Piña Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes?

yes, please.

Make this SUPER easy cake recipe made with crushed pineapple, then

Top it with frosting made with Whipping cream, cream cheese and coconut extract.

Then of course, top it with a cherry, and make them for your good friend's big linebacker-looking, umbrella drink-drinking husband for his birthday!

whhhat...?

Yep.

David and Gigi are two of the most AWESOME friends a couple could have.

They love many of the same things we do, water, boating, concerts, football...basically just having a good time.

But I have to tell you, I never tire of going to a restaurant and David ordering a Strawberry Daiquiri and Gigi ordering a beer, and the waiter bringing them and sitting them down just the opposite, only to think she's the one with the fru-fru umbrella drink.

You see, David isn't a small dude.

It's always good for a chuckle.

David also has a big sweet tooth, and usually if he does some sort a favor for us, (he's a mechanic, so that'll happen) he says "Aw... just pay me in brownies or something."

So, when we decided to go out and celebrate David's birthday last week, I decided to combine the best of both and make these fru-fru umbrella drink cupcakes for him!

all boxed up for the birthday boy, they came with a "juice pouch style" Frozen strawberry daiquiri 

and some cocktail umbrellas

Pina Colada Cupcakes

(pineapple cake with coconut whipped cream frosting)

Cake

Pineapple Bliss Cake - Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

1 white cake mix (or yellow)

1 - 11 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

1 teaspoon rum extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl for 2 minutes and pour into cupcakes liners.

Bake according to box instructions, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

Top with this yummy frosting:

Coconut Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting

Decorate with straws, cherries and cocktail umbrellas.

S'More Banana Bread - made with Kahlua Caramelized Bananas

Happy National Banana Bread Day!

 So, a week or so ago, we had a snow day and I felt like baking.
I had a BUNCH of bananas in my freezer, and thought about making some new kinds of banana breads.

Didn't know you could freeze bananas?
Lookie Here: How To Freeze & Use Bananas for future use.

So, over coffee that morning, I grabbed my iPad and marked a few I would like to try.
I have LOTS of breads saved to try on my pin board for Breads, here's a link if you're interested.

An Affair from the Heart: Recipes for BREAD

 So, after I pinned a few more, I scoped out my pantry to see what I had on hand for ingredients, because my plan was to stay in my PJ's all day, so I wasn't going to the market!

I had just what I needed for this S'Mores Banana Bread.

S'Mores Banana Bread with Kahlua Caramelized Bananas
recipe found at: Baker by Nature

Kahlua Caramelized Bananas
3 large ripe bananas, sliced
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup Kahlua
2 Tablespoons flour

Bread
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped graham crackers
Kahlua caramelized bananas

Peel bananas and slice them into thin rounds.
(mine were from the freezer, so I mashed them and it worked just fine)
In a skillet over medium heat melt butter, add sugar and cook stirring until dissolved.  Add bananas and stir occasionally cooking for 6 minutes.  Remove pan from heat, whisk in Kahlua and then flour.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
(I didn't line mine, just sprayed it, next time I will, because it will make it WAY easier to get out of the pan)

In a your mixing bowl  whisk together melted butter, sugar and vanilla, beat well.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, and gradually add it to wet mixture folding in slowly until combined.
Fold in sour cream and bananas, then swirl in 3/4 cup chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers, saving the remaining 1/4 cup of each for the top.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes.  Carefully remove the loaf from the oven and sprinkle the remaining chocolate, marshmallows and crackers on top.
(I took a large piece of foil and wrapped around the pan because my loaf was very rounded and I didn't want to lose all of my topping!!)

Bake for another 20 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Do you love Kahlua? 

Make your own, it's SO MUCH better than the store brands!

Recipe for Homemade Kahlua

How To: Freeze & Use Ripe Bananas

It seems I am always buying bananas.

I think my husband and youngest son are part monkey.

There is one thing about bananas though... 

they have a small window of time they are considered 

"perfect" in our house.

Buy them green: too hard

Green to slightly yellow: still a little to firm

Almost all yellow (but NO brown spots!): PERFECT!! Eat! Eat! EAT!!

Next day: still okay, but better eat them quick!

Brown spots appearing: they sit on the counter until I use them, or freeze them.

I used to put them in a zip top bag, now I just put them directly in the freezer!

When you want to put a banana in a smoothie, or in your bread you have a hankerin' for, they are right there, perfectly ripe, and perfectly ready.

Using in a smoothie is even easier, peel and throw it in the blender frozen.

For bread, they defrost rather quickly sitting on your counter.

You can slice it down the side with a knife, or just cut the end off and squeeze it out like soft serve ice cream!

Don't throw away those 'naners!! 

Put them to good use!!

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

When life gives you a snow day and 14 ripe bananas from your freezer... what do you do?

Search Pinterest and make banana bread of course!

I of course, had to make my most FAVORITE banana bread.

It always turns out perfect!

It's the very BEST BANANA BREAD!

This was the next one I made.  Isn't it pretty??

Just as delicious as it is pretty, too!!

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

found at: mykitchenescapades.com

bread:

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

streusel:

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

To prepare the streusel, combine the four ingredients in a small bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives. Mixture will be crumbly.  

Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

In your mixer, beat bananas, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla.  Slowly add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until thoroughly combined.  Spoon HALF of the batter into the loaf pan and top with HALF of the streusel  mix.  Spoon on the rest of the batter and top with remaining streusel mixture.

Bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool for about 15 minutes in the pan, then the rest of the way on a cooling rack.

Cherry {Heart Shaped} Hand-Pies

Happy National Cherry Pie Day!

I love that National Cherry Pie Day lands in February.

It's the perfect pie for the month of hearts and love and red.

I actually made these the week before Valentine's Day, but I wanted to save the post until today.

I love my Nordic Heart Shaped Pocket Pie Maker!

You could totally make these without it, but it's so cute...and EASY to use.

Here's a recipe I did for Spiced Peach Pocket Pies that tells you more about this 

"HANDy" hand-pie maker!

Late afternoon, this time of year, the sun makes pretty little shadows on my kitchen counter.  

Love these shots.

I used my small heart shaped cookie cutter and my XO {kisses and hugs} cookie cutter to make little sugar crusts to decorate with, using the remaining dough.

Cherry {Heart Shaped} Hand-Pies

2 refrigerated pie crusts (or your own homemade)

1 can cherry pie filling

1 egg white, whisked

sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I laid my crust on a piece of parchment paper, and slightly rolled it out further.

I got 6 hearts to (3 pies) to one crust.

Brush the edges with egg white to get them to seal properly.

Place two Tablespoons of cherry pie filling in the middle of each and seal edges together.

I took a small paring knife and made the small (vent) heart cut out.

There will be extra filling, save for serving.

Dust with sugar and bake for about 15 minutes.

What them closely, they bake quickly!

Serve with vanilla ice cream topped with a little extra cherry filling and sugar crusts.

Dreamsicle Martini

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Dreamsicles?

They are literally my favorite frozen treat.

What a perfect combination of vanilla ice cream an orange popsicle!

Well, here's the perfect step up for us Adults!
Dreamsicle Martinis made with Whipped Cream Vodka!!

My friend, Rhonda, knew what she was doing when she brought the goodies to make these for us last weekend!!

You just GOTTA try 'em!




Dreamsicile Martini

2 ounces whipped cream vodka

1 1/2 ounces orange juice

1 ounce cream or half & half

1 ounce triple sec

orange slice

Shake with ice and pour into a chilled martini glass.

Serve with an orange slice or two!

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

Most people have their favorite "bar food." Mine would be fried mushrooms and 

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches!

I LOVE stuffed peppers and make them quite often, I even have a stuffed pepper meatloaf and a stuffed pepper soup!

STUFFED PEPPERS

STUFFED PEPPER MEATLOAF

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

So, combining the two sounded like a win-win situation!!

You could use other colors of peppers, but I decided to do my trial run with green and they were really good!

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

5 large bell peppers

16 ounces baby bells mushrooms, sliced

1 large sweet onion

1 pound good quality deli roast beef, I bought a medium rare one

3 Tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper to taste

16 ounces of Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Cut the tops off of your bell peppers and clean out the inside, chop the pepper on that's left around the stem, set aside.  Slice onion and mushrooms, set aside.

Slightly chop the roast beef, set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place peppers in a baking dish prepared with non-stick cooking spray.

Place a generous "pinch" of cheese in the bottom.

In a skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add garlic, mushrooms, chopped pepper and onion and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Add meat and cook for 10 minutes more.

Divide meat mixture evenly between peppers, and top with a big "mound" of remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes!

Enjoy!!