Out & About

So I'm not always in my kitchen, even if it feels that way sometimes! Today I snuck out and went to the movies with my friend & her lil kiddos. It was a cute movie ... The Croods.  So I didn't get a food post put together but I'll have one soon! Have a great week!

Coconut Macaroons

So a little birdie told me that my mother in law liked macaroons so I decided to make some as part of our Easter desserts. Since I'm new to this and I was extra busy with trying to make so many things I didn't get all the pictures I would have liked to ~ I didn't get a single picture of the chocolate but you can close your eyes and picture it I'm sure who can't picture chocolate??!!

 

 

So I originally found this recipe on Pinterest ~ I believe I have mentioned I am slightly addicted to that site! I went to the original site the recipe came from and asked them for permission to share their recipe here and they graciously approved my request ~

 

Thank you twopeasandtheirpod ... be sure to visit them they have lots of yummy stuff!!

 

Let's start ~~~

 

 

This is almost everything right here

give it a real good whisk by hand

Add coconut and stir ... easy enough to just do it by hand!

I used my cookie scoop and here they are just going in the oven ~ basically because I forgot to take one before they went in!

This is when they came out ~ golden brown around the edges and the bottoms

 

So after they cooled down I used my kitchen shears to trim the straggler coconut pieces that were sticking out and got a little too brown. Then I melted some milk chocolate chips and I just spread it on the bottoms and put them on wax paper ... oh I also drizzled a little bit on top popped them in the fridge just to harden the chocolate then put them back on the tray and let them rest ... cover with plastic wrap to store

 

I have made these several times and I think they are soooooo much better the next day!

 

Here is their recipe that I followed:

 

 

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 large egg white

1½ teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

3½ cups sweetened coconut

 

optional: chocolate chips for dipping

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until combined really well. Add in the coconut and mix well

3. I used my cookie scoop and pressed it really hard in there to make sure the ingredients were packed and put on the pan with some space between cookies (these don't spread so maybe a half an inch or so between them)

4. Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies will turn golden brown

5. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes or until they are firm (this is where I trimmed those stragglers)

6. Once cool, not before, you can dip or spread melted chocolate on the bottoms and drizzle on the tops

7. Chill in the refrigerator just until the chocolate is set

8. Place on your tray and let rest then cover to store ~ again MUCH better the next day!!  ENJOY!!!

 

 



 

 











Carrot Cake

Ok, so a couple of post back I told you all that I can NOT decorate cakes! I don't know why, I can picture it in my head but what ends up happening is NO WHERE close BUT, with that being said, the cake was amazing! I got the recipe from the sister of one of the football players on my son's team. The frosting I found on Pinterest (link by the directions!)

This is the first time I've tried to take pictures through the whole process of baking something (I think I got it all but we'll see what comes off the camera!)

All of the ingredients together

Action shot of sugar & oil beating together

I always do one egg at a time

(I thought this was a pretty cool shot of the egg going in)

Beat this well to a nice light color

While that is beating & it takes a minute or two,

get your dry ingredients together. I always give the dry ingredients a stir together.

Mix the dry in the wet until just combined

Now the directions said to mix carrots in by hand. I ignored the directions and just gave it a couple of slow turns with the mixer then a little bit by hand. Guess I felt like being a rebel lazy.

Pour the batter into a greased & floured pan ~ in the oven it goes

Here is the carrot cake when it comes out! Looks hard around the edges but it's a really soft yet dense & moist cake!

 

Phew that's a lot of pictures ... just a couple more.

 

I made cream cheese frosting because that's what goes on carrot cake right? Well I had a back up (there on the left) just in case ... I haven't had much any luck with homemade frosting (probably why I stick mostly with cookies!) I let my son be the judge of what I should use ~ I mean it is our Easter dessert and we had a houseful of people.  I was surprised, shocked really that he picked the homemade frosting!

 That I found here: BubbleCrumb's Best Cream Cheese Frosting via Pinterest

 

I found the cute marshmallow carrots at Wal-mart

Here is my horrendous decorating job ~ but oh boy did it taste GOOOOOOD

There you have it couple of easy steps and a delicious carrot cake!

 

Recipe:

1 ½ cups of vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking power

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

3 cups peeled and grated carrots

 

 

Blend sugar & oil. Than add eggs and beat.

Mix the dry ingredients and than add to the above

Hand mix in your carrots

Grease & flour 13x9 pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean

 

(thank you to my niece KaLeigh for this picture!)

 

 

 



 

Happy Hoppy Easter!

Wishing you & yours a very Happy Easter!! I have been doing a lot of cooking & baking so I didn't get on here but I have some stuff to post soon!! Carrot cake is up next ... I got a great shot of my egg LOL Enjoy your day!!



Apple Cake

My husband asked me to find a recipe for cake using apples.  He has been on a kick of eating apples everyday now for whatever reason! It must keep the doctor away like you always heard as a kid because he's pretty darn healthy! As in he never has to go to a doctor *knock on wood*
So anyhow, I have made this cake countless times, honestly countless and it is always perfect! I have made it chopping the apples up really small and leaving them a bit on the chunky side (our preferred way).  Mine looks very different than the recipe I copied it from but I assume because I used a different pan!

Here it is! Paula's is on the left mine is on the right!!

It's healthy because it has fruit right?! *giggling*

I use macintosh apples I'd like to try it with granny smith apples but they aren't a favorite of hubby's. 
Pretty much great for any time of day! And I was just thinking as I was typing ~ this would be so good if before the glaze you sliced it / dipped it in egg and made it into french toast ... Oh yum! trying this next time I make it!!!!  ~  Enjoy


Recipe by Paula Deen found here: Paula Deen - Uncle Bobs fresh apple cake

 



Helloooo Bacon Dip!!

Ok, so I'm more of a copycat with a twist than a "brainiac" that can come up with my own recipes!! (Oh boy how I LOVE Pinterest!) This is a recipe I found awhile ago (not on Pinterest actually) and I honestly can't remember where, so if you came up with it and you see this please let me know so I can give you credit!
I made a small change to it but OMG it's soooooo good!!!!! I always double the recipe ~ I eat it on beer bread ~ my son however loves it on a lot things ~ pizza, burgers, sandwiches!
Give it a try I'll bet you love it too!

 

 

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons bacon bits (the real fake ones not those crunchy red things)
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

mix it all together and refrigerate OVER NIGHT ...

this is a MUST for the flavors to come all together!

Stir & serve & enjoy!!

 

 



Where to start

So I'm not sure where to start ... why I bake / where I bake / what I bake ...

So here goes:

WHY: It relaxes me! It keeps me busy! My husband has started to travel a lot for work, I'm bored & lonely so I bake. When your putting things in the oven and pulling them out every 9 minutes it makes time go by faster!

WHERE: In my new kitchen! Well I guess it isn't so new now but when you're use to one kitchen for the last 16 years and you've only been in this one for less than a year we'll call it new! We lost our home & everything to a fire in January 2012 ... the first thing I replaced for a kitchen was my Kitchenaid!! (we were living with my sister in law so we didn't need dishes until we could get a temporary apartment (while we looked for a house) got all that?) I love this kitchen because it is wide open to the dining room & living room so I'm not tucked away in another room so to speak! When I get it cleaned up I'll post a picture!

WHAT:  Mostly cookies YUMMMM!! Some cakes (although I'm not a decorator), quick breads, yeast bread, cupcakes, snacks in general & regular everyday comfort food! The favorite thing I learned how to make this year is prime rib! My son likes it better than the restaurant and talk about saving money by making it yourself! Not like we have it every week once every couple of months works great!!  This is my son's plate! I think he may have had a spoon full of corn as well :o)