Carrot cake

What you need:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch allspice
• pinch cloves
• 1 1/2 cups grated raw carrot
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of grated lemon zest

What you do:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add in carrots, raisins and coconut. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into greased cake pan and bake for about 35-45 minutes. Cake should bounce back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and let cool completely.
For the glaze: combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and zest until creamy and well mixed. Spread on cooled cake.

Baked Beans

What you need:

• 1 pound beans (use whatever you have, whatever you like - Great Northern, Pinto, Navy, etc)
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, your favorite kind
• 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup water

What you do:

Soak beans in crock pot full of water overnight. Drain beans in the morning and combine rest of ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over beans and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add additional water as needed.

Peanut butter oatmeal bars

What you need:

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) - softened
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cup King Arthur's white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla, eggs, and applesauce. Add in peanut butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Pour half of dry mixture into wet and combine, then add in last half of dry mixture. Stir in oatmeal until combined. Fold in chips and coconut. Press into greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Chili seasoning mixture

What you need:

• 1 Tablespoon ground chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  
• 1/2 Tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• optional for added heat: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more)

What you do:
Mix together in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place. Enough for one batch of chili made from 1 lb of ground meat.