Egg Cups & Radish Sprouts

 Who knew you could grow radish sprouts without dirt???

 I purchased EB brown eggs and simply cut the tops off and carefully emptied the contents into a bowl (saved for scrambled eggs).  The empty egg shells were cleaned very well & allowed to dry thoroughly.

 Now comes the fun...place a few cotton balls into the shells and moisten well with water but don't soak them.  Now sprinkle radish sprouts on top and cover with a damp paper towel (I placed the egg shells into the empty egg carton).  Place the carton near a bright window and keep the paper towel moistened for about two days. 

Remove towel and watch the sprouts appear!

I not only wanted these for each place setting for Easter Dinner but also for cutting the sprouts for salad later.

This is a fun project for little ones since the sprouts appear quickly.

Carrot Cake

 Ben decided that carrot cake would be the perfect dessert for Easter dinner so I went through all the carrot cake recipes that I have made and thought I had just the right one...but then thought perhaps I would search for another!

 This particular cake may go down in Evans history as THE best carrot cake.  Key word is may, because I love to search for new ideas and combine recipes so stay tuned!

 Carrot Cake Recipe:

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 9" round cake pans with aluminum foil, allowing plenty of overhang on two sides.  Grease and flour the foil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In your Kitchen Aid bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until well blended.

Stir in the grated carrots.

Divide batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Remove from oven and cool in the pans for 5-8 minutes and then carefully pick up the foil and place on wire rack to cool cake completely.  

I used a cream cheese frosting and decorated with green and orange accents.

When you lift the cakes from the foil, I flipped them upside down so that the smooth surface was the exposed surface.  I just thought that was easier.

Do enjoy this cake, it is moist and full of flavor!        

Carrots IN Veggie Dip

 Presentation is a game I play!!!

I started out with a glass pedestal dish and layered curly lettuce in the bottom then spooned veggie dip on top.  Using mini carrots I cut a slit in the top and put a sprig of parsley into the slit.  Just prior to serving I placed the carrots directly into the dip.  

Pretty easy and festive!

Bag-O-Bunnies

 A treat bag of Cheddar Bunnies...how could I dress it up a little?

I used a Wilton decorator bag that I thought resembled a carrot and then had a brainstorm that I could make a carrot top with crepe paper.

But the question was how...a cut a long strip of crepe paper and sewed a long running stitch along one long edge and then gathered it up carefully, so that I wouldn't tear the paper.  I secured the bag with a small twist tie and then started going around and around with the gathered crepe paper until it looked just right and then I simply tied the thread ends together.

The carrot top added a little fun to the treat bag!