Saturday, September 29, 2007

Week in Review

This wasn't a particularly productive week of school ~ sometimes it just is like that. I took Jason to the doctor Monday morning to get his cast put on, and when we got home Amanda started throwing up and was sick for next 24 hours. The next day I was under the weather (no stomach bug, but headache and lightheaded), so I slept a lot. Wednesday was Eric's 18th birthday! He was at community college most of the day, but I made him a carrot cake that morning. In the afternoon, it was my week to drive carpool to Homeschool Girls Choir ~ there are 6 girls who carpool together over to Bayleaf Baptist for rehearsal each week. Friday was TOG Co-op, and right afterwards Amanda and I headed down to Fayetteville for her volleyball game against the homeschool team there. It was a very close match again, and Amanda's team won! We got back to WF at around 7:30 PM, and I dropped Amanda off at her friend Emalee's house for a birthday party. Mark, Eric, Jason, and I then went out to Carolina Ale House for dinner. This morning was Lighthouse Basketball tryouts. Amanda and I manned the registration table and Mark ran the tryouts for all 6 teams ~ middle school boys and girls, jv boys and girls, varsity boys and girls. So we were at the gym from 7:45 AM - 1:00 PM.
Tomorrow afternoon is the baby shower for my friend Eileen, who will be travelling to Ethiopia in just a few weeks to bring home the 3 newest members of her family ~ visit her blog at http://www.jobsdaughters.blogspot.com/ to read about them!
Right now I need to catch up on laundry and cleaning that didn't get done this week, as well as make a grocery list since the shelves are looking pretty bare.

Here is the carrot cake recipe I made for Eric's birthday. Store it in the fridge ~ it tastes even better the 2nd day!

CARROT CAKE
4 cups grated carrots
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup golden raisins
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup ( 14 oz can ) crushed pineapple in juice, drained very well
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In medium mixing bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 30 minutes. Plump raisins in 1/2 cup orange juice; drain. Add to the carrots. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in the drained pineapple (squeeze out any remaining juice first). Combine the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and orange peel. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture in the bowl and stir; add half the carrot mixture and stir; add the remaining flour mixture and stir; add the remaining carrot mixture and the nuts. Stir until blended.
Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cake tests done in the center. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, then remove to wire racks. When completely cool, fill and frost with cream cheese frosting. Store in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 lb. butter, softened
8-oz cream cheese
1 lb. sifted confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together the cream cheese and butter; add vanilla; then beat in sugar a little at a time, until thick and creamy.

1 comment:

Faye Creech said...

Are you serious? Do you think that cake would have a prayer of making it to the second day in the fridge at MY HOUSE??!! Yummyyyyy!!!!
Great to see you today! Still looking forward to our "retreat" one of these days! Hope this week is not too busy and tomorrow night's meeting goes well - I'll be praying!
-F