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.

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.

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.

Oatmeal Cookies

¼ c. butter
¾ c. shortening
¾ c. brown sugar
½ c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. old fashioned rolled oats

Blend butter, shortening, and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg. In a separate bowl, sift flour, soda, powder, and salt together. Blend with butter mixture. Add vanilla and oats. Mix well and drop from a teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 7 minutes.

Copycat Chili's Salsa

2 cans (14.5 oz ea) whole tomatoes, drained
1 sm. (4 oz.) can diced jalapeños
¼ c. yellow onion
1 tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lime juice

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

Queso Blanco

1 ¼ lb. Land O Lakes white American cheese
¼ c. diced green chilies

⅔ c. whole milk
pinch of cumin
2 pickled jalapeños
1 oz. pickled jalapeño juice
½ c. cold water


Cut cheese into small cubes and chop jalapeños. Put all ingredients in a crock pot on high for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low or warm and serve with tortilla chips.