Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

It is Chris' birthday tomorrow and he has requested his favorite cake... Carrot cake!  I got this recipe from a Mrs Fields cookie book.  The only change I made is to leave out the raisins and walnuts (1 cup each if you would like to add them.)  And the icing recipe is mine.

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans or one 9x13 pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugars.  Add butter, vanilla, and 1 egg.  Blend on low speed.  Increase to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Add the other 2 eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each one.  Add carrots and pineapple.  Blend on low until thoroughly combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 25-30 minutes for 9-inch pans or 40-45 minutes for the 9x13 pan.  Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar (approximately)

Beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed.  Add vanilla.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth.

Momma's Chili

This is our absolute favorite chili recipe!  We probably ought to call it nacho chili because that is how Chris likes to eat it, on his nachos.  This is my original recipe.  At the prompting of my dear husband, I actually wrote this recipe down.  Usually when I create a recipe, I just store the recipe in my head, so of course, it's different every time, which frustrates my chef husband.  This one I actually wrote down and it is fabulous every time!  (And Chris is happy!)

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp garlic salt or to taste
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 T canned chipotle pepper in adobo
1 T beef bouillon
30 oz red beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz spaghetti sauce
15 oz canned tomatoes with chilis

Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic with ground beef until ground beef is browned.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!  Serves 8-10.

Neskowin by the Sea

I have come down to the shores of the sea,
Where things eternal are waiting for me.
Where the tide comes in with its broken shells,
And its thunderous breakers and rollins swells.
The fog rolls in with its misty veil,
Like a phantom ship with a phantom sail.
And the evening star in the far, far west
Is a diamond pin on the oceans breast.
I have come down to the ponderous sea,
And caught a glimpse of eternity.

Unknown

This poem was penned on a little scroll of paper, rolled up in a bowl of sea shells in the room that we stayed in at the Proposal Rock Inn in Neskowin, Oregon.

Spinach, Sausage, and Feta Frittata

This is Kyle's absolute favorite breakfast.  This past summer, he requested it for his birthday breakfast.  Well, we were camping.  So we managed to pull it off in a dutch oven.  Tasted even better on a chilly mountain morning.

1 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
10 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup sun-died tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
4 links fully-cooked chicken sausage, sliced (Alfresco and Aidells both have some really yummy flavors)
8 eggs
4 oz fat free crumbled feta (Trader Joes) (or regular feta)

Preheat oven to 350.  Using a large, flat pan that can go in the oven, saute the onion for 5 minutes on medium to medium-high heat.  Add sliced sausage, saute 3 minutes.  Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.  Whisk eggs.  Pour over sausage mixture, stir.  Top with feta.  Cover.  Cook in oven for 5-8 minutes or until set in middle.  Enjoy!

Chipotle Joes

We love sloppy joes at our house!  This is our favorite take on the classic recipe.  We've made it healthier by using ground turkey breast and whole wheat buns.

20 oz ground turkey breast
1 small onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup frozen corn kernels
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup tomato sauce
1 T canned chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cilantro

Cook ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper until cooked through.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro.  Heat through.  Stir in cilantro.  Serve on whole wheat buns.  Optional: top with a little grated cheddar cheese and diced onions.  Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!

Basic Muffin Recipe

This is a simple recipe that you can customize however you like.  We've enjoyed it with berries, cinnamon swirl, bananas...

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare muffin pans by using cooking spray or paper liners.  Makes about 16 muffins.

Combine dry ingredients
     1 3/4 cup flour
     2 tsp baking powder
     1/4 tsp baking soda
     1/4 tsp salt

Combine wet ingredients
     1/2 cup sugar or brown sugar
     1/4 cup oil
     1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
     1/4 cup skim milk
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp vanilla or extract of your choice

Add dry ingredients gradually to wet ingredients. 

Add your choice of mix-ins
    3/4 cup fruit, berries, nuts, chocolate chips, etc, or a combination of things.
    0r 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon which will then be lightly swirled into batter

Divide evenly into muffin cups.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Poppy Seed Bread

This is the ever-famous, often-coveted, poppy seed bread recipe that everyone asks me for.  It is absolutely wonderful and completely sinful at the same time.  I usually do not give out this recipe because I like to have it all to myself and be the only one who know how to make it!  ; )  If you make this recipe, you have to promise me that you will only use the best ingredients and do not make any substitutions.  I know that I usually try to make recipes healthier, but you cannot do that with this recipe.  I have tried and failed.  It is what it is and must remain completely rich and decadent.  Are you ready?  Here we go...  Just as a note, I do not use a mixer for this recipe.  I mix it all by hand.

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray 10 small (3x5) loaf pans with cooking spray and place on large baking sheet.  You can use larger loaf pans but will have to adjust the cooking time.

Combine
     6 eggs
     2 1/2 cups oil
     4 1/2 cups sugar

Beat well then add
     3 cups milk
     1 T almond extract
     1 T butter extract
     1 T vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients
     6 cups (1 1/2 lbs) flour
     1 T salt
     1 T baking powder
     1 T poppy seeds

Add gradually to the liquid mixture.  Blend well.
Divide evenly into the prepared pans.  Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.  Make sure you rotate your pans at about 20 minutes, then again at 40 minutes so that they cook evenly.

While the bread is baking, make the glaze.  Stir the glaze occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.  Do not heat this mixture, it is supposed to be gritty.

     1/2 cup orange juice
     1 1/2 cup sugar
     1 T almond extract
     1 T butter extract
     1 T vanilla extract

Remove the bread from the oven.  Allow to cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on cooling rack.  You may want to put wax paper under your cooling rack for ease of clean up.  Brush the glaze over the bread every 15 minutes or so until all of the glaze is gone.  Let the bread sit out for several hours or overnight to dry.  (Just beware of little ones who get up in the middle of the night to sample the bread - Elliott and Kyle when they were 4 & 2).  This bread freezes well.  Enjoy!

Bren's Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A, C, and K as well as potassium, zinc, calcium, and lutein. Low in calories and high in fiber, pumpkins are a powerhouse of nutrition. Generally, I try to reduce the amount of fat and calories in any recipe I use. However, in order for your body to absorb all of these wonderful vitamins and minerals, you need to have some fat in the recipe. The recipe works if you replace the oil with yogurt, but your body will thank you if you leave the oil in the recipe. Enjoy!

Combine filling ingredients, mix until smooth. Put in refrigerator to firm back up.

6 oz light cream cheese (softened)
3 T sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Combine topping ingredients and set aside

1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
3 T butter (softened)

Combine dry ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 T pumpkin pie spice
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Combine wet ingredients

1 1/3 cup brown sugar
15 oz solid pack pumpkin
2/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just blended.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or use paper liners. Put small amount of batter in each muffin cup, spread evenly on bottom. Divide filling mixture evenly among muffins, placing about 1 tsp into the center of each muffin. Do not spread out. Divide remaining batter among muffins. Top each muffin with about ½ T topping mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes. (For large muffins, use about 2 tsp filling mixture and 1 T topping and bake for 17-18 minutes)

Nutrition (makes 30 small or 15 large muffins)
Small muffin: 169 calories, 5.7 gm fat, 26.3 gm carbs, 2.4 gm fiber, 4.1 gm protein
Large muffin: 338 calories, 11.3 gm fat, 52.6 gm carbs, 4.7 gm fiber, 8.2 gm protein