These bars are incredibly delicious, so much so that I made and sent them in care packages to the girls during their college years. The first time, I frosted them before mailing, which meant the girls pretty much just licked the frosting off the plastic wrap that covered the bars when they opened their package o' love. After that, I sent the bars unfrosted and included a container of store-bought cream cheese frosting for them to frost the bars themselves. Frosted or not, these bars taste like "home."

BARS:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups cooking oil

12 ounces baby food carrots (jars, plastic containers, whatever -- as long as it's 12 ounces total)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

FROSTING:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 11X17 cookie sheet. Beat eggs and sugar; stir in oil. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients, then stir into egg mixture. Fold in carrots. (You can add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts at this point, if you want.) Pour into prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until center is done. Cool before frosting.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, adding milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Keep bars refrigerated.