Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

found on YourCupofCake.com

Frosting:

2 oz white chocolate

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream *



Muffins:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/8 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ oil*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrot, raw

½ cup crushed pineapple

1 ½ cups flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon*

½ teaspoon nutmeg*

¼ teaspoon ground ginger*



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Frosting: In a saucepan on LOW heat, melt white chocolate. Stir until smooth and let cool until at room temperature.

3. Beat together cream cheese and butter, mix in white chocolate and vanilla.

4. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. (Taste along the way so you don’t put in too much.) Mix in heavy cream.

5. Refrigerate in a piping bag to chill if the frosting is too soft.

6. Beat eggs, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple.

7. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

8. Mix the dry ingredients into the carrot mixture until just moistened. Do not over mix. Fold in nuts if desired.

9. Bake 20-25 minutes of until the tops spring back.

10. Let cool and frost.

* I did not use heavy cream the first time, I found it unnecessary. For the oil, I used ¼ oil and ¼ applesauce to make them healthier. I used 2 teaspoons apple spice instead of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Also, feel free to try the cakes with nuts.

Crockpot Refried Beans

I really need to try this recipie I found on realmomkitchen.com. We use that canned stuff all of the time!

•3 cups of dry pinto beans (rinsed)
•1 onion, diced
•9 cups of water
•5 t salt
•1 3/4 t pepper
•2 T minced garlic
•1/8 t ground cumin
1.Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 8 hours.
2.After they are done, drain all of the liquid out and SAVE THE LIQUID!!
3.Mash beans with a potato masher or whatever you mash with. Add liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency, but remember you want them a little runny because they thicken over time. (makes about 6 cups)

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

submitted by Brittany at sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1/3 cup powdered milk *see note
1.5 heaping Tbsp of instant yeast
3 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp shortening
3 cups warm water
Flour (approx 7.5 cups total)
1 cup raisins

Mix powdered milk, yeast, salt, sugar, and shortening in the bowl of a mixer. Add warm water. Add about 2 to 2.5 cups flour and beat until well mixed. Add flour slowly until dough comes away clean from the edge of the mixing bowl. Add one cup raisins. Allow to knead for 5 more minutes. Do not add too much flour. Cover with greased plastic and allow dough to rise. Once it has doubled in size, divide into 3 parts. Roll out each third of dough into a small rectangle and spray lightly with water (or get hands wet and lightly rub surface of dough - the idea is to barely moisten the dough.) Sprinkle with cinnamon - the amount is up to you but I like quite a bit! Roll up lengthwise, pinching together seam and tucking in the ends to form a log. Place each log into a greased loaf pan and raise until the size of a bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 3 loaves.

*I have made this bread with fresh milk too and it works great. Just omit powdered milk and use 1.5 cups warm milk and 1.5 cups warm water in the place of the 3 cups warm water.

Burrito Casserolle

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
Time: 20 minutes prep + 15 minutes baking (woo. Hoo!)
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from Lawry's

1 lb ground beef
1 15 oz can black beans
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 C water
1 1.4 oz package Lawry's Chimichurri Burrito Casserole seasoning
8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 C shredded Mexican Cheese blend

1. In a large skillet brown your ground beef over medium high heat. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper in there, just for kicks.
2. When the beef is browned, drain the fat off. Drain and rinse your black beans and add them to the browned beef.
3. In a small mixing bowl, or glass measuring cup mix together your water, tomato sauce, and Lawry's seasoning packet.
4. Pour 1 C of the red sauce into your beef and been mixture. Stir to incorporate.
5. Fill each tortilla with some of the meat mixture.
6. Roll that puppy right on up! Lay it in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with the other 7 tortillas.
7. Pour the rest of your red sauce over the top of the rolled burritos.
8. Cover with your cheese. The recipe calls for a Mexican Cheese blend, which I'm sure would be just down right scrumptious. I only had plain old cheddar. It was still really good!
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until it's heated through and the cheese is melted.
10. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and sour cream. Or add a little avocado...maybe even some fresh cilantro.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

from: yourhomebasedmom.com
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 C frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained or 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, chopped
1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Italian Tortellini Soup

Yield: 12 servingsTime: 1 hour
Recipe by Jamie Cooks It Up!


1 lb. hamburger
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 onion
salt and pepper
3 14.5 oz cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
8 C water
8 t beef bullion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 C carrots, chopped
1 C fresh or frozen green beans, chopped
1 can kidney beans
1 C zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper
1 pk. Good Seasoning Italian Dressing Mix
1 can tomato soup
1 20 oz pkg Cheese Tortellini (I used the refrigerated kind, but you can easily use dried.)

1. Brown your hamburger in a large skillet with the onion, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.
2. Put the canned tomatoes in a blender and blend them up nice and lovely like. Just for 30 seconds or so.
3. Put the meat mixture, blended tomatoes and all other ingredients BUT THE TORTELLINI and TOMATO SOUP into a large soup pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes. I like to leave the lid partially on. Less to clean up, and it keeps the heat some what trapped.
4. In a separate medium sized sauce pan cook the tortellini according to package directions. Be sure not to over cook it. When it's done drain the water from the tortellini and add it to the large soup pot.
5. Stir in the tomato soup and let it simmer for just 5 more minutes.

White Chicken Chili

by Melanie www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1 lb great northern beans

1-2 lbs cooked and shredded chicken

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tb olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2- 4oz cans diced green chilis

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayene pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

*additional grated jack cheese and cilantro for garnish

1. Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse and pick over to remove bad beans. Add broth to beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender (usually all day in crockpot on low).

2 Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Mix in green chilis an spices. Add to the beans. Stir in chicken and then cheese. Stir until thick.

Garnish with grated Monterey Jack cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.



Fast and Easy Method

**This makes a delicious soup in a matter of minutes**
For Step 1: Instead of cooking 1 lb beans in 6 cups of broth--just open 3 (14oz) cans of great Northern beans and 2 (14oz) cans Chicken broth and then proceed with recipe.