Thanks guys :o) They were so good! I delivered them tonight and they were well received. I will make these again and again. Seagrass, yes, I have to stay away until the Ativan kicks in :o) Grainlady, I'm so glad you found recipes at that site that you enjoy. That flourless monster cookie thing sounds intriguing. Rusty, they were very chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside.... almost just like an oatmeal cookie, which is basically what they were... an oatmeal cookie with a twist. I don't like "cake like" cookies at all, so I'm very glad they turned out the way they did.

I love the book, haven't made anything from it yet, but there is so much to go through, the pictures are amazing, and each recipe looks more delicious than the one before. One especially of a chocolate cake with thick layer of frosting. It's just begging for a glass of ice cold milk to with it. The cheesecake, everything in the book looks good! The pictures are all amazing. I recommend the book very highly. Here's the recipe, Monique. It sounds great and the picture of it looks fantastic! Looking forward to seeing your pictures of Bill's Big Carrot Cake... BILLS BIG CARROT CAKE (Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan) FOR THE CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups grated carrots (About 9 carrots; I grate them in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) 1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries 2 cups sugar 1 cup canola or safflower oil 4 large eggs FOR THE FROSTING 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract 1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional) Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut, for topping (optional) GETTING READY: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the 325 degrees F. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess. Put two pans on one baking sheet and one on another. THE CAKE: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one, and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix in the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean; the cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.) TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Working with the stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract. If youÂd like coconut in the filling, scoop out about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or cover generously with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting (or more plain frosting). Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the topÂand the sides, if you wantÂof the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now, while the frosting is soft. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving. MAKES 10 SERVINGS SERVING: The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's best with vanilla ice cream or even some Lemon Curd (page 462) with a little whipped cream folded in. STORING: Covered, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then, when it is firm, wrap air-tight and freeze for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.

Isn't it wonderful that we all can make our own choices according to our own tastes?! And no one is right or wrong. I laughed when I saw your list of pineapple and dairy mixtures, Linda...bleh! I wouldn't eat any of them. Back in the olden days when people actually ordered banana splits, the one thing I never could abide was pineapple sauce on the ice cream! And coconut cream isn't dairy in my book, but not really a Pina Colada fan either. But I do love a fresh, ripe pineapple! Maybe it is regional...where I live there are so many fresh, local ingredients, many from the sea, and a real foodie culture, so you're right....beef stew would likely not be served for a company meal (regardless of the fancy French name it could be called); crepes might be served, not as a dessert, but maybe as a main dish or breakfast. Not much flaming of food these days. Back in the 1970's when I lived in a more rural area where people raise their own beef, so they eat much more of it, beef stew might have been something we'd have eaten (but still probably not for a company meal). Come to think of it, that's when carrot cake was at its most popular in my cooking life, too. Likely not what you'd find around here these days. Things seem to be focused on lighter fare, fresh ingredients, more veggies, fewer sauces, etc. But I'm sure I'd enjoy a beef stew dinner with crepes for dessert, if I were your guest. I'd pass on the ambrosia!

I don’t give gift bags for my guests, although many times I’ll buy them something local that they’re admiring while they’re here. I always put a vase of fresh, seasonal flowers in our guest room, as well as a few magazines, and a recent dining-and-regional attractions guide for the area. I also keep a number of books on New Mexico and our local area for anyone interested, on the book case in there. On the nightstand, I keep a box of Kleenex, a small bottle of non-perfume-y hand cream, and small open container that holds a pen, pencil, small thin flashlight, emery board, etc. It’s a nice-sized nightstand, as I always myself appreciate a nice area next to the bed for my water, book, reading glasses, etc. Because we have very low humidity here in New Mexico, I also add a carafe of water and drinking glass or bottled water. In our guest bathroom I keep a nice-sized basket of things our guests might need during their stay with us: small bottles of Tylenol, Tums, etc. Band-Aids, sunscreen, (new, sealed) Chapsticks, small toothpastes and toothbrushes. Several shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap samples in case they don’t care for the shampoo and bottle of liquid soap that I keep in the shower, or haven’t brought their own. I always remind my guests before they come that I have a (very nice) hairdryer and an always-washed-and-ready, generic terry robe in the guest room closet, if needed. I’m happy and surprised how many of our guests save packing space in their suitcases, and use the robe and hairdryer. We travel frequently, and what I DON’T like in guest rooms, besides knick-knack clutter, is not having a nightstand on both sides of the bed for DH and myself. And, not having decent lamps on the nightstands to read by. Also, a full-length mirror in the guest room is great. I’ve hung one on the wall behind the door in my guest room. Not enough space and/or hangers for our clothes is another irritant although I’d never, as a guest, complain to our family or friends about it. So, that's what our guests get when they come for a visit, but no gift bag.