Carrot Sign

In today's edition of  'quarantine crafts' I picked up a board I had drawn a carrot shape on months ago and actually cut it out using a jigsaw.  I sanded it down, painted it, added a ribbon and a stick.  My plan was to make a bunch of these for Easter, but with everything going on-all I had was one inside of me willing to be made.  Plus, I'm out of wood like this lying out back.
      Never fear, I have more wood in my garage to make into random signs and crafts.  BUT....before that I have a basket of strange things (grill brushes, old records etc) that are getting a coat of paint first.

Carrot Surprise

 I know, I know....Easter is still almost 40 days away, but I always plan early!  This year I made these carrot surprise toys.  Have you seen surprise balls?  Basically, it's crepe paper (sometimes) in the shape of a ball and as you unroll the ball, little prizes fall out.  I've started seeing really cute shapes for the different holidays, and this year I decided I was going to make some carrot shaped surprises for some of my favorite beings under 4 feet to enjoy via the mail.

 I'll start with the end, I filled boxes with crinkle paper and put in surprise carrots for each of the kiddos at the house holds these were being shipped to.  These three carrots are going to my godson and his siblings.

 I tossed in some bunny ears for the little bunny in the bunch.  I'm sealing the boxes and shipping them out as soon as St Patrick's Day has come and gone.

 I bought some fun little toys at Oriental Trading/Party City, along with crepe paper streamers.  I ended up using a full orange on 4 carrots.  For the innards, the different party suppliers usually have free shipping every month or so, so I generally wait until I see that and order some little supplies.

 I started my carrots by wrapping up the pencils with crepe paper.  Once it was covered, I started adding in some of the other goodies (egg shaped cards in this photo).

 I would wrap a few layers, and then add another toy at various points, trying to keep the shape of the carrot in mind.

 I didn't use any glue, I just pressed them down and wrapped....and wrapped....and wrapped.

 I also found some little felt stickers I bought last year at the Target Dollar Spot.

 When I finally had all the prizes in the carrot, I cut some smaller strips of green, pressed them about halfway down the carrot and then just wrapped those in place.

 To 'end' the carrots once you have the shape you like, you can just tuck in the end of the crepe paper, or add a glue dot.

I thought about pressing a little stickers on each to tell them to unwrap the carrot, but I decided on a little card instead since these were being mailed.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Carrot Cake

My brother requested Carrot Cake for his birthday.  I've made quite a few great tasting Carrot Cakes throughout the years, but I decided to hunt for some recipes to try something ne. This recipe from Simply So Good had some great reviews and it was really moist.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Carrot Cake

PRINT HERE

Ingredients for the Cake:  2 c. flour, 1 t. baking soda, 2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t. salt, 3 eggs, 3/4 c. butterilk, 3/4 c. veg oil, 1 t. vanilla, 1 1/4 c. plus 2 t. sugar, 2 c. peeled and grated carronts (about 3 large carrots), 1 1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut, 8 oz can crushed pineapple (do not drain), 1 c. chopped pecans
Buttermilk Glaze:  1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. buttermilk ,1/2 c. butter, 1 T light corn syrup, 1 1/2 t. baking soda, 1 t. vanilla
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:  12 oz cream cheese (softened), 1/2 c butter (softened), 2 T brown sugar, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 1/2 t vanilla, 4 c. powdered sugar
Instructions:  
1.  Heat oven 350.  Spray 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2.  For the cake-whisk together the flour, soda, cinnamon, salt.  In a separate bowl mix the egg, buttermilk, veg oil, vanilla, sugar until smooth.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Fold in the carrots, coconut, pineapple, and pecans.  Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes (until cake springs back when pressed).
3.  Whle the cake is baking prepare the glaze.  Add sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and soda in a med saucepan over med heat.  Stir vigourously (add the baking soda will make the mix foam, still will help keep it from rising too much).  Stir for about 8 inuts.  The glaze will begin to turn amber in color.  When the mix is light amber, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Set aside until ready to use.
4.  When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes in the cake with a wooden spoon handle.  Pour the glaze over the cake and spread evenly.  Let it cook completely.
5.  Mix the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until it is well combined.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Mix until smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.

Carrot Cake Balls

 I put some of these together last year for Easter gifts.  I gifted these cake balls in egg cartons of all shapes and sizes-depending on the sizes of the group.

 I wrapped each up and added these tags I made-I was inspired by a sight in a craft store I saw.

 Here is a free printable of the tag.

 To make the cake balls, just use your favorite carrot cake recipe and cream cheese frosting.  As soon as you bake the cake, stir it up with a fork, add the icing and stir together.  Place your mix of cake and icing in the freezer for a few hours.  Pull it out, roll it into balls.  Again, you can freeze these for up to a few months.  When you are reading, melt some chocolate and dip your frozen cake balls in chocolate.  Let it dry on wax paper.

 It hardens quickly b/c the cake ball is frozen.  I added some chocolates to the mix.

I bought some royal icing carrots at a local cake shop, but you could pipe your own with royal icing.

Carrot Sign

I made this last summer....for this Easter. I saw a sign like this for sale at a craft sale and thought it made a cute door decor.  You could add a last name or a fun Easter message.  I added a bow.  One of my favorite/not as often used tools is a jig saw and cheap plywood from Hobby Lobby.  I could conquer the world with these tools....assuming political leaders were into wooden decorative signs.  ;o)

Carrot Candy Holder

 I made these little carrot shaped candy holders last year.  I cut out half circles from scrapbook paper.  Here is a free template to the size I used.

 After I cut my half circle, I glue it together so it was a cone shape, and then I glued some tissue paper to the rim so I could fill it with candy and tie it shut.

 I'm all about the themes for Easter baskets, and I also take Easter more seriously than I take Christmas when it comes to giving gifts.  It's kind of a big deal....this is eternity we are celebrating.

...and this year.....the celebration color scheme was all around carrots-carrot candies, and fun greens and oranges.  I've seen these carrots around, so this is just my version of how to put one together.  :O)

Carrot Cake Cookies

 I saw the recipe for these cookies and I thought....hey, I like carrot cake.  And cookies.  And white chocolate.  And caramel.  Though I didn't know how I'd feel about four of my loves meeting for the first time in a little dessert.  Success!  These are de-licious...and the perfect thing to bring to an Easter themed meal....assuming you are into sharing cookies with other people.  I'm not.  I am into these cookies.These were originally posted at Inside Bru Crew Life...good call Bru Crew.   So...without further ado (just in case my friends who read this want to bribe me....this works...)
Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:  1 boxed carrot cake mix, 1/2 c. butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 c. white chocolate chips, 1/2 c. kraft caramel bites
Instructions:  In a large bowl combine the cake mix, butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon.  Combine well and then fold in the chocolate chips and caramel.
Chill dough for 30+ minutes.  Roll into 1 inch balls and cook for 350 degrees.

 Remove from pan pretty quickly or the caramel with stick to the pan.  These make 2 dozen.

Fruit and Veggie Muffins

I like these muffins b/c they are full of lots o' fruits and even a veggie....they are pretty filling, and really delicious.  Anyway I can pack in a veggie in a healthy way....I'll take it.

Fruit and Veggie Muffins

Makes 18 Muffins

Ingredients:  1 1/2 c. flour, 1/2 c. wheat flour, 1 1/4 c. sugar, 1 T ground cinnamon, 2 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt, 2 c. grated carrots, 1 apple (peeled, cored, and chopped into small cubes), 1 c. raisins, 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1/2 c. apple sauce, 1 T vanilla, 1/4 c. veg. oil, 2 T chopped walnuts

Instructions:  Grease 18 muffin cups.  Mix eggs/egg whites, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla in one bowl.  In a second bowl mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in carrots, apples and raisins into dry mix (to coat so they won't fall to the bottom).  Add wet mix to the dry mix and mix until just moist (don't over mix).  Spoon into muffin cups (3/4 full).  Sprinkle nuts over mix.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  

Carrot: Mini Carrots in a Jar

Last year I made these carrot cookies as a part of a larger Easter Basket.  The recipe to make these cookies is here.
 
This year I'm making these and putting them in little jars I've been saving.  I mod podged the top of the jars to make them a little more seasonally appropriate.  Here is the tutorial for jazzing up jar lids. 
Spring is one of the seasons that brings old friends to town, I've got a collection of these I usually bring along for the kiddos.  I know their parents LOVE me giving their kids jars of sugar, I can see it in their eyes.  ;o)

Carrot: Carrot Strawberries

 I'm revisiting this idea.  I saw it a few years ago on the net and tried it out, this year I'm filling these little berry baskets with carrot decorated strawberries to try for some healthier Easter treats for friends. 

 I bought orange chocolate, dipped, and then used a ziplock bag to pip on some stripes..might go for an actual piping bag next time, but....they still tasted delicious...and I got to use some of the approximately 7,455 berry baskets I have left. 

Carrot: Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

 I'm always in pursuit of a great carrot cake.  I've hit on quite a few.  It's like my pursuit of macaroni.  No matter how much I like the last recipe.....I always try one more!  I had this recipe via a friend's recipe binder a few years back and I finally found an excuse to try it out (pardon the picture, it was late at night, and it got 'shipped off' for a birthday the next day).  This was different from other attempts at carrot cake because it was complete with a glaze.  Yum.  This cake really tasted 'homemade' to me, in a good way.  It stays in my cake file.  I'm posting the recipe below. To be honest, I eliminated all the orange stuff in the icing and just made a cream cheese frosting, but I'll post the original if you are going for the 'blue ribbon' and want to add that twist.

 

Carrot Cake:  2 c. flour, 2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt, 2 t. cinnamon, 3 eggs, 3/4 c. veg. oil, 3/4 c. buttermilk, 2 c. sugar, 2 t. vanilla, 8oz can crushed pineapple (drained), 2 c. grated carrots, 3 1/2 oz can flaked coconut, 1 c. chopped walnuts,
Combine flour, b. soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla beat until smooth.  Stir in flour mix, pineapple, carrots, coconuts and walnuts.  Pour batter into2 9 inch pan or one rectangle cake pan.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).  Immediately spread glaze over layers.  Cool.  Frost.  Store in fridge.  (Serves 12
Buttermilk Glaze:  1 c. sugar, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 c. buttermilk, 1/2 c. butter, 1 T. light corn syrup, 1 t. vanilla.

Combine sugar, b. soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup in a pan.  Bring to a boil and cook for 4 min.  Stir often.  Remove from heat and add vanilla. 

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:  1/2 c. butter (softened), 8 oz pkg cream cheese (softened), 1 t. vanilla, 2 c. powdered sugar (sifted), 1 t. orange rind (grated), 1 t. orange juice. 
Combine butter and cream cheese.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Beat until smooth and then ice cake. 

Carrots: Carrot Crackers

 I've seen these little carrot bags filled with crackers sprinkled around the net.  They are usually made with disposable icing bags.  BUT I found these cute little orange bags (they have quite a color assortment) at Party City (on the wedding row near the color coordinated candy).  I think it was a dollar, maybe 2 for 10....and how perfect is it? I filled them up with Cheddar Bunnies-a fun, and healthier (I use this term very loosely) version of goldfish crackers. Don't  get me wrong, I'll eat either, but the bunnies are more seasonally appropriate (I find Annie's at the more gourmet grocery stores, but they are still pretty close to the goldfish price).  An alternative to the candy and chocolate usually found in the Easter basket....scratch that...make it an addition....I don't skip candy.