~ Day 17 ~

Make this stew in your PJ’s and come home to a quality dinner everyone will love! This meal has welcomed us home from busy days and saved me from not having time to make dinner. Especially this time of year – it’s a natural fit for cozy days. My good friend, Kaye Haun at House on Oak Street gave me this favored recipe. May you enjoy it as much as we have through the years. {Tip – We triple the recipe for our family!!}

Gone-All-Day-Stew

1 can {10 3/4 oz} tomato soup – undiluted

1 cup water {or red wine}

1/4 cup flour {all-purpose}

2 pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed {cut in 1″-2″ cubes}

3 medium carrots {cut in 1″ diagonal squares/organic are more tasty}

6 white boiling onions or yellow onions {quartered}

4 medium potatoes {cut in 1 1/2″ chunks}

1/2 cup celery {cut in 1″ chunks/organic are more flavorful}

12 whole, fresh mushrooms

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 Tbs. Italian herb seasoning

1 bay leaf

3 grinds fresh pepper

Mix together soup, water/wine and flour until smooth; combing with remaining ingredients in covered roasting pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 4-5 hours. When ready to serve, adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve over noodles or with bread. Yield: 8 servings

~ Lovely ~

~ Day 4 ~

Autumn inspires me to cook – or maybe I’m more inspired to EAT and cooking is the means to that end. When we think of the Fall season –  we remember our favorite foods. These carrot cake muffins have a history. I discovered this recipe in a natural cookbook years ago. This recipe differs from typical carrot cakes, because it’s moist and without the texture traditional carrot cake has, which I don’t care for. And they’re so easy to make!  My old cookbook is falling apart – that’s one reason I like to post our favorite recipes on this blog – so we can retrieve them easily and share! Search ‘recipes’ in the sidebar to find mainstay meals ideas that have carried us through the years. We triple this one to feed our family and never have a leftover muffins to spare.

Carrot Cake Muffins

• 2 1/2 cups sliced, raw carrots {organic are most tasty}
• Water
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups whole wheat flour

*cooked pumpkin or squash may be substituted for carrots – I haven’t tried this – but it sounds delicious!

Cook the carrots until tender in a small amount of water in medium saucepan. Drain water, allow to cool. Puree carrots in blender. Beat together brown sugar and eggs. Add oil and cooked carrots. Blend well. Stir in salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and flour. Beat 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with toothpick – if it comes out clean, they’re done!

The best part is this honey-cream cheese frosting – addictive!!

Honey-Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened {we use butter}
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cut honey
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla

Blend together butter and cream cheese. Add honey and vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread frosting on cook muffins, sprinkle with chopped nuts.

These muffins come out bakery quality – trust me!

If I find a recipe that fits our need – I stick with it. So this carrot cake/muffin mix has graced birthday parties around here for years, actually decades! My mother-in-law makes it as cake for my birthday. Her version rivals Central Market cakes any day. That’s why we call her ‘the cake lady’. 

The smell of carrot cake muffins cooking brings back a lifetime of memories for our kids. I love what food does for the soul. I’m amazed at how simple living bonds a family together. We’ll be bonding over some hot muffins this afternoon – topped with this crazy/delicious frosting. Lovely!