Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze

My friend Jesseca taught me long ago that if you want to fancy up something, put it in a bundt pan. She's right. It immediately makes any cake look prettier because of the shape. Girls, go get yourselves a bundt pan, ok?

Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Adapted from MyBakingAddiction.com

Ingredients

1 c butter, softened

1 1/2 c sugar

zest of 3 limes

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 c sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)

1/2 c sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if you have that), cream the butter until smooth.

Combine the sugar and lime zest and mix with your fingers until combined. Add this mix to the butter slowly, mixing until combined. Add vanilla.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, until completely combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut by hand.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan and level with a spatula, if needed.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack.

Lime Glaze

1 c powdered sugar

5 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)

1/2 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients, except milk. Add 1 tbsp milk at a time until you get the desired consistency (less milk for a thick, white glaze or more milk for a thinner glaze). Spoon over cooled cake.

Soy and Honey Marinated Flank Steak

I bought a BBQ recently and this was the first thing I made on it! I really enjoy flank steak- it's inexpensive, quick to prepare and you can use it on anything (steaks, fajitas, sandwiches, etc).

I found this recipe on a tried and true food blogging website, For The Love of Cooking. Anytime I'm looking for a recipe for something specific, I always go there first. Her food is easy and always delicious.

Soy and Honey Marinated Flank Steak

Adapted from For The Love of Cooking

Ingredients

1 lb flank steak

2 tbsp + 2 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients for the marinade into a large zip lock bag, add steak. Let steak sit in the marinade for 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. If you're grilling, cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so on each side (I like medium well, so do less if you like more pink). If you're using a grill pan, it's roughly about the same amount of time. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the juices redistribute. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Cake

One of my favorite things about summer is all the good fruit we get to eat! Peaches and nectarines being one of my very favorite. I'm all about desserts that involve fruit too. I'd much rather have a pie, cobbler or fruit based dessert than chocolate any day. Unless, it's fruit and chocolate... then I'm toast.

I made this for a family BBQ over the weekend and it was a huge hit! It's like a combination between a cobbler and a cake. Serve with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you've got it made.

Fresh Peach Cake

Adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 lb butter, at room temperature (1 stick)

1 1/2 c sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 c sour cream, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

1/2 c chopped pecans (or any nut you like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. (I don't have 9 inch sq, so I used a random one I had).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixture on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches then sprinkle with two thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture and pecans.

Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took about 60 min).

Enjoy!

I learned to pipe frosting!! Finally!!

You can call me Martha, Martha Stewart, that is. :)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

College football begins today. I'm headed to a BBQ at my friend Liz's and her husband is a huge Oregon Ducks fan. Although I'm not a Ducks fan, I am a fan of Liz, her new baby Jameson, and BBQ. Therefore, it should be a great time!

I wanted to make some treats to bring for the party and had a great idea to make them green and yellow, the Ducks colors. They came out so cute! I'm so excited to show up to the party with them!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from www.kevinandamanda.com

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 white sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 c rolled oats

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 c chocolate chips

For the frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened

4 c powdered sugar (maybe more to stiffen your frosting)

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk or heavy cream

Food coloring of your choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (or regular sized muffin tins, if you wish).

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. When light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and oats. With the mixer on, add the dry ingredients in several batches. When combined, add the chocolate chips and mix by hand.

Spoon the cookie mixture into the muffin tins, about 1- 1 1/2 tsp a piece. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until you feel like they're done. While still hot, run a knife along the edge to loosen them. Let cool completely before icing them. To make a well in the center of the cookie for frosting, use the back of a spoon and press into the middle of the hot cookie.

To make the icing, in a mixer, combine all ingredients. You may need to use more powdered sugar to get a stiff icing for piping. If you want to pipe your frosting, put a sandwich bag in a glass measuring cup. Fold the edges of the plastic bag down around the cup so you've got sturdy grip on the glass. Spoon your frosting in, remove from glass, and push towards one of the bottom corners. With kitchen scissors, snip off an end and there you go! Pipe away!

Nutella Coffe Mug Cake

aka the easiest cake you'll ever make. Do you know what Nutella is? It's a delicious chocolate hazelnut spread. You'll love it!

My sister gave me the heads up on this recipe and it's awesome! All you have to do is put everything in a large coffee mug and microwave. Really! Wait til you see this...

Ingredients

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp Nutella

1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Microwave for 1- 1 1/2 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Just keep an eye on it.

If I'd whipped cream I would have topped my individual cake with it, but alas, delicious chocolate cake will have to do... ;)

Taco Salads

The best thing about ordering a taco salad out is the crispy fried shell. However, it's not that good for you. Go figure... Anyway, I have found the solution!! I made my own crunchy taco shell 'bowl' and got all the satisfaction of a restaurant meal.

Here's what you need...

an empty tin can, rinsed and the paper removed

a tortilla

a baking sheet

Here's what you do...

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment or foil, if you'd like to. Place the tin can upside down on the baking sheet.

Microwave your tortilla for 10 seconds or so until its very pliable (read: bendy). Lay the tortilla on top of the can and sorta wrap it around the can. It won't stay put but you'll get a nice taco shell shape.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy, not burnt so keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicious!!! Moist, slightly sweet, and fruity cupcakes with smooth cream cheese frosting- hits every craving you might be having! Plus, this is a pretty low fat cupcake. No butter involved and only 5 WW+ points, if you're counting.

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

3/4 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c white flour

1 c white sugar

1/2 c flaked coconut

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger (optional)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 c grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture in a dish towel or in a mesh strainer)

20 oz can crushed pineapple, juice discarded (squeeze out extra moisture like above)

Frosting

1 c powdered sugar

8 oz low fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners (I ended up with 20 cupcakes).

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, coconut, salt and spices. Mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Fold in zucchini and pineapple.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Mixture will be dry, but continue to mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Use a cookie/ice cream scoop to scoop cupcake batter into liners (this will give you perfectly even cupcakes). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire baking rack.

Combine frosting ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Frost cupcakes using your desired method (I like an offset spatula because I haven't mastered piping frosting, yet). Enjoy!!

Painted Lace Tile and Lamp Project

Back to being crafty...

In this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine, they had this project with lace, tile and spray paint. Coincidentally, I've been wanting to try a spray paint project (Really, I have. Is that weird?). And this one was a very pretty project. I did it and it came out awesome! Just like Martha said it would...

Supplies

4x4 white tile squares ($0.19 at Home Depot)

Spray paint (I used a Champagne color also from Home Depot)

Lace trim ($2.59 a yard at Joanne's Fabric Store)

Spray adhesive (any kind will do)

Cork or felt

Directions

Cover the area you will spray paint on with craft paper or newspaper. Lay out your tiles in four separate areas so you don't over-spray the paint. Cut a piece of lace just slightly bigger than the width of the tile and stick it to the tile with spray adhesive. Make sure it's straight and has no bumps or wrinkles. Spray the tile with your paint color in even strokes. Immediately remove lace from tile. Let dry for 1 hr or whatever your spray paint says. Repeat with your other tiles. Line the bottom of the tile with cork or felt to protect surfaces. Use as a trivet for hot pots or coasters for drinks!

Just to be an overachiever, I had an Ikea lamp shade that was pretty uninteresting, so I did the same thing with it! Lace, spray adhesive, lamp shade, spray paint... ta da!!!! Pretty cute, if I say so myself.

Banging Good Shrimp Salad

It's been hot here lately, so I've been making a lot of salads. Not having air conditioning, I've got to do everything I can to not add heat to the house, but turning on the oven for example. No way!! I'd roast!

This salad was very simple and the dressing it a fun new twist that's slightly spicy but creamy and kinda sweet too. *Note: I did not name this recipe.*

Banging Good Shrimp Salad

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients for 4 servings (5 WW+ points per serving)

Sauce:

5 tbsp mayo

3 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

1 tsp Siracha (to taste)

Shrimp:

1 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails on

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp canola oil

Salad Stuff (lettuce, cucumber, onion, shrooms, asparagus, etc)

Directions

Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large pan til very hot. Mix the cornstarch and shrimp until evenly coated. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook 2 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and mix with sauce. Add shrimp to your salad and you're done! Enjoy!