Carrot Cake

This is one of our family’s favorite cakes (especially because my dad doesn’t like chocolate). The only tricky part is the frosting; I never seem to get the measurements quite right and my mom has to fix it. She just does it “by taste” - a concept I hope to someday understand. Here are the directions:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2-teaspoons soda

2-teaspoons salt

3 cups carrots, grated, uncooked

1 ½ cup cooking oil (corn oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil)

2-teaspoons Cinnamon

4 large eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooking oil and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well. Add grated carrots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (approx.)

Frosting

1 pound powdered sugar (approx.)

½ cup butter (I find this is too much and only do ¼)

3-8 oz. cream cheese (soften) (I do about 5 oz)

2-teaspoons vanilla

My mom adds more vanilla and a little milk. You can also add ground raisins or dates & nuts to the cake if desired.

Barbeque Spare Ribs

Boiling these is time consuming, but it's a great standby recipe. We made them and had rosemary bread and green beans as sides. And yes, the plate is on the floor - it brings out the colors of the food better. For the instructions:

Boil two pounds Country Style boneless ribs for 3 hours covered with water. Drain water from ribs. Pick off fat. Put in 8X8 square pan, lined with heavy foil. Pour sauce on ribs. Bake at 300 for 1½ hours. (I double or 1.5 times the sauce).

Sauce:

1-cup catsup

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 T. Vinegar

Stuffed Curry

I really should get paid for all the press I share about Thai Village. We’ve eaten there three times since it opened and still love it. Though this picture doesn’t do it justice, this is the most delicious appetizer! It’s called “Stuffed Curry” and basically it’s a wonton stuffed with tiny pieces of ground pork, peas, potatoes, curry paste, corn, and possibly other ingredients. The funny part? Do you recognize that pink sauce? Yes, it’s the one and only Utah fry sauce. Believe it or not, the whole combination has such a good flavor with all the zingy spices. In case you need other suggestions, my mom ordered sweet and sour chicken and liked it, Gavin loved his cashew chicken, my dad agreed with me that the masaman curry is delicious, we’ve also tried the pineapple curry, and finally, the fried bananas are yum yum yum. I’m way too busy to cook every day this semester so I’m thrilled we’ve found Thai Village. I can’t wait for when I’m out of school and can try out new recipes all the time!

Thai Village

Over the past few months, after Lon’s Bbq went out of business, Gavin and I watched and waited each time we left the neighborhood to see what would take its place. Then, several weeks ago a sign went up that said, Thai Village; we could hardly wait for it to open. Well…today was opening day! Gavie and I excitedly went there for dinner tonight and…it was delicious! ! ! We first ordered what was called “Curry Stuffed” – I’d compare it to a wonton stuffed with pork, corn, peas, and a Thai sauce. The funny part is that you dip it in fry sauce! Seriously, Yum. Then, we ordered Masaman Curry and a glass noodle vegetable dish that I cannot remember the name of. They were both great, but the curry took the cake; it had a nice flavor but wasn’t too strong. By the time we thought to take a picture, we were almost done, so we combined our dishes. All in all, we definitely plan to go back again and are anxious to try more of the dishes. So, if you’re looking for a new place to try, Thai Village is a must. (400 North and University Ave.)

Gingersnaps

This is a classic recipe for gingersnaps. They can be a beautiful gift if you dip them half-way in white chocolate. The only trick is that they must be cooked the day they’re meant to be eaten; otherwise they dry out quickly and turn hard. That’s why I freeze most of the dough balls to make just a few at a time.

2 Cups Sugar

1 ½ Cups Canola Oil

Cream those together.

Add 2 eggs (one at a time)

½ Cup Molasses

4 Cups Flour

4 teaspoons baking soda

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Make small ¾-inch/walnut size balls then roll them in sugar. Don’t flatten them! Bake them at 350 for about 8 minutes. The timing is really difficult to say-it completely depends on the size of your scoop or spoon. But 8 minutes seems about right to me (9 if you freeze the dough balls).

Vanilla Dipping: If you want to dip each cookie one third in chocolate, melt 2 packages of vanilla chips in a double boiler then add ½ cup shortening.

German Pancakes

My family calls these “puffed pancakes” since they bubble up and have a puffy, spongy texture. I made them for Gavie on his birthday and he got to use the “You are special today” plate!

3 eggs

½ Cup flour

½ Cup milk

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Set 9-inch clear class pie dish into hot oven on lowest oven shelf until very hot. Meanwhile, mix eggs, flour, milk and salt in small mixer bowl, blender, or food processor. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove pie dish from oven; add butter and rotate pie dish until butter is melted. Add batter immediately. Bake on lowest oven shelf on 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with hot syrup, jam, or applesauce.

Important note: For serving a large group, double the recipe and bake in a 9 X 13-inch baking pan.

Magelby’s Buttermilk Syrup

This is similar to what Magelby's serves on their French toast. It's not quite as thick, but it's delicious! Make sure you use a big enough pan, because once you add the baking soda it gets about five times higher!

1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Butter

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and add 1 teaspoon Vanilla and ½ teaspoon Baking Soda.

Let sit for 1 hour – serve it warm (I let it sit for 10 minutes before serving)