Well, I made it through the first week of school. I am bummed that summer is over. Where did it go? I can hardly believe it is gone. GONE! My class size is smaller than normal, with 21 students. (11 boys and 10 girls). So far, we are still in the honeymoon phase. Most of what we have done is procedures and getting to know you activities. Starting tomorrow morning however, we begin to add the serious work of 4th grade. Then we will see what happens.
Tonight Mom and I had a triple double C dinner. We had chicken casserole, corn-on-the-cob, and carrot cake for dessert. I have a goal to make my lunches from home at least 3-4 times a week. So, that translates to me trying to make sure we have good meals so I can have leftovers for lunches. I made the carrot cake from a mix, but I decided to "mix it up" a bit. I used homemade applesauce instead of the oil, then I added raisins and nuts. When I was growing up, we always had to make the cake with 1/2 plain and 1/2 with the extras. Same with the fudge (only with fudge it was just nuts, no raisins!). Both Mom and I love nuts and raisins, so we can have both in the whole thing.
I have been craving carrot cake and pineapple upside down cake lately. Hopefully this cake will take care of the craving, even though it is not homemade carrot cake. I did find a recipe I would like to try someday. Tonight just wasn't the night. Here is the recipe though, followed by the chicken casserole, an easy dinner. Be happy and healthy! Keep posting.
Natalie's Killer Carrot Cake
yield: 2 9-inch cakes
2 cup AP Flour
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
4 Eggs
1 1/4 cup 100% Vegetable Oil
3 cups Grated Carrots
1/2 - 1 cup Pecan Pieces (save some for decorating)
preheat oven to 350 degrees. prepare two 9 inch cake pans
1. Whisk together first 7 ingredients. In another bowl whisk together eggs and oil.
2. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix until incorporated. Fold in carrots and nuts.
3. Pour in two 9 inch cake rounds, bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Let cool at least 30 minutes before taking out of pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
yield: enough for this cake
2 8oz packages Cream Cheese, softened
2 TBS Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 TBS Lemon Juice
pinch Salt
2 - 3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1. Using your electric mixer, cream together first 5 ingredients until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar slowly until 2 cups have been added. I prefer my frosting a bit more thick so I used closer to 3 cups.
There is 3 cups of grated carrots in this cake (which took me a pound of carrots to get) so this cake is somewhat healthy... right? OK wrong. But it's SO good! I like to add lemon juice to my cream cheese frosting to make it more tangy. Oh and this cake stays moist for days, not that it will last that long!
Easy Chicken Casserole
Cut 2-3 chicken breasts into chunks. Put them in the bottom of a lightly greased 8X10" glass baking dish. Top with 1 can cream of chicken soup, then 1-2 cups grated cheese, and 1-2 cups stovetop stuffing mix (I used a box). Pour 1/2 cup water (I used 1 can to rinse out the soup can) over the top of the casserole. Put foil over the top of the casserole until the last 10 minutes of baking. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
To Eat Or Not To Eat Sweets
Girls camp is over and done. I am still recovering from not only camp itself, but also the process to get ready for camp. I don't think I slept for 3 days before camp and then up at camp itself. It was worth it though. Our camp theme was a Standard to the Nations, and our camp was Holland. We were spoiled by our camp chef. We had some traditional food from Holland. My favorite was the boterkuek, the dutch butter cake. It was delicious!
Camp is a time when most of us way overeat sweets. I did work to drink enough water. I still had a headache on Thursday morning, not sure if it was from being dehydrated or overtired. I tried to keep from eating too many sweets at camp. I actually came home with several sweets I had taken up unopened. :) I can't say the same for the girls!
This week I finally have a little time to enjoy some of my summer. I have a couple of big projects to do for school, but I am also going to take it easy! Sleep in, read just because, and watch Anne of Green Gables. I also hope to spend a little bit of time in the kitchen, and maybe I will pick up my guitar again. I really should spend the time cleaning....Mom and I did go through the record cupboard today!
Speaking of summer and summer reading, I have a new favorite author at the moment. I was introduced to Shannon Hale's books, and I have read several this summer. Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Princess Academy. I have Austenland to read as well, but right now I am working on Throstleford by Susan Evans McCloud, and then, Saboteur by Dean Hughes. If you get a chance, I recommend Shannon Hale. I also read a funny book I highly recommend- How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini. (Sorry I don't remember the author.) Some of the rest of my summer reading includes Stone Tables by Orson Scott Card (his version of the story of Moses), Fablehaven 4 and Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, and Look at the Sky by George D. Durrant.
Well, I guess that is all for tonight, with the exception of my recipe. What else would I include, but a recipe for something sweet? Maybe one day I will have the recipe for boterkuek. Until then, this will have to do.
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
1 can sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
In a large saucepan, heat sweet potatoes and sauce ingredients over medium heat. Stir regularly. I put a lid on to help in the glazing process. I cooked mine for 20 minutes or so. I wouldn't have minded letting it go another 10 or so minutes.
These sweet potatoes had a nice autumnal flavor. Not my very most favorite way to make them, but it worked for tonight. The original recipe was for baking them, but since it is summer, I didn't want to heat up the oven. So, I took the flavors and created my own version. Mom is tired of the same ol' same ol' recipes. So I am trying some new recipes out. I like sweet potatoes.
Camp is a time when most of us way overeat sweets. I did work to drink enough water. I still had a headache on Thursday morning, not sure if it was from being dehydrated or overtired. I tried to keep from eating too many sweets at camp. I actually came home with several sweets I had taken up unopened. :) I can't say the same for the girls!
This week I finally have a little time to enjoy some of my summer. I have a couple of big projects to do for school, but I am also going to take it easy! Sleep in, read just because, and watch Anne of Green Gables. I also hope to spend a little bit of time in the kitchen, and maybe I will pick up my guitar again. I really should spend the time cleaning....Mom and I did go through the record cupboard today!
Speaking of summer and summer reading, I have a new favorite author at the moment. I was introduced to Shannon Hale's books, and I have read several this summer. Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Princess Academy. I have Austenland to read as well, but right now I am working on Throstleford by Susan Evans McCloud, and then, Saboteur by Dean Hughes. If you get a chance, I recommend Shannon Hale. I also read a funny book I highly recommend- How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini. (Sorry I don't remember the author.) Some of the rest of my summer reading includes Stone Tables by Orson Scott Card (his version of the story of Moses), Fablehaven 4 and Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, and Look at the Sky by George D. Durrant.
Well, I guess that is all for tonight, with the exception of my recipe. What else would I include, but a recipe for something sweet? Maybe one day I will have the recipe for boterkuek. Until then, this will have to do.
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
1 can sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
In a large saucepan, heat sweet potatoes and sauce ingredients over medium heat. Stir regularly. I put a lid on to help in the glazing process. I cooked mine for 20 minutes or so. I wouldn't have minded letting it go another 10 or so minutes.
These sweet potatoes had a nice autumnal flavor. Not my very most favorite way to make them, but it worked for tonight. The original recipe was for baking them, but since it is summer, I didn't want to heat up the oven. So, I took the flavors and created my own version. Mom is tired of the same ol' same ol' recipes. So I am trying some new recipes out. I like sweet potatoes.
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