Two new recipes and an old favorite...

Over the last couple of weeks I tried two new recipes that I got from allrecipes.com and I really liked them, so I thought I would share them with everyone. If you haven't been to allrecipes, you should definitely go try it out. They have every recipe imaginable, and each recipe is rated and reviewed by people who have tried it out, so after reading the reviews you can pretty much find the necessary changes to have the perfect recipe!! I love it.

I tried this one a couple of weeks ago, and we really liked the pretzels. We made all different flavors, and they were all delicious. The only thing I have to say is that they need to be eaten that day, and the sooner the better. Pretzels just don't keep very long. So either make sure you have enough people to eat them all, or make 1/2 a batch :)

Mall Pretzels

INGREDIENTS

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.
Editor's Note
When forming the ropes, roll each one to about half the length you want, then set it aside while you roll the rest. By the time you get back to the first rope, it will have rested enough to roll further.

This carrot cake recipe I made last week. I only made 1/2 of the cake because Creighton doesn't like carrot cake as much as I do, plus with only 2 people, we don't need a whole cake :) I made a couple of modifications to this cake after reading the reviews, plus I like to make cake, muffins, and breads healthier by substituting apple sauce for oil, and cutting down the amount of whole eggs. (I actually usually just use apple sauce and egg whites, no oil or whole eggs, but the reviews said that this way was the best, so I didn't take out as much fat/calories as I normally do).

Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs (2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites)
3/4 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots (grated with the cheese grater side)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

This recipe for taco soup, I got from a student 2 years ago. It is one of the easiest soups to make, it's super healthy, and absolutely delicious. So if you are looking for a super easy, delicious, taco soup, you have to try this one.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chile powder
6 C. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
16 oz. Jar of chunky salsa
15 oz. Can of corn, drained
15 oz. Can of beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C. chopped fresh cilantro (I have never actually put the cilantro in, because I never have it on hand, and it tastes great without it too, so I guess it's optional)

Optional Toppings:

Tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream

Directions:

Place all ingredients except for toppings into crock pot and cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Well, I hope everyone enjoys the recipes. If you have anything extra special good to share, please pass it along to me. I just love to try new recipes, especially ones that are already tested by others :)