the carrots

So, i haven't posted in a while - i've been busy living. The week went too fast for me to notice. i think i'll make life into several posts, instead of one huge one ... i get overwhelmed with long strings of unbroken writing. it feels like Finnegan's Wake every time.

On Tuesday, I went to the grocery store to buy carrots and powdered sugar, the only two ingredients i was missing to make carrot cake. Firstly, i felt guilty that i was buying conventional carrots, not local or organic (or both), but i hadn't known i was to make carrot cake until Sunday, and the farmer's market is only on Saturday. So i stood in the produce section pondering the carrots. My options were: a 2-pound bag of baby carrots (a definite 'no' - i reject these 'babies' on principle, as it's like dressing up 40-year-olds in baby clothes and trying to get them adopted), and then regular carrots in 1-lb, 2-lb, or 10-lb bags. The price per pound for the 1-lb and 2-lb was the same, but the price per pound of the 10-lb was half that. I stood there thinking, well, i'll probably use at least one pound in the carrot cake, and i do love carrots, so i want to have a few for myself ...
so the checkout lady thought i was crazy, first of all because i pulled out my own canvas bag to put this sack of carrots into, and second because i was going to carry it. the whole way home, i kept thinking, i'm just saving myself trips to the gym. real life *is* exercise.

then i baked moist and delicious carrot-cake cupcakes, as well as a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.
I was doing all of this baking for John William's birthday - accordion man who runs the seisun - which was on Halloween, conveniently a Wednesday. I had offered my services to Amy, his wife, who was organizing the festivities (she wanted there to be a toast, roast, or boast, but really it was just a toast, because everyone was just too happy to think of roasts). I finished frosting everything at 7 pm on Wednesday, which is theoretically the start time for the seisun. i wasn't worried, because i have gotten to Nevin's at 7 before and spent half an hour sitting there before anyone else shows up to play. this is Irish time, folks. I decided I would walk to Nevin's, as i had foregone my run to frost the cupcakes. i packed everything up and walked north through residential Evanston. It was so much fun, seeing all of the kids still out trick-or-treating - at 7, they were still out, even though it was dark. there weren't many *little* kids, but there were still a lot of people, including one street that was closed off for a block party, with a bonfire and a table covered in candy.
I got to Nevin's at 7:30, and the seisun was in full swing - there were already about 10 musicians there, including a couple that usually only come on Sundays, as they didn't want to miss the fun. To my delight, they had saved my usual seat - next to Amy, with my back to the fireplace - because they knew i'd be there, with cake. it was a raucously good session - many, many great musicians, a full and appreciative crowd (more appreciative than usual, because a higher percentage than usual were there for us, what with John's family and friends). a lot of people had on fun costumes (i sat next to a man with a bolt shoved bloodily into his head) and the atmosphere was very jovial, with much singing, dancing, and drinking. i had two strangers buy me beers, but i was not too interested in either one and those were the only drinks i had all night. John, on the other hand, enjoyed his birthday to the fullest. when i went to leave, he gave me a hug and tried to kiss me on the cheek, but missed a bit and slobbered in my ear instead. i tried hard not to laugh.

thus far, the carrots have gone into: cake, soup, snack (with homemade hummus), sauerkraut (in progress - i'm not sure i'll be good at this 'patient' sort of food ...), stir fry ... that might be it. i think i've gone through about half. i'm not sick of carrots yet! i may always buy the big bag.
does anyone have any carrot recipes i just *have* to try, while i have this beta-carotene abundance in my life?