Monday Morning and the Countdown is ON ! !

It's Monday and it's 5 days till New Years Eve -- what are your plans?  We got up at 4 am to get ready to catch a sunrise with the clouds.  It was absolutely beautiful too with the red and the clouds.  See for yourself.  This is from this morning at 7:30 am.  Nice crisp 49 degrees in Phoenix this morning and beautiful ! !

My plans are probably simple -- I'll be with people I love any way it happens.  Once the New Year is here, the diet begins.  A lot of new things will be happening.  I will get to see a dear old friend that I haven't seen in almost 19 years, I am starting my new businesses (yes plural businesses). 

I am going back to business consulting and I'm actually going to be a photographer : ).  Something I have wanted to do for over 20 years and I'm finally going to do it.  Just bought my newest addition to the camera family a Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens and a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.  Now I am looking at a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens and a Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras. 

My next purchase will be a secondary camera.  I am looking at a Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD or the Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens.  Anyone is the greater Phoenix area wanting photos, contact me at mymindwanderedtoday@live.com and we will get together for pricing, ideas, consulting, or accounting support. 

In the meantime, I will still continue updating this blog everyday with something special just for you, the people who have helped me make this happen.

Today, I will share with you a very special recipe that everyone asks for the recipe whenever I bake it.  This is my carrot cake recipe from a dear Sister who gave it to me for a bridal shower gift with a recipe box and other kitchen items.  I hope you enjoy it and Kellie, this is it : )


14 KARAT CAKE 
2 c plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c sugar
1 ½ c oil
4 eggs
2 c shredded carrots
1 can crushed pineapple, 8 ½ oz, drained
½ - 1 c chopped nuts
1 can flaked coconut, 3 ½ oz

Sift together flour, soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add sugar, eggs and oil.  Mix.   Add remaining ingredients.  Mix.  Pour batter equally into 3 greased and floured layer cake 9” pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until done. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

½ c butter at room temperature
1 pkg cream cheese, 8 oz, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Combine ingredients, adding sugar gradually. If too thick, add a little milk.  Frost tops and sides of layers.