Carrot Cake

It's been a long while since I baked anything or did much cooking.  The weather turned suddenly overcast on Friday.  Combined with all my reading this week and the changing weather, I worked up an appetite for something sweet. In my hurry to whip up the carrot cake (recipe below), I didn't worry about reducing the sugar or finding other ways to reduce the calories. My apologies.

The carrot cake fresh out of the oven.  It needs to cool before frosting.

I think you could easily reduce the sugar called for in this recipe by half and perhaps you can use apple sauce in place of the oil.

In the version I made I didn't have quite enough pecans but I used what I did have (about 1/3 cup). I just put them in the food processor along with the carrots and chopped them all up together.  Often when I've had carrot cake in a coffee shop it has sultana raisins in it though my recipe doesn't call for it.  I didn't have any raisins so I threw in a handful of dried cranberries.

The recipe I've posted is for the full cake.  But since I wanted a snack and I didn't want so much left over carrot cake, I cut this recipe in half. I didn't have a smaller round pan to bake it in so the cake was just a bit flatter (thinner) but it also took less time to bake.  About 30 minutes rather than the 40-50 minutes for the full recipe.  This smelled so heavenly while baking. If you are in a hurry, you can save time by using store bought cream cheese frosting like I did.  I don't want to read the ingredients on the box,  but it tasted pretty good.

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans
 

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake. 



This cake was easy to make and very moist and delicious. 
 Do you have a favourite carrot cake recipe?
 If you do, I'd love to hear more about it.

Reading Goals

My get together with friends on Wednesday proved to be a good thing to get me out again but I over exerted myself and I spent the next day taking it easy again and reading.  I also managed to get out for a bit of grocery shopping and to run an errand at the post office.

I finished the book, Medicine River by Thomas King.  The book had been on my "to read" list for many years and at last I can now say that I have finished it and it is no longer on my mind.  My mind does remind me from time to time of things that I have not done.  I found the book to be a satisfactory enough read but I wasn't overly impressed by it.  Perhaps my expectations were too high as I'd long been thinking about it.  The book is not so long and is written in an easy, conversational style which made me read it more slowly.  I read it as if I was hearing the characters in the book speaking.

What distinguishes this book from many other books I've read, is that it was written by a Native American author of Cherokee, Greek and German-American descent.  The setting of the story in the book is a reserve in western Canada, probably because the author lived and worked in Lethbridge, Alberta for many years. Those of you who live in Canada may have see the television movie based on this book.  I think that it is good to be exposed to more Native American writers but I don't think there are that many of them.

After finishing that book, I read, The Empress, written by Shan Sa. Shan Sa is the pen name of Yan Ni, who was born in Beijing, China, and later moved to France with her father in 1990.

Her novel is based on the life of  the Empress of China, Empress Wu, the only reigning female in the history of China (c.625-705). The book started and ended rather interestingly, with the Empress telling the story of her own birth and death. The rest of the book was a bit disappointing to me.  I was a bit taken aback by the amount of debauchery attributed to that time period. But if you are interested in the history of China, female leaders throughout history, and early history of China, then this book is loaded with detail.

In the notes at the back of the book the author says,

"Empress is the encounter of two Chinese women, myself and Empress Wu. I came to Paris in 1990 at the age of seventeen.  Coming from post-Cultural Revolution China to Paris, this city of luxury and lust, I felt the shock and suffering that my heroine experienced when she entered life in the Forbidden City.

The historical research took three years, and I made several trips to China to explore the regions where the Empress had lived."

I think the following quote from p. 317 of the book sums up the story quite well.

"Time passed. The wheel of fortune turned. Skills vanished in the flames of war, and men no longer knew how to build palaces tall enough to touch the clouds. The Tatars streamed in from the deserts and the steppes, one dynasty followed another. Women abandoned the arts and bound their feet. Emperors continued with the Mandarin competitions I had instigated and still used the urn of Truth I invented. But I had become a symbol of a corrupt woman. The Annals told how I had strangled my daughter so that I could ascribe the crime to Empress Wang. Misogynistic historians accused me of poisoning my son Splendor who contested my authority. Novelists invented a life of debauchery for me, attributing their own fantasies to me. With passing time, the truth became unclear, and the lies took root."

It is difficult for me to know how much of the personal details of the Empress were true and how much was the author's imagination.  The quote from the book leads me to think that much was the author's imagination. However the author's notes suggest that the tremendous detail about the cultural aspects and ceremony of the times are based on historical facts.

My next book is The Help, which has already been made into a movie. I am also going to finish People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

I've also been in touch with my blogging friend, Fred Alton, whom some of you know. He has encouraged his readers to read the Bible in one year. I've always read the Bible but I don't think I've ever read it from cover to cover, or in one year though it's been something I've wanted to do for some time. Fred has given me some good tips and this reading project fits in nicely with my goal of studying the Bible.

 I'm making good progress on my reading goals for this year.   

What about you dear reader. Have you set any reading goals? Have you read either of the books in my post or the Bible from cover to cover? I'm interested in your thoughts on these books or about your experiences with the Bible reading.

Daily Dos and Daily Promises

Hello friends,

I'm still recovering from my cold. I don't have it really bad right now. Just enough to make me feel more tired than usual and the odd bout of sneezing.

Since I don't have a lot of energy I'm just doing bare minimum each day, a little laundry (it never seems to end), a little cleaning, a little blogging, and a little reading. Tomorrow I'll get out for the first time in what seems like ages. It will be nice to get together with a few ladies and be back in the land of the living, he he.

I'm still reading "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake and have started on a new book called, "Medicine River" by Thomas King.  The book chronicles the lives of a group of contemporary First Nations people living in Western Canada.  Thomas King is part Cherokee, Greek and German-American. He used to lives and works in Alberta, Canada as a professor.  I understand he now lives and works in Ontario, Canada.  His book was actually published in 1989 and has been on my reading list for some time. Recently, I came across a used copy and I'm enjoying it's easy, conversational style.

I also started cutting out pieces for another quilt'; this time in shades of green and blue. I think it will look quite nice.  It will likely be another lap blanket because I have a lot of fabric but there isn't enough in any particular complementary colours to make larger quilts.  You might have seen my other lap blanket here.  I am still deciding what to do with it but eventually I hope to sell several quilts.  I will use any proceeds to help children like Little Linet or Kigen at the Missions of Hope. Once I've finished with my lap quilts, I hope to make some larger ones too.

These are some of the fabrics, I've started cutting.

For dinner tonight we had coconut shrimp (from a bag) and stir fried noodles (home made with packaged noodles).  It's the first time I've had the coconut shrimp from the frozen foods section.  I don't usually buy things like that but they were on sale so I thought I would try them.

They were quite good and even came with sweet chili dipping sauce..  I googled a recipe and came up with this one that looks very similar to what we had.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/coconut_shrimp_with_sweet_chili_mayo/

The recipe looks easy enough and so I'll probably try to make it from scratch some time.  I think the Japanese panko (crumbs) make the difference.

I haven't been overly busy this week but have been keeping a relaxed pace.  Somehow posting about what I'm doing or what I have done, makes me feel less like I am wasting my days. Every day is a gift and I don't want to waste any of them.That is what I say to myself on most days.

I also try to remember to be grateful each day and give thanks for whatever I do or whatever God has given to me.  Even when things aren't going so well, the Bible tells us to give thanks.  I have a promise box and each day I pick one or several cards out of it to see what "special" message God might be speaking to me that day.

This is a promise box like mom had when I was a child. I used to love to take the "daily bread".

This is a promise box I got about 15 years ago. 

 These are some of the scripture cards I drew out this week.  God is clearly telling me that His name is to be praised!
 

I've been bearing burdens with, and for others and this week and I've also been feeling a bit low in body and in spirit.  I needed to be gently reminded that God is to be praised regardless of the circumstances in my life or the circumstances in the lives of others.  So often I try to "fix" other people's problems.  That is part of my personality and from time to time (often), God needs to remind me that he is the one who can fix things and we need to turn to him in ALL things, good or bad.  I've also learned that sometimes a breakthrough in a prayer need comes when we offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Last night my mother called me with a praise report.  I pray for her every day and often with her on the phone.  She was calling to tell me that a difficult health challenge she has been facing this week, turned around.  This answer to prayer came after a period of just focussing on giving praise and thanks to God for everything. I love it when I see and experience the Word of God in action like this.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. 

Ecclesiastes 7:14
Click here for a study of Ecclesiastes 7

Dazzling Deception Pass

In this series of posts about my jaunt to Whidbey Island, I left off my tour at the junction of LaConnor Whitney Rd. & Highway 20 headed west.  (You can click  Part 1 and Part 2  to read more of this journey if you like).  This is more of a photo journey rather than an informational one.

This is the sign for the Swinomish Casino & Lodge on the Swinomish Reservation.  This hotel overlooks Padilla Bay and comes highly rated on Trip Advisor.

I've enlarged this photo so you can read the signage to the left. We are on the Swinomish Reservation on Puget Sound.  The Swinomish Reservation is home to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe.

There is a large tanker out there on Padilla Bay but I have no idea what it is carrying.

We are still travelling on Highway 20 and are no on Fidalgo Island. If you go north on the Island you will hit Anacortes in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman (Wikepedia).  Anacortes is the home port for ferry travel to the San Juan Islands.

A goose flies overhead as if to announce that nature here is in abundance.

This is very lovely countryside (sorry for the dirty windshield).

There was a boater on Campbell Lake. I managed to get a photo as we were zipping by.

When we got to Desolation Pass we managed to find a place to park and took the following photos. I also resolved to stop for more photos on the way back home which I will share in another post. The return photos are even more spectacular.

The weather that day was absolutely fantastic; sunny but not too warm. The water was shimmering like gold.

As we cross over the bridge into Whidbey Island I can see an island in the distance. I'm not sure if that is Deception Island or if Deception Island is further west.  In any case, it makes a pretty site even through the bridge structure.

There were many tourists parked in the narrow passageways on the side of the narrow highways.  They were all enjoying the dazzling sights of Deception pass. I can't wait to return this way and take more photos from a the other side!

I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday this week. Click on the link and see what others are sharing this week.

Sunday

Hi friends, I haven't been feeling well this past few days. I'm very tired and now I am sneezing and headachey. Please say a little prayer for me as I've likely caught a cold from the changing season.

I am keeping busy too and feel like I'm not making much progress. Too many things to do and so little time.  I mentioned that I recently purchased several books at a used book sale sponsored by the SPCA.  The first of the book I read was, "Out of Africa"and I enjoyed it so much. The book is very different from most books I've read.  Karen Blixen (pen name Isak Dineson) tells of her time in Africa by writing about different people and themes, instead of telling her story through a linear (chronological ) time line.  Her lover Denys Finch Hatton, with whom she takes up after the break down of her marriage did not feature quite as prominently in the book as I thought he would.  Perhaps I just don't take to the subtle treatment of the character,or the idea that he was relegated to a chapter of the book, rather than being mentioned in several chapters.  But then that approach would not have worked too well with the order of the book. 

In any case, I read the book from cover to cover over a day and a half. I usually only do that with books I am really enjoying.  I especially enjoyed reading Karen Blixen's observations of the people she met in Kenya and her observations of their cultural ways.  It is clear that she loved Africa.  I think the people loved her.  Even today, everyone in Nairobi seems to know of  Karen Blixen.  The land where she once lived is known as Karen, suburb of Nairobi.  The last time I was in Karen was to visit the Giraffe Center and attend a CeCe Winans concert.  If you are interested in life in Kenya as it was during colonial times, pick up a copy of this book.

The second book of the "new to me" stash that I am reading is called "The PostMistress", by Sarah Blake. The story takes place in the small town of Franklin, Massechusetts during World War II. I am just at the stage of being introduced to many of the characters in the story. It may be too early to tell but so far I am not that engaged in the book though it has received rave reviews.  I think this book would appeal to anyone who has an interest in stories about small time life, or an interest in war stories.

If you are new to my blog, let me invite you to spend some time reading and/or exploring some of my earlier posts.  Also, if you are a regular reader of mine, you may have missed some of these posts so I invite you to have a look.  I just might make highlighting older posts a regular feature of this blog, or at least an intermittent feature.

I've selected a few posts (out of the hundreds) to get you started.  Please let me know if you see any problems with the photos.  Unfortunately with computer problems over the years and losses of hard drives, I've lost a lot of photos.

Travel

Africa/Kenya

Friday Sky Over Solai

Canada and the Maple Leaf Flies Abroad

Meeting Kigen in Eldoret

Mombasa Sunset

Nakuru National Park

Finally at Lake Baringo

North America: Western Canada and Washington State

Dropping by La Connor

Trip to the South On Chuckanut Drive

Relaxing, Shopping & Quilting

A Wedding for Two

The Journey Continues - Hinton to Hines Creek

The Journey Begins - Vancouver to Hinton

Photo Journey to Kamloops

We've Covered a Lot of Miles

More Photos from my Journey

Ride with Me:  Edmonton to Chetwynd  

Sky Over the North Country 2

Charitable Work

Dreaming of Africa

Giving

Dreams

Get Involved

Do You Know What You Will Eat Today?

Little Linet

Little Linet ~ Update August 2012