Coconut Experiments & Smoothie Fail

Lately the kids and I have been drinking lots of smoothies. It's really a win win all over, especially since I add carrots AND spinach! The kids love the idea of drinking from a straw and they love that is sweet and fruity...but what they don't know is that it is packed full of vitamins. Yay, me!

I've also been on a bit of a coconut streak and since coconuts were on sale for .77 last week, we grabbed a few to experiment with. Lets just say the experiment started with trying to open it. Thank god for Google, lol!

Grayson was pretty into it, until he took a little sip of the water in the coconut. He's not a fan...but props to him for trying it! 

Once we got it opened and carved out I was a bit stumped as to what to do with it...so I decided to invent a Coconut Smoothie!

Here is what I used...

roughly 2 cups of spinach

1 cup of frozen blueberries

3/4 cup of coconut yogurt

1/4 cup of chopped up raw coconut

2 bananas

1/4 cup of milk

Now don't try it. LOL. It was kinda chunky. The kids gulped it down, but I did not. The taste was fine but I couldn't get past the texture. Maybe next time I will skip the raw coconut, or maybe try it grated and not in chunks? that sounds like a lot of work...

Have you tried using a real coconut before? What did you do with it?

linking up with In the Moment, Jenni From the Blog, Ramblings & Photos, Live and Laugh Out Loud, The Paper Mama, Project Alicia

Yummy Coconut Rice

Awhile back I tried Coconut Rice for the first time, and let's just say I was smitten! It started with going to a Thai Restaurant, which if you know me well, I am not that adventurous with food {I'm a chicken fingers and fries kinda gal}so I was a little nervous. But once I found out that there was such a thing as Coconut Rice on the menu, I got a little excited.

So since then, I've been trying to master my own Coconut Rice. It took awhile and although it doesn't have that 'umph' that it did at the restaurant, it's still pretty decent and I have been making it quite regularly! I'm such a sucker for anything coconut!

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk {make sure to shake well before opening}
1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
2 cups jasmine rice {soak rice prior to using according to package directions}
1 1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:
Rub coconut oil on the bottom and sides of a large pot. Make sure pot has a tight fitting lid as most of the cooking will occur through steam in pot. Pour in the remainder of ingredients and gently stir until mixed together. Cook on medium high heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until a low roaring boil starts. Turn heat down to low {as low as it can go}. Cover with lid. Leave for 15-20 minutes simmering on low. I always give it a little taste test to see how soft the rice is prior to serving. If you like it softer, remove from heat and let it sit covered in the pot a little longer.

Some people like to eat this as a dessert, allowing the rice to cool and serving with fruit. I like to eat it as part of a main course, like with a chicken stirfry!

One thing I want to try next time is reserving a bit of the coconut milk to pour on afterwards and then shred some lime on top!

Happy cooking!

linking up with 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, I Gotta Create, Embracing Change

Southern Banana Coconut Cake

Yes, winter is here. And that means I bake. I eat. I get fat. I hate my body. I bake. I eat. I get fat. I hate my body. I bake...see where I'm going? Lol...ok! Although I have been doing a fabulous job at filling up with all the greens a person can eat, but I still have to have a little bit of sweets...

Enter this Banana Bread type of cake...there's banana's in it-see good for you! It has coconut in it. End of story. It's good.

INGREDIANTS

1/2 cup soft butter

2 eggs

1 cup mashed bananas

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2/3 cup sour milk {1 tsp lemon juice into reg milk}

1 3/4 flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

TOPPING INGREDIANTS

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts {walnuts, almonds-whatever you have!}

1 cup coconut

Mix in order given. Pour into 8x11 greased pan.
Mix ingrediants for topping and spoon over the batter.
Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 40 mins, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Super Easy. Super Yummy!

Linking up with Blissful & Domestic, One Artsy Mama, Homemaker on a Dime, Alderberry Hill

Sweet & Salty Squares 'a la Lish'

So sometimes while baking with little people around, oopsies happen. Oopsies like, I put in a cup of butter instead of half a cup. So I swear under my breath and then try to double up the recipe...only this time I didn't have enough of the 'inside' ingredients to double up. I was making this recipe{which OMG you have to try!}

So I made one batch of those and put the rest of the batter in the fridge.

Then I had a light bulb moment a few days later while preparing to make these {which are also soooo yummy & make a great hostess gift!Only I have a different recipe for the caramel sauce-if you want to try that out let me know-mine not as gooey} Anyway, on to my light bulb moment...

Instead of going out and buying new ingredients I whipped these little squares up with stuff I already had on hand...

2 cups of coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1.5 cups of chopped pecans
2 cups of chopped pretzels
1 cup of skor bits

Although, you can add whatever you like and in whatever amount, cause were making this up as we go right?!

As a base use the same recipe for the base of the Nutella Smore Bars and then press into a greased 9x13 pan.

Pour the condensed milk over top of the base and then sprinkle the ingrediants above on top of that.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and brown!

The combination of sweet and salty is perfect!
And there you have it Sweet & Salty Sqaures 'a la Lish' :)

Linking up with Blissful & Domestic, Tatertots & Jello, Alderberry Hill, Homemaker on a Dime, The Kurtz Corner, Homework, Live Laugh Rowe

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Homemade Peppermint Patties

Oh, you guys better be afraid! Trust me when I say that these are unbelievable! Because I couldn't keep my hands off these little suckers, I don't want you to miss out on these either! and I need someone to get fat with me over the holiday season! so here's what you need...

For the middles:
5-6 cups icing sugar
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp softened butter
2.5 tsp mint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the coating:
Roughly 2.5 cups of dark chocolate baking pieces

Instructions
Combine all the ingredients for the middles in a bowl, stir all together until a firm, not sticky, dough appears. Start with 5 cups of icing sugar and if needed add in some more icing sugar until you have a pliable but firm dough.

Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Take tiny bits of dough and roll into balls roughly 1/2 inch thick in the palm of your hand, set on baking sheet and flatten. I did a few that were quite flat and some that were thicker and found that the thicker center tasted better than the flatter one...but that just may be me?!
Place in freezer to harden for about 20 minutes.

For the coating...
In a small microwaveable measuring cup place 1 cup of chocolate pieces. {I melted in 1 cup increments, not sure why, but I did} Microwave on half power for 2 mins, stirring every 30 seconds. Only heat it enough that the chips are melted, not boiling hot! You just want to temper the chocolate.

Remove the patties from the freezer and place one on a fork. Dip the fork into the chocolate until pattie is covered. Gently tap fork onto the side of cup to remove excess chocolate and place back onto baking sheet.  After all the patties are covered, allow to harden and enjoy!!! I also stored them in the freezer for up to a month and they still tasted heavenly!

Are you drooling yet?
Enjoy!

Linking up with Blissful & Domestic, Tatertots & Jello, A Night Owl Blog, Alderberry Hill, Homemaker on a Dime, The Kurtz Corner, Homework, Live Laugh Rowe, Happy Hour Projects, Adorned From Above

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Recipe~Everything Smashed Potatoes

Cool weather means comfort food, and what's more comforting then potatoes all mashed up with lots of cheese and garlic?!

 The best part about this recipe is that there isn't one...just add whatever you like. In our house it went something like this...

Wash 5 medium sized potatoes{skin on-cause I hate peeling}
Boil potatoes.
Mash Potatoes.
Add about 4 tbsps of butter, roughly 1-2 cups of shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup of cream cheese.
If you have garlic, you can mash up some of that and add it, I didn't so I used a couple sprinkles of garlic powder.
Mash all together! Sprinkle with chives, Parmesan cheese, bacon bits and more cheese...whatever...
Bake for 10 minutes until all melted together!

Oh and these are definitely not low cal...but they taste sooo yummy!!! Enjoy!

Linking up with: 
52 Mantels, I Gotta Create, Live Laugh Rowe

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Yummy, Melt in Your Mouth Homemade Biscuits

Fall is here, and you know what that means?! Super delicious casseroles and crock pot goodness that just beg for a good biscuit for dippin'...

You may be familiar with the Snowflake Scone, well, this is the same recipe but instead of a scone shape..were doing the traditional square biscuit...so I've called them...

INGREDIANTS

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup margarine

1 egg beaten in a 1 cup measure

Milk added to the egg to make 1 cup

Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut margarine into the dry ingredients. Add egg-milk mixture. Mix quickly and lightly, just until no dry ingredients remain.

Scrape onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Pat out till 1" thickness, cut into squares. Place on greased cookie sheet {or stone pan} and bake at 425 F for 8-10 minutes. Serve warm.

These are absolutely delicious and I bet you can't stop at just one. I love mine with butter, but jam would be so good too. Add a touch of cinnamon if serving fro brunch too...yum, yum!

Linking up with...Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Homework, Vintage Wanna Bee, Crayon Freckles, 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, I Gotta Create, The 36th Avenue, Tatertots & Jello, Create & Inspire

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Crock Pot Chocolate Fudge Cake

Sometimes when birthdays {or even if your just craving chocolate!} fall in the middle of summer and it is hot and humid out, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven to bake a cake. So here is a great option that uses a crock pot...

In under 3 hours you can get this delicious, moist fudge like chocolate cake with a scrumptious chocolate sauce to boot....

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. 

Add milk, cooking oil and vanilla. Stir well. Turn into crock pot. 

Sauce

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1 3/4 cups hot water

Stir brown sugar and cocoa together in bowl. Add hot water. Pour carefully over batter in crock pot. Do not stir. Cover. Cook on high for 2-3 hours until wooden tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 6 (or 2 adults and 2 kids if you like full bowls like us!)

Comes out looking like this and then...

Ooey gooey goodness comes out from underneath when you scoop it out. 

Enjoy!

Linking up with 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, Happy Hour Projects, Tatertots & Jello, Create & Inspire

Strawberry, Spinach & Poppy Seed Salad

This is one of my ALL TIME favorite salads in the warmer months and has become a summer staple on our table and at all family get-togethers! It's even great on it's own as a meal-just add some chicken and voila...you'll be scrapping the bowl clean for sure!

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

4-5 cups Fresh baby spinach or mixed baby greens

1-2 cups Fresh sliced strawberries

3/4 c. Slivered Almonds (can add sesame seeds)

Handful of red onion

Dressing

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. minced green onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 cup olive oil

Using a container with a tight lid, mix dressing ingredients together and shake well. Layer spinach, sliced strawberries, onion and nut mixture in a bowl. Toss with dressing when ready to serve. Makes enough dressing for two large salads.

Enjoy!

Linking up with:

Ginger Snap Crafts, Artsy Girl Connection, 52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, Bear Rabbit Bear, Live. Laugh.Rowe, It's Overflowing, Crayon Freckles

Yummy Rhubarb Dessert

This past weekend I was out in the garden and noticed that my Rhubarb bush was huge-yay!! So I instantly knew what I had to do and headed to the store, rushed home and got out the baking stuff...

Plus, it's been ages since I shared a recipe with you guys!!! Best of all this recipe is super easy and soooooooooooo delicious...no, it's really that good and totally deserved all those o's! Quite possibly my favorite dessert ever!

Rhubarb Dessert

4 cups chopped rhubarb

3/4 cup of white sugar

1 small pkg strawberry flavoured jello

1 pkg of single white cake mix

1/2 cup of water

1/3 cup of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a strainer, pour boiling water over top of chopped rhubarb. Put into an 9x13" pan.

Sprinkle white sugar evenly over top of rhubarb and then sprinkle the strawberry jello powder on next. Add cake mix package (dry) on top of that. 

Pour water over top of everything and randomly dot the top of the mixture with the small chunks of butter.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Ahhhh...heaven...I am drooling now and wish I had more!!

Linking up with:

Vintage Wanna Bee, Live. Laugh. Rowe, Bear Rabbit Bear, Janes Adventures in Dinner, 52 Mantels, Lolly Jane

Happy Hour Projects, Tatertots & Jello, Crayon Freckles

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