Carrot Cake. Lush.

Compiled from different recipes (as usual!!) with a bit of my own tinkering too. Main credit goes to Monsieur Rankin. And Becky Boo.

• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 375g soft brown sugar
• grated rind 2 oranges
• 450g carrots grated
• Juice of 1 orange
• 250g plain flour
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 150g chopped pecans
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp salt
• About 150g mixed raisins and sultanas (just kinda threw some in!!)

FOR TOPPING

• 225g philidelphia (other brands are available)
• 65g butter
• 400g icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C or gas 4

Grease 9 inch cake tin

Beat butter, sugar and orange rind.

Slowly add the eggs beating well

Fold in carrot, pecans and fruit

Add vanilla extract and orange juice

Fold in sift flour, mixed spice, salt and bicarb

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes

NB I had too much mixture left so experimented and made some carrot cake muffins!!

For topping, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Lavish over cake indulgently and enjoy. Yum yum.

Beef in Red Wine

This is one of those recipes I can't give exact amounts for the ingredients, I just know what I put in ;) Have to thank my mum for this one :)

• Suitable casserole dish, like round cast-iron, with lid
• Brasing steak (enough to fill 1/4, for a six person casserole I use around 0.8kg, if it is for a dinner party, I would use better steak)
• Chopped Carrots (enough to fill 1/4, again for a six person casserole I would use around 6, cut however you choose, chunky is usually good)
• Chopped onions (enough to fill 1/4, for six people I use around 2 large again cut chunky), or have used chopped fennel as well
• Chopped mushrooms (enough to fill 1/4, for six people I used around 2/3 of a large punnet)
• 1 bottle red wine (for 6 people)
• 1.5l beef stock
• Salt & Pepper

Chop up all the ingredients, making them chunky. Add to casserole and mixed so they are evenly distributed throughout. Season with salt and pepper, then pour in red wine to around the 1/3 - 1/2 way point, then top up with the beef stock. Place in oven at 160oCand cook for as long as possible, usually 3 hours is good. Stir occassionally and when ready to serve, if juices are thin, use gravy granules to thicken up. Serve with either new potatoes and veg, or with rice.