Anniversary cont.!

There, now that the hooligans are all in bed, I may have a chance at completing a thought!

My parents gave us a card w/ a 'gift' that was enough for us to have a "Fam-iversary" dinner out with the kids, at an awesome restaurant Roscoe's Rockin' Buffet!   Roscoe himself was manning the 'to order' and carving station and I got a nice bowl of fresh, made to order, Chicken scampi with the rest of my yummy buffet treats!  He brings it right to the table and grates the parmesan cheese at the table.

          This is their Facebook info page  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-ME/Roscoes-Rockin-Buffet-Lounge/310240689395?v=info

Then home to my fabulous Carrot Cake!  My anniversary gift to my sweet hubby.  It was my mother's recipe that I adapted just a bit.

Here is the recipe:

Mix the dry ingredients-

2 C flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 C sugar  (I have used splenda once making it for my diabetic father-in-law. It was ok but the texture was a bit different.

Next add one at a time, stirring after each-

1 1/2 C applesauce (my recipe) or oil (mom's)  

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 C carrots shredded (apx 3-4 depending on size) love the food processor shredding blade!!

1 sm can crushed pineapple

1/2 C nuts  finely diced.  Usually walnuts, but pecans are good too.

1/2 C coconut

Raisins- I know there is no amount on here and always just eyeball it.  It's not written on my recipe either.  Someday I'll tell you the stories of my mom's recipe cards!  Anyway, if I have lots, I use lots. If the kids were in my baking stash, well, not so many.

Bake in 3 8" or 9" round cake pans, greased.  You may want to try the waxed paper circle in the bottom of the pan trick as the raisins like to stick. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

When totally cool, frost with a mix of-

1/2 C butter (use real, trust me!)

8oz cream cheese (can use the 1/3 less fat one if you are trying to be healthy)

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

Just frost the top of each layer and not the sides. I don't know why, its just the way my mom did it!!  

I have a new quote for you. One that is helping me on the days that I can't get out of my own way:

Nowhere near done is better that nowhere near started!