Carrot Cake

Happy Birthday Mom! Tuesday is my mom's birthday and since I love to cook and bake it is a perfect time to make her, her favorite cake. When my parents got married in 1986 - their wedding cake was carrot cake- that shows how much she loves it. Some people might think carrot cake is a healthy food because it was the word 'carrot' in it, but actually it is not unless you make it with my recipe (the healthie way!)

Carrot Cake
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. of ground cinnamon (excellent for burning fat)
2 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of vanilla
4 organic cage free eggs
2 4oz. jars of carrot baby food - 100% natural
1/2 cup of grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350*

1. mix all dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda)
2. then mix the oils, eggs and vanilla
3. mix the wet with the dry and then add in the baby food and carrots
4. mix well and pour batter into your lightly greased and floured (whole wheat) pans
5. bake in oven at 350* for 30-40 minutes (use tooth pick to test if it is done)
6. let cool for 30 minutes before frosting it

Frosting:
You can buy it but then that adds a lot of unhealthy chemicals to your food.

Homemade Frosting
4oz of low fat cream cheese
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of confectionery sugar

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy and then frost your cake.

Extra Ideas

1) Sprinkle the cake with ground peanuts or almonds or pecans to give it a crunchier taste

2) Buy orange frosting (yest I know it's not healthy but you have to live a little) and decorate it

3) Cake baby carrot sticks and make a decoration (ex: a flower)

Enjoy!

I'll post a photo on Tuesday night :)

5 Layer Dip

Happy Superbowl Sunday!! It's that time of year where people get out their 50 inch wide screen TVs, invite the friends and crack out the chips, fried foods and beer....Well there is a much healthier way to spend the day. A way where you will enjoy your food yet have it be healthy and lessen the guilt at the end of the game - you'll wake up Monday morning feel good about the night before even if your team doesn't win.

6 Layer Dip
1  tomato
1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce
1 15oz can of black olives (you won't need the whole can about 3/4 of it)
1 15oz can of baked beans
1 tbsp. of low fat Thousand Island dressing
1 cup of low fat shredded cheddar cheese
Your favorite kind of chips (I recommend blue chips or multi grain chips- it's the healthiest kind)

(the key is by the way ditch the sour cream!) 

1. drain the baked beans and mix it with the tbsp; of low fat dressing (spread it on a large plate making a thin layer)
2.  take the chopped the lettuce and sprinkle it over the baked beans
4.  chopped the tomato and then sprinkle it over the lettuce
4.  sprinkle the cheese over the tomato
5. take 3/4 of the can of the black olives - cut the olives into halves- sprinkle it over the cheese
6. serve with your favorite kind of chips and enjoy!!