Brown Sugar Ranch Carrots

My boys are both pretty good eaters and generally aren't very picky. However, like all kids, they definitely go through phases. Out of the blue, Will will turn up his nose at broccoli, insisting that he has never liked it, when he was gobbling it up the week before. Andrew will pick every single onion out of whatever he's eating with the most distasteful expression on his face, or inform me that he will no longer eat spaghetti because the sauce is made of tomatoes, and tomatoes are not yummy, Mommy. I know all of you moms out there understand exactly how this feels.

Thankfully, there is one vegetable they will eat at all times, in any way, shape, or form: carrots. They will eat them raw, steamed, roasted, or pureed. In fact, Andrew just walked in here at this very moment, looked at the photo on the computer screen, and said, "Oh, YUM." Carrots, man. They're a guaranteed hit around here.

This particular carrot dish couldn't be any simpler or more delicious. Carrots are steamed until tender, then tossed in a mixture of melted butter, ranch seasoning mix, and brown sugar. I think this is probably the best way to eat carrots, ever.

Brown Sugar Ranch Carrots
slightly adapted from Chef in Training

16 ounces baby carrots
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 packet of ranch seasoning mix

1. Steam the carrots until fork-tender. Place in a serving dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and ranch seasoning. Pour the mixture over the carrots and stir to coat evenly. Serve warm.

Mom's Carrot Casserole

There are lots of things I did when I was 19 that I'm not necessarily proud of, but one of the smartest things I've ever done in my life occurred at that age. I moved out of my mom's house -- which was not-so-smart, maybe, in retrospect -- but before I left I took the time to write down all of her recipes. It turned out, tragically, that I'd be yearning for those recipes to revive her memorty earlier than I ever thought I would, so I am so glad I had the foresight to do that. That foresight is why I have so many of her recipes, my childhood favorites, to share with you here.

Today's recipe is yet another of those forgotten favorites. I stumbled upon it while searching for a pie recipe (which I'll share on Friday), and I think I immediately started salivating. Neither my brother nor I liked carrots very much growing up, but when my mom made this casserole, carrots somehow turned into a magical vegetable and we couldn't get enough.

The carrots are baked in a sauce made of butter, cream cheese, and Velveeta, so this is oviously not very healthy, but as a once-in-a-while indulgence it just can't be beat. The sauce is delicious beyond words, and paired with the sweet carrots, the sharp bite of the green onions, and a buttery cracker topping, it's just perfect. My whole family loves this casserole so much, and I'm so glad I rediscovered it.

Mom's Carrot Casserole

2 pounds carrots, sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

5 tablespoons butter, divided

8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the carrots and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes until carrots are crisp-tender.

3. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, combine Velveeta and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Add the cream cheese, green onions, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cream cheese is uniformly melted into the sauce.

4. Drain the carrots; stir into the cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.

5. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir the crackers into the butter, then sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the casserole. Cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly.

Vegetable Tortellini Bake

This is one of those recipes you can modify to include whatever vegetables you have on hand, and it's going to be delicious. In my case...well, I used pretty much All The Vegetables: zucchini, summer squash, bell pepper, carrots, peas, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. Since my boys love pasta so much, I thought I might as well sneak a ton of veggies into the sauce so they'd eat them along with the tortellini. Success! I'm telling you, that method rarely fails.

I adapted this pretty heavily from Better Homes and Gardens. Their method, to me, just seemed needlessly complicated. In addition to upping the amount of veggies, I also removed the chicken called for in the original recipe (this dish doesn't need it; it's hearty enough), used half whole-wheat tortellini, and added pesto to the sauce. The result was a hearty dish that somehow doesn't seem heavy, and one that's healthy and delicious too.

Vegetable Tortellini Bake

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons

1 medium summer squash, sliced into half moons

6 ounces button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add carrot, onion, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are fork-tender. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the milk and chicken stock to the vegetables and heat until bubbling. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add pesto and stir until fully combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes and the sauce mixture to the reserved tortellini and stir to combine.

5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbling.

Shrimp Enchiladas Verdes with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

You guys know I'm a sucker for an enchilada, so when I saw this shrimp version on Pinterest I was instantly intrigued. Shrimp isn't something I cook with a whole lot, and Joe loves it, so I thought he'd appreciate this take on enchiladas where shrimp features prominently.

I was intrigued by the filling for these enchiladas; in addition to shrimp, they contain spinach and cole slaw mix. I really liked the flavor and textural combinations that these elements provided. You get the sweetness of the shrimp, the earthiness of the spinach, and the crunch of carrots and cabbage in each bite. The enchiladas are topped with a simple jalapeno cream sauce, which tastes absolutely divine.

I will say that, with all the bold flavors in these enchiladas, the flavor of the shrimp got a little lost. It's such a subtle flavor, and when it was paired with all of the other flavors, it was somewhat overtaken. This could easily be solved by either adding more shrimp or reducing the amount of spices, so keep that in mind if you make these.

I couldn't get the boys to touch these, not surprisingly, but Joe was certainly a fan. So they're definitely husband-approved!

Shrimp Enchiladas Verdes with Jalapeno Cream Sauce
adapted from Gimme Some Oven

For the enchiladas:

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound peeled, devined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Half a white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups cole slaw mix
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon honey
8-10 flour tortillas
2 cups Monterey jack cheese

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

2. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and let cook without moving, about 1 minute. While cooking, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder on top of the shrimp. Then flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired. Set aside.

3. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cole slaw and spinach, as well as the other 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, plus the cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach just begins to wilt. Add the shrimp back in and stir to combine. Stir in green enchilada sauce and honey, heat through, then remove pan from heat and set aside.

4. To  make the sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps. Then add the minced jalapeno, and simmer until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

5. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface. Fill the middle of the tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the shrimp/cabbage filling. Then sprinkle some cheese on top, and carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Drizzle the top with about half of the jalapeno cream sauce, then cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through.

6. Remove from the oven, then serve individual enchiladas drizzled with the remainder of the jalapeno cream sauce. Garnish with additional cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream, if desired.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Every time I make this meal, I go back and forth about whether or not I should post it here. After all, it’s so simple, and I think everyone already has a recipe like this. There’s really nothing special about it, it’s pretty plain and straightforward and I don’t know how blog-worthy it is, etc. etc. etc.

However. Even though it’s plain and simple, it is also one of my very favorite meals, and because of that, it definitely deserves a place here. So the last time I made this for dinner, I snapped a quick picture so I could share it with you.

This is how my mom always made pork roast in the slow cooker, and it’s one of my most frequent cravings. Despite the short list of ingredients, you won’t believe how flavorful the pork and vegetables are after they’ve cooked for hours and hours in the Crock pot. I strongly suggest mashing the potatoes and carrots up together and topping them with butter and salt. Delicious!

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

1 2- to 3-pound pork roast, trimmed of fat
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
8-10 baby red potatoes, quartered
1 cup baby carrots
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken stock

1. Spray Crock pot with cooking spray. Add potatoes and carrots to Crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Rub pork roast all over with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to Crock pot along with bay leaf. If necessary, cut the roast into chunks to make it fit. Pour chicken stock over meat.

3. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or until meat falls apart easily with a fork.

Chicken in Creamy Carrot Sauce

If you didn’t notice (which you probably did), we eat a lot of chicken in our house. We also eat a lot of dishes with cream cheese in them (I know, shocker!). And I don’t make a secret of my love for bacon, either. So when you add those three elements together, what do you get? My new favorite way to cook chicken ever. Like, EVER ever.

This dish has a really awesome flavor profile: sweet carrots, tangy cream cheese, salty bacon. We all absolutely loved this, and I’ll definitely be making it over and over again. My sauce didn’t get as thick as I would have liked, so I’ve adjusted for that in the recipe below.

I served this over brown rice, but it would be great on top of mashed potatoes too. I really can’t say enough about how good this chicken is. I can’t wait to have this again!

Chicken in Creamy Carrot Sauce
source: adapted from Kraft Foods

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans sliced carrots, drained
1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth, divided
8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, cubed

1. Cook and stir bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add chicken to bacon drippings and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until browned; cover. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to plate and cover to keep warm.

2. Let butter melt in skillet, then add onions; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in carrots and 3/4 cup broth; cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup vegetables and allow the liquid to drain from them.

3. Place remaining broth, reserved 1/2 cup vegetables and cream cheese in blender; blend until smooth. Add sauce and chicken to vegetables in skillet; cover. Cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon chicken onto serving plate; top with sauce and bacon.

Primavera Risotto with Fried Eggs

Here it is, the first day of summer, and the recipe I’m sharing with you has the word “spring” in the title. D’oh!

Regardless of the fact that this is called a spring risotto, it's actually something that I would eat at any time during the year. In the spring and summer you can take advantage of all the fresh vegetables available at the farmers’ markets, and in the fall and winter it’s the perfect comforting dish to help you warm up on a chilly day. I’ve been sort of obsessed with fried eggs lately, but I don’t think I’m biased when I say that the egg on top of each serving is truly what “makes” this risotto. I love how the gooey yolk soaks down into the rice and coats the vegetables, adding a ton of flavor and an extra dimension of creaminess. The only thing I would do next time is add some sweet corn. I think it would work really well with the other flavors.

We love risottos of all kinds, but this one was particularly popular in our house. I’ll definitely make it again!

(One note: This recipe makes a ton of risotto. If you don’t do leftovers, you should definitely halve it.)

Primavera Risotto with Fried Eggs
source: slightly adapted from Epicurious

5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups chopped button mushrooms (about 5 ounces)
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth, divided
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 cups asparagus, each spear chopped into 3 equal pieces
3 cups (or more) water
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/2 cup shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
4 large eggs

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir until translucent at edges, 5 minutes. Add wine. Stir until liquid is absorbed, 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, and 1 cup broth. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to add remaining broth, then water, 1 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, stirring often and letting almost all liquid be absorbed after each addition, about 25 minutes total.

3. Stir 1 cup cheese, peas, and mushrooms into risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook eggs, flipping once during cooking time, until whites are cooked through and yolks are cooked to desired doneness.

5. Mound risotto on plates. Using back of spoon, make hollow in top of each mound. Top each with egg.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

I know, I know: It's March-almost-April, and it's not really "soup season" anymore. But if your weather is anything like ours here in Ohio, it's bound to change in five minutes, and you just may have a few more rainy, chilly days before it warms up for good. On one of those days, this soup is the perfect thing to make for dinner.

I'm loving roasted vegetables lately. I just love the deep, slightly charred flavor that results in roasting them. And I mean, just look how beautiful they are. How could anything so gorgeous not taste amazing?

You can use any combination of vegetables you like for this soup; asparagus would make this more spring-y, tomatoes would make it sweeter, and potatoes would make it heartier. Trust me, you don't want to wait until the fall to try this one.

Roasted Vegetable Soup
source: adapted from Pillsbury Christmas 2007

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can vegetable broth or chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. In small bowl, combine oil, rosemary, salt and pepper; mix well. Set aside. In large bowl, combine all vegetables. Add oil mixture to vegetables and mix well to coat. Place vegetables in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are golden brown and tender, stirring halfway through baking time.

3. In large saucepan, combine roasted vegetables, broth, cream, and parsley; mix well. Cook and stir over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and slightly thickened.

Vegetable Lasagna

First, I have to apologize for the terrible picture of this lasagna. I know it looks like a hot mess. Please don't let the photo deter you from trying this, because it really is delicious!

Years ago when Joe and I first moved in together, I didn't cook all that much. We basically lived on pizza rolls, Manwich, and frozen vegetable lasagna for the first year of our cohabitation. Looking back on it now, it sort of makes me sick to think about all the money we wasted on processed foods.

Anyway, processed or not, we really, really loved that frozen vegetable lasagna. I can't remember the brand now, but I remember that what appealed to us was that it was made with a white sauce, not a tomato-based one. It was a nice change from a typical tomato-y lasagna. When I saw this recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens website a while ago, it instantly reminded me of that frozen lasagna we used to enjoy so much, and I couldn't wait to try it. It took me awhile to get around to making it, but now that I have, I know it's going to make many repeat appearances in our kitchen.

This tastes exactly like I'd hoped it would: rich and creamy and hearty and filling. I usually don't make a recipe I've never tried before for guests, but Joe's grandparents ended up coming for dinner at the last minute the night I made this, and they raved about it too. His grandma even asked for the recipe, and like most grandmas she is a very good cook, so that made me feel pretty good. I don't know if I can give this lasagna a higher recommendation than that!

Vegetable Lasagna
source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce carton plus 2 cups ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and thoroughly drained
1 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

1. In a medium bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, zucchini and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in the flour and pepper; add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach, broccoli, carrot, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

3. To assemble, in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish, layer a small amount of the vegetable mixture; top with one-third of the noodles. Spread with one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture, then one-third of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers twice. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Now that Will is finally here and I can't stuff my face with every fattening food in sight, I'm making a conscious effort to eat healthier. That means having turkey sandwiches for lunch instead of Velveeta shells and cheese, and eating apples and peanut butter for snacks instead of potato chips and Drumsticks. Being pregnant definitely has its advantages, food-wise, I cannot lie.

That's part of the reason I was attracted to this recipe in January's issue of Cooking Light. Carrot cake pancakes! They sound so decadent, but then you look at the ingredients and realize, hey, these are actually pretty healthy. I felt like I was having dessert for dinner, but I was actually eating something that wasn't really all that bad for me. I loved the honey butter topping, but if you're being less diet-conscious than I am right now, I think the cream topping from these banana nut pancakes would be delicious here. It would really make these pancakes taste like carrot cake.

Because I was being so healthy, I thought it would be okay to indulge in a couple of slices of bacon with dinner. I just can't quit bacon. We all really liked these pancakes; they're flavorful and yummy and will definitely be repeated in our house!

Carrot Cake Pancakes
source: Cooking Light January 2010; recipe also found here

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I used pecans)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey

1. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups carrot.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4 cup) batter mounds onto pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter. Combine butter and honey in a small bowl; serve with pancakes.

Healthy Morning Muffins

For the past week or so, I have felt anything but productive. Time for a newsflash -- are you ready for this? It turns out, newborns require a lot of attention. I'd totally forgotten! Thank goodness I have a fully stocked freezer to utilize during these first crazy weeks!

Today my husband had the day off from work, so I actually got some things accomplished. I cleaned our bedroom, organized Andrew's closet, and baked some brownies (from a mix, but still, it took a little bit of effort). I also made these delicious muffins, which I'm sending to daycare with Andrew tomorrow. It's his day to take a snack, and I thought these muffins would be a yummy, healthy choice for him and his classmates.

Of course I had to sneak one just to make sure they tasted okay, and they absolutely did. They're low in fat, which is awesome, but they're also incredibly moist and flavorful. There's no butter here, but I promise you won't miss it one bit. I loved the combination of banana and carrot, and I actually think this recipe would make a great quick bread.

I adapted the recipe to make mini-muffins. I also added some cinnamon -- which I think these really needed; the flavor may have been slightly lacking without it -- and used vegetable oil instead of extra-virgin olive oil (since olive oil has a distinctive taste, I was concerned that I wouldn't like the flavor of it in a muffin). This recipe isn't available online that I can see, so I've listed the original as it appears in the magazine, with my changes in purple. I think I may actually make these every weekend so we have a healthy breakfast choice throughout the week.

Healthy Morning Muffins
source: Everyday Food, January/February 2010

Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 large egg
1/3 cup skim milk (I used whole milk since it's what we always have on hand for Andrew)
4 medium carrots, shredded (I used 3, which was plenty)
1 medium ripe banana, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan (or a 24-cup mini-muffin pan) with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, eggs, milk, carrots and banana and stir until blended.

2. Fill each muffin cup with batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean (23 to 25 minutes for regular muffins, 15 minutes for mini-muffins). Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container up to three days.

Carrot Cake

At my office, we celebrate birthdays with a potluck-style meal or a group lunch at a restaurant, and someone always brings cake for dessert. Sometimes that cake is store-bought, and sometimes someone volunteers to make it. For our recent April birthday, I volunteered to make a carrot cake -- mostly for my own benefit, since I've been craving carrot cake pretty much ever since I was pregnant, more than a year ago. The only problem was, I'd never made a carrot cake before, so I didn't have a reliable recipe to turn to. So of course I turned to the Pioneer Woman. She has never steered me wrong before, and she came through for me once again.

This cake is amazing. What I love about it is its simplicity; the only spice it contains is cinnamon, it doesn't have any raisins in it -- but it's still the most delicious carrot cake I've ever had, without question. It simply doesn't need anything to fancy it up. It's moist and rich, and can we talk about the icing for a moment? I would like to rub the icing all over my face so it would be within easy reach whenever I wanted a lick. It is that good.

I can't recommend this cake highly enough. Everyone at work loved it, including the birthday girl, and I was even able to sneak a few pieces home for Joe. He has since informed me that I have to make another cake, just for us, as soon as I possibly can. And I have no objections to that whatsoever.

Carrot Cake
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

For the cake:

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

For the icing:

1 stick (1/4 pound) regular butter, softened
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped finely (I chopped mine coarsely because I like the texture)
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and combine. Add carrots and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured pan (Bundt, sheet cake, 9 x 13 Pyrex) and bake until done, 25 to 50 minutes, depending on the pan you use (I used a dark 9 x 13 pan, and mine was ready in about 40 minutes). Cool completely.

2. For the icing, cream butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Add sugar and vanilla and blend, then mix in the nuts. Spread on cooled carrot cake.