Carrots

Nathan is finally adding to his list of food "likes." He now loves fresh carrots--especially straight from the garden. (And I mean straight--with dirt still attached.) Perhaps I should be discouraging the dirt eating, but I am thrilled that he is getting his Vitamin A from something other than a gummy vitamin. A little dirt never hurt his older brother, and he ate it by the handfuls.
We dug up the rest of the carrots this morning. Nathan was so excited to help me make a carrot cake with them. I told him we were making Grandma Shirley's carrot cake, but he said, "It's not Grandma Shirley's carrot cake. It is my carrot cake."
Some people add nuts, raisins, and all sorts of things to carrot cake. I prefer my mom's straight-up carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It MUST have the cream cheese frosting, which by itself is one of my favorite foods.

Carrot Cake
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil

Beat above ingredients well.

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 cups grated carrots

Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for carrots, until well blended. Fold in carrots. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes in a 9x13 pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together until blended and smooth.