Coconut Buttermilk Pound Cake

Tangy buttermilk balances this rich coconut cake. Perfect with a cup of coffee or to simply satisfy that sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp (make sure it's room temp, trust me)

2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled) plus more for pan

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine salt

1 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup plus two Tbsp buttermilk, divided (recipe for buttermilk below)

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, divided (toasting directions below)

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350*. Butter and flour a 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl using a mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, 8 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time beating well and scraping down bowl. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with two 1/2 cup additions buttermilk, and beat until combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/4 cups toasted coconut.

2) Transfer batter to pan and bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, around 60 minutes, but keep an eye on the top to be slightly golden. Let cool in pan on wire rack, 1 hour. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack. (Store at room temp, wrapped in plastic, up to 4 days)

3) Whisk together confectioner's sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Drizzle over cake and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.


Buttermilk Directions: IT WORKS and you will never know the difference!
* 1 cup of milk and 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes before using. I always use vinegar and it turns out perfect. I even use this method for buttermilk pies :)

Toasted Coconut: Toast coconut in a 350* oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Watch carefully when toasting; coconut can go from browned to burned before you know it!

Andes Mint Creamy Fudge

So, I've been on a fudge kick lately. Maybe it's the holidays that are fastly approaching or maybe it's because of the delicious fudge I bought at Cabela's the other night that completely disappeared and is MIA still?? Either way, I decided to try this recipe per my husband's request (I guess my chocolate walnut fudge just isn't good enough for him anymore...pffft).

Andes Mint Creamy Fudge

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 (7oz.) jar Marshmallow Creme
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz.) Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips or 2 packages (4.67 oz.) Andes Creme de Menthe Thins, chopped (28 candies)
• 1 (5 fluid oz.) can evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Lightly grease a foil-lined 9x9x2 inch pan; set aside (I used 8x8)

Heat sugar, butter or margarine, milk and marshmallow creme in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 5 minutes (set your timer!)

Add Andes Baking Chips and vanilla extract, stirring until chips are melted. Immediately spread into prepared pan. I chopped up some Andes Mints and sprinkled all over the top of the fudge once it was spread into the pan.

Once they melted down some from the hot fudge, I used the end of a knife and made a swirling motion on the top. Or you can let it slightly harden/cool and sprinkle the chopped mints on top for a chunkier effect.

Refrigerate overnight. Cut into 1 inch squares. Store in airtight container in fridge. For creamier fudge, let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

YIELD: 4 pounds

Hope you guys enjoy!

Coupon Blog-TONS of coupons

I just wanted to share my favorite coupon website with you. I'm a big fan of coupons and try to print them before I go shopping, especially to retail stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and stores at the mall. I end up saving a ton of money when I do this, especially if I can make seperate transations and use multiple coupons which allows me to get even more bang for my buck.  Here is my favorite website for coupons :)

http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/

Crack Party Dip

Whoever named this "Crack Dip" ain't lying! I made this for my son's 1st birthday party and I had to fight people off just to get a taste of it before it was gone. If I wasn't a germaphobe I would have licked the bowl clean..but since there are the occasional double dipper folks out there, I decided to make more the next day to be on the safe side :)


Ingredients:

16 ounce sour cream
1 pkg Ranch Dressing Mix
3 oz. pkg of REAL bacon bits (not the dried kind)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together and put in the fridge for 24 hours. Serve with Ruffles, Dorito corn chips or veggies.



Nanny Blalocks Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

 

 

First off, let me just tell you how A-MA-ZING this casserole is! It's heaven...in a dish! This recipe is a family favorite. My Nanny Blalock made this casserole every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was a wonderful cook and I will be sharing quiet a few of her recipes on here. I asked her when I was little how she learned to cook so well and she told me that when she was little she had the option to stay in the kitchen with her Mama and cook for their family or she could pick cotton in the fields. She said that she hated picking cotton because her fingers would get cut up from the bristles on the cotton plant and it was very painful after a days work. I am so thankful that she did because she spent many hours with me in her little kitchen baking and preparing for our traditional Sunday dinners after church. When she passed away, my Mom gave me all of her recipes and I CAN'T wait to share them with everyone, they mean so much to me!


Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick of margarine, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. all-spice (can use ginger, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices instead)
pinch of salt

Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave or in the oven. I prefer the microwave and to do this I wrap them in Saran Wrap and microwave for about 15 minutes (depending on size). Test them by sticking a knife into the center to make sure it's completely soft. Peel all of the skin off and toss into your mixing bowl.

Next, combine the rest of the ingredients into your mixing bowl and beat on low speed until everything is completely mixed and the consistency is smooth. I like to use a mixer because it gathers all of the strings inside the sweet potatoes and they wrap around the mixer attachment. But if you prefer it to be a little more chunky just use a potato masher and decrease the cooking time of the potatoes in the microwave.

After everything is mixed together, spread into a greased 9x9 baking dish and set aside.

Topping:
1 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 stick of margarine, melted
1.5 cups of coconut flakes
1 cup of pecans

Mix all of the topping ingredients and spread evenly on top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350*.

Follow Me On Pinterest!!

Hey there! Jump on over to my Pinterest page and follow me! You will find lots of cool stuff that I couldn't possibly find the time to put on my blog. Ciao!!

http://pinterest.com/karadisner/

Lasagna Roll Ups

 

This recipe is a favorite in my family. My husband and kids are extremely picky eaters. They refuse to eat anything that resembles a casserole and unfortunately, that means lasagna (which I love love love). So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest I was beyond excited! It's very easy to make and it got 2 1/2 thumbs up from the hubby and kiddos. My one year old, Drake, ate TWO of these roll ups by himself and he's the pickiest of them all :)

8 lasagna noodles

1 pound ground hamburger meat

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic (I use 2 tsp of the minced garlic in a jar)

1/2 onion

1 can Spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Traditional )

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 T fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 T fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large pot of water to boiling over high heat. When it reaches a boil, salt liberally and drop noodles. Stir occasionally and cook to just al dente. You want to leave them slightly more firm since you'll be baking the pasta. Drain noodles and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and brown. Drain the meat if needed. Add the can of spaghetti sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add 1/2 the basil and oregano and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg. Add ricotta, Parmesan and remaining basil and oregano and stir together. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray. Add enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. To assemble, on a drained noodle, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture. Top with a spoonful of meat sauce and roll up. Place seam side down in pan. Continue until you've used all the noodles. Top each with a little more meat sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

* I like to go the easy route and sub Italian Seasoning spice mixture for the basil and oregano. It's basically the same thing and gives it a great flavor!

Etsy store: Toodles Arts & Crafts

Because my sister is my biggest fan and vice versa, I want to share a link to her Etsy store. She makes the cutest eco-friendly crocheted coffee mug cozies and jewelry. Right now her items are limited as she keeps selling out BUT keep checking back as she is about to post a TON of new items. :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ToodlesArtsCrafts?ref=seller_info

Pumpkin Stencils

I took my son Drake to the pumpkin patch today so I though I would share some cute pumpkin stencils and carving ideas that I came across. We will be carving pumpkins after naptime so I will post pics later :)

1) http://www.parenting.com/gallery/halloween-pumpkin-carving-stencils?pnid=114608


2) http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/beginner-halloween-pumpkin-carving-templates/pictures/index.html?nl=HGI_090512_bottom1img

3) http://www.marthastewart.com/275573/pumpkin-carving-and-decorating-ideas/@center/276965/halloween

4) http://www.freshhomeideas.com/entertaining---parties/halloween/halloween-decorations/carve-pumpkins-with-cookie-cutters

Coconut Pineapple Cake

Coconut Pineapple Cake 

Cake

1 light colored Super Moist or pudding included cake mix, white, yellow, even golden butter, your preference
3 eggs

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk, not cream of coconut
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved for glaze

Glaze
1 1/2 cups of milk, or less depending on pineapple juice
reserved pineapple juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut

Frosting
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (use 1 teaspoon if you like more)
coconut for dusting

Prepare pans. If using two 9-inch circle pans, grease them, add a layer of traced parchment paper, then grease and flour. If using a 9x13-inch pan, spay the bottom with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, and coconut milk with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping occasionally. Stir in coconut and pineapple. Pour into pans. Bake as directed per pan size on box. Don't over bake, I take it out when a few moist crumbs stick to a toothpick. Cool 15 minutes.

While cake is cooling, add enough milk to reserved pineapple juice to make 1 1/2 cups. Combine pineapple-milk mixture, sugar, and 1/2 cup coconut in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Poke holes into cake using a fork, straw, or even a kabob stick. Carefully spoon evenly over warm cake allowing liquid to soak into holes. Pop cake into the fridge to cool completely.

Beat heavy whipping cream, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form. (If making a layer cake, you may want to beat it just a little extra so that sticks to the sides of the cake. I also spread a little of this prepared cream between layers). Frost cake with prepared whipped cream. Cover cake with remaining coconut. Keep (and store) in refrigerator until ready to serve.

You will not regret making this cake, it is DELISH!! Trust me...I ate the whole thing by myself (you heard me right, ALL BY MYSELF. Don't judge!)