The Best Carrot Cake You'll Ever Have

The actual name for this recipe is King Arthur's Carrot Cake, but my name is much more appropriate. This cake is so moist, so perfectly textured.... so amazing. Thank you to Bev for sending me the recipe after Charlotte's Fantastic 2nd Birthday Party. Sorry the only picture of the cake without frosting on it is of the bunny's rear end.

King Arthur's Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil (I use canola)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 ½ cups finely grated carrots (I peel them, cut them in chunks and grate in the blender)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add oil while mixer is running. Add vanilla, and then gradually add the sugar. You’ll have a thick, foamy, lemon-colored mixture. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring to make a smooth batter. Add the carrots and nuts, pineapple and coconut.
Pour the batter into a greased (I line the bottom with parchment or wax paper before greasing) 9x13 inch sheet pan or three 8 inch round pans and bake for 45-50 minutes (sheet) or 35 minutes (rounds). Cake is done when tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar or frost with cream cheese frosting or icing of your choice.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
One stick softened butter
Pinch of salt

(If you are making a layer cake or want lots of icing, double it.)

Anniversary Cheesecake

For our 4th anniversary I thought I'd make a dessert Trav would appreciate even more than I would. Seems like whenever I make a dessert he always enjoys it, but we have different tastes. So I came across this recipe in this book called the Cake Mix Bible. Turns out I failed. I enjoyed it at least as much as he did...if not more. And it's one of those desserts that was even better the next day. And the next. And the next...

I Need an Excuse to Make This Again Homemade Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (I used a Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Mix)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (the recipe calls for vegetable oil, but I never buy that kind of oil)
• (3) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 inch springform pan.

Combine cake mix and oil in large bowl and mix well. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 22 to 25 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven. Increase oven temp to 450°F.

Place cream cheese in large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed, adding sugar gradually. Add sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing until blended. Add eggs, mixing only until incorporated. Toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips with flour. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 450°F for 5 to 7 minutes. (To keep the cheesecake form cracking, place a pan of water on the bottom rack during baking.) Reduce temp to 250°F and bake for 60-65 minutes or until set. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (I covered mine with plastic wrap and popped it into the freezer for a couple of hours, then the fridge.)

Kellog's Kocoa Krispies Mint Chocolate Pie

I love this pie! I found the recipe back when I was about 17 and looking for new holiday treats to make with my mom. One day I was reading cereal boxes and this was on the back of a Cocoa Krispies box. It's so easy and so yummy. We both love mint, so it was an instant hit in our house. I haven't made it in about 9 years now. The recipe used to be in her box, but somehow got lost and I sort of had forgotten about it until recently. Can't wait to make it again. I might tint it orange and make a jack-o-lantern face on it for Katie.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons margarine

• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• 1/4 cup cold water

• 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

• 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid green food coloring

• 1 container (8 oz.) reduced fat frozen whipped, topping, thawed

• Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions

1. Place margarine, corn syrup and chocolate chips in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S COCOA KRISPIES cereal to chocolate mixture. Stir until cereal is coated. With back of spoon, shape mixture evenly in bottom and on side of 9-inch pie pan coated with cooking spray. (If mixture is too soft, refrigerate about 5 minutes). Chill crust.

3. Combine gelatin and water in small saucepan. Let stand 1 minute. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin has dissolved. Remove from heat.

4. In large mixing bowl, combine marshmallow creme, flavoring, color and warm gelatin, mixing until smooth. Gently fold in thawed whipped topping.

5. Spoon filling into chilled crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Serve garnished with additional whipped topping and chocolate curls, if
desired.

Chewy Butterscotch Brownies

You gotta try these babies! I'm not the biggest fan of butterscotch, but these are divine! This is Nestle's recipe, by the way.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels, divided

• 1 cup chopped nuts ( I used walnuts. Mmmm.)
  

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

*They are called "chewy" for a reason. If you are not a fan of a very moist brownie, I recommend a brownie pan for more edges and less chewiness.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Got this one from The MIL. So awesome. (Picture still to come.)

Twice baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 - 8 big russet potatoes

• 1 stick butter

• 1 container french onion dip

• ¼ c milk (maybe more, can't remember)

• ½ package bacon

• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash potatoes and pat mostly dry. Bake directly on rack at 350° for 1- 1 ½ hours (or until soft inside). Meanwhile cook bacon on the stove top. Cut into small pieces when cooled. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Remove potatoes from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Using a pot holder, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, mix all ingredients (except the cheddar and bacon) using a mixer. Stuff the mixture back into the skins, put them on the cookie sheet, and top with shredded cheese and bacon pieces. Stick 'em back in the oven for about 10 or 15 minutes under the broiler. For a yummy change you can also top with a shredded meat for and instant meal.

Crackpot Green Chile Chicken

I got this recipe from our witty and intellectual friend Martin's mother, Bev. She's a fabulous cook (and person, for that matter.) We were in college at the time and Trav came home to our tiny apartment raving about the meal Bev had made for them. They had this arrangement that Travis would give Martin rides to and from their classes (they were in the same degree program) in exchange for meals at the Sector residence. Classic. Wish I was Travis back then. I had to live on breakfast bars and shakes between classes. Anyway, this is without a doubt one of my favorite recipes because it is SO easy and super tasty. I haven't modified it at all because it's perfect just the way it is. Just don't make the same mistake I did the first time I cooked it and use sour cream instead of cream cheese. I thought it was a typo, but the cream cheese is what gives it the extra layer of flavor and creamy texture. Also, I'd like to dedicate this recipe to my friend, Genifer. The reason: because it only has a few ingredients and that's just the type of recipe Nob likes to cook from.


Crackpot Green Chile Chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can green chili enchilada sauce ( I prefer Hatch's because it's a little more mild than Macayo's)
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice

Cook chicken and sauce in crockpot for 8-10 hours on low or 6 hours on high. Half an hour before serving stir in cream cheese and begin preparing rice according to directions.