Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday: I ignored them all. The stubborn streak in me will not be manipulated by marketing wizards. That is not to say I don’t love buying despite my efforts to simplify.

Food, however, is another matter. I dream about Pizza Hut and Wendy’s Chicken Pub sandwich after seeing commercials. I can taste that cold Coors Light advertised on Monday Night Football. I mostly resist although sometimes, on cold dark nights, I sneak through the Arby’s drive-through for onion rings (large, which comes in TWO boxes) with Horsey Sauce.

Speaking of food, I like to make a party out of bad weather days by eating special, somewhat naughty foods (blizzard broasted chicken from the nearby small grocery). So, early this morning I am bundled up under wool blankets (1 degree outside) and wondering what to eat for breakfast. I hear a slight cry from the freezer, “eat us, eat us”. I peek inside and see a small box of carrot cake, leftover from church on Sunday. Thus, Carrot Cake Wednesday. Why didn’t I think of this before? What could be more comforting than a cup of hot coffee and warm carrot cake with cream cheese frosting when temps are nearly zero degrees? The birth of a new tradition comes easily.

I made the carrot cake myself on Saturday using carrots from the summer garden, so I know it is not too bad for me. I share my recipe below in case you too want to eat carrot cake through this arctic chilll

Slightly Naughty Carrot Cake for Arctic Intrusions

1 box carrot cake mix

3 eggs (in my case, 1 egg, 1/2 cup liquid egg whites)

1 box vanilla pudding mix (sugar-free, fat free works)

1 cup or more, grated carrots (mine were previously frozen after grating)

water, to make a cakey consistency

optional: raisins, walnuts)

note: do not add the cup of oil used in the official directions on the box

• Using electric mixer, blend cake mix, eggs, pudding mix and enough water to make a robust batter

• Blend in carrots and optional ingredients

• Bake 350, approx 40 mins, maybe more

Cream Cheese Frosting

I package low-fat cream cheese

Scant half-cup powdered sugar

Teaspoon lemon juice

• Using electric mixer, blend all ingredients and spread on cool cake

This is an easy, dense, yummy cake. If you do not have pudding mix, use 1 cup yogurt! Eliminating the oil and adding real carrots, walnuts, and raisins makes for a reasonably healthy alternative to totally naughty carrot cake. 

Stay warm, eat cake!

Carrot cake 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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