carrots

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Oct 18, 2017

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup – easy kid-friendly soup! A creamy soup with broccoli, carrots, and cheddar cheese!

Okay guys, dinner time.

Does the whole family sit down at the table?

Does everyone do their own thing?

I’ll admit, I’m terrible at dinner time these days. I’m a stickler for the kids at the table all together, but more often than not, I’m in the kitchen working on the dishes or doing a 2nd batch of biscuits or whatever needs to be done. I’m close enough to hear their conversation but not actually participating, you know?

Then they want to watch videos on their tablets so no one’s actually talking to anyone anyway.

And I’m feeling like it’s time to get rid of that mealtime boredom and bring some fun to the table.

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Homemade Pumpkin Carrot Dog Treats

Sep 25, 2017

I heard that your dog has been very good lately and deserves a treat. These Homemade Pumpkin Carrot Dog Treats are so easy and your pup is going to love them!

I ever tell you guys about the first date I went on last year where I gave the poor guy a full pitch of the cookbook I want to write one day?

One glass of wine and I got real passionate about my maybe someday in the very distant future cookbook: Booze and B*tch Biscuits, a book all about cocktails and homemade dog treats.

Amazingly, we actually ended up going out a few more times after that.

ANYWAY.

I’m all in on pumpkin.

Oh! I haven’t had my first official PSL yet. Have you? I got one from McDonald’s a couple weeks ago because I like theirs so much more than Starbucks but I feel like I need to go to Starbucks just for an Instagram picture.

You know?

Ugh.

But yeah, Homemade Pumpkin Carrot Dog Treats!

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Carrot Apple Salad

Aug 28, 2017

Carrot Apple Salad is the perfect quick, healthy side dish! It’s a kid favorite and so easy to put together. Thinly sliced carrots and apples with raisins in a creamy sweet and tangy dressing.

You guuuuys.

It’s finally the first day of school around here!

Y’all know I love summer but man, this was a long one. This was the first summer in years that we didn’t take several roadtrips so it was just me and 3 boys.

All summer.

In central Texas. Where from the hours of 9 am to 7 pm, it’s too hot to play outside most days.

ANYWAY.

So now we’re transitioning to school and soccer and football and whatever else the boys plan on getting into. I’m anticipating a very busy fall.

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Veggie Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

Mar 19, 2015

I promised you another meatless recipe this week and here it is!

I’ve been having a weird craving for lots of veggies. I say weird because lately the only veggies I’ve been into have been my bizarre burger salads that I have every morning for breakfast.

Yeah, I totally put bread and butter pickles and ketchup on top of spinach.

I told you, bizarre.

So, of course I start craving Veggie Tortilla Soup as soon as the weather gets warm. This soup is so delicious though and I’m totally willing to eat hot soup in warm weather if it tastes this good!

It’s like your typical chicken tortilla soup except I hate chicken right now so I used beans and quinoa as the protein. And then it’s got the veggies I’d been craving, mostly carrots and zucchini. So yummy, especially if you top it with lots of stuff! Tortilla strips, avocado, and cilantro are my choices but you can do cheese, sour cream, whatever you like!

I ate this for lunch all week and I’d make it again today if I wasn’t desperately trying not to buy any groceries right now.

Aaaaaand, it took about 30 minutes to make! *high five*

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Thai Pork and Veggie Meatballs

Aug 04, 2014

Meatballs are one of the few things all 3 of my kids will eat without complaint. And this recipe is proof that I can literally put anything in meatballs and they will eat them.

As I was shredded the zucchini for these, my 4 year old walked into the kitchen and said “Eww, I don’t like zucchini!”

Umm… guess who asked for more meatballs not once but twice!

If we’re being technical here, these aren’t really Thai meatballs. Honestly, I’m not even sure Thai meatballs are a thing. I think Thai-Inspired would be a better title but…

Yeah.

So these are pork meatballs with a little ground turkey which I love because I love love love the flavor of pork but not necessarily the fat/calories so I feel like I can eat more if I mix in some super lean ground turkey. The meatballs have lots of shredded zucchini and carrots mixed in with some curry powder, fresh ginger, garlic, all kinds of good stuff. And then you cover them with a peanut sauce before baking!

Except I don’t eat peanut butter because I do try to eat paleo when I’m not drinking wine and eating my weight in Qdoba 3-cheese nachos so I used almond butter in this “peanut” sauce. You could totally use peanut or even sunbutter if you prefer the taste of those!

Anyway, the sauce is SO good. I could drink it! Coconut milk, almond butter, and curry powder just make the yummiest combination.

These are super simple and I anticipate making these often in the coming months.

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Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Apr 15, 2014

Do you guys leave anything for the Easter Bunny?

I don’t remember leaving anything as a kid (maybe I did?) but my husband insists that he likes carrots and my oldest insists that he also likes hard-boiled eggs.

I’m hoping that maybe he’ll leave me a basket this year if I switch things up and leave these Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies for him instead of boring carrots and eggs.

If you are a carrot cake fan, you will love these whoopie pies. It’s basically just a rearranged carrot cake cupcake! They’re really good and for some reason, even though I know that it’s technically two tiny cakes stuffed with cream cheese frosting, I still feel like it’s just an innocent cookie and I don’t feel guilty eating more than one.

Two years ago: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Three years ago: Funfetti Blondies
Four years ago: Pugliese

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

from Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 cups shredded carrot
2/3 cup brown sugar divided
1/4 cup butter divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 teaspoon vanilla divided
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt plus a pinch, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine shredded carrots and 3 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl; toss to coat. Place carrot mixture in a fine mesh sieve; let stand for 10 minutes. Discard liquid.
Microwave 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 45 seconds. Add oil, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and egg. Whisk until well combined.
In a separate large bowl, combined flour, remaining brown sugar (about 1/2 cup), cinnamon, salt, and baking soda; whisk together. Add carrot mixture and butter mixture; stir until everything is incorporated.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. You should get 28 cookies. Gently pat dough down to form 2-inch circles.
Bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until cookies are set. Let cool completely on wire rack.
Combine cream cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat at a very low speed until combined.
Spread about 1 tablespoon on flat side of 1 cookie, top with another cookie, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

Carrot Cream Cheese Muffins

Sep 18, 2012

Y’all remember this time last year when I excitedly bought a can of pumpkin only to realize it had expired 2 years before?

I feel like I never really got over that. Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely beating down Starbucks’ door the day the PSLs were released but I just haven’t been excited to bake with pumpkin this year. But I’m still craving those fall flavors, you know?

So I was catching up on my DVR’d shows this past weekend and saw the Pioneer Woman making a carrot cake and, ding ding ding, immediately knew how to get my fall flavor fix! Carrot cake muffins! With sweetened cream cheese in the center!

You can’t go wrong with a muffin like this. The only way these could be better is if they had a ton of pecans in them! These were very moist and I didn’t even have to adjust them for the altitude! The carrots aren’t super obvious – you could probably get away with adding more than a cup. And like I said, pecans would be an excellent addition! And raisins! Mmm!

Carrot Cream Cheese Muffins

from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 8- ounce package cream cheese low-fat is fine
1/4 cup sugar
dash of vanilla

For the muffins:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup grated carrots lightly packed; about 2 large carrots

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
To make the filling, microwave the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl for about 40 seconds on low. Stir in sugar an vanilla. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, water, and vegetable oil until light. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat until just moistened. Add carrots and beat just a couple seconds until the carrots are dispersed.
Put about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Add a heaping tablespoon into the center of each cup. Top with another couple tablespoons of batter, making sure the cream cheese is completely covered.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center (of the actual muffin, not cream cheese) comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Repeat with remaining batter (or use a second muffin tin if you have it.)