Today, I have two great reasons to celebrate: I am 27 years young, and exactly a week ago I gave birth to our daughter, baby L.  (More details about the baby and lightening fast birth at my fiber blog.)

My parents gave me a gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe (what a great idea!), and my mom made us a cake using my Aunt Terry's famous carrot cake recipe.  This has been served at numerous weddings, as well as hundreds of birthdays in my circle of friends through my childhood.

It's difficult to describe without using much hyperbole, but I will tell you that it is moist with carrots, crunchy with walnuts, and the cream cheese frosting is rich with shredded coconut.  The balance of all the ingredients together make, as far as I'm concerned, the perfect confection.  I don't know how Aunt Terry managed to get it just so right, but God bless her!

Celebrate with us by making your own!  This cake stays good for at least a week in the refrigerator, and can even be made into cupcakes instead.  Just bake them for about 20 minutes instead.


Aunt Terry's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together in medium bowl:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional, of course)

Combine in large bowl:
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups corn oil
1 lb finely shredded carrots

Add dry ingredients to wet.  Mix with hands (to release moisture from carrots).

Pour into one 10" tube pan, or three 8" layer pans.  Bake at 350 deg. until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  (Approx. 1 hour for tube pan, 25-35 minutes for layer pans.)

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 lbs confectioner's sugar (1-3/4 cups), or sweeten to taste
2/3 cup shredded coconut

Blend together with electric mixer.

When the cake has cooled completely, ice and top with 1/3 cup coconut and more chopped walnuts, if desired.

Enjoy!

This episode was recorded pretty much in one pass, so I'm sure there are things that could be a bit more polished, but....I'm posting it anyway!  Hope that you all enjoy.  I'll be taking a 6-8 week "maternity leave", and will be back in June (or maybe a little sooner).  For now, you can follow all of my adventures at my blog.  Be sure to subscribe to the blog feed so that you'll be the first to know about the new baby!

Online store name-dropping:
The Loopy Ewe
Spunky Eclectic
Paradise Fibers

Patterns mentioned today:
Argosy (pattern here)
Fat Bottom Bag from The Happy Hooker
Fiber Trends Baby Basics Hat and Booties
Easy Toddler Socks (PDF download)

Finger Knitting Tutorial

Blog Spotlight:
Charles Lifestyle and Knitting

Knit-Alongs:
Knitty Bloggy Baby Bumpers (hosted by Alison of The Blue Blog)
Spunky Club Blog
And then two that I completely forgot to mention:
Favorite Socks Knitalong
Lace Style Knitalong

The Stephanie Pearl McPhee "Harlot In The Park" event on these podcasts:
It's A Purl Man (Episode 32)
Let's Knit2gether (episode to come)

Today's listener feedback question:
Recipes with alchohol!  (Same from last episode, because I don't have any responses yet!!)

Stick a pin in the Frappr map, and upload a picture!

Book Reviews:
Lace Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd
Favorite Socks edited by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow


I'll miss you all!  See you at the blog!  http://flashbangfibers.blogspot.com