It's Monday Again

I'm thinking...

I'm going to be keeping this short today. November is seeming a very busy month. (Also, no I never did finish the October challenge did I? Perhaps I'll write up some more letters in December. After college applications and NaNo.)

From the Kitchen...

Two nice little balls of bread dough sitting on the counter in a puddle of flour. What a lovely way to begin the week, with the smell of homeade bread flooding through the house.

I'm listening to...

Christmas music. (yes, we are listening to Christmas music already. It isn't really full out Christmas music though, just piano. It makes us all happy though.)

I'm wearing...

My periwinkle blue "Christendom" t-shirt and jeans. As soon as my hair dries I'm going to fix it into the bun style that I've been wearing quite often lately.

I'm creating...

I really do need to finish knitting my doll, don't I? My hope is to definetly finish it by the end of December. I'm rather looking forward to December as a month that will have slowed down some. A month of knitting, crafting, baking and counting down the days till Christmas.

Around the house...

spread all across the table are many pages of paper painted with lovely watercolors.

I'm reading...

Joy in the Morning, by P. G. Wodehouse.

Outside my window...

It's a rather grey day. (Is gray the British spelling and grey the American one? I was just thinking about that. Perhaps I shall look it up.)

One of my favorite things...

Baking bread.

A few plans for the rest of the day...

Finishing up my bread, writing an essay, working on my novel, etc.

Baking Day

This morning I woke up and made my carrot cake (you know, the one I've been talking about for days on end) and then I was having such fun in the kitchen I decided to make some homemade bread as well. There's really nothing like the smell of homemade bread in the oven (a lovely smell which fills our kitchen as I'm writing this.)

I thought, to finish off my adventures in the kitchen, I should write a post about my baking day.



 

Carrot Cake

(From the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrot

1 cup cooking oil

4 eggs

 

 In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add carrot, oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer till combined. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

6 ounces of cream cheese

1/2 butter (softened)

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

 

In a bowl beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla till light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough remaining powdered sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency. Frost cake. (I topped mine with chopped pecans.)

 

 

Easy No Knead Honey Oat Bread

http://sweetannas.com/2012/04/easy-no-knead-honey-oat-bread.html

The other day when I was shelving books at the library I came across a book I thought would go well with this post.

Fannie in the Kitchen

It's really the cutest book. I love the illustrations. You must go look at it.