Coconut Macaroons

 

My mom loves coconut macaroons and so do I. Sometimes when we'd go shopping she'd get me and her a treat, I'm the youngest so I was the one who went grocery shopping with her the longest. I had to endure long guilt trips if I tried to tell her I didn't want to go. Sometimes it's just easier to give in. 

Recently, one afternoon I had the sweet tooth hit. I needed something to sooth it. I didn't really want something unhealthy so I opted for some of these. Reminiscing the long grocery shopping trips.

So I started off with, of course, coconut. Guess I don't cook with coconut enough because my girls asked me what it was. I promptly gave them a little bowl and had them eat it raw. They liked it!

 Next a little whole wheat flour.

 A little milk. I loved that there were bubbles that didn't pop.

Some honey. The original recipe called for Agave but I only had honey, we have a honey store a mile away where the honey is fresh and wonderful. We stay stocked up on honey. The girls love to go to the store, they buzz all day after we go. I like supporting a local company and I like having fresh honey.

Some coconut extract which I think the cookies needed more of.

Mix it all up.

 I was a little worried when it got to this point, didn't look like it was going to turn into cookies.

No worries, just put it in the microwave for a few minutes and it thickens.

Once their thick put them on a greased cookie sheet and bake. You're welcome to top them with chocolate or not. I liked the little extra sweetness.

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup plus 2T milk
4 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Preheat oven to 360 degrees.

Combine all ingredients. Microwave 3-5 minutes or until firm.

Once dough is firm put on greased cookie sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes.

Sugar Coma Brownies

 

My husband named these brownies from the fact that these brownies are packed with sugar. They were very yummy though.

First start off with Oreo's on the bottom or like I did, the knock off brand.

Here's where you get to make a choice, use either a box brownie mix or go all out and make your own. I used a box, I was lazy.

Once you pour the brownies over the Oreo's bake it.

Two to five minutes before the brownies are done pull them out and put marshmallow's on top. I suggest using mini marshmallow's but if all you have are the big ones like I did those will work too. Once the marshmallow's are puffy and just a little brown on top pull the brownies out and spread them.

Make up some chocolate frosting and pour it over the marshmallow's.

Ingredients:
23-24 Oreo's 
Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup mini marshmallow's or large marshmallow's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of the pan and cover with Oreo's.

Prepare brownie batter and pour over Oreo's.

When brownies have 2-5 minutes left put the marshmallow's on top to cover the brownies. When the marshmallow's are a little brown on top take the brownies out of the oven and spread the marshmallow's.

Frosting:

1/4 cup margarine softened
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
2-3 cups of powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Add more powdered sugar or milk until you reach desired consistency and spread (or drizzle) on top of bars.

Then eat as many as you can just make sure you're next to the couch so you can collapse in a safe location for your sugar coma.

French Toast Muffins

So I had a post a while ago with all the Valentine food we were eating. Well I made some heart shaped french toast but the only problem was I cut the heart shapes out of the middle of the piece of bread, leaving almost a loaf of just crusts left over. Who and how were we going to eat that? I've seen some people make over night french toast and wondered if I would do the same thing with my crusts. That my friend was the birth of french toast muffins.

The recipes for the overnight french toast used whole pieces of Texas toast, I didn't have full pieces so I couldn't make the original recipe. Instead I decided that doing the french toast in muffin pans would work. First I took some butter and melted it then took some brown sugar and added that to the butter. Once they were combined I took a little and poured it into the bottom of each muffin pan. then I tore up my crusts and layered them on half way. After they were all filled half way I put the egg and milk mixture on top. Then I continued to layer them to the top. Shoving down the pieces when I realized I had too much bread and not enough muffin holes. Once they were done to the top I poured the remaining egg and milk mixture on top and sprinkled on some cinnamon. You could do cinnamon and sugar if you wanted but I opted to cut out the extra sugar since I had some on the bottom.

After cooking them here's how they turned out! I made some syrup and enjoyed the goodness.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Bread torn to fit 12 muffin holes
4-5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the butter and sugar together. Spoon into greased muffin holes. Fill the holes half way with torn bread. Mix eggs and milk together. Spoon half of the egg and milk mixture on top of bread. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Fill the holes to the top with remaining bread. Spoon the rest of the egg mixture on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Fricasee and Biscuits

We celebrate every little holiday at our house. It all started because I wanted to find a way to make dinner more exciting and have the kids get excited about it. I think it just makes dinner more exciting for me. 

The random holiday we celebrated? Abraham Lincoln's birthday. I researched his favorite food and came up with chicken fricassee and biscuits. I had never tried to make either of these and I was surprised by how good they were and how easy they were. Way to go Abraham, you had good tastes.

Here's the chicken fricassee. I used one chicken breast but you're welcome to use whatever piece of chicken you want. The recipe calls for mushrooms which I left out because I didn't have any and my husband doesn't like them. (although if I would have had them he would have been picking them out of his plate)

Here's the biscuits. They were very good and so easy. They were probably so good because they weren't healthy at all, I mean pure shortening can't be good or can it? I made them into hearts because it was close to Valentines Day and I couldn't resist. Plus the heart cookie cutters were already out, might as well use them.

Chicken Fricassee
(Servings: 2)
Ingredients:
4 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 chicken breast or 2 chicken thighs, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 small bay leaf
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons parsley

Directions:
combine the 2 1/4 teaspoons flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in bowl large enough to fit chicken. Coat chicken in flour mixture. In a small skillet, brown chicken in olive oil. Remove chicken and set aside. In same skillet saute the mushrooms, onion, and celery until crisp-tender. Return chicken to the pan. Add chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Place remaining flour mixture in a bowl, stir in milk until smooth. Stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Biscuits
(servings: 8 to 12)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour milk into flour mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix in milk until dough is soft, moist, and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and toss with flour until no longer sticky. Roll dough out into a 1/2 inch think sheet and cut with floured biscuit or cookie cutter.

Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheets and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

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Valentines Day

Here's a few things I've whipped up for Valentines Day. My daughters have loved the last few weeks full of hearts. My 4 year old told me she loves hearts. I made Cherry Red Velvet Cupcake Heaven, Kisses, Rice Crispy Hearts, and Heart French Toast.

We'll start with the rice crispy's, I used the chocolate rice cereal it's what I had on hand, if you want to use regular you're more than welcome too. I made them and then poured them on a wax paper sprayed to make sure it didn't stick.

I took my heart shaped cookie cutter and stamped it into the rice crispy's.

 After you cut the hearts out and eat the left overs, you might want to share with kids. I tried too.

I melted some white chocolate, you can choose whatever kind you want.

 Then I dipped the rice crispy's into the chocolate and sprinkled it with some red sprinkles for fun.

Unfortunately my girls wanted to eat these for breakfast.

We went through a few tantrums when I said no.

The french toast with raspberry syrup. My husband loved these because french toast is his favorite and I don't make it very often.

I took my bread and cut hearts into the middle of them and then dipped them into the egg and milk mixture. Then threw them on my griddle and cooked them.

They were really great with the raspberry syrup.

Then I went crazy and made some cherry red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I love cherries. I don't think I can say more.

 I made the cupcakes with a box. I didn't have the red food coloring to make it from scratch.

Cut the whole out of the middle.

 Fill it with cherries from the can.

Cut off the bottom and put the top back on.

Make some cream cheese frosting and you're good or rather their good, very good. Scrumptious might be a good word.

For my husbands big valentine gift I decided to make kisses for him. I made the same rice crispy's and then formed them into the chocolate kiss shape.

Took a lot of will power not to eat it. Not only from me but from my daughters too. The four year old asked if she could share it with her dad.

I made two, one for my husband and one for my parents.

I cut some paper and wrote a few thoughts on them before wrapping them into the aluminum foil.

So, here are some of my ideas for valentines. I hope that you have a great day!

Jalepeno Popper Dip

This was such a yummy dish and easy to make. I love jalapeno popper's which really is a big deal since growing up we never got spicy food. My mom is so anti-spicy it's scary. She's sent food back for being too spicy or forced my dad to trade meals with her. We never went to Mexican food and if we did we just got the nachos, guaranteed not to be spicy.

This dip really was just like eating a jalapeno popper on a cracker. Start out with a can of green chilies and a can of jalapenos. I used some frozen ones I had from my garden so I didn't measure how much I used.

Next add some room temperature cream cheese.

Then some Parmesan cheese.

Then some mayonnaise.

Top it off with some cheddar cheese. Then turn on your food processor until it's smooth.

 Here it is smooth. I could have ate it that way.

But it needed a topping so I held back. The topping is panko bread crumbs (found in the Asian food section) and Parmesan cheese.

Then you melt some butter and pour it on top. Take some Ritz crackers and enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 4 oz can green chilies
1 4 oz can sliced jalapenos

Directions:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.

Topping:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 stick butter melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the panko bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese together. Pour over the cream cheese mixture. Melt butter and pour over the panko bread crumbs.
Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges bubbly gently. Make sure not to over cook or the mayonnaise will separate.

You can double the recipe for a larger crowd.
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