Carrot Cake

We had carrot cake as our wedding cake and for some reason I haven't found a recipe that taste quite as good but this comes close....Bruce always wants this for his birthday cake- this year he got his wish.

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. white flour
1 c. wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda (half this in high altitude)
3 t. cinnamon
3 c. grated carrots

Cream together sugar, eggs and oil. in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. combine two mixtures. stir in carrots. pour into greased 9x13 pan. bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. let cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, about halfway melted
1 t. vanilla
2 c. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

cream the softened cream cheese. blend with butter. add powdered sugar and vanilla. beat well. spread over room temp. cake

another recipe to compare-much more moist!

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4c. vegetable oil
2 c. white flour (can use 1/2 wheat)
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda (half this in high altitude)
3 t. cinnamon
3 c. grated carrots
1/2 c chopped pecans

Coconut Sandwich Cookies

I love coconut and these were awesome, thanks to Rachel L's recipe blog, her recipes are the best.

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 c. sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 c. butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Creamy Vanilla Filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, bakind powder, and salt; set aside. Place 1/2 cup coconut into small bowl; set aside. Place remaining coconut in a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and ground coconut; mix just until combined.

Drop dough by level tablespoon onto two baking sheets, 1-2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dividing evenly, spread filling on flat side of half the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Roll edges in reserved coconut and chill until ready to serve.

Berta's Ranger Cookies

I grew up making these cookies with my mom in many variations. I make double batches and freeze them in ziploc bags for lunches. Recently I came across a recipe for Laura Bush's cowboy cookies-it is basically the same one except she uses cinnamon which I have added before.

1 cup butter or marg
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
cream together & add:
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
Add:
2 cup flour (can do 1/2 WW)
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
2 cups oatmeal ( I grind it up in blender first if I am making plain chocolate chip-Matt's Fav)
Add all or none-any variation:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts ( sometimes, I will grind these up too so kids will eat them)
1 cup raisins
1 cup coconut
My Mom always added 1 cups of corn flakes or wheaties

Scoop into balls on cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes( depends on size )

Here's Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies recipe for your delight.

• 3 cups flour
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter (at room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
• 2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Mix dry ingredients together in bowl, then set aside. Mix butter and sugars together, add eggs and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour mixture, then the chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Drop onto cookie sheet using medium scoop. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes approximately. They are so chewie and delicious. After they cool, a drizzled with red and green candy melts to jazz them up. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creams

These are a dietitian's nightmare but here is a homemade version...very tasty

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. old-fashioned oats

Filling:
3/4 c. shortening
3 c. powdered sugar
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1-3 Tblspn. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. (make sure you really keep them small because they really spread out) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For filling, in a mixing bowl, cream the first three ingredients. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread filling on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Chicken & Artichokes

Tried this once and it is so good but only the girls liked it...taste like the dip

1 can cream of celery

½ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. milk

½ c. whipping cream OR evaporated milk

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 Tblspn sherry (I never have this, so I just use the brine juice from the artichokes)

1 c. parmesan cheese, grated

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained & cut into bite size pieces

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Mix all together.

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbles (about ½ hr.).

Serve over rice.

Chicken Bundles

This recipe is very fast and easy and my kids love it!...Rachelle Wilkinson
Marcus favorite his senior year when He came home for lunch

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 T butter

1/2 tsp dried minced onion (optional)

1 can chicken

pepper to taste

1 can cresent rolls

seasoned dry bread crumbs

Combine cream cheese, butter, onion, chicken and pepper. Unroll cresent roll dough. Place 1/8th of the chicken cream cheese mixture in the center of each triangle. Fold up ends of triangle and seal. Roll bundle in bread crumbs and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. (Check after 13 minutes, may require up to 17 minutes)

When I make this, I usually "healthify" the recipe by using fat free cream cheese, omitting the butter, and using reduced-fat cresent rolls.

These also taste yummy topped with a gravy (mix 1 can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 can of water and heat in microwave)

Baked Lime Chicken

From Cedar Park ward recipes ( Rachel Leavitt)
About 8-10 chicken tenders
2 fresh limes
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cube butter, melted
4 Tblspn. brown sugar
2 c. chicken broth

Grate lime peels and mix with brown sugar--set aside.
Squeeze lime juice from limes into large bowl and marinate chicken while preparing rest of ingredients.
Mix flour, salt and pepper together in pie plate.
Coat each marinated chicken tender with flour mixture and shake off excess.
Dip each floured chicken tender in melted butter.
Place chicken in 9 X 13 pan.
Sprinkle each chicken piece with lime zest/brown sugar mixture.
Bake COVERED at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Then pour chicken broth over the top and bake UNCOVERED for 20 minutes more.
Serve over couscous.

This is Halli's favorite meal.  It's healthy, quick, easy, and delish! I stole it off her wesite- can't wait to try it!

Garlicky Chicken Breasts

1 envelope Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix (the powder)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (the fancier the better)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix salad dressing mix and cheese in a pie pan.  Roll the chicken in the mix until well coated on both sides.  Place in baking pan and cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.