Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Cupcakes

for cupcakes
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated carrots

for frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine eggs, sugar, and oil; mix well. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots. Pour into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Remove to wire racks to cool. For frosting, cream butter and cream cheese. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency and frost cupcakes. Store in refrigerator until serving and enjoy!

The garden at one month in...

The garden was planted on March 19th.

And this is the garden one month later.

 It's growing! :-)

We have had a few uninvited guests taking some nibbles.

Mr. H. saw deer tracks all around,

so he quickly set up an electric fence.

I've seen lots of sweet little cotton tails around our property lately.

None close to the garden,

but some chicken wire might be in the future, too.

For now, the corn is growing well.

The cucumber plants are growing up their trellis

and have some blossoms.

The squash blossoms are beautiful.

Do you see the baby squash starting to grow?

We have a first bell pepper.

And a jalapeno.

The water melon plants look good.

Along with the tomatoes.

Gardens just amaze me. :-)

~first black-eyed susans~

There have been some winecups and buttercups in the yard this spring,

but this week the very first bunch of black eyed susans popped up!

When we moved in last year in May,

the yard was full of them.

And for that reason, 

black eyed susans will always remind me

that dreams can come true. :-)

Bible Quiz Day 72

Answer to question 71 - repent, baptized (Acts 2:38)

Question 72 - In Bethany, Jesus raised __________ from the dead.

A Surprise in the Nesting Box...

When I gather eggs each day,

I'm used to seeing differences in the eggs.

I don't know which chicken lays which type of egg,

but in the bunch

there is usually one on the smallish size,

one or  two large dark brown,

one paler brown,

and one very light brown.

Well, today I gathered 5 eggs...

And one of them was QUITE A BIT different from the others!

The egg in the middle is my typical average sized egg.

The egg on the right is from the chicken that lays the smallish eggs.

And the egg on the left is today's surprise!

The carton wouldn't even close! ;-)

I'm not sure when I will crack it...

but I'm thinking it might be a double yolk!

What's cookin'?

This typically doesn't happen much during this time of year, but I seem to be on a bit of a "try new recipes" kick.  This evening I tried four!  All from Gina's Skinny Recipes.  

We had...

  

barbacoa beef

cilantro lime rice

cuban style black beans

and corn salsa with lime

I served everything up along with flour tortillas and tortilla chips,

and cheese, sour cream and salsa.

It was all very well received. 

I really like Gina's recipes 

because they make me stretch out of my 

cooking comfort zone just a bit,

with tasty results!

Bubble Ring Revisited

Monkey Bread Bubble Ring
6 servings

1 loaf refrigerated bread dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cut dough into 24 pieces and roll into balls.  Melt butter and combine with sugar and cinnamon.  Dip each piece of dough into butter mixture and layer in a greased bunt pan.  Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes and then turn out onto a plate.  Enjoy!

We enjoyed last night's garlic bubble ring so much that I just had to try a monkey bread variety for breakfast this morning.  Yum!

Garlic Bubble Ring

Garlic Bubble Ring
6 servings

1 loaf refrigerated bread dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried onion

Cut dough into 24 pieces and roll into balls.  Melt butter and combine with seasonings.  Dip each piece of dough into butter mixture and layer in a greased bunt pan.  Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes and then turn out onto a plate.  Enjoy!

This was really easy and very, very good!  Everyone enjoyed it with our spaghetti this evening.  It was a great change of pace from garlic toast or garlic breadsticks.  

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Bible Quiz Day 71

Answer to question 70 - thief  (I Thessalonians 5:2)

Question 71 - Peter told the Jews in Jerusalem to __________ and be __________ for the remission of their sins.

"Thank God every morning when you get up, that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not.  Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle never know."

 ~Charles Kingsley

Bible Quiz Day 70

Answer to question 69 - Timothy (I Timothy 1:2)

Question 70 - The day of the Lord will come as a __________ in the night.

Guess what?

Fresh brown eggs make very pretty Easter eggs. :-)

I used 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 

and 20 drops of food coloring for each shade.

 And I followed the suggested color combinations 
on the back of the McCormick food color box.

red, yellow, green, blue, 

pretty purple, orange sunset, teal, 

mint green, and dusty rose

Braided Sandwich Loaves

Another winner from

Jamie Cooks It Up!

I have all sorts of ideas for fillings and variations on this

recipe.

The bread is very good!

The recipe makes two loaves.

I'll probably half it next time - one loaf easily feeds a family of four.

Edited to add - These have become such a favorite with my family!  When I made the recipe again this week, I had planned to half it and only make one loaf, but I forgot and made the whole recipe.  I went ahead and prepared one braid for supper and put half the dough in the fridge.  I was planning to put pizza fillings in it the next day for lunch, but my son wanted another one for lunch just like we had for supper!  I have been making the braids with ham, cheddar and swiss and serving it with this dipping sauce....

Honey Mustard Sauce for Sandwich Braids

4 servings

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

Comine all ingredients, serve as a dip for sandwich braids and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken and Noodle Bowls! Yummy!

Oh boy was this yummy!

I tried another recipe from 

Jamie Cooks It Up!

and we really enjoyed it.

Why would I ever again buy bottled teriyaki sauce when the homemade kind is...

...so good!

...so easy!

 ...so much better for you!

...so much less expensive!

Go here for the recipe.

Serve with green tea and get out your chopsticks. :-)

Menu Plan Monday

Supper Menus
April 11th-16th

Monday
teriyaki chicken and noodle bowl
Tuesday
braided sandwich loaf, pasta salad
Wednesday 
out for supper
Thursday
chopped beef sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans
Friday
invited to friend's house for supper
Saturday
margarita pizza

Strawberries and Cream Scones

Strawberries and Cream Scones
8 servings

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2/3 cups half and half
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 teaspoons sugar

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.  Cut in butter.  Add half and half and mix until just combined.  Gently stir in strawberries.  Pat dough in to a flattened circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Separate wedges and sprinkle each with sugar.  Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until done.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Linked to Sweet Indulgences Sunday, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

Farmhouse Breakfast Skillet

Farmhouse Breakfast Skillet
12 servings

1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 package microwave bacon, prepared according to package directions
6 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
4 cups country style frozen hash browns, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°.  On stovetop, melt butter in skillet.  Saute onions and peppers until tender.  Crumble bacon into skillet.  Combine eggs, seasonings, milk, cheeses and hash browns.  Pour into skillet, stir until combined and spread evenly. Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 40 minutes.  Let set 10 minutes before slicing and enjoy!

~Gardening Journal~

Some Pig ;-)

Since we got Miss LuLu 

it has been too chilly at night 

for her to sleep out doors.

She sleeps in her crate in the living room.

But, before we all go to bed, 

she has enjoyed some family time during the evenings.

Miss Daisy has been so sweet about 

LuLu resting in her bed.

LuLu has really made herself at home,

and made a good friend.

"I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, 

but through it all I still know quite certainly 

that just to be alive is a grand thing."

 ~Agatha Christie