Carrot Cake on the Light Side

Light Carrot Cake and Constant Comment Tea

Carrots planted in early August for a Fall Harvest are sweeter than those planted in the Spring, in my opinion.  This year's carrots were pulled up about mid-October.  Of course, it is easier to buy those wonderful little carrots in the store and I do most of the year.  But carrots fresh from the garden are more special.  With a good scrubbing, they may not even need to be peeled and are good plain or in salads.  Many of the smaller and odd-sized ones can be shredded easily to be used in a delicious carrot cake.  I have found that many carrot cake recipes have too much fat and are highly sugared.  This one has less oil and sugar and is made with whole wheat flour that gives a more substantial, healthier option to this classic dessert.

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola oil, plus more for cake pan

1 cup whole wheat flour, plus more for cake pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

⅓ cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 cup shredded, packed carrots 

cream cheese frosting or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush and 8" square glass cake pan with oil.  Place a waxed or parchment paper in the bottom; brush with oil, and dust with flour.  Set aside.

Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.  Set aside.

Whisk eggs, sugars, yogurt, and oil until smooth in small bowl until smooth.  Gently mix egg mixture into dry ingredients until moistened; mix in carrots.  Scrape batter into prepared 8" square pan.

Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly.  Turn out of pan on rack to cool completely.  Transfer to plate and dust with confectioner's sugar for a lighter dessert.

For a layered cake with cream cheese frosting:

1 cream cheese bar softened to room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat with hand mixer until fluffy.  Cut 8"x 8" cooled cake in half.  Smooth out about ½ cup of the frosting on top of one layer then place other half cake on top.  Frost sides and top evenly.  Sprinkle walnuts on top, if desired.  Enjoy!

Financial Planning - Two Years into Retirement

I did not go back to work.  Some family and friends predicted that I would be so bored that I'd be doing some appraisal work by the time I reached my second year of retirement.  They do not know me as well as they thought.  Yes, some newly retired people they know did not plan well and are either choosing to work part-time to fill in gaps in their money and/or their life.  They may not have planned very well.  I did.  I am in a good place.  My choices were right for me.

If you have been a follower of my blog, you can see that I have varied interests and am open to new experiences.  These activities and lifestyle have always been a part of who I am.  I just have more time to explore my options and retirement has cleared out life's clutter that had kept me from seeing and making choices with my intuition.  I am a much happier person now than I ever have been.  Joy is a part of every day!  So filling in any gaps in my social and family life has not been difficult.  Yes, I would like to have more close friends and have family around more but I can only do the best I can in meeting people halfway.

So…financially things are not so bad.  On December 1, 2013, I will be two years into retirement.  I am as busy as I want to be and pretty much staying within my budget.  I have not saved money like I thought I would because I wanted to update my electronics and bought a TV, DVD player, printer/scanner and a MacBook Pro laptop last February. I bought most of what I wanted and using my savings to pay it off in a year.  I'm still on tract with that.  The only challenge was that I had unexpected dental and car needs that would have easily been paid straight up had I not bought the electronics.  So I will take out some profit from investments early next year to get caught up.  The Plan is to not to have any debts unpaid at the end of the year and that is my source if I cannot catch it with budget adjustments and savings during the year.  I also bought a kayak.  Keith kicked in about 40% of the cost as well as gave me use of an extra life jacket and paddle.  There's more than enough food in the house and all my bills were paid on time.  Life is good.

I still have a couple years to decide about taking Social Security at age 62.  That has been the plan as that is when the temporary payment portion with my pension ends.  There are two other options to consider between now and then.  The first one is to not take my Social Security until age 66 and live on my investments until then.  That would be stressful as it likely would reduce the basic amount I didn't want to use but the additional payment amount at age 66 would be tempting.

The other option is a new one that we just heard about from AARP that involves a marital strategy.  We would need to do further research before deciding.  We have already talked to a SS Agent in person who suggested that I would be best to take the SS at 62 as originally planned as I may not come out ahead should my spouse die early.  The plan is for my spouse to apply for his SS at his age 66 but suspend payments.  This allows it to grow at the estimated 8% until he takes it as planned at his age 70 with the highest payment.  If he does this, I can apply for my half of his payment at his age 66 instead of signing up for my SS payment at 62.  That way my SS can grow at 8% until I reach 66 when I take my full amount.  That would give me about half the amount of my SS at age 62.  The problem addressed by the SS Agent is that should my spouse die before he collects his full amount at age 70, I would only be entitled to his age 66 amount.  When I reach age 66, my full amount would be about the same no matter what.  Not sure if it is worth the hassle.  Will likely stay with the original plan and take my SS at age 62 which is still a couple hundred more than the temporary payment I have been getting.

There is a new law in 2014 that may make a difference for when my spouse takes his SS.  The original plan was for him to work at the job he likes until he is 70 then take the maximum SS.  The new law will allow full SS payment in addition to salary under $40K with no reduction.  Previously, one could only make about $15K at the same time collecting SS otherwise, the SS would be reduced $1 for every $2 in salary.  The tax issue needs to be researched further.  I think only 50% of SS is taxed.  We would need to figure out how much of a tax bite it would be in addition to his salary.  It likely would be worthwhile.  He would just need to decide what year he would collect instead of waiting until age 70.  

It appears that my Retirement Plan is working.  I am staying in my budget reasonably with my pension.  I must plan any new expenses carefully and not allow my base investment to drop below my desired amount.  I have not been as active as I thought I would be in making changes to my investments as the market has not shown the growth that allows me to take extra chances.  I like being at a safe 60/40 ratio right now.  Next year I hope to include one or two trips, a couple genealogy programs/memberships, and some education/license expenses to renew my appraisal certification.  I also hope to save more of my pension for unexpected expenses and not have to catch up again with investment profits.  Those profits from investments were basically planned to be for travel…hopefully Europe sooner than later!

Daniel Boone's Missouri Home

During my third trip to complete the Katy Trail by bicycle, I decided to take my time and read all the Wayside Exhibits (information boards) along the way as many new improvements had been added since my last trip in 2003.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 is mentioned the most as there are about 200 miles along the Missouri River that has been designated as an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.  It is also part of the American Discovery Trail and has the designation as a Millennium Legacy Trail.  It is no wonder that the Katy Trail was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008.  The Katy is not only a healthy and fun adventure, but also an educational one.  

This exhibit was just across the highway from the trailhead at Matson.  I learned that Daniel Boone was  appointed by the Spanish Lt. Governor to be the "judge" for the area as he was greatly respected and admired by both the French and Spanish who traveled in this area that was not yet a part of the United States.  There were two of these Judgement Trees around in which a simple court was held and Daniel Boone had the final say.  There was no other law available for most of the typical problems that arose in the early settlement times.

So now I am really interested in learning more about Daniel Boone.  Other boards were available at this site to increase my curiosity.  As I read, I knew I was going to have to make a trip to Daniel Boone's Home a part of this trip although travel will have to be by car near Defiance, Missouri. Here is some of what I learned at this site and from taking the tour at Daniel Boone's Home the next day... 

Before Lewis and Clark, there was Daniel Boone.  Born into a Quaker family in Pennsylvania, Boone established himself at an early age as a successful outdoorsman.   His family moved to North Carolina when he was 15 leaving their Quaker restrictions behind.  He married at age 21; wife Rebecca was 17.  Together they had 10 children; seven lived and gave them 68 grandchildren.  By the time Boone was 31, there were four times as many people in their North Carolina Yadkin Valley home than when they first moved there.  Kentucky began to look good when mounting debts from hunting provision loans became a burden because he was having to travel further out to find game.  Boone and a couple of other men set off in 1769 for Kentucky to see what it had to offer.  The land proved to be appealing and plentiful in game.  In 1773, Boone set out again.  This time there was a party of five families.  This first attempt to settle was unsuccessful as five members of the party were killed including Boone's first born son, James.   Daniel Boone did not give up and returned in 1775 with 28 axeman and created the Wilderness Trail which stretched from Tennessee to Kentucky.  This trail helped to establish many towns including Boonesborough, which was established by Daniel Boone himself.

Famous painting by Caleb Bingham of Daniel Boone leading settlers through the Cumberland Gap

By the late 1700's, Kentucky was becoming crowded and the Spanish lands west of the Mississippi was rumored to have abundant resources.  At that time, Daniel Boone was faced with several lawsuits in regard to land claims as he was working as a land surveyor and his 4th grade education likely was not sufficient to write deed descriptions especially as the years and population increased.  Daniel Boone sent his son, Daniel Morgan Boone to check out the Spanish lands in 1798.  This land was all part of what was to be the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the year before the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  He returned with a letter from the Spanish Lt. Governor inviting Boone out and stating that if he was to bring people with him, he and his people would be offered free grants of choice land.  This looked good to Boone especially since he had just lost large land holdings in Kentucky.  He accepted. 

In October of 1799, Daniel Boone and several of his sons and grandchildren arrived at the Missouri River.  He was 65 years old. Boone's land grant consisted of 1,000 arpents or 850 acres.  The Spanish map above shows how much of his land in the areas of Matson and Defiance were parceled out.  

Although Daniel Boone had his own land, he did not live on it.  Instead he built cabins on each of his children's properties and traveled between them.  Daniel Boone's youngest son, Nathan, did not travel with his father and the rest of the family to Missouri but stayed back to marry Olive Van Bibber.  When he did come, there were not many land grants remaining but he was lucky to obtain land from Robert Hall.  This 680 acres was where Daniel Boone choose to live his last 20 years with his youngest son and his family.  It is in this house that he died.  He was buried on this land but in recent years his remains were moved to Kentucky.  There is some controversy about whether or not the remains in Kentucky are actually that of Daniel Boone.  There was some question, so in 1984, DNA tests were done and the results showed the remains were of African and/or Indian origin.  No other tests have been done since.  The official status remains that Kentucky has the remains.  

The construction of the home was started in 1803 and completed in 1810.  It was a grand house and has been restored. For more information see the Historic Daniel Boone Home & Heritage Center, Lindenwood University at danielboonehome.com

This is the back of the home with our tour guide standing by the door.  It is a four story home with 2 1/2 feet thick walls.  The Missouri blue limestone was quarried locally moved to this location using either a horse or oxen drawn sled.  Handmade tools were used.

This would be the front of the house.  It was built as a fortress with the kitchen in the lowest floor with minimal openings.  Nathan was 18 years old and Olive was 16 when they married in 1799.  They had 14 children, one died at birth.  They lived in this home until 1837 when Nathan, an appointed captain of the First U.S. Dragoons, journeyed south and was struck by the beauty of the Ozark hills.  The family sold their property and moved to Ash Grove, Missouri where they started a new life.  This was where Nathan, Olive, and other family members died and were buried.  It is a short distance west of Springfield, Missouri on Highway 160.

Keith is going up the stairs pointing to a large wooden peg that secured the original construction like so many that were used instead of iron nails.  The interior was amazing as it was restored completely with many of the original furnishings.

Keith and I are at the top floor overlooking the settlement.  Picture taking of the interior was not allowed.  If you get a chance to take the tour, it would be well worth it!  

This is the view of the settlement from the far end with the main house in the center left at the base of the trees.  All of the other buildings were moved to the site in recent years.  They are all from within 50 miles and built of the same time period.

The Old Peace Chapel was having an actual wedding the day we were there!

This is Levi The Horse.  He represents the draft horses that served many purposes in the 1800's.  They were used as transportation, haul goods, and as a great labor force.  There were chickens and sheep like the ones in the photo used for their meat.  Keith found some canebrake (grass) and fed Levi by hand.

Lots of other pictures were taken but are not included on this blog.  The website has many good photos that include events.  There are 16 restored buildings and many other interests including The Gardens.  There was a heavy frost the night before but we could see that all the gardens were complimentary and purposeful.  Companion planting was obvious in each of the gardens.  We could see areas for a culinary garden, medicinal garden, tea garden, dye garden, herb garden, and a butterfly garden.  Prairie restoration in underway for areas around the settlement.

This view is from the back of the house looking toward the settlement.  It is taken from a small bridge that is over the spring that flows across the property.  It is the main reason this land was chosen to build on and settle by Daniel Boone.  Unlimited fresh water was a main criteria in the decision.

The spring water was channeled through the property and reinforced with rock.

The spring's water flows through this spring house where it's coolness was utilized in keeping food stored.  This  spring house has earth on three sides with this entrance setting below the ground level.

This is the Callaway House that was built between 1811 and 1812 in what is today Warren County.  It belonged to Flanders Callaway and his wife Jemima Boone.  Jemima Boone was one of Daniel Boone's daughters.  Flanders Callaway was one of the men that crossed the Cumberland Gap with Daniel Boone and also accompanied him on Jamima's rescue from the Indians.  The house is considered unusually large for the time period; most were one story cabins.  It was moved to this site in recent years.

This is what remains of the original Judgement Tree.  It had been repaired with concrete over the years along with spikes until it just went down in 1951 and moved here as its final resting place.

I have developed my own theory about why Daniel Boone was not present when Lewis and Clark and their exploration party were in the area in 1804 when he was 65 years old.  Boone was the first frontiersman and he finally settled just west of the Mississippi River about 25 miles from St. Charles.  Lewis and Clark started where Boone left off and had all the funding they wanted from the U.S. government as this new land purchase was the beginning of the biggest expansion westward.  Boone had struggled and went into debt with many hardships to get to where he and his family settled.  The glory and history of the westward expansion will show Lewis and Clark as the most important.  Without the goodwill and friendly relationships Daniel Boone made with the French and Spanish trappers and early settlers in the land, Lewis and Clark may not have had the help they needed to get as far as they did.

Daniel Boone did not like to be crowded as he left an area when more people moved in.  Lewis and Clark represented the next wave of increase moving westward and Boone was at a time of life when he wanted to enjoy peace with his family around him.  I think that if Boone had greeted the Lewis and Clark Expedition on his land in 1804, much publicity would be made of the historic moment and lead to unwanted attention.  It might even give the impression that Daniel Boone approved this westward expansion when all he may have wanted was to get as far away from civilization as he could to preserve his and his family's freedom.  Knowing that any protest about the expansion would be futile, he just made a loud statement by doing nothing and not giving Lewis and Clark the in-person support and blessing to move forward...a wise man indeed!  He lived for 20 more years in peace.

Daniel Boone's youngest son, Nathan Boone, had a list of accomplishments that included many ventures.  He owned a salt-making business with his brother known as the Boone's Lick, helped lay out some of Missouri's first roadways, served as a member of the first constitutional convention in Missouri and established himself as a capable military leader in both war and peacetime.  His final home in Ash Grove, Missouri, was a simple but comfortable log house and the land grew to more than 700 acres.  Nathan and his wife and other family members are buried near the house.

Missouri Wine Country - Augusta to Hermann

Fall color changes just outside Augusta

In 1980, Augusta was recognized as the first U.S. Wine District, or Viticulture Area #1, because of its unique soil, climate, historical significance, and quality of wine produced from grapes grown within the District's boundaries.  

In 1836, Leonard Harold, a Daniel Boone follower, founded the town of Augusta situated on hills and bluffs overlooking the Missouri River Valley about 37 miles west of St. Louis. German immigrants were attracted by the glowing descriptions of the area written by Gottfried Duden, a German researcher/explorer by1855.  Because of the vineyards, Augusta with its 300 residents thrived as other small towns declined.  It still retains it's a small town atmosphere.   There are 16 different Bed & Breakfast Lodgings,  14 shops/activities, 11 food and refreshment facilities, and 11 wineries/vineyards/breweries.  For more information about Augusta:  augusta-chamber.org

Keith and I began the day with a wonderful breakfast at The Lindenholf Bed and Breakfast in Augusta.  The menu included French Toast stuffed with cream cheese and white chocolate cream then topped with sauteed fresh plums.  Accompaniments were sausage patties and individual Havarti Cheese Souffles...and of course, coffee, teas, and juice.  This breakfast menu was featured in Southern Living Magazine - September 2003.

We had checked into this Bed and Breakfast Inn about 3:00 P.M. after I completed my St. Charles to Augusta bicycle trip on the Katy Trail.  Keith had dropped me and my bike off in St. Charles and he arrived in Augusta less than an hour later.  He scouted around town for things to do and then waited for me at The Augusta Brewery at the trailhead.  It took me about three hours to complete my ride.  It was the end of a total of 500 miles biked this season.  We were ready to celebrate!  Location of The Lindenhof Bed and Breakfast is downtown just a short walk to many wineries, shops, and the Katy Trail.  For more detail information and to see the interior, go to http//www.lindenhof-augusta.com/

The courtyard is an inviting place with access to the outdoor jacuzzi and is just outside the guest's dining and great room.  The fireplace can be used inside and outside.

One of several lovely garden accents in the courtyard.  This morning was the first heavy frost which would end many of the plants for the year.

We had the outdoor jacuzzi all to ourselves the evening before.  We stayed on a Thursday night which is not as popular and is less expensive.  We also got all the attention from the innkeepers we wanted.  We choose The Artist Bedroom which also had a custom made large claw-footed jetted hot tub and shower.  I cannot think of any amenity that was not provided for our comfort.  We had a small refrigerator available to us filled with cheese, wine, soda, and water.  Also set out were homemade bread with butter, and cookies.  TV, movies, chess, and board games were available in the great room for our use along with a variety of music and books.

Check-out time was 11:00 A.M. and the innkeeper told us about this wonderful view just outside of Augusta.  The fall colors were in early process and would peak during the next week.  A great time to be driving around!  Along Highway 94 are four exquisite family-owned "Boutique" Wineries.  They include:  Augusta Winery augustawinery.com, Sugar Creek Winery sugarcreekwines.com, Balducci Vineyards balduccivineyards.com, and Montelle Winery montelle.com

Montelle Winery

Montelle Winery

View from Montelle Winery

Soon we drove south on Highway 47 near Dudzow (another good winery!) and onto The Hermann Wine Trail on Highway 100.  There are seven wineries on this route but this trip we head to Stone Hill Winery in Hermann on Highway 19 at the Missouri River.  HermannWineTrail.com

We found the highest hilltop in Hermann for these bridge photos.  

The main street in Hermann is First Street or Highway 100

Missouri's most historic and awarded winery is Stone Hill Winery.  It was established in 1847 and grew to be the second largest winery in the United States.  The wines were world renowned, winning gold medals in eight world's fairs, including Vienna in 1873 and Philadelphia in 1876.  By the turn of the century, the winery was shipping over 1 million gallons of wine per year.  Missouri's wine industry was decimated in 1920 with the advent of American Prohibition, as grape vines, machinery and even wineries were destroyed throughout the state.  In 1965, local farmers began the long process of restoration.  Jim and Betty Held acquired the mushroom plant and began making wine in the old cellars again.  Tours of these cellars is a must-see!

The 13 acre complex is one of Missouri's top tourist attractions and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main building built in 1869 and 165-year old arched underground cellars, gift shop, restaurant, and state-of-the-art production facilities produce over 260,000 gallons of wine.  Last year, they won over 120 awards and over 3800 wine awards since 1993.

The Norton grape is America's oldest native grape and is still in commercial use.  It is Missouri's state grape and the cornerstone of Missouri's wine industry.  Keith and I always like to pick up a case or two this time of year after we have dinner at the Vintage restaurant where we always enjoy the best of German specialties.  This year we got the 2008 Cross J Norton at at 25% off the $25.83 price when buying a case...very nice indeed!

For more information about Hermann, see my article from last year's blog by going to 'Search This Blog" and typing in "Hermann."  Also see stonehillwinery.com.