Carrot Cake

Tim's favorite dessert is Carrot Cake so I had to figure out a way to make it and not be such a big pan.  We love it but DON'T need such a huge pan.  So if you are looking for a cake recipe that doesn't make a large batch then this is it!!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup White Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Frosting:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

1 stick of butter softened to room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla

3-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

Pinch of salt

*Milk if needed

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8" x 8" pan and set aside. 
• Peel and grate carrots, and set aside. I use a food processor to grate mine fast but you can use a box grater as well. Note: Use freshly grated carrots. Store-bought pre-grated carrots are too dry.
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla extract by hand with a large whisk.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until blended with a wooden spoon.
• Fold in the carrots and spoon into the cake pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.  
• Make the Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth. *You can add milk if it is too thick. 
• Frost the Cake with the frosting. If desired, add chopped pecans to the frosting.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Making Bacon

We started making our own bacon when we saw Fareway had Pork Belly's on sale.  So with the help of some friends we gathered recipes, did lots of reading, and decided to jump in.  Our first batch was good but we want to make it awesome, so we are trying again.  Putting this here so we don't forget how much of what we used.  Will report back in a few days.

Ingredients:

• 3 Lbs Pork Belly
• 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 tsp Curing Salt

CURE THE BACON

Rub the cure all over your pork belly.  Vacuum seal your bag and put it into a pan just in case any juices get out.  If you don't have a vacuum sealer just put it into a large ziplock bag.  Write the date on it, that way you know when you started your cure.  Flip the pork belly every day to be sure that it bastes evenly in the liquid that exudes from it. There will be quite a lot of liquid. Do this for 7-10 days. 

Oreo Fluff

If you have lived in the Midwest, you definitely have heard of Oreo Fluff.  Our Hy-Vee makes the best but it has gotten so darn expensive.  So I played around with a few recipes and have come up with one that I think is pretty close.  Let me know if you try it and what you think! 

Ingredients:

• 1 3.4 oz package of instant white chocolate pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 8 oz container Cool Whip
• 1 tsp vanilla
• A row and a half of Oreos (measure with your heart)

Wisk the pudding and the milk together, until combined.  Add cream cheese and powdered sugar and stir until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then fold in cool whip. Add Oreos and mix well.  

We use regular Oreo but it would be good with mint or even peanut butter.  

Cheesy Potatoes

 We have always used the tried and true cheesy potatoes, but they were always so greasy.  Melissa found a new recipe and believes this one is so much better and less greasy.  

• 30 oz shredded hashbrowns
• 12 oz Top the Tater
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Salt and Pepper 
• Seasoning of your choice (Season with your heart)
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Mix all together and put into a  9 x 13 dish.  Bake for 90 minutes.  Enjoy!  

Breakfast Morning Bake

 I love a good breakfast bake.  Especially when you have company over and you can make up ahead of time.  Then in the morning when everyone gets up all you have to do is put it in the oven.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
• 20 oz shredded hashbrowns, thawed
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese, split
• 8 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups milk
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (if baking immediately). Grease a 9×13 inch pan or a 3qt baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains.  Drain Fat.
3. In a bowl, add the hashbrowns, onion, and 1 cup cheese.  Gently mix the ingredients and spread evenly into your baking dish, that has been sprayed. 
4. Spread sausage over hashbrowns.
5. In a large bowl mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, mustard, 1 cup cheese, and seasonings: whisk until combined.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrowns mixture.
7. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight if desired, or bake immediately.
8. Bake covered for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until it is set in the center.
9. Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes so it has time to set up.

*You can substitute any kind of meat.  I love it with ham or bacon too.

*You can also add green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, heck any of your favorite vegetables if you would like.

*I just use a full bag of hashbrowns.  Some may be 20 oz, some maybe 26oz.  If you use more hashbrowns than 26 oz, I would add an extra egg so it doesn't get dry. 

Key Lime Pie

My husband Tim and I were in Florida and our mission was to find the best Key Lime Pie.  I bet we tried at least 8 different ones.  So paying up to $8.00 for a piece I decided to create my own and make the best.  I tried a few but I believe this one really hits it out of the park.  Hope you enjoy it also.

Crust:

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork.  Using your fingers and the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. The crust should be about 1/4 inch thick. (Hint: do the sides first.)

Filling:

• 1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• zest from a key lime (if available)*

Combine milk, egg yolks, lime juice, and sour cream.  Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream, or meringue, and garnish with lime slices.

*If I can get a hold of key limes I like to add a little zest to the pie and then squeeze some fresh key lime juice in there also. 

Brown Butter Sauce

 This meal is so quick to put together you won't believe it!! It's a gourmet meal that if you went out and ordered it, it would costs you around $14.99 plus.  But you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost!

• 2 packages of premade butternut squash ravioli, cooked according to package directions
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Sage (FRESH is best)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp Parsley (Optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Melt the butter in a large skilled heated on medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter until becomes a golden brown color, about 5-8 minutes (watch very carefully as this can turn burnt very quickly).  Add the cream and sage and simmer for about a minute.
2. Add Parmesan Cheese, Cinnamon, Salt, Pepper and Parsley.  Simmer for another minute.  Add raviolis and let heat for another minute or two.
3. Plate and sprinkle with toasted walnuts and extra parmesan cheese.

*I have used butternut squash ravioli and pumpkin ravioli and they both taste amazing! This is a great fall combination!