Celebrating Valentine’s Day as a couple is challenging once you’re parents. Unless you have a trustworthy babysitter that is somehow actually available on Valentine’s night, you’ll probably find yourself celebrating at home with your loved one. It’s definitely different from the traditional thinking of what makes for a romantic date night, but it’s possible. After all, romance doesn’t necessarily need to be big – it just needs to be thoughtful.
As I thought about how to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year and how to make a date night at home different from any other night in, I was inspired by a recent conversation with Jai from Mami’s Time Out. She suggested having a candle-lit dinner at home, which is so simple, yet something I had not thought about. Candles – what a nice and easy way to create a different atmosphere!
I decided instead of focusing on the main meal, I’d focus on creating a nice dessert for two. I don’t often bake, so this automatically gives my date night a special meaning. Plus, I wanted to make my husband’s favorite dessert, carrot cake, but a sugar-free version to keep in-line with our attempt at eating healthier. So, with a plan in mind, I headed to the store to pick up some necessary ingredients, supplies, and browse their Valentine’s Day section.
My plan was to set our table for two, using Valentine’s Day colors, and highlight the (heart-shaped) cake with some candles. I added a nice card to further the message of love (you can never go wrong with a card and hand-written note). When my husband walked in from work last night, he was surprised to find an early Valentine’s treat with a candle-lit table for two, and a sugar-free carrot cake with home-made cream cheese frosting. Most of all, though, he came home to a celebration of love, kids included.
If you want to try a sugar-free carrot cake this Valentine’s Day (or for any other celebration), try this recipe, which I slightly modified from this one I found on the Pillsbury website. The main difference is that I omitted the raisins, as I found they are pretty high in sugar. Be sure to scroll further down for even more ideas for a fun Valentine’s Day date night IN!
1 package Pillsbury® Sugar Free Classic Yellow Cake Mix (prepared according to box with oil, eggs, and water)
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 cup Chopped Walnuts
2 cups Carrots (4-6 medium), shredded
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 cup Cream Cheese
3 Tbsp Butter
5 Tbsp Splenda
2 tsp Vanilla
3-4 Tbsp Milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow Cake Mix according to directions on box.
Add cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and carrots. Mix together with wooden spoon or spatula.
Grease heart-shape cake pan and pour cake mixture into pan. (Or you can also use two 9-inch cake pans as specified in the original recipe.)
Bake for 55 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean. (The original recipe says to bake for 40-45 minutes, but the heart-shaped pan required more time.)
Prepare cream cheese frosting while cake is cooling.
Mix room temperature cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until creamy.
Add Splenda and vanilla. Mix.
Add milk as needed until frosting is of spreading consistency.
Frost cooled cake and serve.
More Ideas for a Valentine’s Day Date Night At Home:
Keep it simple. Stay-at-home-dad Peter Mullensuggests: “…a comforting, casual homemade dinner: smokey tomato bisque, caprese and prosciutto panini with arugula and walnut pesto, and mini lemon cakes with a raspberry couli. That, a card, and a bottle of nice wine.”
Reminisce. Remembering all the fun you’ve had together as a couple is a great way to share a date night in. Check out these ideas for reminiscing on a date night at home, plus a few other V-Day ideas.
How will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day with your spouse or partner?
Hopefully you agree that the idea of veggies in your dessert is tastier than it sounds! Warm spices, naturally sweet carrot and cream cheese frosting make this recipe so delicious, it's no wonder carrot cake is so popular around the world.
The oven temperature is too high. If the top crust forms and sets before the cake has finished rising, the middle will try to push through the crust as it continues to bake, causing it to crack and possibly dome. Check your oven with an oven thermometer and reduce the temperature accordingly if it is running hot.
NHS guidelines state that three heaped tablespoons of cooked carrots counts as a portion, which is about 60g. This suggests that a whole cake contains more than eight portions of carrots, so a largish slice ought to count as one of your five-a-day.
Both the brownies and the carrot cake need to be refrigerated. This is because they are perishable items that can spoil if left at room temperature for too long.
However, even though carrot cake has a higher fat content, it can bit a healthier choice compared to regular cakes especially because carrot cake is made with whole wheat flour, which is a healthier choice of flour, unlike white flour.
Carrot cake is thought to have originated in England where housewives used sweet products (e.g carrots) to naturally sweeten their confections during World War II.
Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.
5. My cake has sunk in the middle. There are three main reasons for this: a/ the oven door has been opened before the cake has set, b/ the cake didn't go in the oven as soon as the mixture was ready or c/ there's too much raising agent.
Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter. Yes, butter generally tastes better, but it makes the cake come out a little firmer than I like. Don't worry—there's plenty of butter in the frosting to make up for it. Should carrot cake have raisins?
Eating carrots in moderation is good for your health. Eating carrots in excess, however, can cause a condition called carotenemia. This refers to yellowish discoloration of the skin because of the deposition of a substance called beta-carotene that is present in carrots.
Blueberries take the title of healthiest fruit. Blueberries' stunning hue comes from their anthocyanins — an antioxidant believed to be responsible for their numerous health benefits. Long-term studies suggest that including blueberries in your regular lineup may lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice. Because of this, they don't count towards your 5 A Day. Other vegetables that don't count towards your 5 A Day are yams, cassava and plantain. They're also usually eaten as starchy foods.
What you can't do, however, is leave carrot cake out on the counter indefinitely. If you want to keep carrot cake in tip-top shape from beginning to end, the FDA recommends that you don't leave it on the counter for any longer than two hours.
Mold Growth: It is obvious that the cake is no longer safe to consume if you see any mold on it. You should throw out the cake right away since mold might be dangerous to your health.
You can make and frost the cake 1 day in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. Use freshly grated carrots.
The delicious smell and great taste of a well-made cake can make people feel happy and remember good times. In addition, cakes are important for celebrating important events and milestones. When there's a birthday, wedding, or big event, having a cake makes it feel special and adds some sweetness to the celebration.
In addition to being known for being an incredible source of beta-carotenes, carrots have several nutritional properties that make them an excellent food to include in everyday life. It is rich in vitamins A, B and C, and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium and sodium.
They're Great for Weight Management. In addition to the fiber carrots provide, they're chock-full of water—a carrot is actually 88% water. 3 This combination boosts fullness.
Cake holds a deep symbolic meaning in birthday celebrations. It represents the joy and sweetness of life, and blowing out the candles is seen as a way to make a wish for the upcoming year. The act of cutting and sharing the cake with loved ones also symbolizes sharing happiness and good fortune.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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