Tequila-Lime-Coconut Macaroon Bars

We had a family reunion this past weekend and I made sure that I asked Ben what we wanted to eat since I usually make what sounds good to me! I was flipping through this month's Southern Living and when I saw these, I knew they would be Ben-approved. Tequila, lime, coconut macaroons - this was definitely a Ben recipe! I whipped this up the morning of and they were easy to make and the cleanup was a breeze due to baking them in a tin foil lined baking dish. These would be the perfect ending to a Summer BBQ!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Garnishes: powdered sugar, lime rind curls

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
• 2. Stir together 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.
• 3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned.
• 4. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a medium bowl until smooth; whisk in coconut, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir together baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk into egg mixture. Pour over hot crust.
• 5. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles. Remove foil, and cut into bars. Garnish, if desired.
• (recipes and photo via Southern Living)

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Cookie Craving: Check!

Since I showed you the picture of Belle's cookie cake in the last post, I know I have you craving chocolate chip cookies. Oh wait... maybe that's just me! I had a cookie craving this afternoon and wanted something quick, easy, and tasty and this recipe fit the bill. I especially like it because you don't have to wait for butter to soften because it calls for melted butter. Odd for a cookie recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found this recipe at one of my go-to recipe blogs, Brown Eyed Baker. I followed her directions on how to make "bakery style" cookies that aren't smooth when done. (See step 4) I made smaller cookies instead of the large one that the recipe calls for and I do have to say they were yummy! I had company walk through the door just as I was taking them out of the oven and they approved as well!

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup and they were delicious!)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray. (I used my Silpat and they came out wonderfully)

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

Enjoy!!

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Trust Me

Since it is cooler this weekend, it would be an excellent time to try this recipe. You must cook it before it gets too warm for soup. Trust me. It's that good. I have been in a hump lately and have been searching for new recipes to try. I feel like I serve Ben the same things over and over again so I have been trying to step outside of my box and try new recipes. This was super easy to make and I didn't have all the ingredients that the original Southern Living recipe called for so I just compromised and it tasted just fine.

Image via Southern Living

2  (6-oz.) packages long-grain and wild rice mix

10  cup  chicken broth, divided

3  tablespoons  butter

1  cup  sliced fresh mushrooms

1  cup  chopped onion

1  cup  chopped celery (I didn't have celery so I left it out)

1/4  cup  butter

1/2  cup  all-purpose flour

1/2  cup  milk (I used skim - original recipe calls for half and half)

2  cups  cooked shredded chicken breasts

1. Bring rice, 4 cups chicken broth, and 1 seasoning packet from rice mix to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. (Reserve remaining seasoning packet for another use.)

2. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes or until tender.

3. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute, or until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in remaining 6 cups broth, and cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Whisk in milk. Stir in mushroom mixture, chicken, and rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (Do not boil.) 

Ben is not a brothy soup person and this is right up his alley. It is more like a casserole in a bowl rather than a soup and is it delish! Try it!

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Baby It's Cold Outside

This is one my all time favorite Christmas songs and it happens to be the ongoing theme here in Alabama for the past few weeks. We had two "snow days" at school, only one of which contained actual snow, but either way I thoroughly enjoyed it because I have wrapped presents under my tree and a semi-clean house. 

Our first snow of the season.

 

 Looks kind of dreary here, but it was beautiful!

We had several nights where the temperature was in the single digits, and as always, this is Remy's favorite time of the year. Yes, my no-animals-in-the-house husband brings Remy in on these cold nights and yours truly has the honor of bathing her when this happens. Seeing how Remy loves the water hose (see here) one would think this would be a total nightmare, but I think bath time is the only time that Remy is actually calm. I have no idea why, but she actually stands still and lets me bathe her. It's really a Christmas miracle each and every year.

Then, this is what she looks like for the rest of the night. Rotten.

What sounds better on a cold, winter night than a bowl of hot soup? This is a tried and true recipe on Ben's side of the family and it is so delicious. I have eaten it many times, but this was my first time making it, and it did not disappoint. If you like hearty potato soup, this one is for you!

8 cups potatoes, diced

1/3 cup onion, diced

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 cans chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

1 8oz cream cheese

Place your potatoes, onion, and soups in a dutch oven and cook until tender. We also added a can of corn with our potatoes and soup - I think some shrimp would be good too. When the potatoes are cooked to your desired consistency, stir in the cream cheese and you are done! How easy is that?!? Serve with bacon and cheese on the top and you are going to make someone very happy! Enjoy!

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Since It's Fall

Since it is my most favorite time of year, it means one thing....

Yes, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back. Don't think just because it is 90 degrees outside when you drive by that you can't experience this yumminess. They come in Frappacinos too!

Since I believe all things pumpkin are wonderful, I decided to have a pumpkin lab at school. I have been trying to do seasonal labs and incorporate recipes that the students normally would not try. When I told them we were having a pumpkin lab, I of course heard "gross" and "ewww" and "I have never tried pumpkin and I ain't never going to!" (I can't believe I just typed ain't on my blog - twice!!!) When I hear this Miss Hard Headed comes to class and says "Oh, yes you are trying it" and they think I am an evil witch.

First up we had Pumpkin Soup. I got some major "ewwws" on this one. This is while it is cooking.
We then pureed it. The recipe didn't call for it, but we added some milk at the end. We tried it in one class and it needed a little something else, and it was much better with the milk.

Pumpkin pancakes were on the menu,

pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips,

and Pilgrim Pies aka the best things you will ever put past your lips.

Here are the recipes. You should try them out! Needless to say, my students now love pumpkin. They did try everything and managed not to wither away and die. There favorite recipe (and mine too) was the Pilgrim Pies. Delicious!

Pumpkin Soup

(from pumpkinrecipes.org)

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.

2. Add pumpkin and cook 3 minutes, until lightly softened.

3. Add stock and paste and stir to mix. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower to a simmer, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until pumpkin is very tender.

4. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add cheese, salt, and pepper; mix and serve warm.

Pumpkin Pancakes

(From Disney Family Fun)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
3 tbsp. melted butter plus 1 tbsp. for frying
1/2 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin or canned pumpkin

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and the pumpkin to the wet ingredients, and whisk together. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir just until blended a few lumps are okay.

2. Heat the remaining butter on a griddle over medium-high heat. Then pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. When the flapjacks bubble on top, flip and cook until brown on other side. Makes 20 pancakes.

Pumpkin Bread

(From CD kitchen)

5 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 ounce size) solid packed pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar (can substitute Splenda)
2 small boxes regular vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (we added these!)

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add oil and pumpkin; beat until smooth.

Combine remaining ingredients; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 75 to 80 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Pilgrim Pies

(from Disney's Family Fun)

PUMPKIN COOKIES
2 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

FILLING/CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture a half cup at a time, blending each time until smooth.

2. Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, using a moist finger or the back of a spoon to slightly flatten each mound. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar a half cup at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.

4. To assemble the pies, turn half of the cookies bottom side up and spread a generous amount of cream cheese frosting on each one. Top them with the remaining cookies (turned right side up). Makes 10 to 14 Pilgrim Pies.

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Yumminess in a Jar

While at my parent's house in Georgia, I was able to pick blueberries to bring home with me. One of my dad's friends has about fifteen blueberry bushes and they were LOADED.

I literally ran my hand down the branch and just put my bucket underneath. It might as well have been Christmas that day (minus the sweltering 100 degree heat index) I was so excited. One of my favorite things about summer produce is making jams and preserves.

Blair got in on the action too and I think she was equally excited about the fact that we were picking blueberries in the blazing sun. She was a good sport about it, but was so excited to get back in the air conditioned car.


She was even generous and gave away some of her loot.

My blueberries now look like this:

and are housed in my precious jars.

I have used this recipe for several years now and have had great success with it!

Wild Blueberry Preserves

4 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
4 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid fruit pectin
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pour half of the blueberries into large Dutch oven; gently mash to just break up. Stir in sugar and remaining blueberries. Heat over low heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Stir in fruit pectin, lemon rind and juice; return to boil.

Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover with prepared lids; screw on bands. Boil in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Let cool on rack. Check seals. Refrigerate any jars with lids that have not sealed. Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 year. Makes 4 cups.

I have peach too!!

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