Happy New Year to all of you☺ How did you spend New Year's?
Today, let me share my carrot cake I baked during this holidays with you before I resume a Michigan travel journal.
I call it "healthy" carrot cake because I'm using organic rolled oats & rice flour (gluten free!), non oil this time! (I just forgot adding...😅 I usually use a little ghee and olive oil), and less sugar. I just put plain cream cheese on top instead of cream cheese frosting. You can feel delicious natural flavor.
This is "Toshikoshi soba" my brother made for my mother. "Toshikoshi soba" is a traditional noodle bowl dish made from buckwheat which Japanese people eat on New Year's Eve. It is said to bring good luck and longevity because they are long and thin. My brother made the dish using duck meat!
On the other hand, I made "Ozoni", traditional New Year's soup with rice cakes and vegetables at my place. I'm cutting each rice cake into 5 pieces because I haven't been able to open my mouth enough since I got injured. That's why I spent this holiday alone at my condo to have a good rest quietly.
It was all of a sudden. I hit my left face strongly on December 23, so I'm barely able to eat with the right side of my mouth slowly. I'm cutting food into small pieces and thinly. I'm taking care of my left knee too. However, I appreciate that I didn't break any bones. I'm saved. Thank you God!
It doesn't look traditional Japanese, but I cerebrated the New Year in a small way I could while my face and knee ached.
This muffins are made of plenty grated carrot and apple. Also, an egg, soy milk... Thinner ones have cinnamon in them. I like without cinnamon ones better as they taste very natural and gentle.
I think the beauty is that a carrot cake baked without cocoa brings out the original taste of ingredients and shows each ingredients well when divided. The cut dates are adding lovely sweetness to a cake(muffin). If you want more sweetness, it's pretty to add honey on cream cheese❤︎
I still have pain and can't open my mouth very much, however, the swelling / the gray bruising of my face are gradually going down. I will continue to take a good care of myself😌
I wish everyone a year full of blessings, fun moments, and good health. Rose
