Would You Rather

Did you ever play Would You Rather?  It's the best Debbie Downer game on the planet.

"Would you rather burn to death or drown?"

"Would you rather be buried alive or slowly freeze to death in a commercial freezer?"

"Would you rather be mauled by a bear or bitten by a rattlesnake?"

Of course there are much milder ways to play the game.  Questions about vacation choices or possible career paths.  But my high school friends always thought of the worst imaginable ways to die and forced each other to choose between them.

That's how I feel about diet restrictions.

Every once in a while I will have need to bake sans dairy.  It goes against every fiber of my being, and I only attempt such a feat for a friend.*  I. Love. Dairy.  And I've attempted gluten-free baking once, but I do not believe I will ever do that again.  What about the dinner rolls?  What about----Dessert!?  Oy vey!  How can I bake without flour?  I. Love. Flour.  I'll have to stick to meat and produce for those serving hard gluten-free time.

SO, here is a recipe for a diary-free Carrot Cake I made for a friend. Said friend and I were lamenting her temporary dairy-free state, and shuddering at the prospect of ever having to commit to a gluten-free diet.  We love our food, the way we want it, with all the good stuff inside!  I promised other friends I would post this recipe...weeks ago, so here it is.  This cake is yummy, yummy moist, and the layers came out smooth as butter.  The frosting can prove quite shifty, so when layering you might want to employ the use of toothpicks for stability.

Dairy-Free Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

4 eggs

4 cups grated carrots

1~Mix your dry ingredients.  Grate carrots; prepare wet ingredients including carrots.

2~Throw 'em together and mix well.

3~Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round pans.

4~Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Dairy-Free Meringue Frosting

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg white

1/3 cup boiling water

1~Combine first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl with wire whisk; mix well.  Add boiling water while whisking.

2~Beat on high for 6-10 minutes until peaks form.

3~Once you reach perfect peak status, just see how awesome it is to slather this on that cake!

*I need to clarify that I do not begrudge my friends for having diet restrictions.  I love a good challenge, and I will never turn down an opportunity to feed someone I love just because I can't use butter or flour. People are more important than food.  I'm just saying, if I had to restrict MY diet for the sake of my health or my kids...  Well.  Call up the prayer chain and put me on the list.