Carrot Cake and Lemon Icing

Carrot Cake

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Allspice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper.
Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, applesauce and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.


Icing
1.5 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/8 cups powdered sugar
In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until combined and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Sift the powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sifted powdered sugar into the frosting (use both hands to bend the paper so the sugar pours slowly into
the bowl).
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If the frosting seems too soft to spread, allow it to chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Apple Crisp

This is my Mother-in-Law's recipe

Apple Crisp

6 Med Apples
1 C Water
1 Pkg Moist White Cake Mix
1 C Light brown sugar
1/2 C melted butter
1 t Ground cinnamon


Pre Heat oven to 350
arrange apple slices in ungreased 9x13
pour water over top
Combine rest of ingredients and sprinkle over top

Bake 50-55 min

Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs Round Steak

1/4 C whole wheat flour

1/3 C butter

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 C water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 C sour cream

1/3 C milk

Hot cooked Egg noodles

Cut steak into thin 2 inch pieces.
Coat with flour,
brown meat in butter in large skillet stirring
every once and awhile.  
Add salt, pepper and water.  
Use spoon to scrape drippings off the bottom of the pan.  
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until almost tender
stirring occasionally.  Add soup to skillet and stir to combine.
Simmer uncovered 30 minutes or until meat is tender.  
Stir in sour cream and milk, cook until thoroughly heated.  
Serve over noodles.

Salad Dressing

We love this dressing!!


 1       cup  vegetable oil
1/8-1/4     cup sugar or sugar substitute
1/2     cup balsamic vinegar
2     garlic cloves, minced
1/2     teaspoon salt
1/2     teaspoon paprika
1/4     teaspoon ground pepper

   1. Mix all ingredients in salad dressing bottle, and shake well, until well mixed.
   2. If using a bowl, add all ingredients, except oil.
   3. Mix with spoon, then whisk in oil.
   4. Keep chilled in fridge.

Crunchy Pecan Chicken

1 C biscuit mix
1/2 C finely chopped pecans
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Creole Seasoning

8-10 chicken strips
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C butter melted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium size bowl stir well.  Dip chicken in buttermilk and then dredge in pecan mixture.  Put chicken in an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Drizzle butter over chicken.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until chicken is done.

Cheesecake

Ahhh...cheesecake.  My adventure with cheesecakes started when I decided to make my Dad a Key Lime Cheesecake.  I scoured the internet and then ended up calling my good friend Emily who not only had a recipe, but also was a wealth of information about technique.  Since then I have done plain, and pumpkin.  Here is the plain recipe.  I will add the other two soon!

Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 Tbsp. sugar

Combine the above ingredients, and press evenly into the bottom of the springform pan.  Bake at 350 deg until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove to cool.

    * 20 ounces cream cheese (2 1/2- 8 ounce packages)
    * 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
    * 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    * 3 eggs
    * 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    * 1 pint heavy whipping cream
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I like to use fresh) (about 1 lemon)

Make sure all ingredients are room temp. before starting.

   1. Cream together cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
   2. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.
   3. Add cornstarch, whipping cream and salt.
   4. Mix on high speed for 3 minutes.
   5. Add lemon juice.
   6. Pour into prepared 10 inch crust in springform pan.
   7. Bake at 350 deg for 15 minutes.  Lower the temperatureto 200 deg, and bake for 1 hour and 10
       minutes, or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny, or wiggles very much when you shake the
       pan. (the time is really loose.  Really go for looks/wiggliness as your gauge!)  Remove the cake
       from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.  Turn the oven off and place the
       cake back in the oven, with the oven door propped open (sometimes I use a wooden spoon to keep
       it open.  Let the cake sit in the oven while it cools, about another 30 minutes-1 hour
   9. Remove and cool on rack until cheesecake reaches room temperature.
  10. Chill 12 hours before removing from pan.
  11. Top with desired fruit.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes Recipe
6-8
servings
time to make 1½ hours 20 min prep

1 1/2     lbs ground turkey
3/4     cup ketchup
1/4     teaspoon salt
2     tablespoons sugar
2     tablespoons mustard
2     tablespoons vinegar
2     tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1     small onion

   1. Cook meat slowly in skillet with salt and onion.
   2. Meanwhile, make sauce by mixing together all other ingredients and cooking slowly over low heat for 15 minutes.
   3. Drain (not much to drain if you use ground turkey) and add meat.
   4. Let simmer for at least an hour, stirring from time to time, to let meat absorb the sauce.
   5. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.