Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Easter’

Mar 29

4 Comments

My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe

the best moist carrot cake recipe

This is hands down my favorite cake to make for special occasions. I’ve been making this carrot cake for a few years now and let me tell you, it is Da’ Bomb!  Everyone loves this cake and I am frequently asked for the recipe.  When I attend a pot luck or awards dinner and need to bring a dessert,  I bring this cake and every time I go home with an empty cake stand. Everyone from adults to kids love it.

If you are looking for a special {and delicious!} dessert to bring to Easter dinner, or you just want to make something special, this recipe is a total winner.

This recipe was adapted from the Earth Bound Farms Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups carrots, grated

Frosting

1 1/2 cups cream cheese, softened
3/4  cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups powered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

frosting for carrot cake

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees . Butter and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans and set aside. {I used insulated cake pans}

Sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the shredded carrots.

Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans. Bake for about 45- 55 minutes {or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean}.  Cool cake pans on wire racks.  Remove cake from pans, wrap in Saran wrap, the aluminum foil.  Place on a cookie sheet and freeze cake layers over night.

Over the years I have learned when making layer cakes it is best to slice the cakes while they are very cold.  This helps to eliminate excess crumbs.

After you cakes have chilled in the deep freeze set them on the counter and proceed to make the frosting.

To make the frosting, combined the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium-size bowl with a wire whisk until creamy. Slowly add in the powered sugar.

slice of carrot cake

Building Your Cake

Place a dab of frosting in the center of your cake plate.  Add the first layer {you will need to cut both of your 2 cake layers in half to make a total of 4 layers}. Frost the center of each layer, then the top and sides.  Garnish with a foil wrapped chocolate carrot or fresh baby carrots from the garden if you have them.
Food to Live By The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook

The Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook is awesome! There are so many healthy recipes in here you’ll be glad you have this on hand when your garden harvest starts to come in.

Mar 22

7 Comments

Glow in the Dark Easter Eggs with Glow Sticks

glow sticks glow in the dark easter eggs

This year instead of a traditional Easter Egg hunt on Sunday morning, I’ll be hiding Monkey Boy and The Girl’s Easter eggs after the sun goes down. They are teenagers, and getting them to go outside and hunt for candy filled eggs at the crack of dawn just isn’t as fun as it use to be.

So in an effort to bring back some of that fun, I’ve decided to make egg hunting a little more exciting this year by making my kids hunt for their Easter eggs in the DARK!

glow in the dark easter eggs glow sitcks

How to Make Glow In the Dark Easter Eggs

Supplies

12 plastic Easter Eggs
12 Glow Stick Bracelets
a wee bit of candy

Directions

Open plastic eggs, snap bracelets to activate and stuff the bracelets in to the Easter Eggs along with a treat.

glow sticks glow in the dark easter eggsHappy Hunting!

~Mavis

 

Mar 20

Easter Crafts For Kids – Marshmallow Peeps

easy easter crafts for kids peeps

~Happy Easter to one of my favorite PEEPS~

I posted this easy peasy Easter Craft last year and thought I would share it again for those of you who might have missed it.

All you need are a few “snack size” ziplock baggies, a few boxes of brightly colored marshmallow peeps, and this free printable peeps topper.

Simply place 1 row of peeps in a snack size ziplock bag and close it tight.  Then staple {or glue} the printable peeps topper and you are good to go.

♥ Mavis

Mar 18

6 Comments

Dye Eggs With Natural Ingredients

how to dye easter eggs naturally

Did you know you can dye eggs with natural ingredients?

Since my chickens lay brown & green eggs, last year I decided to splurge and buy 2 dozen white eggs at the store and give it a try.  I was worried if I used the brown eggs the dye would not be as vibrant, and in the end, I’m glad I went the white eggs {even if they were not as fresh as homegrown laid eggs}.

vinegar

The process is surprisingly easy. Here are the simple directions:

Blue Eggs: Combine 2-3 cups chopped red cabbage, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and simmer for 3o minutes.  Drain colored water in a large bowl and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 3 hours {less time if you don’t want dark blue eggs}.

Yellow Eggs: Combine 2 teaspoons turmeric, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 2 hours {less time if you don’t want dark yellow eggs}.

Red Eggs: Combine 1 cup shredded beets {2-3 beets} , 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and simmer for 3o minutes.  Drain colored water in a large bowl and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 3 hours {less time if you don’t want dark pink eggs}.

blue eggs

*Keep in mind that the longer you keep your eggs in the colored water, the deeper your eggs shells will turn out.

naturally dyed easter eggs

Dry your eggs on a cooling rack.  Once the eggs have completely dried, use a paint brush to brush away any extra bits. See, I told you it was easy.

how to dye easter eggs naturally

Have you done this before?  What did you think?  Pretty easy huh?

Looking for the ceramic egg rack featured in this photo? Amazon has it HERE.

Apr 8

5 Comments

Recipe: Rustic Split Pea Soup With Ham

If you prepared a ham for Easter Sunday, and are trying to figure out what to do with the leftovers, this recipe for split pea soup should help.  A crock pot works best for this and you can add as much or as little split peas as you’d like.  Some people like it thick, and others thin.

Split Pea Soup With Ham

Ingredients

1/2 – 1lb leftover ham
1 1/2 lbs of dried split peas
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Rinse, drain and pick over your peas. Add peas to crock pot, cover with 3″ warm water and turn crock pot on high. Add ham and cover. Saute carrots and onions in olive oil until lightly browned, add minced garlic and saute for one minute longer. Toss sautéed goodness over ham and pea mixture. Add salt, pepper and thyme. Stir and replace lid.

Set it and forget it. Come back 6 hours later and eat until your belly is nice and full. Serve with rolls. Enjoy.

Amazon: Soups, Stews & Chilis $22.86

 

Apr 7

1 Comment

How to Make an Easter / Spring Centerpiece Using Fresh Flowers

I was able to make this daffodil centerpiece in under 10 minutes.  By simply using the supplies I had on hand, I was able to create a gorgeous floral arrangement for my dining room table without spending a dime. Thank you Mother Nature, I love you!

Here is how I made it:

Step #1

Fill a mason jar 2/3 full with water and set the jar in a taller/wider vase.

Step #2

Add flowers.

Step #3

Gather moss. If you live in the northwest you can probably just walk out your back door and find some like I did.  If not, head on over to Joann Fabrics, Michael’s, or even Home Depot and pick up some dried moss and simply hydrate it.

Step #4

Carefully push the moss down in between the mason jar and the vase.  Make sure the moss covers all interior walls of the vase so the mason jar is not showing.


Step #5

Now comes the hard part.  Do I want to keep this for myself and display it on my kitchen table?  Or bring it to Easter Dinner?

Want to learn more about floral arranging?  Amazon has Fresh Flower Arranging By DK Books on sale for $17.85.  The book is filled will tons and tons of step by step directions and awesome photos.  Go HERE to take a peek.

Apr 6

Recipe: Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Do you have your Easter menu planned out yet?  Wait! Don’t forget these. Glazed carrots are Yumm-a-licious! And super simple to make {my husband could even do this!}.

Ingredients

1 lb Carrots, chopped
1 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 cup Water
Pinch of Salt

Directions

Toss everything into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the liquid has almost all but evaporated {15-20 minutes}.

If you like nuts, you could also add 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans over the top for a bit of crunch.

See, I told you it was easy!

Looking for carrot seeds?  Amazon has a huge selections of carrot seeds, even purple ones!

Go HERE  to take a peek.

Apr 6

3 Comments

Last Minute Easter Idea: Treats in Glass Jars

If you can’t find a basket for all those Easter treats, forget about it.  Use what you have.  Most days these glass canisters are sitting on my counter filled with cookies.  But not this week.  After my kids polished off the last batch of cookies I made, I washed the canisters out and filled them up with a few treats the Easter Bunny had dropped off.

No basket?  No problem.

Apr 4

Easter Side Dish Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Years and years ago I was given this sweet potato recipe from a neighbor {I no longer live nearby, but we keep in touch} and every year at Thanksgiving I pull out my tattered and stained recipe card to make this dish.  I have never, over the course of 10 years, found a better recipe for sweet potatoes than this one.  It is the perfect accompaniment to ham. If I could somehow turn it into a facial scrub and sell it, I would.  This dish smells heavenly. And it tastes, well it tastes like something from the past.  You know, when people made real food.

If you are wondering what to serve with your ham this Easter, this recipe for sweet potato casserole it is great choice.

Ingredients

32 oz can Sweet Potatoes
1/4 cup Butter {yes, everything is better with butter}
1 cup of Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Topping

1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/3 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat sweet potatoes and juice in pan until boiling.  Turn off heat, add butter, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and vanilla and combine {If you have OCD like me you might want to run it thru a food processor or blender}. Pour mixture into a buttered 9″ baking dish.

For the topping, combine the brown sugar and butter and place in a microwave to soften {about 30 seconds}.  Add remaining ingredients and combine.  Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Mavis’ Kitchen Bling

Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 3-1/2-Quart Oval Wide French Oven {Amazon $129.99}
Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat {Amazon $19.80}

 

Apr 4

10 Comments

Easy Easter Craft: How to Dye Eggs With Natural Ingredients ~ No Dyes!

how to dye easter eggs naturally

A few weeks ago I read a short little blurb in Bon Appetit Magazine about how to dye eggs using natural ingredients.  I was fascinated.  I guess it never crossed my mind since those fizzy colored tablets they sell in grocery stores this time of year are so inexpensive.  Who knew you could use vegetables and spices to dye eggs?

As I sat there I wondered, does it really work?  Did the pilgrims know about this?  Holy canolies, what have I been missing all these years.  My friend Jane is even doing it.  Where have I been?  Under a rock?

Since my chickens lay brown & green eggs I decided to splurge last week and buy 2 dozen white eggs at the store.  I was worried if I used the brown eggs the dye would not be as vibrant, and in the end, I’m glad I went the white eggs {even if they were not as fresh as homegrown laid eggs}.

vinegar

The process is surprisingly easy. Here are the simple directions:

Blue Eggs: Combine 2-3 cups chopped red cabbage, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and simmer for 3o minutes.  Drain colored water in a large bowl and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 3 hours {less time if you don’t want dark blue eggs}.

Yellow Eggs: Combine 2 teaspoons turmeric, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 2 hours {less time if you don’t want dark yellow eggs}.

Red Eggs: Combine 1 cup shredded beets {2-3 beets} , 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 4 cups of water and simmer for 3o minutes.  Drain colored water in a large bowl and steep the desired number of hard-boiled eggs in the colored water for 3 hours {less time if you don’t want dark pink eggs}.

blue eggs

*Keep in mind that the longer you keep your eggs in the colored water, the deeper your eggs shells will turn out.

naturally dyed easter eggs

Dry your eggs on a cooling rack.  Once the eggs have completely dried, use a paint brush to brush away any extra bits. See, I told you it was easy.

how to dye easter eggs naturally

Have you done this before?  What did you think?  Pretty easy huh?

Looking for the ceramic egg rack featured in this photo? Amazon has it HERE.

Page 1 of 212