carrot cakies.

Carrot cake cookies. 4 food groups in one tricky device. Now, this is not to say that cookies are an acceptable substitute for food, but when your child wont eat his veggies, this is better than an oreo.


1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup room temperature butter
2 large carrots, shredded with the smallest grade of the grater.
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
mix ins of choice (raisins will do, i used mixed dried fruit bits)

cream butter, sugar, syrup, spices, and carrots. add two eggs and incorporate. add dry ingredients and dried fruit and nuts of choice. mix until smooth. bake for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. or until they feel firm and the edges just start to brown. cool and feed to your picky kid. 

Shrimp and Grits

These are an adaptation. not authentic.

Every time I do anything with corn meal, I can't resist the green chilies. It always ends up South American.

Prepare grits of choice as directed. mixture should not be pudding. But more like... malt o meal.

Add either half a can of green chilies or home roasted chilies (I always keep home roasted mixed green chilies in the freezer, and slice some off as I need them). Mix in about a cup of cheddar cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

set aside and prepare shrimps.

Rough chop one onion and saute in about 1/8 cup olive oil. add about 1 1/2 -2  lbs shrimp. work fast because overcooked shrimp is LAME. add one finely chopped tomato and the rest of the green chilies. Saute until shrimp is JUST cooked. perfectly cooked shrimp is key here. do not make rubbery squeaky toy shrimp. add a little salt and pepper if needed.


Spoon grits into a bowl and shrimp with sauce on top.

Kader gave it a 10 shrimp rating.