Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) grated carrots
1 cup (250 mL) drained crushed canned pineapple
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans

Icing:
1 8 oz (250g) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, softened
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar (aka confectioners sugar and powdered sugar)

Preparation
Grease and flour 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan; (or 2 round pans) set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In separate bowl, beat together granulated and brown sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth; pour over flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Stir in carrots, pineapple and pecans. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack. (Make-ahead: Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or ovenwrap with heavy duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks; let thaw before continuing.)

Icing: In bowl, beat cream cheese with butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Beat in icing sugar, one-third at a time, until smooth. Spread over top of cake. (Make-ahead: Cover loosely and refrigerate for up to I day.)

Roasted Garlic Chicken and White Sauce Pizza

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1 container refrigerated Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust
1 tablespoon butter
6 garlic cloves, roasted & minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
1/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried/ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon (or more) dried parsley, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions
Chicken & Garlic Directions
You can cook your chicken and garlic in the oven at the same time. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut your chicken breasts in half, place on the baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt. Rip off a large sheet of foil and fold into a square box so that it is raised off of the baking sheet enough that any chicken juices will not reach your garlic. Place garlic on the foil and bake at 375° until the chicken juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°. Remove from the oven and chop the chicken into small bite sized strips. Peel the garlic and mince.

For the Pizza Crust
Preheat oven to 400°. Spray your pizza baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the Pillsbury pizza dough out to the desired thickness and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Sauce Directions
While the pizza dough is in the oven, add butter and roasted garlic to a medium sauce pan. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in your milk and half & half and whisk together. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sift flour over milk mixture while whisking together to prevent lumps. Add ground black pepper, ground thyme, dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley & garlic salt and whisk well. Turn off heat and add parmesan cheese. Stir together until all cheese is melted.

Assemble Pizza
Spoon your sauce onto half baked pizza crust.
Top with chicken
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over entire pizza
Sprinkle red onion evenly over mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon (or more) dried parsley on the very top of the pizza

Final Baking Instructions
Place entire pizza back in the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes, until the cheese and crust reach your desired doneness.  Serve immediately.

Cheesy Chicken and Bacon Casserole

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 strips of quality bacon – cooked and crumbled
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 box (16 ounces) dried spiral pasta
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook & crumble bacon. Set aside and reserve grease. 
2. Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and cook in bacon drippings, adding garlic, salt & pepper to taste.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Prepare pasta according to directions and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Drain pasta, return to pot. Add soup and one cup of Monterrey Jack cheese.  Mix well.
6. Pour into prepared baking dish. 
7. Top with crumbled bacon and remaining cheese. 
8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown on top.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

20 Oreo cookies
2 tablespoons butter, softened 
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 
1 carton (16 ounces) whipped topping
15-20 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped 
1 cup cold milk 
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix 

Instructions 
1. Crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-inch square dish; set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. 
3. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. 
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups. 
5. In another large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners' sugar on low speed for 2 minutes. 
6. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in remaining whipped topping. 
7. Spread over peanut butter cups. 
8. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top. 
9. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

Easy Cheesy Breadsticks

1 (10 ounce) can prepared pizza crust
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Unroll pizza dough onto a greased cookie sheet and brush with butter.
3. Sprinkle cheeses and spices evenly over the dough.
4. With a pizza cutter, cut dough lengthwise into 12 long strips. Then cut those in half to make 24 strips.
5. Do not separate strips.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
7. Re-cut along each strip and remove from cooking sheet.
8. Serve sticks warm with marinara sauce.

Apple Pie Bites

1 tube Crescent rolls
1 Apple
Cinnamon
Sugar

1) Slice apple into 8 wedges
2) Separate crescents and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar
3) Roll up one apple slice in each crescent
4) Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees

Indian Pizza

Ingredients
- 1 medium size onion
- 2 small yukon gold or purple potatoes
- pistachios
- honey
- cilantro
- garlic
- olive oil, hot pepper flavoured if available
- pizza dough, or ingredients to make such
- a soft, easily meltable cheese: I recommend fontina, preferably smoked if you can find it
- paneer (optional, but delicious. See my other instructable for how to make your own flavoured paneer)
- Indian spices: I used garam masala, paprika, tumeric, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cloves, and vadavan spice blend

Step 1: Caramelized Curried Onions
First, I heated some hot pepper olive oil and some garlic over medium-low heat. Once that was hot, I added two chopped onions - one large white and one small red, for diversity of flavour.

Then I added my spices. I used 1 tablespoon each of vadavan spice blend (available from Amazon) and garam masala (tastier if you make it yourself), 1 teaspoon each of paprika and tumeric, and 1/2 teaspoon each of cardamom, cumin, coriander, and cloves. Mix them up in the onions, and let cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover with a lid, lower heat down to low, and cook for another 20 minutes before transferring to a bowl. Do not wash pan yet!

Step 2: Make Pizza Dough
Mix 1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes (also known as proofing the dough). During these five minutes, heat oven to 200 deg F very briefly, and turn off before yeast is done proofing. Then add 1 cup of white flour, 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and combine to form a rough shaggy dough.

Knead for 5 minutes, either by hand or with your handy-dandy dough hook.

Transfer dough to a well-oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size, in your pre-heated oven.

Step 3: Lightly Toast Sliced Potatoes
While your dough is rising, slice your potatoes as thin as possible. If you have a mandolin, this is the perfect time for it.

Add some oil to your onion-spice pan and heat on medium heat. Toast potato slices for 1 minute on each side.

Step 4: Prepare Pizza Dough
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from oven. Heat oven to 450 deg F.

Roll out pizza as thin as possible, to fit either a 12 inch or 16 inch pizza pan, whatever you have available. Brush the pizza with oil (hot pepper olive oil preferred) and bake for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble Pizza Toppings
Grate your fontina or other soft cheese, until you have about 2/3 of a cup.

Layer your toppings on the pre-baked pizza crust. I prefer this order:
- potatoes
- onions
- pistachios
- paneer
- fontina

Step 6: Bake Your Pizza
Bake your pizza for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is brown and crunchy, and all the fontina has melted.

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cilantro as soon as it comes out of the oven.