Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. bag carrots, grated
2 c. flour
1½ c. sugar
1¼ c. canola oil (or less)
4 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped pecans, optional
1 recipe for cream cheese frosting

Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. Put oil in blender; add peeled cut carrots. Puree. Add eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add blender mixture to bowl and mix well. Pour into pans and bake 30 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
*If making mini cupcakes, bake for 12 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ c. butter, softened
1½ lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Spread on carrot cake.

Monkey Bread

12 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 16-oz. tubes refrigerated biscuit dough
2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Brush the Bundt pan with some of the butter to lightly coat.

Cut the biscuits into quarters. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir together.

Working in batches, toss the biscuits in the melted butter, roll them in the sugar mixture to lightly coat, and add them to the Bundt pan.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 min. Remove the foil and bake until puffed and golden brown, 10-15 min. more. Loosen the bread from the sides of the pan with a knife or spatula. Carefully invert the pan onto a serving plate, remove the pan, and serve hot.

Avocado Yogurt Dip with Cumin

3/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 T cilantro
1T finely chopped jal. pepper
2 T lime juice
1 T cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
3 avocados
1 garlic clove minced
Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Serve with veggies or chips.

Fruit Kebabs with Cinnamon Cream

8 wooden skewers
red seedless grapes
watermelon cubes
cantaloupe cubes
pineapple cubes
trimmed strawberries
½ c. nonfat vanilla yogurt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

On each skewer, pattern fruit. Arrange on a platter. Mix cinnamon and yogurt. Serve fruit kebabs with cinnamon cream for dipping.

Lazy Man Chili

2 cans black beans
2 cans chili beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 lb hamburger
onion
garlic
1 pkg mild chili seasoning
8 cans of tomatoes (variety of diced, with jalapeno, lime, etc.)

Drain all the beans. Brown hamburger, garlic and onions in a pan. Add in beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning. Boil and serve.

Opt. We like to add sour cream and cheese to our individual bowls of chili for a different flavor.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Mix together and add:
4 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix. Place by spoonful onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

2 pkgs. Rice-A-Roni long grain wild rice
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 ½ c. water
3-4 Tbsp. oil
5 chicken breasts
½ c. butter
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
½ c. flour
6 c. chicken broth
2 c. cream

Empty contents of Rice-A-Roni (including flavoring) and bullion cubes into a baking dish. Add water and bake at 325° for about an hour. In a large pan, heat oil then add bite sized pieces of chicken and cook thoroughly. In a separate pan, melt butter and saute veggies. Add flour to the pan then slowly add chicken broth to blend smooth. Add the cream, then the rice mixture, then the chicken.