My Son's Happy 2nd!! Carrot Cake, Roasted Garlic Sirloin, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Creamed Spinach

Hey guys! Friday was my little handsome boy's second birthday! I made him a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in the shape of Buddy, his favorite character on Dinosaur Train! It looks like a little kid made it, but it still came out cute, I think! My son LOVES steak, so for dinner I made steaks topped with mashed roasted garlic, creamed spinach, and twice baked potatoes. It was very yummy!!! My oven was running from nap time until dinner, so my kitchen got pretty warm. But, everything was so yummy, I didn't care!





If you want to make the yummy yummy carrot cake;
This takes about 60 minutes to prep and bake.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
6 egg whites
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice, undrained
2 cups shredded carrots
2/3 cup walnut
1/2 cup raisins
light cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8x8 baking pans or a 13x9x2 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves.

In another large bowl, beat egg whites with clean, dry beaters until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in sugar, then applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Using a spoon, stir in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Then stir in, one at a time, the pineapple, carrots, walnuts, and raisins.

Spread batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpic inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost only once the cake has cooled completely.

For the frosting:
This takes maybe 3 minutes to make.

1 8-oz container light cream cheese
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, marshmallow creme, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until thuroughly combined.

This makes 15 to 20 servings.

For the steak;
This takes 30 minutes to prep and 14-22 minutes to cook.

2 whole garlic bulbs
3 teaspoons snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak
grill seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

With a sharp knife, cut the top off of the garlic, to expose the ends of the cloves. Remove any loose papery layers, leaving the bulb intact. Set on a piece of foil, sprinkle with herbs and oil, fold up the foil and seal to completely encase the garlic, leaving space for steam to build up. Set on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim outer fat from steaks. Sprinkle with grill seasoning and massage seasoning into meat. Grill to desired doneness, turning once. For medium rare, 14 to 18 minutes, for medium to medium well, 18 to 22 minutes (I like my steak warm but still bloody, so I cooked mine for 14 minutes.)

To serve, cut steaks into 4-6 pieces (Mine made 5 palm-sized servings). Squeeze garlic cloves from the bulb and mash with a fork, reserving remaining oil and herbs. Spread garlic cloves over steaks and drizzle with reserved oil and herbs.

This recipe serves 4.

The twice baked potatos should be prepaired this way;
This recipe takes 75 minutes to prep and cook.

4 baking potatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
black pepper
salt
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake potatoes for 40 to 60 minutes, until tender. Let stand a couple of minutes. Cut a slice off of the top of each potato, finely chop the skin from the slices, and place skin and pulp in a bowl. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and add to the bowl. Mash potatoes how you want them, add yogurt, garlic, pepper, salt, and milk, and combine to desired consistancy. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and chives. Divide among the potato shells. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.

This recipe serves 4.

For the yummy yummy creamed spinach;
This takes about 5 minutes to prep and cook.

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
cooking spray
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
dash nushmeg
3/4 cup Monterrey-Jack cheese
freshly grated parmesean cheese

Thaw spinach, drain, wrap in a dish towel, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Set aside.

Lightly spray a cold skillet with cooking spray. Add onions, basil, oregano, and nutmeg. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender. Stir in the milk mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add the cheese and cook and stir until melted. Stir in spinach and cook through.

Serve and top with parmesean cheese.

This recipe serves 4.

Our son had a wonderful birthday, and the food was awesome!! I hope y'all like it!!