Grandma Dorothy's Carrot Cake (confection perfection)

I got this recipe from my grandmother who got it from a restaurant called Egg Castle years ago. This is the best carrot cake ever! It is so moist and the flavors are perfectly combined. Every time I make this cake I am asked for the recipe. This is one of my favorites and I am glad to share... the recipe that is. This piece is mine!

Stove Top Granola

Go to HERE to find this wonderful recipe!

Ranch Taco Chicken Salad

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp each oil and chili powder
1 pkg salad greens
shredded cheddar cheese
salsa
ranch dressing
crushed tortilla chips

Cook chicken, oil and chili powder in large skillet on medium high heat until chicken is cooked through. Toss chicken mixture, greens and cheese in large bowl. Top with salsa, dressing and crushed chips before serving.

Our family loves this recipe. It's yummy, colorful, and fast to fix. In only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

2-4 cups cooked rice

Chicken:
2-3 chicken breasts
½ red onion, minced
1-2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
soy or Teriyaki sauce
1 T Thai chili paste (optional)

1 head iceberg Lettuce

Sauté onion in hot oil until tender. Add chicken and sauté until no longer pink. Add the cabbage, carrots, ginger, garlic and sauté until tender. Sprinkle with soy or teriyaki sauce and Thai chili paste as desired for flavor. Eat right away, so cabbage doesn’t get soggy.

Peanut Sauce:
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
¼ cup + 2 Tabs. soy or Teriyaki sauce
6 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup + 2 Tabs. water
¼ cup oil
2 tsp. Thai chili paste (optional)

Cook sauce in a pan on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Whisk until smooth. Stir often and keep warm.

To assemble wraps, spoon rice into a lettuce cup, top with chicken mixture, and spoon on peanut sauce.

Blog envy

You will see I added a new link to the side bar. Click on it and it will send you to one of my favorite recipe blogs out there. This is what our recipe blog would look like if I had the time to spare...it is so cute & they have very tasty recipes.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is my new favorite cookie recipe...I say favorite because I fool myself into thinking they are so healthy for me every time I eat them. I have convinced myself they are a great breakfast bar. Hey, it certainly can't hurt to eat whole wheat & oats, even if they are mixed up with brown sugar, butter & chocolate chips...no wonder I love 'em! The recipe comes from Great Harvest Bread Company.

2 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 C brown sugar, packed
1 C butter, softened
2 C rolled oats
2 eggs
2 T molasses
1 T milk
1 pkg semisweet chocolate chips (or raisins for the purists)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt; set aside.

Beat together brown sugar & butter until well combined. Add oats, eggs, molasses & milk; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, remove and cool on rack.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a mild soup that my whole family loved. I got it from a cookbook that my sister's ward put together. I made one change however, I added white beans at my daughter's suggestion. Also, I had frozen, cooked chicken, so it was even faster. When I buy chicken in bulk, I always can some, flash freeze some, and cook some, which I then cut up and put in 1 lb. freezer packages.

64 oz. chicken broth
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 c. uncooked rice
3/4 c. salsa
1/2 c. chopped onion (opt.)
1 can white beans (opt.)

Bring broth, rice and salsa to a boil. Cook 15 minutes until rice is tender. Add chicken and onion and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve soup over a bowl filled with broken tortilla chips and top with cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado and chopped tomatoes.
We didn't have any cilantro, avocado or chopped tomatoes, but it tasted great anyway. I fixed cornbread and honey butter to go along, and it was a perfect fit.