Amazing Carrot Cake

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1 cups white sugar
• 1cup brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2cup chopped walnut
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• Optional 8 oz can of crushed pineapple

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Dinner in a pumpkin.

For the past 4years we have had a halloween tradition of eating dinner in a pumpkin. (Thank you Veronica Birch for the recipe.)

My brother in law (who is serving his mission in Vienna Austria) asked me to send the recipe. I am glad the tradition can carry over the oceans. Here is the recipe and instructions. hope you make it and enjoy! Love ya.

1 pumpkin
2lbs. ground beef (or turkey)
1 large onion
1 bell pepper ( I do Green)
1 can cream corn (I also add an additional cup or can of regular kernel corn)
1 28 oz can of original stewed tomatoes (add juice and all)
1 can kidney beans (drain)
salt & Pepper

Options: If you don't have access to meat or don't want it, you can add some extra beans. You can add carrots, green beans, celery and/ or chopped potatoes. Just soften in filling mix before adding to pumpkin. It is great recipe to empty out my fridge and I always have left over filling.

Pumpkin Prep
1. Wash off pumpkin. Cut lid out. Clean inside of pumpkin (like ready for Jack' o Lantern) .
2. Place pumpkin in boiling water (1 Table spoon per gallon of water.)
3. Boil for 10 minutes with water on inside and outside. For this you need a very large pot... If you don't have access to a pot large enough. It may work to bring enough water to a heavy boil and fill the pumpkin and let sit for 15 min with the hot water on the inside. (Don' boil lid!)
4. Carefully place on cookie sheet, place lid next to pumpkin on cookie sheet. bake 350 for 30 min.

Filling Mix Prep
1. cook ground beef in frying pan with chopped onion and chopped bell pepper. Salt, pepper and fully brown meat.
2. Add cream corn, tomatoes and beans.
3. Spoon mixture into the baked pumpkin.
4. Bake filled pumpkin for additional 10 minutes.

Pumpkin should be soft on the inside like squash and scooped with meat when served.

Hawaiian Pork Rub

¼ C Brown Sugar

½ tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Cumin

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Chili Powder

¼ tsp Pepper

1 T Garlic Powder

Sweet Pork

1 jar Seasoned Pork or 1 /2 pork roast (prepare with rub and brown before

1 Can dark Diet soda (Root beer or Cola)

1 can Diced green chilies, 4oz

8-12 oz salsa

¼ - ½ C Packed Brown Sugar

1. Put all ingredients into crock-pot or saucepan.
2. Crock 3-4 hours or simmer till liquid reduced 30 percent.

Serve over bed of rice, in burrito, or in Cafe Rio style salad.

Machaca

1 Beef roast

1 C water

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt

Cook in slow cooker until tender and able to shred ( 4hrs on high, 7 hours low)

Stir down to shred.

OR

1-2 bottles of beef, London Broil

1 C chopped fresh cilantro

1 C Chopped Fresh tomatoes

1 Small Onion, diced

1 can diced green chilies

3 cloves Chopped Garlic

1 tsp Cumin

Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt to taste.

1. Put all ingredients into crock-pot.
2. Cook low for 3-4 hours
3. Serve with warm tortillas

Blender Pancakes... NO OIL

We love Breakfast food at our house! Awhile ago I made some blender pancakes and I forgot to put in the oil. After clean up I was putting away the recipe and realized I skipped over and forgot to put in the 1/2 cup of oil. I couldn't even tell the difference. So here is my recipe... with out oil. I would suggest making them on a nonstick surface.... That way you can make them without putting anything on the pan. The whole batch is 14 points on WW. Enjoy!

1 Cup Whole Wheat
1 1/2 Cup of Low Fat Milk
1 Egg
2 T honey
3tsp Baking powder
1tsp Salt
2-3 tsp Vanilla ( i heart Vanilla)

1. Blend 1 Cup wheat and 1 cup milk on high for 3-4 minutes
2. Add 1/2 cup to mix blend for another minute or so.
3. Add egg, honey,powder,salt, and vanilla until you reach desired consistency.
4. Cook about 3 minutes on each side on low-med burner.
Recipe makes us about 18 pancakes.

If you feel like some spice, add 1/2 cup pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon.... mmmm

Mamma's Potatoe Dough (Cinnamon Rolls)

2 cups mashed potatoes (cooled)about 5 or 6 potatoes will make double batch. Peel them and cut the up. Boil until tender.
1 cup of potato water (saved and cooled)
2 pkg. yeast dissolved in 1/2cup warm water
And add 1 Tbsp. sugar
Mix together.
Add: 3 eggs one at a time
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
Add 4 to 5 ½ cups flour - mix until soft dough and comes away from the side of the bowl.


Let rise double about 1 hr.
Form into rolls. Roll out dough- drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar , roll up and cut 2-3 inches thick slices and place on greased pan- 2 inches apart. Let rise double and bake in 375* oven for 14 min. or until golden .
Glaze after they cool for 30 min.
Glaze: box or 2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs. Evaporated milk... add more until frosting is thin enough to drizzle over rolls.

This isn't the best directions but it is a great recipe for rolls and cinnamon rolls!

Broccoli Salad

2 bunches of broccoli chopped
1cup crazins
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup Sunflour seeds
3/4 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1 Cup Mayo
2 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Mix Broccoli, crazins, onion, seeds, and bacon together.
2. Combine Mayo, vinegar, and sugar in a separate bowl.
3. Pour sauce mixture over broccoli mixrute.
4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.