Angelica's Carrot Cake

Is there anything as good as carrot cake? I mean think about it...carrots are good for you and you love cake right? With carrot cake you get cake that's good for you. Enuf said right?

I made this as one of the desserts for our Christmas Eve and it was so moist and delicious that I had to share it! The recipe was given to me by my friend and co-worker, Angelica. This is a great New Years Resolution Cake for those that want to eat healthier and watch your weight because your eating your veggies in cake form!


Dry Ingredients:
1 cup Sugar
2 T. Baking Soda
1 T. Baking Powder
2 cups Flour
2 T. Ground Cinnamon
1 T. Salt

Mix all dry ingredients.

Then add to the dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs beaten
3 cups Shredded Carrots
1 cup Nuts, I used walnuts
1 14 oz. can crushed pineapple

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum! Lots of great recipes and pictures, go check it out!

Iwanna Wednesday - A New Year

Well the holiday are over and I for one am so glad! Not that I didn't enjoy them, cause I did...but because now things can get back to normal!

It seems to me that every weekend we had something planned, Thanksgiving Weekend, then Tamale Making Weekend, then Christmas Shopping Weekend, followed by Biscocho Making Weekend, then Christmas Eve and Christmas Weekend and finally New Years Eve and New Years Weekend. I'm exhausted and just a tad heavier than I was just a short month and a half ago!

I gave myself a little break from blogging because frankly it was just too hectic with the busy weekends and year end stuff at work and then it was too cold and I just wanted to cuddle up on the couch or in bed with my electric blanket, hence the tad more heaviness!

But now...it's 2011! Happy New Year everyone. The end of the old year and the beginning of a new year is a good time to contemplate your life and dreams and future and that's what I've been doing of late. I realize that before I got sick with Thyroid Cancer (August 2008) I was doing lots of fun things and keeping active. I was playing tennis and was a member of a tennis club, I was going to Curves Fitness Center 4 times per week and I was going dancing with friends most Friday and Saturday nights.

Having thyroid cancer really drained my energy. At the time I didn't know that I had this disease...I just thought I was old, I had just turned 50 and blamed my lack of energy and various aches and pains on my age.

 I also think that after my surgery I went through a period of feeling sorry for myself and fear of whether or not I was really cured...so I just kinda skimmed through life for a while; not really getting back into the swing of things.

Then in 2010 I got hit with Sciatica and what energy I was starting to get back was just devastated by this new disease. Quite frankly if I had to have Thyroid Cancer or Sciatica I would choose the cancer. Sciatica was just the most painful thing I have ever had to endure and I'm still not 100%!!

But it's a new year and it's time to get my life back and do the things Iwanna do! That's what this Iwanna Wednesday is about; setting goals for myself by telling the world what Iwanna accomplish this year.

WORLD...are you listening? Cause here goes!

First...Iwanna be active again and do fun things and make new friends. So I've been thinking about taking a dance class. I would love to take ballroom dancing, but even a Zumba class would be ok.

I used to love to go dancing on Friday's after work. It was a great way to end the week and start the weekend. Most of the dancing we did was Latin dancing, cha-cha's, ranchera's, cumbia's; but we also loved to line dance.

It's great exercise and a great way to meet people and make friends but in the shape I'm in right now heading to the clubs to dance with strangers and make new friends is just not something I feel ready for ... Yet!

Second... Iwanna take either a cooking class, baking class or cake decorating class.

I've always wanted to learn to professionally decorate cakes. Just for fun...I don't want to become a baker or anything, I just want to accomplish this.

Who knows...I could be the next Cake Boss. Maybe the Cake Boss of Bakersfield? Hmmm, that's a great title for a new TV show, don't you think?



Third...Iwanna try to take a Wine Tasting Class.


I'm not a big wine drinker but I think that's because I don't know a lot about wines and what wines go with what foods.

We are so close to so many wineries here in Kern County. I know that there are classes offered where as a final exam you get to ride in a limo to different wineries and samples wines!

Doesn't that sound like a great final exam and one that I should be able to ace with no problem?

But mostly what Iwanna is to put aches, pains and illness behind me in 2011 and just find health and happiness again. It's what Iwanna for YOU and what Iwanna for ME as well. We deserve it!

Happy 2011 and may all your Iwanna Wishes come true!

Allá baja Jesucristo (villancico Peruano)

Allá baja Jesucristo, con sus rayos de cristal
Allá baja Jesucristo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alumbrando el universo, el universo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alumbrando el universo, el universo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alegría, alegría, por el día de Navidad,
Alegría, alegría.

De aquel tronco nace la rama, de la rama nace la flor
De aquel tronco nace la rama, de la rama nace la flor
De la flor nace María y de María el Redentor
De la flor nace María y de María el Redentor
Alegría, alegría, por el día de Navidad
Alegría, alegría.

Allá baja Jesucristo, con sus rayos de cristal
Allá baja Jesucristo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alumbrando el universo, el universo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alumbrando el universo, el universo, con sus rayos de cristal
Alegría, alegría, por el día de Navidad,
Alegría, alegría.

De aquel tronco nace la rama, de la rama nace la flor
De aquel tronco nace la rama, de la rama nace la flor
De la flor nace María y de María el Redentor
De la flor nace María y de María el Redentor
Alegría, alegría, por el día de Navidad,
Alegría, alegría.
Alegría, alegría, por el día de Navidad,
Alegría, alegría.

Villancico Peruano (Peruvian carol)

A Prayer of Saint Ignatius

Lord, I offer you my all,
Take and use them as your own.
Not my will but yours be done,
All for you my Lord.

Take my hands and my feet O Lord,
Consecrate them to your use.
Take all the moments in my life,
That I may serve you all my days.

Take my heart, my senses and my feelings,
Take my mind, my freedom, my desires,
Take my will, my being and my life, O Lord,
Use me as your instrument.

Lord, I offer you my all,
Take and use them as your own.
Not my will but yours be done,
All for you my Lord.

Lyrics and Music: Copyright (c) 1997 Jonathan Y. Tan. All rights reserved.

The Infant King (Sing Lullaby)

Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now reclining,
sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the infant King.
Angels are watching, stars are shining
over the place where He is lying:
sing lullaby!

Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now a-sleeping,
sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the infant King.
Soon will come sorrow with the morning,
soon will come bitter grief and weeping:
sing lullaby!

Sing lullaby!
Lullaby baby, now a-dozing,
sing lullaby!
Hush, do not wake the infant King.
Soon comes the cross, the nails, the piercing,
then in the grave at last reposing;
sing lullaby!

Sing lullaby!
Lullaby! is the babe awaking?
Sing lullaby!
Hush, do not stir the infant King.
Dreaming of Easter, gladsome morning.
conquering death, its bondage breaking:
sing lullaby!

Text: Douze Noëls populaires en dialecte souletin (1895). English paraphase by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)

King Jesus Hath A Garden

1. King Jesus hath a garden, full of divers flowers,
Where I go culling posies gay, all times and hours.

Refrain:

There naught is heard but Paradise bird,
Harp, dulcimer, lute,
With cymbal, trump and tymbal,
And the tender, soothing flute.

2. The Lily, white in blossom there, is Chastity:
The Violet, with sweet perfume, Humanity. (Refrain)

3. The bonny Damask-rose is known as Patience:
The blithe and thrifty Marygold, Obedience. (Refrain)

4. The Crown Imperial bloometh too in yonder place,
'Tis Charity, of stock divine, the flower of grace. (Refrain)

5. Yet, 'mid the brave, the bravest prize of all may claim
The Star of Bethlem-Jesus-bless'd be his Name! (Refrain)

6. Ah! Jesu Lord, my heal and weal, my bliss complete,
Make thou my heart thy garden-plot, fair, trim and neat. (Refrain)

Text: Heer Jesus heeft een hofken. Traditional Dutch from Geestlijcke Harmonie, Emmerich, 1633, Eng trans. by George R. Woodward (1848-1934).

Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David's stem,
In Thy birth at Bethlehem.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,
And at Cana, Wedding-guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine.
Anthems be to Thee addressed
God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill.
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now
And be pure as pure art Thou
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Paraphrase of 1 Peter 1:20

Words: Christopher Wordsworth (1862)
Music: SALZBURG 77.77.D (Jakob Hintze, 1622-1702)