Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my FAVORITE cake! I request it every year for my Birthday (it just tastes better when my Mom makes it!) This recipe comes from my Grandma Ina. I love the chocolate chips and raisins in this. My Mom only makes 1/2 of the frosting, but I like to make the whole recipe. It's yummy when its still a tiny bit warm in the middle and the frosting melts along with the vanilla ice cream. Mmmm! Gooey sweetness at its best!

Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beat lightly

3 cups carrot, grated

1 medium can pineapple, crushed

1 cup nuts (optional, I do not add these)

1 cup raisins

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Mix all dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs, carrots and pineapple. Mix well. Fold in nuts, raisins and chocolate chips. Bake in a greased 9 by 13 pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until center springs back to touch or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix together until smooth. Lick the batters, and the spoon, and the bowl :) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

November! Time for Pumpkin Pie- or just pumpkin anything! This is a super appetizer for fall get togethers. It is easily doubled and will be the life of the party! Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and spices until smooth and well blended. Server with gingersnaps, sliced apples or pears, zucchini bread, or Nilla Wafers. Refrigerate leftovers.

Apple Crisp

There's nothing so yummy to me than the smell of this recipe- warm apples and cinnamon. This is great with caramel sauce drizzled over the top and vanilla ice cream slowly melting making it even more enticing. MMM! This is a basic recipe, anyone have a better one and want to share?

Apple Crisp

6 to 8 apples (I like Granny Smith)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I like to double this)

Peel and slice apples and place them in a 9 by 13 pan. Crumble the rest of the ingredients together and sprinkle over the apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 40- 45 minutes or until apples are tender and toppings are golden brown and bubbly.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

PLAY with your FOOD! Yum! This is as easy as 1. Mix 2. Play 3. Eat :D

Peanut Butter Play Dough

3 1/2 cups peanut butter

3 1/2 cups corn syrup

4 cups powdered sugar

4 cups powdered milk

Mix, play, eat! Store in fridge for up to one week. You can use food coloring if you choose to. I make 1/2 of this recipe at a time.

Chicken and Rice

This is one quick fixins' idea that I use regularly. You can use hamburger or chicken and then the matching Rice-A-Roni (the San Fransisco Treat!) I don't add any veggies into this, but you could easily add whatever sounds good to you. This isn't really a recipe- just an easy meal idea, but I hope it helps for those busy nights!

Chicken and Rice

1 box Chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook rice to directions on box. Stir in cooked chicken during last 5 minutes of simmering. Add in vegetable, top with shredded cheese. Cook through. Viola!

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

These are the cheaters-method of thumbprint cookies. This recipe makes baking so easy, and who doesn't like that? You can use any type of Hershey Kiss on the top, but I like the original kind best. Make sure to not over bake- they tend to lose something if they get too hard.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

36 (plus or minus a few) Hershey Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix milk and peanut butter in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in baking mix and vanilla. Shape dough into golf ball sized balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookies sheet. Bake 8 to 13 minutes or until bottoms of cookies begin to brown. Cool on baking rack. Press Kiss onto tops of cookies while still warm.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

What a better way to use those over ripe bananas... CAKE! I love this cake (and the frosting- my favorite!) This is another recipe from my Mom's collection. So great on it's own or with a little bit of ice cream.

Banana Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 medium ripe bananas, smashed (1 cup)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, room temp

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in bananas. Spread in a greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 30 minutes or until test done. Cool completely before frosting. For frosting, cream all ingredients until fluffy. Frost cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Alfredo Chicken Pasta Toss

This is an easy and quick dinner. This makes a large portion so I usually freeze half for later. It is also good with broccoli. You can also substitute a dry envelope of Alfredo sauce mix for the jar of sauce; just make as directed. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Alfredo Chicken Pasta Toss

4 cups uncooked rotini, penne or bow tie pasta

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas

1 cup shredded carrots

1 Tb vegetable oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized strips

1 jar Alfredo pasta sauce

2 tsp dried basil leaves (or 2 Tb of fresh chopped basil)

Cook and drain pasta to directions adding the peas and carrots during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to pan. Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken; cook 9 to 11 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in chicken, Alfredo sauce and basil into pasta. Cook and stir until heated through.



Scrambled Eggs Benedict

A simple alternative to fancy eggs Benedict- easy to make for any meal and nice for company. The recipe calls for a jar of hollandaise sauce, but I usually use the dry packaged type. (Someday I'll try to make it from scratch :D)

Scrambled Eggs Benedict

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk or water

1/8 tsp pepper

2 Tb butter

1 jar hollandaise sauce

8 slices Canadian bacon

4 English muffins, split and toasted

paprika, if desired

In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper until blended. Melt butter over medium heat. Pour eggs into skillet and scramble. Microwave sauce for 2 minutes or until hot; keep warm. Microwave Canadian bacon for 1 minute or until warm. Place muffin half on plate. Top each with a slice of Canadian bacon, about 1/3 cup eggs and 2 Tb hollandaise sauce; sprinkle with paprika.

Maple-Glazed Meat Loaf

My super cute sister requested meat loaf recipes. This is one of my two favorites and when I find the other one I'll post it. Meat loaf is something that even my picky kids will usually eat and it freezes pretty well. I like this with a little less syrup and a little more ketchup, or you can substitute BBQ sauce for the ketchup. Serve with some garlic mashed potatoes and a veggie and you've got a whole meal. I think we'll have this on Tuesday :)

Maple-Glazed Meat Loaf

1 tsp beef bouillon granules

1/4 cup hot water

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

3/4 cup cracker crumbs (I like to use Ritz or Townhouse)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 cup ketchup

1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce, if desired

1 egg, slightly beaten

Glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup maple syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, dissolve bouillon in hot water. Add remaining meat loaf ingredients; mix well. Spoon into 8 by 4 loaf pan or shape into an 8 by 4 loaf in an ungreased 9 by 13 glass baking dish. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until cooked through (internal temp 160 degrees). Remove pan from oven. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Brush top of meat loaf with glaze. Let stand, covered 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining glaze.