Now...here's what you need:
First you need to Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1 pound carrots (approximately)
1 6oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2oz crystallized ginger, diced
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup plus 2 TBSP oil (approx)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP grated orange peel
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon (I use HEAPING) teaspoons
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup regular (not instant) oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
Peel and grate carrots to produce roughly 1 & 1/2 cups finely grated carrots and 1 & 1/2 cups more coarsely grated carrots. (Basically...I just throw them all in the food processor and work with it) Combine carrots, pineapple, ginger and lemon juice in a bowl and let rest while you beat together sugar and oil until creamy. To the oil-sugar mixture, add the 3 eggs and the grated orange peel. Combine carrot mixture with orange peel mixture. Mix well.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. To this mixture add vanilla.
Beat the carrot mixture with the flour mixture.
Add the oats (and pecans if desired). Stir until well mixed and and spoon into 2 "greased" loaf pans. (I use PAM) Bake in 350 oven for 45-55 minutes. The loaves are done when a testing needle (or if you're cheap like me...a toothpick) comes away clean. Cool in pans on a cooling rack.
Slice and eat. It's really good and moist...and I think you will like it!
Just a little note....In all the times I have made this Carrot Bread...I have never actually used diced Crystallized ginger...because it's not something I normally have on hand. I do add a dash of ground ginger. I like cinnamon...so any recipe that calls for cinnamon...to me means heaping teaspoons of it! You can decide how you'd like it.
