Carrot Cake

(This is not my recipe or even adapted, but it's a photocopied thing from someone's book I got years ago that I don't want to ever lose because it's the best carrot cake in the world--and I eat it without the frosting because it is plain good as is, but hubby wants the frosting so I'll include it.)

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil (coconut oil can be subbed)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans or almonds

Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 T light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
(1 tsp orange juice and 1 tsp grated orange peel - which I omit since I rarely have OJ in the house)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9 inch cake pans (or one 13x9).

Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt together; set aside.

Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts. Stir well, then pour into prepared pans.

Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, prepare glaze by combining sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter, and syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Remove cake from the oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake. Cool in pans until glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

If you want frosting, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar (and orange juice an peel). Mix until smooth. Frost cake.

Ranch Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken (bite sized pieces)
1 lb pkg of broccoli stir fry veggies
2 T ranch dressing mix
1 can black beans, drained
½ cup instant brown rice, uncooked
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup chicken broth
minced dried onion (to taste)
shredded cheese

Directions:

In deep skillet, heat oil, chicken, frozen stirfry, ranch dressing mix and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in onion flakes, beans, tomatoes, rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until rice is tender.

Sprinkle cheese over skillet and let stand covered for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed.