Let us eat cake...

There is this elusive cake that haunts my dreams every winter. When the days are short and cold, I long for a cake that is moist and chewy, has some texture, it is sweet, but not too sweet... like coffeecake only with more dimension. Cinnamon in color without the grit of streusel but a bite of granola texture. From applesauce cake to carrot cake and everything in between, I've tried them all in search of the perfect cake. Again and again, my steaming cup of tea awaits the perfect compliment of the perfect winter cake.



Last Sunday the cake appeared at my house. My first bite told me the mystery was solved.




This. Was. The. Cake. Of. My. Dreams.



A friend from church brought it over as her contribution to our Sunday dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes, puffy white dinner rolls and strawberry jam, and a green salad with enough vegetable to open a Farmer's Market (brought by another friend from church). With the cake, smothered in vanilla ice cream to complete the meal? Well, I could have died happy right there.



Of course I asked for the recipe and Wanita was glad to share it. She said she got it from a "real farmer friend" back in the 70s. I'm not sure if the friend was real or the friend was really a farmer, but who cares, she makes a good cake! Wanita calls it "Oatmeal Cake."

1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup quick oats
* let set until thick and cooled, then add the following:

1/2 cup butter (or replace with applesauce)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour (replace half with whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts)

Combine until just incorporated and pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Broiler Frosting
6 TBS butter (soft)
1/4 cup cream (or milk)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoanut
1 cup chopped nuts

When the cake comes out the oven, poke holes all over the top. I used a small knife and went to town poking the cake. Then spread the thick frosting over the top. Place under the boiler (about 10" away) until frosting is bubbly and just beginning to brown. Watch carefully, it should take about 5 minutes, but this isn't the time to go change a diaper or call Aunt Ruby for a chat.


The results are amazing! The frosting melts down into the cake and the caramelized cocoanut and nuts are like granola on steroids. The candy-like topping on the light, fluffy cake is just beyond wonderful.


I hope you make this cake and love it. I also hope you eat it for breakfast and justify it by saying it is okay because you replaced the butter for applesauce. I'm thinking I can completely remove any guilt and call the cake "Granola Cake." Enjoy!


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Yogurt + berries + scones =

My earliest memories of scones are from when my sister and cousin worked at the State Fair. They weren't old enough to drive, so my mom also had to work at the State Fair. What a mom! They all worked at different food places, one of them being a scone hut. Every night they brought home leftover scones. They dragged in after midnight and all I cared about were the scones in the paper wrappers. So delicious! Who cares if they had to put up with minimum wage, hot temperatures, and tacky uniforms.... the scones rocked.



I was originally going to make these scones: Maple Blackberry Scones. I was recently linked on this blog, the Queen of Tarts from the Oregon Fruit Products. It's a great site! They feature local recipes and linked my post about making meatballs with the girls. There is a pictures of Mandy with snot running down her face. Classy. My reputation is ruined. Or maybe I never had a reputation as a mother who required strict hygiene while baking.

Maple Blackberry Scones

The Maple Blackberry Scones looked delicious, but I ended up making these: Yogurt Scones. I had precisely 1/2 cup of yogurt that was going bad and wondered if there was a recipe out there that used yogurt as the liquid binder in scones. Low and behold I found one!



Try it, the scones were delicious!


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Mom's Perfect Chowder.... perfected.

I have high aspirations for my children.

First, I desire that they learn to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls, and minds.

After that I'm okay with whatever they want to do. Emma can move to Africa and save the world. Mandy can dye her hair pink. Remington can be anti-guns if he wants to (it would be a little hard to accept, but we could adjust).

But what I hope for and dream of is that someday my children will call and ask me for a recipe.

Any recipe will do. My pot roast, the delicious oatmeal that only I can make "just right," or Grandma's chicken bake. It is just that asking for a recipe is a loaded question. To me it says, "1) you are a fantastic cook, oh blessed mother, 2) my childhood was blissful thanks to you, oh blessed mother, and 3) I'm needing some comfort food because I miss you, oh blessed mother."

About 8 years ago, I called my own blessed mother and asked her for her recipe for Corn Chowder. My mom was/is a fantastic cook and I was missing her, missing my childhood, and simpler things. I just needed some comfort food and that chowder was what I craved.

I recently found the scratch paper envelope where I wrote down what she told me. It's really simple:

1 quart water
potatoes
ham
1 can corn
1 quart milk + corn starch to thicken
salt and pepper

As with all the cooking I do, I have a hard time leaving well enough alone. I make this recipe (or something similar) often during the winter. I change a few things and this is Mom's Chowder Perfected:

1 quart chicken broth
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried marjoram or rosemary
2 cups chopped cooked ham or a few strips of bacon cooked and cut up
3-4 medium potatoes cut up bite sized (skins on)
3 medium carrots, diced small (skins on)
Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes and carrots are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
Add:
1 can corn with juices
1 quart cold milk + 4 Tbs. corn starch
Bring to a simmer until thickened.

It is even better the next day and makes plenty for leftovers. But it is a great, hearty soup that is ready in just over 15 minutes. I usually throw some corn bread in the oven as I'm starting the soup. Voila. Dinner is served. Emotional needs are met. Family is satisfied. Mission accomplished.

What foods do you crave from your childhood?
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Peppermint Mocha, the tutorial

I had an expensive addiction. My favorite treat is a cup of gourmet coffee from our area's drive-thru coffee experts, Dutch Brothers. In the summer, I ordered a iced, sugar free, low-fat, decaf, Snickers. Delicious. When the weather turned cold, I turned to the peppermint mocha. At $3 a cup, my indulgence was rare. How can I make gourmet coffee at home? I asked my question on FB last month and got lots of feedback. The consensus: strong coffee + flavored syrups.

For Christmas, a wonderful friend gave us a French Press coffee maker. I began my experimentation for the perfect home-made peppermint mocha. It took me awhile, but I found the ratios that give me Dutch Brother's taste at home for a lot less money.

First, I start with 3 heaping tablespoons of regular ol' coffee grounds. Add almost boiling water to fill the french press 3/4 full, stir and let set for 4 minutes. Not 3 minutes or 5 minutes. 4 minutes.

Let set for 4 minutes and then press out the grounds. I love this process.

While waiting for the coffee, I mix my flavoring concoction for the peppermint mocha. I use 1/4 cup milk plus .5 ounce chocolate mint syrup (plain peppermint would work here too, but it gets a bit sweet with the kind I have).

I also add 1 oz. chocolate sauce, Torani brand. Hershey's works too.

Stir the chocolate sauce together with the syrup and the milk and warm up in the microwave for 30 seconds. It would be awesome if I could make it frothy to, but maybe another day when I feel like getting out the blender. Add the flavorings to the pressed coffee...

Perfection.

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Cookbook winner and some recipes

I used Random.org to generate a random (imagine that) number between 1 and 30. The service was quite extraordinary and gave me a really random number. Katie D. is the winner! I enjoyed reading through the fantastically yummy holiday food ideas from all those longing to win the PW cookbook. Katie submitted Chocolate Snow Caps and I want to try them right now. I should have made the rules to winning the cookbook to include bringing me yummy treats in order to win. Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
3. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

One of my husband's family traditional foods is Portzilke, a German dumpling translated to mean New Year's Cookie. Jeff's grandma always made these on New Year's Day and I am continuing the tradition. They are like a donut with raisins. Seriously delicious if you are into the idea of deep fried sugary dough.

1 c. warm milk

1 pkg dry yeast

1/2 cup. warm water

3 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

2 c. raisins

3 c. flour

• Dissolve yeast in warm water and milk. Add all other ingredients. Beat well. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (dough will be runny). Heat fat about 3 inches deep to 380 degrees. Drop a tablespoon of dough at a time into the fat. Brown on both sides. Shake warm cookies in granulated sugar. Eat 45 and save 3 for your husband. All is well. Yields 4 dozen.

• Start weight loss regimen tomorrow.

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Pie Crust Cookies

'Tis the season for pumpkin pie. I have deluded myself into thinking that it is healthy (please don't burst my nutritional bubble). I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Cool Whip only has 25 calories for 2 TBS. Well then, bring on the pie.

The other day, I made my double pie crust recipe and made only one pie and let the girls have the rest of the dough. It kept them occupied for about an hour and a half. Flour was flying and there were a couple heated squabbles, but they had a good time. Pie crust is easy for kids to work with because the more you work it, the tougher it gets. Unlike sugar cookie dough that gets softer and stickier the more it is handled.

I make a rather unusual pie crust recipe. I know everyone already swears by their recipes from Martha or Better Homes, but I seriously think mine is the best. It is from the church cook book and is called "Flaky Pastry." Even after an hour and a half of kneading, the girls' pie crust cookies were flaky and tender. Try that, Martha.

The unusual, but best recipe:

Mix 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup flour together and set aside.

With a pastry blender, combine 2/3 cup shortening, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 2/3 cup flour.

Stir water/flour in with a fork and pat together on a floured surface. Makes 2 pie crusts.

For Pie Crust Cookies:

Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters or into rough squares with a knife. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 9-10 minutes at 425 degrees.

The other good thing about pie crust cookies are that the dough isn't as addictive as sugar cookie dough. Mandy ate her fair share of pie dough, but no sugar and no eggs, so no worries.

Emma is so artistic and takes an incredible amount of time to make her creations. Rushing her is a very bad idea. Mandy eating her works of art before they are baked is also a bad idea. Like I said, flour was flying. When Emma was 2, she would scream, "I DO IT!" constantly and about everything. It was frustrating at the time because a 2 year old really can't do everything. Now I see how that persistent nature plays out in her personality. Good thing we weren't in a hurry on this day.

Emma's perfect creations are on the right and Mandy's globs of dough are on the left. Good times and good cookies!

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Reveling in Autumn's Goodness

This is my favorite time of year. I love the colors. I love the crisp cool air. I even love the rain. There is a fire in my wood stove and we are toasty warm. Along with all this goodness, comes a desire for heartier foods and I cannot stop myself from cooking and baking my favorites. I'm including some recipes that I've recently made. Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite food.

• Hearty Friendship Stew. I made this dry mix the other day at MOPS and my family really enjoyed it. Click here to see the recipe. It has amazing things like lentils, split peas, and pear barley in it (find it all in the bulk section at the grocery store). I just made 5 soup mixes for $4.06! 

• Pumpkin Bread and a cup of tea. I used a recipe on Allrecipes.com most recently for Pumpkin Bread and it was very good, but not out of this world. I made a couple changes (like less sugar, some ww flour, and less oil), so you can find your own recipe and adapt accordingly. 

• Honey Wheat Bread and Beef Stew

• Molasses Ginger Snaps. I couldn't find a recipe I liked for these childhood favorites, so adapted one. This recipe only makes about 18 cookies, but they are the perfect chewy consistency. 

3/4 cup butter shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

You know how to make cookies... must mix the stuff together. If you want traditional cookies with sugar on top, chill your dough and then roll each unbaked cookie in sugar before baking at 350 for 11 minutes. Amazingly, I skipped this extra sugar step and the cookies were still eaten up with rave reviews.

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What's on the agenda:

I am fully aware you did not come here to see a picture of bread.

You also probably don't want to hear me complain that I am still pregnant.

And I have a cold now. Not a terrible one. I've had worse, but it is a bit like adding insult to injury.

But you don't want to hear about that either.

So, back to the bread:

I bought a big 5 lb. bag of Quinoa at Costco after my midwife suggested it as a protein rich and quick alternative to brown rice. It is a round little grain with a bit of a bite. I like it, but my family doesn't. I was sitting around thinking about Quinoa because I have nothing better to do and also my husband got our ancient tv to pick up a signal with a digital converter box and a new antenna so I can watch Public Broadcasting once again. I was watching a cooking show and they were talking about Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wa. Who knew? I've heard of Keen-wa, but had no idea it was the same thing as Quinoa. The very same day, a friend on FB said that she was making Quinoa bread. I immediately did a search for a recipe because it sounded hearty and lovely.

My search for a recipe didn't warrant much. I decided I could use the cooked Quinoa like cooked oatmeal in bread, thinking I could find more rated recipes. I found a few recipes and then adapted them. My finished product turned out delicious. If you want to make a bread that will fill you up completely, try this. It is very delicious and moist and my children are not complaining of hunger for the first time in about 2 years -- they are ALWAYS hungry. It is a dense bread and didn't rise as tall as I would have hoped, but is still pleasant to look at. If you don't have/want Quinoa, try this bread with Steal-cut oats (1 3/4 cup) softened in 2 1/4 cups boiling water instead of water and Quinoa.

Quinoa Whole Wheat Bread

Mix together and set aside until butter is melted:

1 cup warm water
2 cups cooked Quinoa
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Stir together and let set until bubbly:
2 packages dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons each)
1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

Combine Quinoa and yeast mixtures and add:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flax meal

Add alternately until a stiff dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); 

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), 1-2 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll each portion into a 14 x 8-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Roll up each rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place each loaf, seam sides down, in a 9-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until loaves are browned on bottom and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pan, and cool on wire racks.

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Grilled Pizza

I saw Grilled Pizza on the Food Love blog and instantly knew that I needed to have it for lunch. I wish Food Love was like a restaurant and I could see something yummy and order it -- no work required. I mustered up the energy out of sheer desperation for this tasty treat and made it for lunch today.

I started out by grilling my chicken on the BBQ. I made this super quick pizza dough recipe while it was cooking:

stir together:
1 C. warm water
1 t. sugar
1 TBS. yeast

Let set until bubbly.

Add:
1 t. salt
2 T. olive oil (here is another change)
2 1/2 C. flour, plus more to make a sturdy dough. I use half ww flour

Let it rise for about 5 to 10 minutes in a warm place while you continue your prep work.

Knead a few times on a floured surface. For grilled pizza, divide into small individual portions and roll out.

I was planning on making Kelleigh's BBQ Chicken Pizza toppings. But then I realized I had no BBQ sauce. I also had no spaghetti sauce. What to do....

I ended up using crushed tomatoes with oregano and basil with a little salt added. My pizza toppings were unconventional, but the final product was very, very good:

Moteray Jack Cheese, grated

Grilled chicken

Olives

Pineapple

The dough goes right on the grill, so make sure you put on plenty of olive oil. Let it brown and then flip it and add the toppings. My pizza rounds were a bit large and my grill was too hot, so I burned some of the edges. I live and learn! Make the rounds small and have consistent, medium heat. Put the lid down and let the topping heat through and the cheese melt.

The final product has a smokey, chewy crust. Oh, my. Oh, my. I closed my eyes and thought I was back in Italy. I was on the Amalfi Coast at a tiny bistro overlooking the vibrantly blue Mediterranean. A glass of sweet red wine and a pleasant breeze. It was bliss. But what is that biting my ankles? Back to reality and hungry children who want to eat. Nix the red wine, put milk in sippy cups and let's get some lunch on.

I will definitely be grilling pizza again. It also inspired me to grill quesadias too. Add some cheese, chicken, salsa, and black beans. Sounds good to me. What have you been grilling lately?

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Bounty

This week we've been enjoying the fruits of the season. The girls and I went to Perryhill Farms to pick blue berries. It seemed possible that I could pick about 30 pounds, but my reality was much less. The berries were beautiful and the girls did very well. Emma picked diligently. She was proud of her 1 lb. 

Mandy had a bowl too and picked and picked and ate and ate. It was hilarious to watch her pick a blue berry and try to decide whether to put it in her mouth or in the bowl. Her mouth won out at the end of the morning.

At one point there was actually something in Mandy's bowl, but she stole the berries from me.

I made 2 cobblers, one sugar free (made with agave nectar and stevia) and the other to share that was "real". We ate lots of berries just for snacks. I also froze a gallon sized bag and will be picking more. I love frozen blue berries!

Yesterday a good friend brought me a crate of cherries she picked in Hood River. She even pitted them for me with her handy-dandy pitter and helped me can 7 jars! I don't deserve this kindness, but it was so wonderful.

Thanks Jenni, for your time and your friendship. It was lots of fun!

Cherries are a beautiful fruit. Pitting them causes what looks like a massacre in the kitchen, but that is okay. I froze the other half of the cherries that Jeff pitted for me last night. It kinda sounds like I got out of a lot of work... and I did. 

And we must not forget this inevitable summer bounty...

Zucchini and Yellow Squash. The girls and I made zucchini pancakes last night -- so yummy. We are huge fans, but the man of the family is not. I make them like this:

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cups shredded cheese

1 cups of pancake mix or bisquick

1 egg

enough water to make a batter

Lowry's seasoning salt (sprinkle on while cooking)

Cook the batter on a greased skillet longer and lower than you would regular pancakes to make sure they cook through. Serve with melted butter.

I made 2 chocolate zucchini cakes last night. Chocolate zucchini cake taste just like a moist cake. I didn't sample it, but Jeff said it was delicious and took some to work this morning to share. I puree the zucchini and then my father-in-law has no idea it is in there and gobbles it up. He really, really dislikes zucchini, but loves my cake. It warms my heart to trick the people I love.

Here is the recipe:

mix together:

2 1/2 cups flour

6 TBS cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

mix wet ingredients separately:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups pureed zucchini

1/2 cup milk

Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients and mix just till blended. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. 

I like to top the cake with peanut butter frosting. That was back in the day when I consumed sugar.... now it is only a sweet memory.

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Informed about Stevia

I recently took my Granola Mama-ish-ness to a new level and bought some Stevia powder. Stevia is from a plant, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter aftertaste at high concentrations.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate controlled diets. (Wikipedia)

I bought a 16oz. container of  Stevita spoonable powder from Puritan's Pride. I read tons of reviews and finding just the right blend of Stevia is essential or there is a bitter aftertaste to it. You can use it to sweeten anything. I was mainly interested in it for baking since I have been deprived of sweets for 5 long months. Most reviewers suggest using the Stevia powder along with a reduced amount of regular sugar to get the flavor we expect in a dessert. I adapted a recipe for a berry crumble and it turned out divine -- divine I tell you! Or perhaps I haven't had sugar in 5 months I am no judge, but in any respect, my family ate it and didn't know the difference with a whole cup of sugar missing from the recipe.

Topping, mix together and refrigerate:
6 TBS melted butter
1 cup flour (half whole wheat and half white)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Cake:
3/4 cup flour (half whole wheat and half white)
1 TBS wheat germ
1 TBS flax meal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Stevia or Stevita powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened or apple sauce to reduce fat
Enough black berries (frozen okay) to cover top

Mix filling and spread into a 9x9 greased baking dish. Top with berries and crumb topping. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cut into 16 squares.

The above recipe has 6 grams of sugar per serving, down from 14. I try to stay below 10 grams per day, including fruit sugars, to feel good. The average American consumes about 20 tsp. of sugar per day, or 80 grams of sugar. It isn't hard to do when you realize a can of pop can have as many as 40 grams of sugar and a little container of fruity yogurt has almost 30 grams.

You can find lots and lots of information about Stevia with a google search. There is even a Stevia.com website. If you use Stevia, I would love to hear your tips and tricks. It seems like such a great alternative to refined sugar.

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Crispy impersonation

The Crispy Chicken Salad from Dairy Queen is a favorite meal that I crave every time of day. It is $5.39 in the restaurant, so I order it very, very rarely. I now make it at home and eat something similar enough to fool my taste buds about every other day. It is so good!

• One head of lettuce, 75 cents, is enough for 4 generous portions
  
• 3 frozen chicken nuggets, baked and cut up (you'll never know they were once shaped like dinosaurs)
  
• Grated cheddar cheese
  
• Grated baby carrots
  
• Bacon, cook an entire package and it will last for about 8 salads (keep what you don't use in the freezer), or use chopped ham
  
• Hard boiled egg, chopped (the original doesn't have this, but I like the addition)
  
• Grape tomatoes
• Dressing of your choice

I tried to figure out the cost of one home made salad, but it proved too difficult since many of the items are very small portions of things I keep in the fridge anyway, like carrots. How do you figure the cost of 3 baby carrots? I need a 5th grader. Due to laziness and lack of math skills, I'm going to speculate that the salad costs less than $1.50 per portion.

In any event, my Crispy Chicken Salad is quite affordable, delicious, filling, and packed full of protein.

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Healthful Carrot Cake

I'm eating healthier these days in an effort to shake the pesky extra pounds I acquired through gluttonous eating during the holidays. And that means baking more healthful snacks for my family. You know the drill, if there is a pan of fresh brownies sitting on the counter all day, nibbling a bite here and there is too tempting. Pretty soon the pan is gone and your husband comes home and asks where the brownies are. It's embarrassing and downright sinful. So, I was in the mood for a moist cake today to nibble on throughout the afternoon, so I searched allrecipes.com for a carrot cake recipe (much healthier than brownies, I am sure). All the recipes I found were anything but healthy; chocked full of butter and/or oil, white sugar and white flour. 

One recipe had 1,406 five star reviews, so I decided to make it with a few adaptations. I cut the oil almost completely and substituted apple sauce, used whole wheat flour for most of the white, added wheat germ for good measure and flax seed meal as a nutty taste since I didn't add any other nuts. I baked the cake in muffin tins and we devoured them as our dessert at lunch today. The cake stayed moist even without the oil (although didn't have enough rise to look good as a muffin without frosting), and they were full of flavor and, best of all, guilt free.

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup apple sauce

1 cup brown sugar (the original recipe calls for double)

3 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup flax meal

2 tsp soda

2 tsp baking pdr.

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional, I didn't use it)

3 cups carrots grated

1 cup raisins

You know what to do: add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Don't over mix. Add all to a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. For muffin cups, 20 minutes.

To completely void all your healthy attempts, frost with cream cheese frosting. I obstained, but this looks so good:

1/2 cups butter, softened

8 ounces ceam cheese, softened

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

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