutritious and delicious recipe for any waffle maker! This is now the only waffle recipe I'll ever make!

I love to add cool whip topping and frozen fruit (unsweetened and microwaved until hot and syrup develops) So much better than maple syrup!
Recipe from MrBreakfast

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup flax seed meal (I omitted this and added an extra 1/4 of flour instead)
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs - beaten
1 and 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flours, oats, flax meal, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar and salt). In a seperate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Cook waffles in a lightly-greased preheated waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.

Delicious Oat & Wheat Bread

Brynlee and Raelyn would gladly eat this bread with butter on top for every meal if I let them. This recipe is SUPERB for a breadmaker. The original recipe was taken from allrecipes, but again, I fiddled with it to add some wheat flour while still allowing the bread to rise properly for a breadmaker. The oats disappear completely too!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons oil (I use canola)
2 tablespoons honey (use the same spoon so it slides right out after measuring the oil!)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

If using a breadmachine, set loaf on regular white bread setting for a 1.5lb loaf with medium crust. Add ingredients in the order listed and you're ready to push start!

If making by hand, mix together all ingredients in order listed and knead for 5-7 minutes. Let rise until double in size. Punch down/knead and place into loaf pan. Allow to rise until double in size and bake in oven for 35 minutes at 350 F.

Baked Fresh Cherry Pie

I made this for Father's Day and Trevor said this was the best cherry pie he's EVER had!
This recipe is found here at allrecipes.com

1 pastry for a 9 inch DOUBLE crust pie (or in other words, two crusts. I used refridgerated & ready to roll pillsbury kind, but NOT the kind in the tubes)

4 tblsp quick-cooking tapioca

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup white sugar

4 cups pitted cherries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place bottom crust in piepan. Set top crust aside, covered.

In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet --- in case of drips!

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Mad for Meatloaf

Trevor will argue with anyone that doesn't think this is the best meatloaf recipe out there. Last week he kept closing his eyes with every bite saying,"Mmm" and "Oh Babe! This is SO GOOD!" And Raelyn ate more than me!

Meatloaf

2 cups Italian style breadcrumbs (or plain)
½ onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-2 glugs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup salsa (mild or hot, depending how hot you can handle)
1 chopped red bell pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 9x13” pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add all ingredients together and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Put into the prepared 9x13 baking dish. Smooth mixture down until evenly distributed.

Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes, or until done.

Spinach and Ham Quiche

2 Frozen Pie Crusts OR Refridgerated pie crusts by Pillsbury (not the tube kind)
6 large eggs
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach*
8 oz. chopped Ham (or 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped)
1 ½ cup milk
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg


Preheat oven 350 F. Unwrap spinach package. Thaw out spinach quickly by microwaving it on a plate for 2-3 minutes. Drain spinach into a strainer and really try to get as much liquid drained as possible.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Then whisk the milk into eggs. Place spinach into pie crusts by little fingerful amounts spread evenly inside crust (just however much you want). Add ham to each of the pie crusts. Pour equal amounts of egg mixture into pie crusts.

Bake the quiche until top is lightly browned and the filling is set when you give the dish a gentle shake, about 40-45 minutes.

Yield: (2) 9" Quiche
*Spinach is optional, but you can't really taste it in this dish.

**Even Brynlee, our egg hater, loves this dish!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is from Jen's Blog (Trev's cousin), and she got it from here.

It is so good that I was "Mmmm-ing" off and on throughout our meal

and couldn't wait to eat the leftovers the next day.

Asian Lettuce Wraps


2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 (12 oz) bag of broccoli cole slaw
1 small can drained water chestnuts - optional (I left them out)
1/2 Cup Yoshida’s Teriyaki Sauce - (couldn't find this brand and used Soy Vay Island Teriyaki -super yummy!)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
About 15 lettuce leaves (iceberg or butter lettuce)


1. Place oil into a large skillet or pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground meat, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown and crumble until cooked through. Place in colander to drain and rinse fat off with water. (still tastes the same, just less fat!)


2. Return turkey to pan, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until broccoli slaw is softened. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve large spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves.