Carrot Cake: from the LSU Tiger Bait Cookbook 

CAKE INGREDIENTS

 4 eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1-8 ounce package cream cheese (softened)
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and lightly flour two 9” round pans or one 13” x 9” oblong
pan.
Combine sugar, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon and stir together.  Combine cream cheese,
eggs, and oil.  Beat well.  Add vanilla and beat again.  Add dry ingredients and mix until
well blended.  Add grated carrots and chopped nuts and mix.  Pour into pan(s) and bake:
45 minutes for round, or 55 minutes for oblong.  Cake is done when toothpick comes out
clean.  Cool and frost. (Recipe follows.)

ICING INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup butter (softened)
1-8 ounce package cream cheese (softened)
1-1 pound box powdered (Confectioner’s) sugar – sifted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and cream cheese until very light.  Add sugar gradually, beating after each
addition.  Add milk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Enough for top, middle and sides of round cake.

(Note for me: if icing is too thin, continue beating, add more powdered sugar, and/or less milk)

Better Than Eating Out!

I tried something out of my element this week: I ordered meals from a home delivery service!   One of my favorite bloggers, Ana, used this for her adorable family, and offered a special of the first 2 meals free!  Well, who am I to say no?  Blue Apron it is!

Arrive it did!  2 meals, and 2 new experimentations for this very boring chef.  Look at all the fresh produce!  Some things (rhubarb?) I would NEVER even consider purchasing from the store (um, what does it look like?) and the spices I was happy to not have to buy a whole container.
Meals were 5 spice meatballs with jasmine rice and snow peas, and Chicken "Under a Brick" with quinoa and rhubarb compote.

We decided that our first meal would be the meatballs (partially because I don't like them myself).  And. for full disclosure, I made it way too early.  *blush* I got excited and couldn't wait.  Now, I don't know if you all know this about my sweet husband, but he will eat anything.  Anything.  He may say, "well, I don't think we need to make this again," but he is not really one to complain.  Unless I say things and he agrees with me.

Well, 5 spice is NOT something I want again, and it was not enough meatballs for us all.  They didn't even give us a full pound of meat, and they said smaller than golf ball (and yes, I golf all the time so I totally know how big that should be) size balls.  The bigger kids tried them, didn't mind it, and Tommy enjoyed it, but it was WAY. TOO. MUCH. GARLIC.  Whooo.  I was worried about the smell for days.  I thought I had reduced it, but I didn't do it right.  We wasted a lot.  I am not a fan.

So, we won't make that again. 

So, the next day, I knew we would be okay, because it was a WHOLE chicken.  They had halved it for us, and I was to make it "under a brick" but use a pot of water instead.  Well, cast iron skillets are handy for camping, and for a makeshift brick!

The sizzle on the chicken was incredible, and the smell was fantastic.  The kids and I were all excited.  I don't think I have ever made quinoa, and I just loved watching it boil in the water!  It was dancing and made me happy.

The quinoa had red onions, asparagus, almonds, and spinach.  It.was.delicious!  I loved it.  The compote (for those of you, like me, who don't know what that is, let me fill you in. I figured it out about part way that a compote is sweet.  It was rhubarb and sugar and balsamic vinegar. don't put your face too close to that pot!) was a nice compliment to the meal, but it wasn't necessary.  We definitely had enough food, and leftovers for my lunch.  I think I might be able to do this meal again!  (Honesty time: Tommy didn't like the compote, or the quinoa (WHAT?), but he ate it!  And we had to google what quinoa actually is.  Still not quite sure.

All in all, I think I paid for a couple more meals, so we will try again.  I love that it comes to me.  I don't have to decide what to cook.  I don't have to measure anything but water, and everything just comes.  Ingredients were very fresh (except the spinach, I have to say) and I was impressed.  The only downside I could see is that I can't really give them a headcount so we have enough food.  I hope we don't have trouble the next time.