Banana Coconut Crunch Cake

In continuing with the coconut theme, here is another coconut recipe you must try!  So cold here in Minnesota that its a good excuse for me to crank up the oven. 

Banana-Coconut Crunch Cake
1 pkg. Banana Cake Mix (or vanilla)
1 small box Banana Cream Instant Pudding mix
1 (16 0z.) can fruit cocktail in juice
4 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
1 c. flaked cocnut
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. brown sugar

Glaze:
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. flaked coconut

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, fruit cocktail, eggs and oil in a large bowl.  Beat for about 4 minutes.  Stir in the 1c. coconut.  Pour into your pan.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

For glaze:  Combine sugar, butter and evaporate dmilk in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Stir in coconut.  Pour over warm cake.  Best served warm!

November = coconut month!

I didn't even realize this until now but my only other post so far in November also has coconut in it as well - so may as well make the month about it.  I do love coconut so it shouldn't be tough!  Today is gray, drizzly and cold here in Minnesota - much like many days in November tend to be.  I made Snicker salad to take to my mom's tomorrow where we are celebrating Thanksgiving Family style a wee bit early.  So while I was in the kitchen figured may as well turn on the oven and warm up the house as well. 

Coconut Almond Biscotti
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. flaked coconut
1 c. toasted, sliced almonds

Mix together your butter and sugar until creamy.  Add in vanilla and eggs.  Beat well.  Add in your dry ingredients.  Mix in your coconut and almonds.  Divide dough in half and form each half into a log (about 10" long and about 3" wide).  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 32 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Take each loaf and slice into 1" slices.  Place slices (laying down flat) on your baking sheet and return to the oven for 12 minutes.  Flip each slice and bake another 12 minutes.  Cool,  Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Pound Cake~!

This recipe that I found in the Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine, looked to irresistable to pass up, especially since I love both Coconut and pound cake. 
In other news, I am certainly glad the election is over, I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick of listening to all the campaigning.  As well as all of the whining on display on facebook.  I did not subject anyone to any ranting as I don't believe it is appropriate - now or ever.
Without further ado, here is the recipe:
(oh I did change it up just a bit)

Toast coconut:  spread coconut onto a baking sheet and put into a 350 oven for 5-10 minutes.  Stir often.  Watch carefully it can go from toasted to burned in a hurry!

Toasted Coconut Pound Cake
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. fat-free half & half
1 1/2 c. sweetened, shredded, toasted coconut, divided

1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. fat free half & half

Preheat your oven to 350.  Spray a loaf pan with pam spray.  Stir together your dry ingredients.  In a mixing bowl beat the butter,  and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  Add vanilla and then the eggs one at a time.  Then add in the half-&-half and the flour mixture.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in 1 1/4 c. of your toasted coconut.  Pour into the pan and bake for 60 minutes.  Let cool.  Remove from pan  Whisk together the powdered sugar and additional half & half.  Spread over cake.  Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

For more of a cake you can slice and take on the go - omit the frosting and additional coconut topping!

ENJOY :)

From the Pampered Chef ~Crunchy PB Cookie Bark

I know a Pampered Chef Consultant and yesterday she showed me their latest recipe booklet.  I saw this recipe in there and immediately had to make a copy because it involves all things I love.  I will be making this for sure for holiday goodie platters!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookie Bark

12 Nutter Butter Sandwich Cookies
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
1 pkg. vanilla flavored almond bark
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 tsp. canola oil
1 c. crunchy or creamy peanut butter

Line a medium sized cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.  Coarsely crush the cookies.  Chop the peanuts.  Mix cookies and peanuts together in a bowl.  Microwave your almond bark until melted. Microwave the chocolate chips & tsp. oil in a dish until melted.  Stir the peanut butter into the melted bark.  Pour onto waxed paper.  Drop the chocolate onto the melted bark in 8 spots - swirl.  Sprinkle cookie mix over the top, and press firmly.  Drizzle remaining chocolate over the top.  Cool until bark is set.  Cut into squares.

YUMMY butterscotch cookies :)

Okay - usually my eldest daughter is calling me and asking for my recipes.  Here is one that she shared with me from a friend of hers (through her work).  She told me I HAD to try them and sometimes I do listen.  Especially when it comes to Cookies (of course!).

Yummy Butterscotch Cookies
1 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 small pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 c. flour
1 12 oz. pkg. Nestle Butterscotch chips (the only brand of butterscotch chips I use)

Mix all together.  Drop by scoop onto cookie sheet - bake 10-12 minutes @ 350.

Oreo Treats

It sure has been COLD here in Minnesota the past two days.  So cold that leaving the house is a major undertaking.  I did leave the house to go get Mint Oreos and Almond Bark coating today and whipped up these little YUMMIES.

Oreo Treats
1 pkg. Mint Oreos
1 pkg. White almond bark coating
mini cupcake papers

Melt your almond bark carefully in the microwave.  I let heat for 1 minute.  Stir and then go another minute.  Stir in Broken up Mint Oreo Cookies.  Spoon into mini muffin papers.  Let cool.

YUM (just sayin)

Fresh Tomato Soup

Well, we are moved into our new home (as of Sept. 22) for what that is worth - ha.  So far it has been one mishap after another.
Mishap #1 - Brand new dishwasher decided to have a broken pump, which the installation guy should have noticed but did NOT.  Therefore first time Jill turned it on - all of the water that was supposed to wash the dishes, spewed underneath the dishwasher and into the brand new 4" sold hardwood hard maple floors we had JUST gotten installed.  Thereby ruining the floors and the carpet that butted up to it in the living room.  AND dripping down through the recessed lights in the family room downstairs to get water in the fireplace and soak the carpet down there.

Mishap #2 - Brand new refrigerator is keeping my refrigerated items at a toasty 54 degrees.  WHICH is not as cold as I would like or is recommended - the recommended fridge temp is 37.  It will be a WEEK before a Kenmore appliance service guy can show up.

Mishap #3 - Tried to turn on the furnace as it is getting chilly at night in these parts - and low and behold, it doesn't work either.....took 5 days to get a Minnegasco repairman here and it took him 10 minutes to see there was a wire not in the right spot - therefore - no heat.

Mishap #4 - Went to set up the new bed and bedding in one of the guest bedrooms on Sunday.  Got the frame put together and then put the new boxspring down, hubby asked where the NEW IN THE BAG bedding set was that HAD been sitting in that room for nearly 2 weeks?  Good question,  We both spent the following 40 minutes searching every inch of this house from top to bottom, and that brand new in the bag bedding set has virtually VANISHED - it is not in this house.  What does that mean?  Either we have a ghost and he took it somewhere?  OR someone walked into our house which we have kept unlocked up until now to allow access for all of the various fix-it-guys, and took our bedding set.................hmmmmmm this still perplexes me.

Enough about that - it is just aggravating and makes my blood boil to think of it all:  Other than to say there is not 1 room in this house that is set up and ready.....
Yesterday my best buddy, Judy invited me out to her farm to make some salsa and relax a bit.  So I made 18 jars of salsa (with part of her bountiful crop of tomatoes).  I also brought some cut up tomatoes home to make this soup.  It is tasty and I am not a tomato soup lover otherwise.  The hubby loves this:

Fresh Tomato Soup
5 c. fresh tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper to taste
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
4 c. milk (I used skim)

In a saucepan simmer together your tomatoes and onion until onions are soft and translucent.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and whisk in your milk.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add in your tomato mix.  Gently heat.