Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My oldest loves carrot cake. Maybe more than red velvet but I guess it depends on his mood. Iused to make this for his birthday before we discovered Nothing Bundt Cakes. For Easter I still make this carrot cake recipe for my family. It doesn't last long and sometimes I do manage to get a second slice before it disappears. It is so moist and delicious!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

        2 cups All-Purpose Flour

        2 tsps Baking Powder

        1 tsp Baking Soda

        1 1/2 tsps Ground Cinnamon

        1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

        1/4 tsp Salt

        4 Large Eggs

        1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar

        1 cup Brown Sugar, packed

        1 cup Vegetable Oil

        2 tsps Vanilla Extract

        3 cups Carrots (about 4 medium carrots), finely grated

        1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple, drained (optional, for added moisture)

        1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

        1/2 cup Raisins (optional)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

        8 oz Cream Cheese, softened

        1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened

        4 cups Powdered Sugar

        1 tsp Vanilla Extract

        Pinch of Salt

        Shredded Coconut (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 
2. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the egg mixture, whisking until fully combined.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
7. Stir in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple (if using), walnuts, and raisins (if using). The batter will be thick, which is normal.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, continuing to beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
4. Once the cakes have completely cooled, spread a generous layer of frosting on the top of the first cake layer. 
5. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake.
6. Press shredded coconut into frosting.

 Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Slow Cooker Healthy Version Chili

I first had this chili when my family had dinner by the firepit of the home of my hiking buddy. A few months later my oldest asked me if I had the recipe. My friend had shared it on her own blog (I'll share the link to her blog if I get permission.) Since then it has become one of our favourite chili recipes to have. Enjoy some versions of chili that my family enjoy. We have a delicious quick chili, a variation of the quick chili, a sweet maple chili and a delicious white chicken chili.

Slow Cooker Healthy Version Chili
(image courtesy of Betty Cr*cker website)

Ingredients:

                1 pkg Gardein brand Ultimate Beefless Ground

                    or 1 pound of Ground Organic Bison

                1 c. Yellow Onion, chopped 

                1 c. Green Bell Pepper, chopped 

                1/2 c. Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped 

                1/2 c. Red Pepper, chopped 

                2 cloves Garlic, chopped

                2 cans Tomato Soup (do not add milk)

                1 can of Low-Sodium Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), do not rinse or drain

                2 Tbs Chili Powder

                1 Tbs Vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Brown the ultimate "beef" or bison until no longer pink.
3. Once the meat is just beginning to brown, add in the onion, garlic, and peppers. 
4. Cook on low until peppers are just getting tender.
5. Transfer to a lightly sprayed CrockPot. 
6. Stir in the soup, the chickpeas and its liquid. Stir well.
7. Add in the chili powder and vinegar.
8. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. 
9.  Serve with: 
• shredded cheddar cheese (or a vegan "cheddar" option)
• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced green onions (scallions)

Tips:

• If using vegan "meat" this step only takes about 4-5 minutes.  
• Bison takes about 8 minutes to brown.

       

 Dinner Menu Ideas:

• Fruit Salad 
• cut up melon, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and honeydew
• Honey Cornbread or regular Corn Muffins
• Tossed Salad 
• Greens, cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, raw broccoli florets tossed,with a drizzle of Tuscan Italian Dressing, low fat.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Maple Chili

It's that time of year again. Maple sugaring season! One of my family's favourite things to do when the sap starts running is to attend the NYS Maple Weekend activities.

We first began attending Maple Weekend while living in Lewis County (Home of the NYS Maple Museum in Croghan). Sugar houses were few and far between in Chautauqua County that we didn't go to any while we were there. Since moving to the Capital District we have gone west to Fulton and Montgomery Counties and East to Washington County where from the driveway of one sugar house we were almost a stone's throw to Vermont. New York State syrup is better.

While in Fulton County we had the delight to have some Maple Chili fresh from the crockpot. This has quickly turned into one of our family favourites. Another favourite is my Quick Chili that I threw together after being told by our cheerleader that she signed me up to bring chili to the high school football game (that started in two hours). A variation of this has more ingredients and delicious flavour. One of the thousand ways I know how to cook chicken is this delicious White Chicken Chili. The last, but not least, favourite is the healthy version that we got from my hiking buddy.

      Maple Chili

Ingredients:

        1 lb. Ground Beef

        1 large Chopped Onion

        2 cans Cream of Tomato Soup

        16 oz.can Kidney Keans

        (2) 14 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes

        1/3 c. pure NYS Maple Syrup

        2 tsp Salt

        ½ tsp Pepper

        1 Tbs Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Brown together the ground beef and onion in a soup pot. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients 
3. Simmer together for two hours or cook all day in a CrockPot.
4. Serve with these corn muffins.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid