baked coconut mounds

Feb 6, 2011                       ....in a chocolate-y chocolate chip cookie......             

 

 

This was fun.  However, most likely more fun had I not been enduring that nutrition-deprived induced headache and fatigue on the day of the Super Bowl.  Oy!!  It's a good thing no one asked for the recipe because...welp, there really isn't one.  It only took a generous dumping of cocoa with some flower, 12 eggs, a huge Costco block of Kirkland butter and all other typical cookie ingredients.  

Mike liked the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup filled ones better.  This coconut fiend likes....well, this one better.

The Super Bowl party at Bill and Sue Ferguson's was loud and fun.  Combined with Bill's MC talents and spirited love for the annual celebratory game, it really seemed like it couldn't be anymore fun.    I fried chicken flautas that everyone effused over as well.  If there's a next time before moving to the Philippines, I will remember to bring over even more food.  I had forgotten that for some reason, Ferguson friends bring over less food...thus it all goes too fast....long before half time! (^_^)

As I was enjoying it, I was thinking of how I will miss the SB parties in the Philippines.  Without recording the game, it's hard to fathom the idea of a party considering the time zone difference.  Even for women who don't understand football, it's the perfect reason for getting together and sharing food.  Hmm....my sentimental mind will have to wrap around this one for a bit.  Ho hum.  

coffee cup cakes

Just a few more days left with mom and she heads back up to shivery George, Iowa.  Tonight we had spaghetti with spaghetti squash.  The next time I make it I will have to post a "recipe".  Mom's never had it before and she enjoyed it.  

Dylan's been asking me for coffee cake for months.  So, tonight I'm making some for tomorrow morning before church.  A sugary breakfast is definitely never my ideal for myself or my family.  However, it's now Christmas season and so I feel perfectly content to make the lavishing exception.  Dylan's spending the night over at Kenyan's just down the street, so hopefully there will be some left when he gets home tomorrow after church.

I used a basic coffee cake recipe that's easy to find anywhere online.  Sweet coconut flakes were added to the crumble mixture.  Instead of using the typical baking pan, the muffin pan makes for the perfect tea party servings.

A Kitchen Aid mixer blend of 1 pkg of cream cheese, 1 t of lemon extract, 1 C of powdered sugar and just enough coconut milk for the desired thick [or runny]-ness  was drizzled over the top of the finished product....

...with a light dusting of left over crumble mix

coconutty banana bread

With my affinity to all  things coconut-ish, resistance is truly futile.  It's Thanksgiving Eve and I'm stoked with some of my favorite ingredients and the very idea that this could be something my family will enjoy with me.

In the Mixer:

2 C flour

1 C sugar

1 1/2 C sweet coconut flakes

6 bananas

2 t vanilla

4 eggs

1 1/2 t BP

Gently folded in: 

1 2oz pack of walnuts chopped with my big chef knife

1 C chocolate chips

This made two loaves baked  at 350 for 20-35 min.  Depending on your oven.  I inserted a wooden skewer to  check the for moisture and/or dry finish, covered to keep moist and let sit overnight.

This morning I quick whipped together the frosting of: one pack of cream cheese, 2 C of powdered sugar, 2 t of lemon extract and slowly added coconut milk to desired thickness....I like mine a little runny.

Yah.....that's some seriously yummy-licious stuff!!

coconut sesame saltines

flakey. flavorful. fresh. fun.

2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 Cup warm coconut milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
sesame seeds

in the mixer: I mixed the flour, baking powder, salt, coconut milk, and vegetable oil


Rolled the dough onto a cookie sheet, with a rolling pin, as flat as possible, brushed it with egg white mix [1 egg white and 2 T water], lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds and salt and cut into squares


baked in preheated oven at 385 for 10-12 min.

My little four year old pretty much took all of them.  All other six family members were lucky if they got more than one.  (^_^)

coconut sourdoughy pandesal

Sweet like Pandesal.  Coconut in flavor.  Sourdoughy in smell.  FABULOUS.

There is MUCH joy in putting together some of my favorite flavors.  How much fun to do so with pandesal/rolls!  Homemade sweet sourdough is so deletable.  The Filipino pandesal rolls are sweet and always nostalgic of home on the islands.  Coconut....it's practically impossible to go wrong with adding such an islandish flavor to so many dishes...including bread and/or rolls.  Thus, the reason why the shopping cart is religiously filled with ten cans of coconut milk on every bimonthly shopping trip.  I really hate running out of coconut milk.

Mixed one can of room temped coconut milk, 4 T of yeast, 1 C sugar.  Let sit until sugar is well dissolved and yeast is well activated forming gas bubbles. (Never use hot liquids as this will kill the yeast and rolls will not rise). Let mixture sit in fridge overnight.  Take out next day and let warm up to room temperature.

In bread maker on dough setting:  2 C flour, 1 t salt,  1 1/2 C of wet mixture, and 1 T sesame oil. Gradually add 1/4-1/2 C until dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise for one hour in closed bread maker.

Form small balls and set into baking dish and let rise in oven.  Be sure to put a large baking dish full of hot tap water under neath to create a humid environment and keep the rolls from forming a dry crust.  Let rise for 30-60 min.  Remove and let the oven preset to 350...leaving the large baking dish of water in oven.  Bake the rolls for 30+ or until golden brown.

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This is what I put together for tonight's potluck at Greg and Sheryl's. That and salad. There were a lot of new Primerica faces...and there were missing faces of others no longer in the business.  All night I kept envisioning Shad and Casey Coulson and their three iddy bitties.  Oh, how we miss them now that they are out of town and out of state....and in Kansas.

Being the inactive Primericans, one would think we would feel slightly out of place.  However, we didn't.  It was nice to meet new faces and be back in the company of pleasant familiar ones.   Though no longer working together, we are all still of the same mindset of doing what God has given us all the ability to do in order to get and stay ahead of the currently declining American economy that's particularly harder on the middle class and below.

My Tongue's Hangin' Out and I Can't Get it Back In

When's the last time you've had one of these babies? For me, it was yesterday afternoon. This is one of the Cheesecake Factory's greatest inventions. Once you've had one, your taste buds throb for the disco combinations of oriental flavored grill chicken, and three tongue/lip slurping sauces wrapped in the rainbow of crisp/crunchy veggies......

One of my favorite things about Dori is that [like me] she is resourceful. Once something has struck her curious fancy she doesn't leave it to chance that maybe one day she'll figure it out. She knows that with a few finger strokes she could probably find out for herself how this and that works, the ugly scoop, the yummy scoop, the how-to scoop....etc. Whatever I haven't already researched and benefited from, she typically already has. Kindred spirits harmoniously jive that way. I like to re-invent a new culinary find from the latest outing. When it comes to something of an Asian flair, close doesn't cut it. Spot on does. I can be spot on with Dori's advise to go to recipe.com to find out how to make those tongue throbbing three sauces. This culinary disco dance can be lusted after and enjoyed in my kitchen anytime now!

After enjoying a couple hours of partaking in Brenda's Bridal shower, we hopped back into Dori's van and got back into deep conversation mode. [We'd already done that on the way down the mountain to Mesa. At arrival, Dori voiced the "change mode" alert. After all, after two hours of that we were getting together with a bunch of women (only one of whom we knew) and it would all be surface talk now]. I had her take us on a side trip to Lee Lee's Oriental food store where I wasn't the only one stocking up on a few items.

So, on that trip I learned Dori and I have one more thing in common....we BOTH are emotionally moved by scenery. Odd. When I find better words to describe...I'll describe.

The Gadiva chocolate and coconut cream cheesecakes I had ordered to take home for Mike and I withheld the spring temps on the way back home. That was another disco dance for my tastebuds.

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The peanut sauce....the recipe didn't exactly turn out as I remember it. So, I did a lot of adjustments to get the texture and flavor spot on. The chili oil is better used as the base ingredient of much greater proportion. We indulged in my homemade wrap this afternoon/evening. That was heaven.