Failed Carrot Cake

 

There's this wonderful restaurant in southern Utah (who will remain nameless UNTIL they share their famous recipe) .... 

Just kidding.  The restaurant is the Wild Thyme Bistro in Kanab. It is transformative,  and you should go there. 

Anyway,  they have this carrot cake that comes to mind randomly if you see a carrot or even just the color orange years after your visit to Kanab. 

We have spent some time trying our best to replicate it... and we have failed miserably.  

Still, if you can't go to Kanab, this might be the next best thing. 

This cake is not beautiful, but... 😋

The Failed Carrot Cake

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon corn starch 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup quick oats 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup white sugar

 4 large eggs

¼ cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup coconut oil melted, but cooled

3 cups finely grated carrots, or more to taste

1 (8 ounce) can finely crushed pineapple, drained

1.5 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. good Mexican vanilla 

The Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, or to taste

3 cups confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Combine dry ingredients. Whisk eggs and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Mix everything. Bake °350 for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean or until internal temperature reads 190°.

If you make this, I want to hear about it. I also want a slice. 😋

Peg Doll Portrait

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Revolution by Eric Metaxas

"Many people called 1777 'the year of the hangman.'" Eric Metaxas, Revolution

This book... I don't even know where to start. But, one idea sinks in, we owe people. We owe these brilliant, self-sacrificing, forward thinking people who could hardly have given more than they did so that we can have what we have now. They lived in the shadow of the noose. They did courageous and impossible things. Of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration, nine died in the war. Several were financially ruined. Some were forced to live on the run. A few suffered most terribly by having family sorely mistreated by the enemy. They did all this in the middle of a  human experience, so they had sickness, toothaches, family concerns, and financial worries to boot. And grief, it must have been excruciating. Because of the time they lived in, they lost loved ones, frequently. (Sam Adams lost his first wife and four of his children before the Revolution got started.) Those that survived the revolution went on to sacrifice the rest of their whole lives so that we could pursue happiness.

And what is the pursuit of happiness anyway? They meant the pursuit of self-mastery. They meant the pursuit of virtue. It was never about, "I do what I want." It was something far finer. It is because of that finer purpose they were blessed and were able to help bring forth a miracle.

So, it bothers me quite a lot how misunderstood they are today. It bothers me that the misunderstandings are purposefully spread for political purposes especially when understanding would bring so much collective gratitude and a unity that would promptly civilize us a bit. We need our heroes; we need the real heroes. The men and women of the revolutionary period fit that designation. 

We are a blessed people. Those blessings came from God and the great and moral leaders he sent to found this country in order to prepare it for the gospel. They weren't perfect, they even irritated each other as they considered, debated, and even fundamentally disagreed on this or that idea or course. But, informed by the Bible, they built this country on sacrifice we can hardly comprehend. They were truly good and truly extraordinary and truly God-fearing. 

I have been forever fascinated by the founding. I have enjoyed many biographies of the founders and I just wasn't certain that this book was needed even if we are celebrating the 250. I am pleased to be wrong. This isn't the story of the founding. It's more important than that. This is the story of the providential founding of the county. This is the necessary history of the revolution, one of those books that you re-read and refer to. I hope you read it. 

Samuel Adams: 

I have long been convinced that our enemies have made it an object, to eradicate from the minds of the people in general a sense of true religion & virtue, in hopes thereby the more easily to carry their point of enslaving them. Indeed my friend, this is a subject so important to my mind that I know not how to leave it. Revelation assures us that "Righteousness exalted a nation." Communities are dealt with in their world by the wise and just Ruler of the Universe. He rewards or punishes them according to their general character. The diminution of public virtue is usually attended with that of public Happiness, and the public Liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals. pg. 341

Tuna

On days like today, turning the stove on seems counterproductive, so tuna is appealing.  I wanted to try something lighter than my regular recipe and found THIS recipe from One Balanced Life. 

2 cans tuna, drained

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chipped

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp avocado oil mayo

2 tbsp plain greek yogurt

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

If you make this for a family of 4 and divide it equally, it approximately this:

Calories: ~233

Protein: ~23.5 g

Carbohydrates: ~2 g

Fiber: ~0.4 g

Net Carbs: ~1.6 g

Fat: ~14 g

Not bad. And, fresh dill is delightful. 

Rookie mistake... I forgot the mustard which would definitely add. One daughter also suggested capers just to be fancy. 

Tuna salad has always been a summer favorite especially when the garden tomatoes are ready. My favorite is tuna salad on toast at Crown Burger with thick leaves of crunchy iceberg lettuce, but, I have never found a good copycat recipe? Do you have one? 

Tuna salad aficionado? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Animal Crackers

I walked into Winco today and was met with a bit of nostalgia.  I haven't seen these childhood oh-so-my-favorite-treat since I wore French braids and ribbons.  

The boxes have lion, seal, hippo, elephant, and koala cookies, not pandas unfortunately.  (Percy the Panda is happy to model anyway.) They were a treat and a safari in a box with it's own handle! 

They originated in England in early 1900, but were so popular they soon had to be manufactured in the United States. According to Google, they cost a dime in 1975 when I was particularly delighted by them. They even have their own sweet poem, does anyone remember? 

Animal Crackers by Christopher Morley 

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink.

That is the finest of suppers I think;

When I'm grown up and can have what I please

I think I shall always insist upon these.

What do YOU choose when you're offered a treat?

When Mother says, "What would you like best to eat?"

Is it waffles and syrup, or cinnamon toast?

It's cocoa and animals that I love most!

The kitchen's the cosiest place that I know;

The kettle is singing, the stove is aglow,

And there in the twilight, how jolly to see

The cocoa and animals waiting for me.

Daddy and Mother dine later in state,

With Mary to cook for them, Susan to wait;

But they don't have nearly as much fun as I

Who eat in the kitchen with Nurse standing by;

And Daddy once said, he would like to be me

Having cocoa and animals once more for tea. 

I bought three boxes. Is your childhood favorite still available? Does it have a poem? 

Pioneer Day

 

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Happy Pioneer Day! 🌻

Banza Protein Lasagna

I love this recipe.  It's easy and packed full of protein. It makes a great freezer meal and leftovers taste even better. Nutrition information included below.

16 oz (1 box) Banza penne

1 lb 85% lean ground beef

16 oz 4% cottage cheese

8 oz Neufchâtel cream cheese

24 oz jarred spaghetti sauce (I used Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic)

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack

1 large yellow onion

1 large green bell pepper

Directions:

Boil the Banza pasta until just al dente, about 6 min. Drain.

While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and green pepper. Drain excess grease if needed.

Stir in the Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara and simmer for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese and Neufchâtel cream cheese until well combined.

Layer half the cooked pasta into the meat sauce.

Spread half of the pasta mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the pasta.

Add the remaining pasta mixture.

Top with the mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving

If you divide a large 9x13 pan into 9 large servings,  this is the nutrition information:

Calories ~450 kcal

Protein ~32 g

Carbohydrates ~27 g

Fiber ~7 g

Net Carbs ~20 g

Fat ~23 g

A Summer Morning...

 

Never was sun so bright before,

No matin of the lark so sweet,

No grass so green beneath my feet,

Nor with such dewdrops jewelled o'er.

I stand with thee outside the door,

The air not yet is close with heat,

And far across the yellowing wheat

The waves are breaking on the shore.

A lovely day! Yet many such,

Each like to each, this month have passed,

And none did so supremely shine.

One thing they lacked: the perfect touch

Of thee—and thou art come at last,

And half this loveliness is thine.

Robert Fuller Murray 

Little Women

 

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