Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe-YUM!!

  I spoke to my mom a few days ago and asked her what I should take to her house for our Easter Celebration. She told me that she had a craving for carrot cake. I took one a couple of years ago but it was from a box recipe which was good but I really wanted to make one from scratch especially for her. I found one recipe from Paula Deen but it did not include pineapples and so I kept searching. One minute later I found this one

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,166,128179-254198,00.html

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
few drops vanilla extract or rum

1 pound of carrots should give you 2 cups of shredded carrots

combine all your dry ingredients minus the cinnamon and blend

after all dry ingredients have been mixed stir in the cinnamon
at this point it should start smelling really good!!

mix sugar and eggs 

start adding the dry ingredients into sugar/egg mixture

add oil and vanilla and mix well

add carrots and pineapple and pecans or walnuts. I choose pecans

it looked a little oily so I was praying for the best

after 45 minutes in 350 degree oven this was the result
I cut it in the middle to test it.
Do you remember the Cosby Show when Cliff cut into the center of a  baked cake that he was not suppose to eat  then he stuffed it with paper towels...lol...I loved that episode.

O gosh this was so good and not oily at all.

3 easy ingredients for the cream cheese frosting ( only 1/4cup of butter is needed)

Its so good and creamy that I could it the whole bowl.

about to frost the cake

Let it cool down a little bit before frosting. Thanks for stopping by

3/24/13 Coupons I used at CVS

First transaction
Irish Spring: 3/$9.00
I had  $2.00 in manufactures coupons and $3.00 off of 2 Irish Spring products from the  CVS Kiosk
total $1.01
received $3.00 ecb for Irish spring and $1.00 ecb for green bag tag

Purex $2.88
$1.00 man. coupon
$1.00 cvs kiosk coupon
total $.88cents

Moisturizer: $10.99
Wipes: $4.49
coupon: buy moisturizer or cleaner get wipes free
Spend $15.00 get $5.00 ECB

Degree Deo:$3.99
Clear Men Shampoo 2/$10.00
coupon: buy deo get shampoo free expires today:( 3/24/12

total $9.37

received $5.00 ecb for the Simple face products

the computer was giving me $6.99 off on the shampoos and face wipes. Manager did not know how to fix is so she just let it ring up the way it did.She just made sure to mark the coupon with the amount that was deducted.

My goal is to always spend less than $20.00 and I did! If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Reflection

Yesterday my son told me that one of his friends told him that he did not like his parents. This made my son sad. It made me sad as well. They are only in kindergarten.
As his mom I gave him a hug and told him that I loved him. Loving your kids is not enough though. We have to be there to listen to them. To talk with them. To laugh with them and yes to discipline them. Most importantly to pray with them and for them. Time goes by too fast.
It doesn't matter how kind we are to other people if we are not kind to our own children nothing matters. I make sure to tell my son how awesome, strong, intelligent and beautiful he is. I also make sure he cleans up after himself, to put his clothes away, to turn off his DSI and no more SpongeBob for the night.
We go through his backpack together and I ask him about his day. I give him a snack and he does his homework. After he finishes it, I check it and lastly sign off on his folder. We jump on my bed and read together. Being his mom is the best feeling in the world.I don't ever want him to say he doesn't like us as his parents. I want to live a life that wont embarrass my son or husband. I want his thoughts to always be fun and positive. And if he is ever feeling down or mad or sad to openly tell us. I have seen him mad and thinking about it makes me cry. We let him take his frustration out and he felt better. This post is a little more personal than normal but I just had to share. Our children are a reflection of us. We have to be for them and not against them.

My Baby 4-D picture 2006

My Alex 2013

BzzAgent-Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Peel

Garnier
www.bzzagent.com
I received this product for free to test and review from BzzAgent

Garnier new Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Pee
Glycolic Vitamin C Complex

Claims to fade dark spots, even skin tone, brighten skin and smooth texture

Problem: Dark Spots
Solution: Garnier Skin Renew Overnight Peel
Results: Brighter skin and in 4 weeks dark spot are diminished and skin looks more uniform and feels smoother

Dermatologist tested for safety, gentle to skin, wont clog pores. non-greasy

1.6 oz

Contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid an may increase your sensitivity  to the sun and  possibility of sunburn

Clear formula will not leave your face stiff like a normal peel would. Applies easily  and one pump is more than  enough to cover your face and neck





So after I turned 35 everything changed, for a moment there, I started to think that I was getting freckles. Silly me, those were actually dark spots/ age spots whatever but definitely not cute freckles.
picture taken 1/31/13

I was more than happy to try the Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot
Overnight Peel. I have been a big fan of the Garnier brand. I love Garnier hair products and facial products. Garnier is a brand I trust with or without this free product from BzzAgent.
picture taken 1/31/13

I tried faithfully to use this every single night since I received this product.
picture taken 3/31/13

I can't honestly say that the dark spots diminished but.....

I can honestly say that my face looks brighter and  and feels smoother.  I personally had no negative reaction or sensitivity to using the Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Overnight Peel. Again Garnier is a brand I trust and will continue to buy especially when there are always great coupons to use in my Sunday paper. CVS always has good deals on this brand.

Milani Brow Fix Kit-Medium

I don't know about you, but I have some of the most unruly eyebrows ever. I recently went about a month without plucking them because I had over-plucked them and had to let them grow out again. That my friend was SCARY!!!!  I ended up having them threaded here at my local mall. I payed $15.00 and it gives me unlimited eyebrow threading for a month. Anyways, while I was going through growing out process, I need to find something to make my eyebrows look somewhat decent.. Unfortunately nothing really helped until I got my brows done. Here is what I use now.

my brows before using the Milani Brow Fix Kit

I bought this at Target for $6.49

the back gives you instructions on how to use it

Hi-Lite,light bow color 1 and light brow color 2

also includes tweezers, small brow brush and sponge applicator to apply the Hi-Lite and a little mirror

This is a mascara brush I cleaned. I just used a facial wipe and the mascara came off 

Jordana Brow pencil in Dark Medium

I lightly line the bottom of my brows with the pencil

I do the same with the top of my brows.

I also go over my arch and  draw my line just a little bit longer

I use the brow brush that came in the kit and use Brow 2 color first

I outline the line I previously made with the pencil with the powder and continue to  my arch and bottom half  of my brow

I grab Brow1 color next

I apply Brow1 only to the Beginning part of my brow up to  my arch

I just blend and blend and blend the colors 

I grab my spooly and brush my brows

Right side

left side

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer in Medium Tan

I apply the lighter color under my brow and blend

Then I use my Hi-Lite

and apply it over the concealer

looks a little weird right now

Left side after eye make-up complete

Right side after eye makeup complete

Unfortunately they cant always look exactly the same because that would be impossible

but they look a whole lot better than before.