Wordless Wednesday~ Mamas home.

Creamy Coconut Cake

Let me introduce you to my friend Amy.

Wife, mother, cook, baker, hysterical video maker, and all around spectacular human being, oh and she is also blogger extraordinaire. She has a little blog that you might have heard of..it's called Very Culinary.

Recently Amy made a recipe I posted and said some really kind words about me. I was flattered and as I was reading I thought "I can say the very same thing about her". When Amy says “You have to make this!”…well…I make it! See that was me quoting Amy about me and now I'm using the same quote about her. Did you follow that?

So I see this cake that Amy made for her daughter Haley's birthday and I immediately thinking I'm totally making this cake. Coconut and I have this special relationship. It exists for my pleasure and I eagerly and happily enjoy it in any recipe that I can get my hands on. Oh yes, I have big love for coconut.

If you are a coconut lover, and you need some gooey coconutty goodness, you need to make this cake, and devour it to pieces and then thank Amy, oh and you can also thank Kim, another one of my very favorite people on the planet (She was the one who turned us all on to this recipe). Thanks Kim!

Wanna hear about my mid-recipe freak out? Ok, so I was making this cake for a few friends that I was having over for dinner that night. I was preparing it in the morning and as I was pouring the mixture over the cake, I didn't think it was absorbing into the cake correctly. So what do I do? I run to ask Amy on Facebook, hoping she's on, and sure enough, a few minutes later, Amy responds and tells me not to worry, the cake will suck up all the coconutty goodness, and it did. So don't panic and think that your going to end up with a gooey mess. It really will suck up all the goodness.!

Creamy Coconut Cake
Serves 15
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients
• 1 package of white cake or butter cake
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can (15 ounce) Cream of Coconut
• 1 can (14 ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 cups Shredded Coconut
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut
• 1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip

Directions
Make cake mix as directed on box and bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

While the cake is cooking, whisk together cream of coconut and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, fold together 1 1/2 cups coconut into the Cool Whip. Set aside.

Let cake cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes all over the top of cake with a fork. Spoon condensed milk mixture over the cake. Let sit for another 15 minutes. Spread Cool Whip mixture over cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup toasted coconut. Cut to desired size pieces and serve.

Who Am I?

My friend Jen at Under the Big Blue Sky inspires me all the time.

If you haven't checked out her blog, you are truly missing out. Jen's photography is breathtaking and her writing will touch your soul and make you think. I'm always so in awe at the way her writing just seems to flow so naturally and easy. I find myself nodding my head in agreement at her words, or laughing out loud at her wittiness.

She is inspirational.

Over the past year or so we have discovered we have lots in common and that was confirmed even more so when I read her blog post Who Am I?

Jen's 9 year old daughter wrote an essay in school. Jen took that essay and applied it to her life. Brilliant. I took and ran with it. If you read Jen's essay you'll notice that some of the lines are exactly the same.

I told you we have a lot in common.

___________________________________________________

I am the mother of two teenage boys. I am a wife to a remarkable husband. I am a true friend. To my brothers I am the older sister. I am the only daughter-in-law my in-laws have. My mother would call me a daughter who is "Mother Earth", something she's called me for a long time. My Dad would say I am predictable and sensible. My kids would say I'm always in the kitchen. I was a good student. Art was my favorite subject. I am a granddaughter and for over 30 years a great-granddaughter. I am very serious about the photography part of my life.

My friends would tell me I am creative and centered and throw a heck of a party. My mother would say I am crafty and speak my mind. My boss would say I am a multi-tasker and have a sympathetic ear. My husband would tell me I am the love of his life. Hung the moon and painted the stars. To me I am a mother, baker, cook, crafter, gardener and photographer. Also, I think I’m pretty empathetic.

Here are some things I like. I love warm bread with butter and hot homemade soup. I love getting lost in a really good book. Some people know my favorite colors are green and deep purple, good solid colors. I like being outside. I love to garden. I love the feel of dirt in my fingernails. In spring I like to watch the birds at the feeder. In summer I like to be in front of the fire pit, surrounded by family and friends. I like long flowing skirts and flip-flops. I like to paint my toenails bright red. In fall I like to make pies and fill the kitchen up with delicious things from the oven. October is my favorite month. In winter I like staying inside wrapped up in blankets with hot tea and my dog curled up at my toes. I wear very little to no makeup. My hair could have its own zip code. The Beatles are the soundtrack of my life. I love beautiful photographs that make you feel just by looking. I love deep red strawberries and fresh figs, I always have.

by Lisa, 11 days short of turning 47.

Wordless Wednesday~

Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pears and Blue Cheese

Hello friends.

It's been a few days since I've posted, cause well, that little thing called life sometimes gets in the way. I've been trying to slow it down a bit and catch up on some reading and craft projects, but somehow between cleaning the house and cooking for 4 or more people everyday those little luxuries never seem to happen. So I've been cooking and experimenting and I've even decided to do some more back to basics recipes, like how to make the perfect hard boiled egg and how to do the same for soft boiled eggs, egg salad, ya know the basic kind of stuff that I realized so many people just don't know to make. So we'll start with eggs and move on from there. Sound good?

Until then, one easy recipe that I think often intimidates people is focaccia. So let's start with that. Here we go.

I made this focaccia last weekend.

I loved every ingredient in the title.

Caramelized onions - check.

Pears - check.

Blue cheese - yes please.

So what's not to like about this? Apparently the smell.

My 14 year old son bounded down the stairs when this was coming out of the oven and loudly yelled:

"Ewww what smells like diarrhea in here?"

Well isn't that nice.

I think it was the blue cheese. You know blue cheese can smell kinda....old sockish.

It may have smelled bad, but it tasted heavenly. I loved this combination, but if blue cheese is not your thing, I'd imagine that gorgonzola would taste just fine too.



If you've always wanted to make bread but haven't got there yet, focaccia is a great way to start. It's really very easy to make and only takes and hour for the first rise.

Make sure you dimple it well, so the olive oil can settle into every nook and cranny.

Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pears and Blue Cheese
1 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
½ teaspoon honey
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 large Bosc pear, cored and sliced
½ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a large bowl combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and ¼ cup of the oil, let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and salt and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cover and cook stirring occasionally until browned, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450. Oil a 9x13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and press it down to fit. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.

Scatter the onions over the dough. Arrange the pears over the onions and sprinkle with the blue cheese. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the focaccia and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve.

Herbal Oats Energy Bars

First this post starts with an apology.

I was contacted by Steven at Herbal Oats back in August to try some of his energy bars. I enthusiastically said "YES, sent me some, I'll review them!" So they arrived in the mail, and I photographed them, and we ate them, and I typed up a post and there the post stayed until Steven contacted me again and asked (very nicely) if I had tried them yet and I said "OMG, yes, I will get that post out and then guess what happened? I did it again! The post kinda got lost and I felt so bad. So fast forward to January and I feel like a fool now, cause sweet Steven contacts me again and I confess that I didn't get around to posting and now the pics looks kinda strange cause when I took them it was summer and there was actually a big glowing ball in the sky and green grass in the background.

I really felt bad.

So he offers to send me more, cause now they have new packaging so I say yes again, only this time I actually do photograph them and sample them and whadda ya know....post about them!

I love everything about this company. The fact that Steve started the company on his college campus, that his girlfriend Sarah joined him and they teamed up and began making the bars in a commercial kitchen and selling them at the local Farmer’s Market. Just click here and look at these two cuties. After looking at those two faces you'll wanna buy a case of bars!

From the site:

Steven began making granola bars in his own kitchen and giving them to his roommates, friends and people on campus. He made the bars from simple ingredients, eliminating preservatives. Interested in herbs and their properties he had the idea of blending them into each bar, giving them an extra benefit unlike any bar he had ever had. The herbs included Echinacea, Black Tea and Ginkgo Biloba. Along with these he created a bar with extra protein. Everyone loved them, especially the concept of their functionalities. When friends half jokingly suggested selling the bars and starting a business, Steven started thinking. Before he knew it his combination of herbs and oats had a name, Herbal Oats.

You can tell these bars are made with love. I especially like the the fact that the wrapping is compostable! Love that!

There are 4 variates to choose from:

Blueberry Almond with Echinacea for Immunity

Raspberry with Ginko Biloba for Focus

Chocolate Peanut with extra protein for strength (my fave!)

Apple Walnut Spice with guarana for Energy.

They made me this cute post it (personalized even!)



If you're looking for a homemade energy bar, made by the cutest couple in Columbia, MO, look no further!

Thank you again Steven & Sarah @ Herbal Oats.

Wordless Wednesday~