I've been a "raised bed" gardener for over 5 or more years now. Believe me, I feel your pain. However, I went to a bit of trouble after the first invasion - it took a little of my time - mostly, and a bit of money - to Home Depot. But - it has stood the test of time, and I now harvest food almost every day of the year from my little boxes. The pill bugs, snails and flying predators still take their toll, but the skunks, squirrels, cats, raccoons are now just a minor nuisance - elsewhere. I purchased some PVC water pipe - 1 inch, and fashioned cages to fit inside of my boxes. The only problem is that each corner needs an "adapter" which is a 3 sided piece that allows the pipe to slide into one side, because one part comes with threads (which pipe can't fit into). It sounds technical but you can see what it entails when you see the pieces. I cut the pipe so that the cages are about a foot tall, and made it so that it only fits one side of the box - which is about 6 ft. long. This way the cages are small enough to move easily from one box to another as needed, as once plants grow tall enough, the animals seem to avoid the area. Most of the time, they will invade when there is bare or sparsely planted soil. They seem to "get the message" after awhile, and avoid the boxes. I try to keep a cage handy, especially when planting a new area. The cages are covered with chicken wire - which I hate - but could also be covered with Remay cloth - it would also eliminate the flying pests - white butterfly and birds that like emerging bean and pea seedlings. This solution has worked for me over the years - as I live next to a large canyon with many predators - a fence is out of the question. I also put hardware cloth - galvanized wire mesh (Home Depot) nailed to the bottom of the box before putting in my planting soil. They are still working - preventing burrowing critters from invading from the bottom. The critters seem to "learn" that the boxes are not easy to invade after awhile - and will avoid them, so as the plants grow tall enough to make it difficult for them to penetrate, they will go elsewhere. I can then remove my cage and use it elsewhere. A little pre-planning - such as making all of the planters the same size, thus only needing one size cage to fit all of them, cuts down on the need to have many different size cages. Whee - this is rather long-winded, but perhaps you can glean something from my experiences. Bejay

Buffalo, Assuming you've bought the 24" Tomahawk trap, you've got a good trap, that works very well me. I'm surprised you are seeing squirrels and haven't caught any yet. Let's cover a few other basics to make sure we aren't leaving anything out. Make sure the trap is next to a squirrel run, or a tall tree (preferably one you see squirrels in sometimes). You'll want to clear all tall weeds/flowers/plants away from the trap. Squirrels don't like to enter a trap with weeds around it. I throw down an old rug or a piece of carpet and put the trap on top. It keeps the weeds down and the squirrels don't seem to mind entering the trap when it's on a rug. Once you catch a squirrel, rug will also hold the squirrel scent, which I think helps to entice the next squirrel to enter the trap. If you are having a hard time getting squirrels in your trap, try a more higher visibility bait. Squirrels have keen eyesight and can spot highly visible bait. I've not had that good of luck baiting with peanut butter. Squirrels just never seemed to eat it for me. Acorns, pecans, or an ear of corn have all worked well though. If you have a hedge tree around, throw some hedge apples around the trap. Squirrels love those and they are highly visible. Once they get next to the trap, they will go after the tastier nuts/acorns in the trap. I do catch some birds in my traps. In the spring, Bluejays will eat acorns (but not pecans). Lots of birds will eat corn still on the cob. But birds are easy to release and I've rarely caught a bird with whole unshelled pecans as bait. They are too big for birds to swallow.

Vagas, You are absolutely correct! The Brick is better! I just got my bin set up and the worms and cocoons came in the mail. The opened sack the worms came in went into the bin I had prepared for them. The fat tape I had put on the bottom edge of the bin did not hold it up and the air holes in the bin sank below the level of the first bin. I began to get condensation..I tried several things..and then reverted to the brick in the bottom bin. Presto-bingo! that WAS the answer! Tclynx, had suggested not removing the worms from their container when first introducing them to their new home. My worms came in a doubled brown grocery bag. I placed the entire bag in the bin (put together complete with netting as per your instructions above) and I tore a small hole in the bottom corner of the bag to let them out. A few hours later, I went and tore a larger hole...and started tearing the bag into strips a few hours after that...IMPATIENCE! Couldn't leave them alone at all! Finally, I went to bed so the poor little devils could do their own thing. I had no escapees the next morning...so, of course I looked and I saw worms in the paper! I sprayed down the paper bag with water to soften it and suddenly realized that I could just leave the whole thing in there and let them make a meal of that as well. 3 days later, this morning, I sprinkled in about 1/2 cup of corn meal and dampened it because I thought they might be hungry...I must not let my worry about them starving cause me to over feed....Your advice has been right on, THANK YOU! And tclynx's suggestion about letting the worms find their own way into the bin from their shipping container has kept my worms in the bin (27 quart size,stackable, with lock-tight lids, black). Thank you so much for your guidence! =o)

* Posted by lisazone6_ma (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 12:05 I make this dish all the time - I never measure tho, so I don't have exact ingredients, but exact measurements aren't necessary anyway, so it doesn't matter! Roasted Carrots Slice carrots into thick "coins" and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix 1 cup orange juice with 1 or 2 shots of whiskey and pour over the top. I fill the pan about half way with carrots when I make it, so that amount of whiskey/juice is good for that amount of carrots - you can reduce or increase the amount if you're making more or less - it's not critical if you're off a little. And I HATE whiskey, but in this dish it adds a great taste! Grind fresh sea salt and pepper over the top, dot with butter all over, cover with foil, and bake at 350 until done to desired. I like my carrots with a bit of bite still in them. I also uncover them for the last 10-15 minutes to make sure the liquids turn into a "glaze" and the carrots brown a bit. You might need to add a bit more juice at this point if there isn't enough liquid left so what's left doesn't just burn up. You can also drizzle some maple syrup over the top after you dot them with the butter, but I find they're sweet enough without it. Sometimes I add it and sometimes I don't. Lisa o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 13:31 Warning, I have not made that carrot-cumin tart either, but with cheese and cream and carrots and cumin . . . how can you go wrong? I am leaning towards making the carrot tart for a dessert, (I don't know if it will be good or not, it is mostly a curiosity thing) but we'll see, because my weekend plans haven't firmed up yet. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 13:39 Lisa, Roasted Carrots w/whiskey is calling my name! o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lisazone6_ma (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 15:30 mustangs - as I said, I'm really not a whiskey fan, but in this dish, it's really good. It just adds a special taste that you can't quite put your finger on! Lisa o Coconut Carrots clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jeri (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 16:12 This has got to be one of the simplest carrot recipes ever – and delicious too! :-) Simmer Carrots in Coconut Cream. That’s it! I always have baby carrots on hand and a can of Coconut Cream in the pantry. It *has* to be Coconut Cream which you find in the Liquor Isle. It doesn’t contain liquor – but I guess it is used for certain mixed drinks? Anyway – this will *not* work with Coconut Milk. The Coconut Cream is slightly sweet. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 16:41 Lisa, Strangely I don't drink (well there was that time in December Sheshebop made me) but I am drawn to recipes with liqueur, beer, or wine. In fact I just shared your recipe with the guy ahead of me at the checkout line. He had a huge bag of carrots. Turns out the carrots were for his horse. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by posie4u (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 17:48 I love carrots. The following recipe was given to me by a co-worker (a dietitian) who advised that for he and his wife, it is a must have dish for Thanksgiving. It is yummy. Horsey Carrotts 1 bag of baby carrots or 12 carrots, pared/sliced 1 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbs grated horseradish, more or less to taste 1/4 - 1/3 cup grated onion 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 cup fresh, buttered bread crumbs Cook carrots until tender; drain. Put in 1 quart baking dish. Preheat oven to 300. Combine mayonnaise and horseradish. Add onion, salt and pepper. Mix well and stir into carrots. Sauté breadcrumbs in enough butter to coat and put on top of carrot mixture in baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Can be done ahead and baked before dinner. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by punamytsike (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 17:48 LOL, Cathy. When we had horses, we always bought large bags of carrots as a treat. They got them in the evening, and we always had to cut up one extra carrot for one of our dogs who loves raw carrots as well :) o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 17:52 Okay - I don't know how to count this... BUT Last night I made the following carrot heavy recipes: Piquant Carrots Worlds Best Meatloaf Which both met with huge approval.... And I am making Marilyns Carrot Cake for DHs Birthday celebration this weekend.... Do I qualify? LOL! Alexa o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 19:59 Coconut-nj, you add milk to the carrots without draining the water? I'm not understanding how "soupy" your recipe is supposed to be. Lisa, the roasted carrots sound really good, but so does the carrot cumin tart. Hmmm, decisions, decisions. Sally o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Thu, Feb 19, 09 at 23:43 Sally, it's not supposed to be soupy at all. You're basically making a white sauce using the carrot "broth" as the base. After the carrots cook, the liquid has usually come down a little below the level of the carrots, so when adding enough milk to cover the carrots it will turn it white. The great flavor comes from the carrot cooking liquid, which is basically a single vegetable broth. When you add the slurry, you make it nice and thick, then stir in some butter. I just put several tablespoons [or more] of cornstarch into a cup and add enough cold water to dissolve it while stirring. Then when the carrots with liquid come back to a boil/simmer, stir in the slurry while stirring until it gets as thick as you want it. We like it rather thick, but you make it how you like cream sauces. I usually make more slurry than I think I'll need since cornstarch is cheap and I'd rather have more ready then have to go back and make some more if it didn't make it thick enough. I hope I explained this clearly. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Fri, Feb 20, 09 at 15:27 I had this salad at a restaurant in Chicago called Russian Tea Time. It's much greater than the sum of its parts. Tashkent Carrot Salad Carrots — 2 lbs. Coriander — 1 tsp Garlic — 4 cloves Olive oil — 6 T White vinegar — 6 T Paprika — to taste Salt — to taste Pepper — to taste Sugar — 2 T Thinly shred carrots, mix with sugar and crushed garlic. Let stand for 10 minutes to get the juices out. Mix with the rest of seasoning. Let marinate for 6 hours. Mix thoroughly before serving as juices tend to collect on the bottom of the dish. Serve chilled. (serves 6) o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 9:36 Your explanation cleared it up for me, Coconut-NJ. Thanks. Sally o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 9:52 I eat carrots almost every day, and carrot muffins are one of my favorites. I have several recipes. Here's a nice seasonal one. Maple Carrot Muffins 1 1/2 cups unsifted flour (can use some oatmeal if you like) 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (optional, I am a health nut who is always trying to cut the sugar) 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/3 cup melted margarine (I think butter would be OK too. Or 1/4 cup vegetable oil) 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt (or less) 1 cup finely shredded carrots 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or less) 2 eggs, beaten Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Grate carrots and set aside. Combine the carrots with the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and MIX WELL! Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 min. (or more) Cool 5 min. Store in the fridge because these muffins are moist and they'll mold otherwise. Notes: The reason I have so many "optional" notes in this recipe is because I am always trying to cut the high calorie/fat ingredients down to the minimum levels without sacraficing good taste. Everyone has their own ideas about this, so you'll have to use your judgement. I am probably on the more "healthy" side of taste, which is not for everyone. Also, I usually use paper lined muffin tins, but if you don't want to do that you have to grease the muffin tins with some type of shortening. With the variability of the baking time, I suggest inserting a toothpick in the muffins to test them. When the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done. But watch carefully, because maple syrup burns easier than white sugar sweetened baked goods. But the taste is worth the trouble, IMHO. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 13:58 I'm surprised no one has posted a Tsimmes recipe, that classic Jewish mix of carrots, dried fruit and meat. Being vegetarian, it's not something I make, but I actually have a recipe I like, although this is a "company" dish. A "tsimmes" in yiddish is slang for a confusing fuss, lol! Carbonada Criolla (Argentinian Tsimmes) I think I got this recipe from the Detroit Free Press and I think it came from Joan Nathan. I make this as a stuffing for baked squash. The best time I ever made it I stuffed a small baked hubbard squash with it. The squash was about the size of a smallish football. Start by baking the cleaned squash halves at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I always have trouble baking squash perfectly, so use whatever method works best for you. Meanwhile, make the tsimmes. Traditionally tsimmes is put in an oven or on the back of the stove on the evening of the Sabbath so it will be ready to eat the next day after a long slow cooking, and no more work will have to be put into it. This would work in a crockpot too, I think. 2 TBLSP vegetable oil 2 cups dark red kidney beans, or fake meat or baked or smoked tofu. (The original recipe called for some kind of meat, probably ground chuck?) 1 large coarsely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic 1 12 oz. can chopped italian style tomatoes 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (parboil for faster prep. time) 1 large or 2 small white potatoes (I always cook with Yukon gold, parboil as above if you want) 1 cup vegetable broth 2 med. carrots, large dice 1 small can corn or 2/3 cup from a frozen bag 4-8 pitted prunes (to taste, I like the lesser amount) 4-8 dried peach halves or dried apples Saute onions, garlic and protein source until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, and veg. broth, bring to a boil then simmer. Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer 30 min. Add some water or more broth if needed. Add corn and fruit, simmer 15 min. more. Stuff tsimmes into squash, bake in the oven for 15 min. more. You can top this with bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, or grated white cheddar, or any type of mixuture, but it is not necessary. Could also add a dollop of lowfat sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley. That's how I like it. Here's a carrot pie that is lower in fat than that carrot-cumin tart and something I have made before. The recipe comes from "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" by Mollie Katzen. Russian Carrot Pie TBLSP butter 1 cup onions, finely minced 1 lb. carrots, very thinly sliced 1 TBLSP unbleached white flour Saute the onions in butter, add the carrots and cook until tender. Can add up to 3 TBLSP of water to keep from sticking. At the end, sprinkle in the flour to brown slightly. Combine 1 1/2 cups firm cottage or pot cheese 1/2 cup grated mild white cheddar 1 beaten egg lots of freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. dill weed Mix this with the carrots. Put into prepared pie crust (not prebaked) and sprinkle top with 3 TBLSP wheat germ and some paprika. Bake 15 min at 375 then turn down to 350 for 39 min. Cool 5 min. Here's my regular pie crust recipe. It is very different from a shortening crust, but I still like it. I got the recipe and technique from my friend Martha Pie Crust (makes top and bottom crust) 2 cups flour - I usually use half whole wheat pastry flour 2 tsp. salt Mix these together Put 4 TBLSP COLD water into 1/2 cup oil. Stir until it bubbles/starts to emulsify if that's the right word (gets well combined) Pour liquid into flour and stir. Separate into two piles and roll out into rounds between layers of WAXED paper. You can cut this recipe in half for just a bottom crust pie. If you want to get fancy with the crust for this pie, your can mix in some poppy seeds or ground sesame seeds, maybe 2 TBLSP. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by punamytsike (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 14:18 Cathy, like promised, I tried my Mom's carrot pie/bread and results will be below. First let me share another carrot experiment my DH did, as he is the carrot lover in this family :) He did bacon wrapped carrots in our Advantium microwave/oven Here is how the carrots looked like going in: we tried potato as well. The carrots cooked at H10,L10,M5 for 6 minutes and then looked like this: My DH loved the result, told me that the bacon added an interesting touch to it. The potatoes did not get anything extra from the bacon, I guess the potato skin is too thick to let bacon juices through. Now today I did the carrot pie/bread and at the same time the other half was roasted beef mozzarella cheese. I use sweet dough recipe from my Cuisinart bread machine recipe book. Any dough recipe that is meant for rolls or probably even pizza will do. The carrot mix for 1 lb of dough is supposed to be: 1 lb of cooked and shredded carrots, 2 cooked eggs, chopped to little pieces, 2 table spoons of melted butter, salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together and spread on the dough like on the photo: Roll it and let it rise another 30 - 40 min before baking. I baked this in 375F for 30 min. For me it was little over cooked, so next time I will try 350F for 30 min. Also, next time I will double the amount of carrot mix, as for me it was not nearly enough. But it did taste like my moms. And the roasted beef side, just heaven :) o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cabogirl (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 15:29 We had a monthly poker game last night and I had everything in the house for carrot cake. I put in a 13x9 pan just to make it easier to eat and it went.... Ingredients Cake: * 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour * 2 cups sugar * 1 teaspoon salt * 1 Tbsp baking soda * 1 Tbsp cinnamon * 1 1/2 cups olive oil or grapeseed oil * 4 large eggs, lightly beaten * 1 Tbsp vanilla extract * 1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped (more whole or chopped for topping) * 1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut * 2 cups of finely grated carrots * 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple Frosting: * 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature * 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp * 2 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * 2 Tbsp lemon juice Method 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 inch cake pans. Cut out rounds of wax paper and place at bottoms of cake pans. Butter the top of the wax paper rounds. 2 Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in chopped walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. 3 Pour batter into pans. Set on the middle rack of oven and bake for 45-50 minutes (shift positions of cakes front-to-back if necessary about halfway through), until edges have pulled away from sides and a toothpick or sharp knife tip inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. 4 To prepare frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly sift in the confectioners sugar and beat until mixture is free of lumps. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice. 5 Once cakes have cooled, frost. Sprinkle top with chopped walnuts or arrange walnut halves in a crown around the top. Serves 12-16. recipe from Simply Recipes o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bri29 (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 15:35 We just had ragu bolognese for dinner. It has carrots in it, it's healthy! So what if there's a ton of meat in it!? That's totally beside the point. :) 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 1 carrot, finely, diced 1 medium onion, diced 1 rib celery, finely diced 1 clove garlic, sliced 1 pound veal, ground 1 pound pork, ground 1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, ground 1/2 tube tomato paste 1 cup milk 1 cup dry white wine Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the carrot, onions, celery, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the veal, pork, and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by katiec (My Page) on Sat, Feb 21, 09 at 22:30 This is timely for me...I have five or six pounds of hairy carrots from last years garden (still better than storebought!). It will be easy to use them up now. We use a lot of carrots but I don't care much for them cooked, I always eat mine before they go in with the pot roast. Julienned in a stir fry, diced/pureed in soup or shredded in cakes etc. are ok. Lars, I had some wonderful ginger carrot soup at a fundraiser soup and bread dinner. I have the recipe in a local cookbook at the library...I'll find it next week. Jeri, we prowled a cool little Asian market yesterday and I bought some coconut cream. Was wondering what to do with it. My carrots are all small...this is perfect. We've been making plain old carrot and raisin or carrot, raisin and pineapple salad. Mayo for the dressing. Makes the kid feel like she's 5 again, she says. Our favorite carrot cake is very much like cabogirl's, but with a cream cheese glaze/ not-quite-frosting....just softened cream cheese and honey to taste. This was in a recipe booklet I found in a box of donations - Taste of Home,I think. Maybe next year I'll get carrots big enough to stuff. * Exported from MasterCook * Baked Stuffed Carrots Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 12 medium carrots 1/4 cup mayonnaise 4 teaspoons grated onion 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons butter -- melted, divided 1/8 teaspoon paprika Place carrots in a skillet; add 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until crisp-tender. drain. Cut a thin lengthwise slice out of each carrot. Scoop out carrot, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; set shells aside.Place the removed carrot in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl; add mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spoon into carrot shells. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine the crumbs, 1 tablespoon butter and paprika; sprinkle over carrots. Drizzle with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Yield: 6 servings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I'm sorry I missed that garlic cookalong... o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Sun, Feb 22, 09 at 2:46 Our dinner tonight (sorry, no photos) was spinach salad with bleu, craisins and candied pecans, filet mignon on the grill, shredded zucchini tossed with fresh lemon and grated parmesan, fingerling potatoes, AND of course our carrots steamed slightly and then sauteed with orange juice concentrate, freshly zested orange peel and butter(margarine for me) topped with some sweet basil from Penzey's. Dessert was fresh berries with Grand Marnier and brownies. Our guests were very complimentary and enjoyed it all! Thanks to Nancy (and Sherry) for inspiring us to have this little impromtu dinner party--I visited 2 markets and Costco and was able to be ready to go by 7pm! o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sun, Feb 22, 09 at 12:34 I made the honey date carrot muffin recipe teresa posted for breakfast yesterday and they were delicious. I didn't change anything in the recipe, except that I was a little short on the amount of dates and made up the balance with dried apple bits. They weren't very sweet but that's the way we like them. DH instructed me to make sure I saved the recipe. Thanks for posting it. Katie, I had saved the same stuffed carrot from and old Taste of Home magazine and pulled it out for carrot week. I cooked and carved out the carrots yesterday and refrigerated them and the centers to finish off for dinner one night this week. I'm not sure about the mayo but I'll never know unless I try it. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Feb 22, 09 at 14:37 Got to looking for recipes w/carrots and found these in my old (80's) Land O'Lakes cookbook. HONEY GLAZED PEA PODS AND CARROTS 3/4 c. water 2 c. (4 med.) diagonally sliced 1/4 inch carrots 8 oz. fresh pea pods, washed, remove tips and strings 3 tbsp. butter 1/2 tsp. cornstarch 2 tbsp. honey In 2 quart saucepan bring water to a full boil. Add carrots, cover; cook over medium heat until carrots are crisply tender (10 to 12 minutes). Add pea pods. Continue cooking until pea pods are crisply tender (1 to 2 minutes). Drain; set aside. In same pan melt butter; stir in cornstarch. Add carrots, pea pods and honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (2 to 3 minutes). 2 (6 oz.) pkg. frozen pea pods can be substituted for 8 oz. fresh pea pods. Makes 6 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHUCKWAGON CARROTS Crisp bacon gives smoked flavor to hearty chunks of carrots. 3 cups carrots, sliced 1/2 inch (6 med) 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced 1/8 inch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper In 2-qt saucepan place carrots; add enough water to cover. Bring to a full boil. Cook over medium heat until carrots are crisply tender (8-12 minutes). Drain and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (5 minutes). Serves 4-6 Nancy o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by fearlessem (My Page) on Sun, Feb 22, 09 at 14:51 Oooh -- glad I saw this thread, as I have a Tried and True recipe to post. It is for a Red Lentil and Carrot soup, and it is in my top-5 favorite soups of all time... The recipe was originally by Mark Bittman, but my main modification to it is to double the amount of carrot in it, which I think really improves it. Red Lentil and Carrot Soup Time: 45 minutes – Serves 4 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling 1 large onion, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated on a box grater 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth + 1 cup water 1 cup red lentils 1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. 2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer. 3. Add broth, 1 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary. 4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. If it is too thick, add a little more water to thin it down. YUM! Emily o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Mon, Feb 23, 09 at 3:18 Oops--Ok, so I was a week off, LOL! Hey there's no guarantee that I can do this again next week, so if not, I had my dinner a week early! o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Wed, Feb 25, 09 at 7:15 Well, I did make the stuffed carrots last night and despite the fact that they looked interesting on the plate, I wouldn't make them again. I like both horseradish and mayonnaise but the combination in the stuffing did nothing to enhance the flavor of the carrots. However, if it wouldn't have been for the Cookalong, I probably wouldn't have tried them. DH and I are both enjoying the adventures with the Cookalong ingredients. This weekend will be the Apple and Carrot Confetti. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dixiedog_2007 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 25, 09 at 20:41 I was hoping that I would be able to participate in this one but I will not. Have fun everyone and I look forward to seeing what everyone made. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Feb 26, 09 at 8:39 Ruthanna I'm really enjoying your pictures! I was going to have a dinner party this weekend, but after another hectic week I just cannot pull it off. I hope to try something though. I'm looking for a full time job, plus working a 30 hour one too. And commuting two hours most days. And trying to watch my weight! I love these cookalongs though! o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Fri, Feb 27, 09 at 16:20 The carrot Cookalong dinner is tomorrow night. I've decided to make the carrots and pea pod recipe...found fresh ones! Not an easy task sometimes.. So, what are you making??? Nancy o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by trsinc (My Page) on Fri, Feb 27, 09 at 20:34 I'm going to make Indian food: red lentils and carrots with a butter dressing (includes onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro), spicy cabbage and carrot slaw (not indian, just winging it), scallion rice and flat bread. Thanks Emily for posting your recipe. I've saved it as I love red lentils. The dish I'm making tomorrow is an old favorite that I want to try with carrots included. I've not made the rice or flat bread before, so we'll see how that turns out. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Sat, Feb 28, 09 at 17:55 I almost forgot about this. I picked up fresh carrots when I was out and had to improvise when I came home. I picked Mustangs honey roasted vegetables since I had sweet potatoes and shallots on hand. I had to leave out the parsnips and turnips so the pan looks really orange right now. I can't wait to taste it. o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by trsinc (My Page) on Sat, Feb 28, 09 at 18:05 I just now made up a batch of carrot soup. I would never serve this as a soup but I wanted to have it as a drink. It's just carrot juice, orange juice, and orange flower water - chilled. I really liked it until I added the flower water. It tastes just like it smells and over powered the drink. I bought it for a recipe I saw and now don't know where to find it, lol. I think I'll juice up a few more oranges to see if that'll fix it. Or, maybe I could use it in some muffins as the liquid... o RE: Cookalong #3---Carrots Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Feb 28, 09 at 18:36 I made the Czechoslovakian Apple and Carrot Confetti that sally2 posted and we really liked it. I used golden raisins instead of the currants and added about a heaping teaspoon of sugar. We also had roasted asparagus and a small pork tenderloin with a molasses and mustard glaze and the salad was a perfect complement for it. I'd also like it as a side dish for baked ham. It's definitely going in my "keep" file. I can't wait to see what the next Cookalong ingredient will be.