Marshmallow Brown Sugar Popcorn

In case you haven't noticed, we like popcorn.  A lot.  It's such a quick and easy treat and there are so many fun ways to dress it up!  This Marshmallow Popcorn is a recent discovery and was an instant hit!  Imagine that a rice krispie treat and popcorn ball had a baby.  This ooey gooey treat is the love child that they made.  It's quick and easy to throw together and totally addicting!  You can use microwave popcorn or pop your own.  Usually I'm a big fan of the pop it yourself, stove top popper, Whirly Popper but with this recipe I actually prefer the microwave popcorn.  Having the already buttery taste with a little bit of salt just makes the sweet topping pop.  As in popcorn.  Okay, that was really corny.  Okay, okay I'll stop now.  But go make this amazing treat!

3 bags buttery microwave popcorn, popped

1 cup butter

16 oz mini marshmallows

1 cup brown sugar

Pour popped popcorn into a large bowl and remove unpopped kernels.  Set bowl aside.  Put butter, marshmallows and brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.  Stir.  Microwave for 1 more minute.  If necessary, repeat again until melted and smooth.  Pour over popcorn and stir until popcorn is evenly coated. 

Source:  Your Homebased Mom

Mini Banana Cream Pie

I think Banana Cream Pie has got to be one of the greatest inventions.  It's simple, creamy, so easy to make and always hits the spot!  And what's the best way to make something great, even better?  Make it mini!  Because mini ups the adorable factor while capturing the classic flavor in a bite size piece of utopia. Without any further ado, I give you the Mini Banana Cream Pie!

Ingredients
1 (16.5 ounce) roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (3.4 ounce) box banana cream pudding
2 cups milk, for pudding
1 banana
whipped cream, for topping

Directions
Prepare pudding according to directions on package then chill.  Preheat oven to 350.  Break cookie dough evenly into 24 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball and place in a well greased mini muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and set.  Cool for ten minutes.  As they cook and cool, they will naturally fall into a cup shape.  It's so neat!  Carefully remove cookie cups from pan, using a butter knife to loosen them.  Transfer the cookie cups onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  When cooled, fill each cookie cup with pudding.  Slice banana into 24 slices and put one slice on each pudding filled cup.  Top each with a dollop of whip cream.  Serve immediately.

Source:  Inspired Dreamer

{5 Minute} Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet

This right here is the mother of all summer treats!  I could eat this stuff from now until snowfall and feel like all of my sweet treat needs had been met.  It is so light and refreshing with a little sweet and bursting with the best of the summery fruits.  You can't stop at "good" when you're describing this stuff.  It goes way beyond good.  I'm at a loss of words to adequately describe this so, because I'm kind of a nerd, I looked up "good" in the thesaurus to see what they had to offer.  I think they nailed it - marvelous, satisfying, shipshape, rad, splendid, gratifying, stupendous, super-excellent, superior, tip-top, spanking.  Okay, and we'll stop right there with spanking.  Not sure where they were going with that.  After eating this there is not a single ounce of me thinking, "I wish I had eaten some real ice cream instead".  The only thing I'm thinking is, "I wish I had made more!"  And my kids are head over hills in love with it too.  They can't get enough!  And you can eat it and fill your kids up on it, guilt free because it's healthy too!  I admit, I didn't have any natural sweetener on hand so I just used plain old white sugar (gasp!).  The original recipe I found suggested using 3/4 cup sweetener.  I only used 1/4 cup and thought it was great.  If you like it a little sweeter, I think 1/2 cup would be plenty but you could do more if you want.  If you use a natural sweetener then you've got a sugar free, totally healthy, vitamin packed treat.  And if you use white sugar, no harm done.  It's mostly healthy.  Okay, now let's talk about how easy it is to make this splendid treat.  Dump everything in the blender and mix.  That's it.  Literally, five minutes.  You do have to plan ahead a little because it's very important that the fruit is frozen to achieve the right consistency.  I bought a seedless watermelon, cut the whole thing up into cubes, put them into freezer bags and tossed them into the freezer.  I made 4-5 batches of sorbet with that one watermelon!  Strawberries are easy to find in the freezer section of the grocery store but this time of year it can be cheaper to buy them fresh.  When they go on sale, I like to stock up and throw them into freezer bags as well.  Knowing that I've got everything on hand to make my new favorite treat makes me a happy mama.  So, let's review.  Tastes amazing and is loved by all, mixes up in five minutes and it's healthy!  I must insist you go make this marvelous, satisfying, super-excellent treat.  Now.  You'll be glad you did!

4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and frozen
2 cups strawberries, frozen
1/4-1/2 cup white sugar or natural sweetener that measures like sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1 TBS lemon juice, or to taste

Place all ingredients in blender.  Mix until smooth and well blended.  Add a little more water, a few tablespoons at a time, if it is too thick to mix.  Serve immediately or store in freezer in an airtight container for up to a month.  If freezing, let it soften for a few minutes before enjoying!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

You had me at Caramel Apple.  Caramel is probably my number one, favoritest dessert flavor.  I love apple desserts as well.  Pair them up, throw in some cheesecake a little crust and streusel topping and you've pretty much just made the most perfect dessert.  Trust me.  You're going to love this!

Crust:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8oz) packages Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Apple Layer:
3-4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup whole grain Oats
1/2 cup Butter, softened
Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, In a medium bowl, combine flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a knife and stir as you go so that the butter doesn’t all stick together. Press evenly into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. For the cheesecake filling, in a large bowl use an electric mixer to beat softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla and blend until combined. Pour over warm crust. For the apple layer, in a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Use a fork to blend in butter until evenly distributed, then mix in oats. Sprinkle evenly over apple layer. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is just set and streusel topping is lightly browned (don’t over cook, it’s okay if the center is still a tad bit soft, it should harden up in the fridge). Let cool on counter for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 3 more hours. Drizzle each serving with caramel ice cream topping and serve.

Source:  Whisked Away

{no bake} Lemon Blueberry & Cream Cheese Pie

Doing this food blog has taught me a few things about myself.  One of them is that I love berries and lemons.  I didn't realize how much I loved a good berry lemon combination until recently.  Muffins, pies, cupcakes, pancakes and now this delightful summer treat.  That little citrus burst of lemon joy mixed with the tangy sweet love of a berry is a beautiful ray of sunshine on my fork.  In the summer, it's a must.  Any other time of the year, it's a tasty reminder of endless summer days mixed with lazy warm summer nights.  Heaven on your plate!  This pie is right there at the top of my list when it comes to summer dessert favorites.  No bake means quick and easy and no hot oven.  I don't know where I originally got the recipe for the filling.  Possibly the label of a can of blueberry pie filling, but I don't remember for sure.  I've had it for years though and would feel that I wasn't doing my duty to society if I didn't pass it on.  If you want to lighten things up, use neufchatel cream cheese and fresh blueberries instead of blueberry pie filling.  You can't go wrong, either way.  As far as the graham cracker crust goes, you can grab a storebought one or follow this recipe for a yummy, no bake, homemade one.  I got the crust recipe at Crazy For Crust and it is fabulous!

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole crackers)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

7 tablespoons butter, melted

Place graham crackers in a food processor or ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.  Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork.  Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Press hard to compact. You can use a glass to press the bottom, but use your fingers to press the sides.  Chill pie crust for at least one hour before filling. Cover if chilling longer.

Pie Filling

1 8oz block cream cheese

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 3.4oz box instant lemon pudding mix

2 tsp lemon zest, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 21oz can blueberry pie filling

cool whip to garnish

Mix cream cheese until smooth.  Add sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, and lemon pudding mix, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Spoon half the blueberry pie filling into the bottom of the pie crust.  Pour cream cheese mixture over the blueberry filling and spread evenly.  Chill for one hour to set.  Top with remaining blueberry pie filling.  Garnish with cool whip and lemon zest.

Source for crust:  Crazy for Crust

Lemon Raspberry Chia Pudding

If you're a little skeptical about this one (like I was), hear me out before you pass up on it.  I gave it a 50/50 chance of turning out and way less than that that it would get a thumbs up from the kiddos.  Our 15 year old son decided several months ago that he wasn't going to eat sugar for a month (I think that was his original goal).  After doing it for a while he decided he felt so great and was done with sugar for good.  I wasn't sure how long it would last but I've been beyond impressed with his commitment.  It's been almost six months now and he's going strong.  I eat very little sugar, but he is hard core, 100%.  His will power amazes me!  I'm always on the look out for yummy "dessert" like treats that I can make for him, and that's why I decided to give this recipe a try.  With only natural sweeteners, it gets his stamp of approval plus the chia seeds and Greek yogurt make it so healthy.  The first time I made it, I gave it to my kids for an after school snack.  To say they liked it is an understatement.  They were literally licking their bowls clean and asking me to make more.  I was right there with them licking my bowl, wishing I had made more!  It's the perfect snack, side dish for a picnic, quick breakfast or a refreshing dessert.  I have a feeling this will become a summer staple at our house this summer.  I'm not complaining about that!  I've made several batches of this now and have done some experimenting with it.  Here are a few tips and insights that I have gained:

-  This recipe calls for raspberries.  I've tried using different berries but raspberries and blackberries work the best.  If you don't have any on hand you can use a different kind of berry.  The raspberries and blackberries mash up the best though.
-  If you don't have much experience with Chia seeds, you've got to add some to your pantry.  They have so many health benefits and can be thrown into so many different things.  I always add a few teaspoons to my morning smoothie but had never used them in a recipe in which they soak in moisture like this one does.  They kind of act like tapioca, turning into little gel like balls.   My kids thought they was pretty cool.
-  This recipe really needs to sit for a long time so that they chia seeds can work their magic.  If I want it ready for breakfast, I just put it together the night before and let it set through the night.  For an after school snack, I make it up first thing in the morning and let it set all day while the kids are at school.  It only takes a few minutes to put this together but you have to plan ahead to make sure it has enough time to gel.
-  It's kind of tart which is light and refreshing.  If you prefer it a little sweeter though, you can add a little more honey or 2-3 tablespoons of sugar.  If you're serving it to people that are divided on their tart and sweet preferences, just sweeten individual servings.
-  You want the berries to be good and mashed up.  You can use a spoon but I finally gave up on that and just used my hands.  Much quicker and more efficient.
-  The original recipe calls for coconut milk but notes that you can use any kind of milk.  I've used coconut milk (both the kind in a can and the kind in a carton) and almond milk.  They both worked just fine and I assume any other kind of milk would work as well but I haven't tried any other kind yet.
-  The original recipe also calls for plain Greek yogurt.  I've used vanilla flavored Greek yogurt also.  It worked great and sweetened it up just a little.

Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp Lemon peel
2 TBS lemon juice
1 cup Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 TBS Honey
1/4 cup Chia seeds
additional berries and honey to top each serving

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large storage container that has a lid. Make sure all the chia seeds are mixed in, and mash the berries lightly, especially if using frozen raspberries.  Place the lid on the container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.  Serve with extra raspberries (or other berries of choice), and a drizzle of honey if desired.

Source:  Super Healthy Kids

Scotcharoos

I cannot turn down this classic treat.  It speaks to my inner child and I just can't say no!  If you've never had a Scotcharoo and don't know what I'm talking about, you most definitely need to make these!  Think of a Rice Krispie treat.  Now remove the marshmallows and replace them with a creamy, caramelly (is that even a word?) peanut butter sauce.  Then, top it off with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips and there you have it, a tasty little treat that you just can't say no to.  Trust me, you won't want to say no to this one!

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups rice krispies

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Put rice krispies in large mixing bowl and set aside.  Grease 9X13 inch pan.  Pour sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan.  Heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to boil.  Add peanut butter.  Stir in until smooth.  You want to do these next steps quickly so that the heat from the caramel sauce will melt the chips.  Remove caramel sauce from heat and pour over rice krispies.  Stir until thoroughly coated with caramel sauce.  Pour into greased 9X13 pan and press into the shape of the pan.  Evenly sprinkle chocolate and butterscotch chips over the top.  Use a spoon to spread the chips around the top as they melt.  Chill until chocolate is hardened.  Cut into squares and serve.

Source:  Kari Trost

Brownie Caramel Cheesecake

I love finding a dessert recipe that is easy to make but looks like a million bucks.  This Brownie Caramel Cheesecake is just that!  I don't think I even need to tell you how good it tastes.  It's a killer combination that is sure to wow all of your friends!

Ingredients
1 cup brownie mix
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water
1 14-oz package individually wrapped caramels
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
3 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
¾ cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate fudge topping

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom of a 9” springform pan.  In a small bowl, mix together brownie mix, egg, and cold water.  Spread in the bottom of the greased pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven.  Melt the caramels with the evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently, until it has reached a smooth consistency.  Pour ⅔ of the caramel mixture over the baked brownies, reserving ⅓ to pour over the top of the cheesecake at the end.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each one. Pour cream cheese over caramel mixture.  Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes, still at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and let it chill in the pan. Heat the reserved caramel and fudge topping, and drizzle over cheesecake before serving.

Source:  Six Sister's Stuff

Bananas Foster Crepes

Happy Easter!  If you're looking for a last minute brunch idea for Easter, have no fear.  This here is sure to be a crowd pleaser!  In fact, they're perfect for brunch any day.  Or breakfast.  Or dinner.  Or Dessert.  Or in between meals because they taste so amazing and you can't stop thinking about them.  The bananas are swimming in this incredible warm caramel sauce that is to die for!  Wrap it all up in a buttery crepe, top it off with some whip cream, sprinkle some nuts on if you'd like and you've got a meal that is sure to be a hit.  I have to point out that this is technically not true Bananas Foster because there is no rum in it and no alcohol to ignite.  This is just the beginners course.  Here is a recipe for the real deal if you're interested in the advanced course.  Flames or no flames, this is sure to impress!

Crepes:
1 ½ c milk
1 c flour
2 Tb sugar
1 Tb veg. oil
2 eggs
butter (for cooking)

In a bowl combine milk, flour eggs, oil, and sugar. Beat until well mixed. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat, add a little butter and swirl around until melted. Remove from heat. Pour in approx. ¼ C of batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat and cook until it starts to bubble then flip it over and cook until lightly browned. Repeat with each crepe, adding more butter to the skillet each time.

Filling:
1/2 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C heavy cream
3-4 bananas
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans, plus additional for topping
Whipped cream, for topping

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over med-high heat. Add the brown sugar, stir and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the cream and whisk to combine. Slice the bananas then add to the sauce and mix. Add the chopped nuts and cinnamon. Stir over med-high heat until boiling then continue to cook for an additional minute or two. Serve warm inside crepes, drizzle with a little of the caramel sauce and top with whipped cream and additional nuts, if desired.

Source:  Whisked Away

PB Snickers Popcorn Cake

Do any of you have kids that aren't big cake fans?  I have a couple of them and that means birthday "cakes" get kind of creative.  Our youngest just turned four years old.  How did that happen?!.  Before his big day, we were talking cake.  I asked him what he wanted and he said, "not cake", but wasn't sure what he wanted instead.  We started talking about some of his favorite treats and "sticky popcorn" (a.k.a. caramel popcorn) was one of the first he mentioned.  The creative juices started flowing and I told him I would make him a "Sticky Popcorn Cake" for his birthday.  He was thrilled!  I used my favorite peanut butter caramel popcorn recipe, threw in some chopped up Snickers bars, formed the popcorn into a "cake" then drizzled the top with caramel, chocolate and more Snickers.  The birthday boy was thrilled when he his cake!  If I do say so myself, it looked awesome and tasted fabulous!  If you're not looking for a cake, you can skip the cake part and just make this into a big bowl of popcorn.  Either way, it is finger licking, sticky goodness that you won't want to miss out on!

Ingredients
10 cups popped popcorn, kernels removed
1 stick butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Snickers bars, chopped into small pieces, divided
Caramel and Chocolate Syrup, to drizzle on top

Directions
Generously spray two round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.  Melt butter in saucepan on stove top over medium-high heat.  When butter is melted, add sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter.  Cook until it comes to full boil, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and pour over popcorn.  Mix thoroughly.  Add in 3/4 of the chopped Snickers bars and stir.  Pour half of the caramel popcorn into each of the round cake pans.  Press popcorn very firmly into the pans.  If you don't press it in enough, it will fall apart when you take it out of the pan.  Let it set and cool for a while, 30-60 minutes.  Gently slide a rubber spatula between the edge of popcorn cake and the pan to loosen it from the pan.  Put a platter on top of the pan then flip it over to dump out the popcorn cake.  Press together in the shape of a cake if it starts to come apart.  Repeat for the top layer.  Drizzle caramel and chocolate syrup over the top and sprinkle with the remaining chopped Snickers pieces.  To serve, you can try cutting it into pieces.  We found it was easier to just scoop it into cups.

Food Fit For a Feast

I love holidays!  Especially holidays that involve a lot of food!  As my kids are getting older, they've become more involved in the preparation of our holiday meals.  I let each of the kids pick their favorite dish and they get to be in charge of making it.  (The younger ones usually pick something super easy, like pudding.  They like to be part of the fun.)  I give them help when it's needed but they're getting to be pretty good chefs, if I do say so myself.  Not only do I appreciate the extra help in the kitchen, but I love having them in there, chatting and hanging out with me as we prepare a feast fit for a king.  Well, one that we're excited to eat anyway!  Easter is such a special holiday with a weekend full of food!  From brunch to a big ham dinner, there are so many yummy foods we like to make for Easter.  Below are some of our favorite recipes that we've gathered over the years.  Click on the red title of each recipe and it will take you to the recipe.  You may notice that there's no Main Dish category.  I usually just buy a pre-cooked ham.  You know, the kind that comes with a little glaze packet.  I put it in an oven bag and follow the cooking instructions.  Nothing amazing or magical but the ham always turns out great.  Maybe someday I'll try something new, but for now this is working.  And for now, I'll continue to spend my cooking time making fun sides and desserts.  Sounds like a win, win.  And after Easter, I'll be posting some successful new recipes that I'm excited to try out this year.

Brunch Favorites:

Apple Cinnamon Almond Scones

Breakfast In A Blanket

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese Frosting

Blueberry Lemon n' Cream Pancakes

Breakfast Pizza with Hash Brown Crust

{Bakery Style} Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Favorite Side Dishes:

Cheesy Potatoes {with no cream of anything}

Fluffy Crescent Dinner Rolls

Real Southern Cream Corn

Herb & Cheese Potato Fans

Garlic Parmesan Oven Roasted Green Beans

Cranberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken and Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

Buttery Sweet Cooked Carrots

{Not Your Grandma's} Green Bean Casserole

Save Room For Dessert:

Italian Cream Cake

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Dessert Kabobs

Real Southern Peach Cobbler

Individual Frozen Key Lime Pie

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Blueberry Crumble Cream Pie

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bar

Real Southern Peach Cobbler

When it comes to fresh fruit, it's hard to beat a perfectly ripe peach.  Me and peaches go back a long ways.  We have a classic picture of me and my sister sitting on the front porch as toddlers eating fresh, juicy peaches.  We both had peach juice dripping down our elbows and chins.  Just the way a peach should be eaten!  I also have fond memories of helping my mom can peaches.  I can't cut open a peach and with the first whiff of that sweet peach smell, not think of those days of cutting up endless boxes of peaches that we would can and enjoy all winter long.  And then when I was 12 years old, my family moved to Georgia.  Can you think of Georgia and not think of peaches?  Before moving there, I had visions of peach trees growing on every corner.  It's not quite like that but half their streets are named "Peachtree".  Gets kind of confusing, but that's beside the point.  The point is, peaches are a pretty awesome fruit and this dessert is the perfect way to show off their goodness, any time of the year!

Ingredients
Filling:
9-10 fresh ripe peaches
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping:
2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ sticks butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
4 Tbs sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Peel, pit and slice peaches into thin wedges. In a large bowl, combine peaches, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a large baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl make the topping by combining the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Mix 4 Tbs sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle on cobbler. Bake until topping is golden and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Source:  Whisked Away

Italian Cream Cake

With all these "skinny" recipes, I've got to get some not so skinny recipes on here too.  There must be a balance in all things, right?  Anyway, my daughter was contributing to a cake auction last weekend.  The girls at our church are raising money for their summer camp.  She wanted to make something fancy and impressive.  After looking at many different recipes, she settled on this one.  I felt uncomfortable selling it off to somebody before making it and tasting it myself.  Sounds like a good excuse to make some cake!  After a little mixing and baking we had a beautiful, delicious cake all ready to be eaten.  It was as easy as any other cake to bake but met her "fancy and impressive" criteria.  I used 8 inch pans but you could use 9 inch.  The layers would just be slightly thinner.  I love the three layers.  I think it adds elegance to the cake.  I used to not be a fan of nuts in my cake, but I guess my taste buds have been refined over the years and I think they are fabulous!  For the cake that we made for the auction, we put toasted coconut around the edge.  I highly recommend that addition.  It was a great finishing touch!  I actually tried toasting coconut for this cake as well but got impatient and turned the oven to broil.  I meant to watch it very carefully but, before I knew it, the coconut was black and the smoke alarm was going off.  Lesson learned.  When toasting coconut, don't broil.  Be patient.  If you're going to make this cake, don't go cheap on the ingredients.  Using real butter, good shortening and vanilla will really make a difference and enhance the flavor.  I'm excited to have this cake in my arsenal of recipes.  It's beautifully impressive and tastes wonderful!  It will be a fun one to make for dinner guests and special occasions.

Ingredients
    CAKE BATTER:
    ½ cups butter, room temperature
    ½ cups shortening
    2 cups sugar
    5 eggs, separated
    1 cup buttermilk
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    2 cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup shredded coconut
    1 cup chopped pecans

    FROSTING:
    1 stick butter, Softened

    1(8oz) package cream cheese, softened
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup toasted coconut, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add buttermilk and mix well; add vanilla.  Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; add coconut and pecans and toss together well, then stir into wet ingredients. Mix well by hand.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into cake batter, then divide batter into 3 greased and floured 8 inch, round cake pans.  Bake 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees, or until lightly browned and cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted near the center. Cool thoroughly on wire racks in pans.  While layers are cooling, prepare frosting. Cream butter and cream cheese together in a medium bowl; add vanilla, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.  Carefully remove cakes from pans and brush off crumbs. Let cake cool completely before frosting.  While waiting for cake to cool, toast coconut.  Heat oven to 350.  Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Evenly sprinkle 1 cup shredded coconut on parchment paper.  Put in oven at 350 degrees.  Stir every 3 minutes.  Continue cooking until coconut is toasted.  This should take no more than 10 minutes.  When cake is cool, place bottom layer on serving plate, top with frosting. Place second layer over first, top with frosting, then place the last layer. Frost top and sides of cake.  Sprinkle with chopped pecans and gently press toasted coconut around edge of cake.  Keep cake refrigerated.

Source:  Rincon Cocina

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

When our brand new, nine year old son requested lemon cupcakes for his birthday party, I was super excited.  I love lemony sweets and was excited for an excuse to make some.  I immediately started looking for the perfect recipe and after weeding through several different options, I settled on this one.  And let me tell you folks, it's a keeper!  The cupcake is moist and fluffy but not too fluffy.  It's got just the right amount of substance.  And the lemon buttercream frosting tops it all off with a beautiful burst of lemon.  I'll be the first to admit that when they were finished, the platter of cupcakes looked more like it was heading to a book club garden party than a nine year old boy's birthday party.  Sorry buddy.  I don't think anyone seemed to notice though.  The party guests inhaled them and had fun testing their manliness with lemon dares.  We had one boy eating the lemon slices, peeling and all.  I wouldn't recommend that.  I would, however, recommend making and eating these cupcakes as soon as possible.  They are amazing!

For the cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 18 paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well to combine. Set aside.  In a large measuring cup or bowl combine sour cream, milk, and egg whites; mix well to combine. Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat melted butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and beat for another minute on medium speed. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add in sour cream/milk/egg mixture and beat on low until just combined. Over-mixing will result in a dryer/denser cake.  Divide the cupcake batter evenly into the 18 cupcake liners.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before topping with frosting.

For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter (very soft)
4 cups powder sugar
4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons heavy cream
additional lemon zest and lemon wedges to garnish

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Slowly, add 4 cups of sugar, beating on low until well combined. Add in lemon juice, zest, and cream.  Beat until combined. Add additional confectioners sugar as needed, stopping when you've reached your desired consistency. Place frosting in piping bag, or simply slather onto cooled cupcakes.  Garnish with lemon zest and lemon wedge.

Source:  Baker By Nature

Blueberry Crumble Cream Pie

Did you see that?!  Blueberry. Crumble. Cream. Pie.  This is for real!  Just the name of it has me drooling.  Blueberry pie is one of my favorites.  Throw in a cream layer and a crumble topping and we are talking magic.  The fresh blueberries float up to the top of the pie and the beautiful cream layer settles to the bottom as it cooks making each piece a beautiful work of art.  Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've pretty much got the most perfect dessert sitting there just waiting for you to eat it.  How could you say no to that?

Ingredients
1 (9") pie crust dough
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups fresh blueberries
For the Crumble:
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
¾ cup quick oats

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Place your pie dough into a 9" pie pan and prick the dough several times with a fork. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
For the Filling:
In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until smooth.   Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour into the pie shell.
For the Crumble:
In a medium bowl combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour and oats. Mix until combined, sprinkle evenly over the pie.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.*  Let cool on wire rack. Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

*if your pie crust is browning too much, cover the edges with aluminum foil and continue to bake until toothpick inserted in center comes away clean.

Source:  I Wash You Dry

Shamrock Shake

Nothing says Happy St. Patrick's Day like a cold, creamy Shamrock Shake!  If you want to skip McDonald's and just make them at home, here's a super yummy and super easy recipe.  I took the liberty of adding in Andes Mints because they are just awesome and do good things to this shake.  It you want to keep it true to the Micky D's version, leave out the Andes Mints.  And I have to apologize for the less than green coloring of this shake.  I just used my green food coloring a few days ago, so I know I have some.  It was no where to be found when it was shake making time though.  My attempt at mixing yellow and blue to make green wasn't that successful, as you can see.  Even without the vibrant green color, it still tastes amazing!  Go make yourself a yummy St. Patrick's Day treat and you'll be feeling pretty lucky!

6 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup Andes Mints pieces
1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
15 drops green food coloring
whipped cream and green sprinkles to garnish

Put ice cream, milk, Andes Mints, peppermint extract and food coloring in blender.  You can add more or less mints, extract and food coloring according to your personal likes.  This amount is just about right for us though.  Mix until well blended.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkles.  Enjoy!

Source:  The Slow Roasted Italian

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Fruit Dip

I'm always on the look out for yummy, kid friendly snacks.  And the healthier, the better.  This dip totally fits the bill!  I almost used peanut butter instead of almond butter but ended up going with the almond butter route.  That was definitely the right choice!  If you don't have any almond butter on hand, go put it on your grocery list right now.  The almond flavor just works so perfectly in this dip.  My kids are all smiles when they get home from school and see this sitting on the counter.  Definitely kid approved.  It's so fast and easy to throw together and definitely puts a smile on my face too!

Ingredients
1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chips

Directions
Add greek yogurt, almond butter and honey to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and serve with fresh fruit.

Source:  Whisked Away

Individual Frozen Key Lime Pie

How great is this?  A classic beautiful dessert like Key Lime Pie, made into individual servings!  I love Key Lime Pie and these beauties totally score points for the cute factor.  My kids thought so anyway.  I added a few drops of food coloring to help bring out the lime color and am thinking this would be great for St. Patrick's Day!  Thanks to my little sister for passing this along.  We love it!

Ingredients
½ stick butter, unsalted, melted
1 sleeve honey graham crackers, turned into crumbs
¾ Cup key lime juice, fresh squeezed (about a pound of key limes)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz whipped topping, plus more for garnish
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3-4 drops green coloring, optional


Directions
Crush graham crackers and mix with the butter, set aside.  Cream the cream cheese until smooth using a hand mixer, add in the sweetened condensed milk and mix until smooth. Add the key lime juice and food coloring, mix until smooth.  Let the whipped topping defrost and add to the cream cheese mixture, folding it in until combined.  You can use a jumbo muffin tin or silicone cups.  Fill with the cream cheese mixture about ¾ of the way up. Top with the graham cracker crumbs. Place in freezer for about 4 hours or until set. Unmold pies carefully.  Slide a butter knife around the edge of each pie to loosen it up.  If you're having trouble getting them to come out, submerge the bottom half of the pan into warm water for a few seconds.  Dump it out on a plate and serve graham cracker side down.  Serve with whipped topping garnish and key lime slice if desired, enjoy!

Source: Jennifer Caggiano via  This Silly Girl's Life

Apple Orchard Bars

Have you ever come across a recipe that looks pretty good but you don't expect it to be amazing.  And then you make it and you're like, "Wow, where have you been all my life?!"  That's totally what happened with this baby.  I got this recipe from a friend.  I've tried some of her other recipes before and they've all been wonderful.  I'll admit I was a little skeptical about the coconut (remember, I'm not a big fan).  Given her track record with good recipes though, I decided to jump in with both feet and give it a try, coconut and all.  Okay, mostly with both feet.  I did reduce the amount of coconut (as listed below) so you can add in another cup if you want.  Anyway, lets talk more about how amazing these bars are.  I first made them for an afterschool snack.  Of course I had to sample them before giving them to the kids.  I think I ate three of them before they even got home from school.  They were an instant hit with the kids.  When my husband got home from work he tried one.  You know how people have their polite, obligatory, "This is good" line that most average good food gets?  And then there's the enthusiastic, heartfelt, "Wow, this is amazing!" line that the really incredible stuff gets.  These bars got the "Wow, this is amazing!" line.  Many times.  When we were down to the last two bars, we had to cut them up into 8 little pieces because everybody wanted one last bite.  I made them two more times that week.  The batter is flavored so perfectly.  It's sweet but not so sweet that it makes me feel guilty for serving it as anything but a dessert.  The apples and coconut mix in to give it some girth.  Something to really sink your teeth into.  When I first made it, I decided it needed some nuts on top.  I was originally thinking walnuts but after turning my pantry upside down, I finally accepted the fact that I did not have that bag of walnuts that I was "sure" I had.  I decided to settle for sliced almonds.  That right there, my friends, is fate smiling down upon us.  Sliced almonds are the absolute most perfect nut for these bars.  I've never even gone back to try the walnuts because the almonds nailed it.  I know this is a lot of hype for a seemingly simple recipe, but around this joint, we all think they really are that amazing.

Ingredients
½ cup melted butter
½ cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
½ c rolled oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 C peeled chopped apple
1 ½ cup flaked coconut, divided*
1/4 cup sliced almonds

*If you want to omit the coconut, add an extra cup of oats to the batter and top with only sliced almonds.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugars, baking soda, salt, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs.  Stir together.  Pour in flour and oats mix thoroughly.  Add chopped apples and 1 cup flaked coconut.  Fold into batter until evenly combined.  Grease 9X13 pan.  Pour mixture into pan and smooth out.  Sprinkle ½ cup of remaining coconut and sliced almonds evenly on top.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or till slightly browned on top. Let cool and cut into bars like brownies.

Source:  Shirley Thornton

{Glazed} Orange Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing quite like a moist, chewy cinnamon roll.  These cinnamon rolls have a fabulous pop of citrus with the added orange flavor and are so perfectly fluffy and moist.  They make a delightful dessert or a fabulous addition to any breakfast or brunch.  It doesn't really matter so much when you choose to eat this tasty treat, just eat it.  I promise you'll be glad you did!

INGREDIENTS
Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar)
2 large eggs

Filling
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Orange Glaze
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered' sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 TBS milk
3 teaspoons orange zest, divided

DIRECTIONS
Dough - In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, yeast and salt.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, melt butter then stir in buttermilk.  Add to the bowl of dry ingredients.  Add in eggs.  Mix well then knead dough for 7-10 minutes.  Place dough in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise.  Let dough rise for about an hour or until almost doubled in size.  While dough rises, line a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.  After dough has doubled in size, punch it down. Turn dough out onto a floured countertop. With a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle.  Use a pastry brush to evenly spread butter over dough then use a butter knife to spread marmalade over the butter.  Sprinkle with brown sugar then cinnamon.  Starting with the long edge of the dough, roll the dough into a log.  Use plain, unwaxed dental floss to slice the rolls. (I highly recommend slicing the rolls with floss, not knives. Floss does not squish or compact the dough like knives do.)  Place cut rolls in pan.  Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and cooked through.  While they are baking, make the orange glaze.  In a medium bowl, add the orange juice, vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, and whisk to combine.  Drizzle in the milk as needed until mixture can be whisked smooth and is to desired consistency.  You may not need all 3 tablespoons of milk.  Whisk in 2 teaspoons zest.  When rolls are done baking, evenly pour glaze over rolls then sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon zest.  Serve immediately.

Source:  Averie Cooks