Pina Colada Cookies

I have to admit these were not my favorite cookie by any means. But I threw in a few extra ingredients and they were  delicious not too bad. The funny thing was, that I kept tasting them trying to see if I liked them and they started growing on me. Needless to say I now have seriously overdosed on them. If you love coconut and pineapple try these, they are not time consuming at all. Think I will go taste them one more time.

Ingredients:
1/2- cup shortening
1/2- cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4- cup white sugar
1- egg, beaten
1/2- teaspoon vanilla
1- teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/2- cups all purpose flour
1/4- teaspoon baking soda
1/4- teaspoon salt
3/4- cup crushed pineapple, drained
1- cup coconut
THEN I added:
1- cup white chocolate chips
1- cup macadamia nuts, chopped

• Cream shortening and sugars.
• Add beaten egg mixed with vanilla & coconut extract.
• Sift flour with soda & salt
• Add to mixture alternately with coconut and pineapple.
• Add white chocolate chips & macadamia nuts
• Mix all items together well,until all combined
• Drop by rounded teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until done.
• Be careful not to over bake these cookies.

Pina Colada Cookies

I Need a Vacation!!!

 Seriously, I have just returned from vacation....BUT, just about every possible thing that could go wrong did. So I'm really feeling the need for another one (as in vacation) and very, very soon. I will go into ALL of the details about my vacation soon... but for now Coconut Cake is all I can think about, so let's have a piece.


Coconut Cake.......
... REALLY, go make it now..you will be so glad you did!

Ingredients:
1- Box white cake mix with pudding
2/3- cup whole buttermilk
1/3- cup vegetable oil
1/3- cup water
3- large eggs
1- teaspoon coconut extract
1- teaspoon vanilla extract
1- (15 ounce) can cream of coconut
1- can sweetened condensed milk
1- (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed

2- cups sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch baking pan.
*In a large bowl, combine cake mix, buttermilk, oil, water and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the extracts. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
*Using the end of a wooden spoon, make 1/2- inch -deep holes in top of cake at1- inch intervals.
*In a small bowl, whisk together cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Pour evenly over top of cake and in the holes: let cake cool completely.
*Spread whipped topping over cake and sprinkle with the coconut. Store in the refrigerator.

Coconut Cake

Delicious!!!

Strawberry Cheesecake

Makes one 10" cheesecake

2 - cups graham cracker crumbs
6 - TBLS. butter, melted
1/3 - cup packed brown sugar
4 - (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/2- cups sugar
4 - large eggs
2 - Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Strawberry Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
   In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Spray a 10- inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
   In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixture until fluffy. Beat in eggs , one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes; turn oven off. Leave in the oven with door closed for 4 hours. Remove cheesecake from oven . Gently run knife around edge of pan  to release sides. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover, and chill for 8 hours. Remove sides of pan to serve. Spoon Strawberry Sauce over cake.

Strawberry Sauce
Makes about 1 &1/2 cups
1- (18 ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries in syrup (thawed)
1- Tablespoon cornstarch
1- cup sliced fresh strawberries

In an electric blender, add strawberries and pulse until smooth. Strain, discarding seeds.
   In a medium sized pan set on medium-high heat, stir constantly for 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in fresh strawberries, and let cool. Cover, and chill for 4 hours.

Strawberry Cheesecake

My favorite cheesecake!

Jenn's Birthday!

Goodness it has been so busy!! First, week ago this past Sunday was Easter, then this past Sunday daughter in law Jenn's birthday, and this coming Sunday mother's day. 
This will be Jenn's first mother's day; Taysen will be one day short of being 6 months. Jenn is such a great mommy!!
For Jenn's birthday, it was raining, cold and just plain messy out. We ended up not going to church, and we met Jenn's dad and step mom Judy at Babe's Chicken at 12:30...There was a wait as always, but it was great as always also. On Saturday I made Jenn Chicken Spaghetti for dinner and Italian Cream Cake cupcakes for dinner. I also made her a small birthday cake for the next day which she didn't see until Sunday.
I will share recipes soon, until then here are a few pictures from Jenn's birthday!

Jenn & Taysen
(she will kill me for this picture)
(pj's & no make up)

Jenn & Taysen waiting outside at Babe's

Taysen inside Babe's

Taysen & Gramsey with the cake that we made for her mommy!

 Jenn's Birthday Cake
(Italian Cream Cake)

Jenn's first birthday as a mommy  :)