Thank goodness it is Friday, and we are just about finished with week #2 at school. Thade was really tired this morning and did not want to go, and Dylan had a rough night too. I think we all need a nice and relaxing weekend!
I needed to run to the store, and I decided to pick up a few movies on the way home too.
I thought it would be nice to surprise the kids with some treats to go along with the movie. Time to relax and enjoy the weekend.
Yesterday I started my extra cooking Wednesdays, and I decided to take a bit of time to stock the freezer too. I made a Chicken and Rice Casserole, Green Beans, and Oatmeal muffins to send to another family. I decided to make a quadruple batch of pancakes for quick and easy breakfasts, I also sent along a dozen pancakes with the casserole.
Today I’m baking a couple of batches of muffins for my hubby for work tomorrow, and then I hope to stay out of the kitchen for just a bit.
Well, I have searched and searched for the magic coconut cake recipe, and it looks like I’m going to be baking a lot of cakes in my future. I compared a lot of recipes, and decided for my first attempt, I’ll just wing it… but will my hubby approve.
For the Coconut Cake you’ll need:
This cake is simple, simple, simple… Mix your cake mix according to package directions, and add in 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of the shredded coconut, then pop it in the oven to bake. I made a 9×13 cake. Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes into it with a fork, and pour the can of coconut milk over the cake. Have your super-cute helper shake the coconut milk can, so that way he’ll stop bugging you about when the cake is going to be done.
After you have the coconut milk on the cake, put it in the fridge for at least 5 hours. You want the cake to absorb all of the coconut milk. After that frost the cake with the tub of Whipped cream, and sprinkle a handful or two of shredded coconut on top, and serve it up.
James said that this cake was pretty darn close to the one that he had when he was in school. Next time I make this cake, I’m going to use a White Cake mix instead, and see if it is a perfect match.
Dylan says this one is just fine!
When I volunteered to make weekly meals for another family, I thought I should look into meals that would be cost effective and easily doubled for my family too. I sat down with my calender and a notebook full of meal ideas for 12 weeks. I then wrote the Wednesday dinners on my menu planning calendar for the next few months. All of the sudden I was inspired to fill out my menu planning calendar for the rest of the year.
It took me a little over an hour, but I’ve got a dinner planned everyday for the rest of the year. This should come in pretty handy in the next few months as we welcome a new addition to the family, and James has to do the shopping. I’ll still be posting my dinner menu on my blog monthly, and probably shopping weekly too. Time to get in the kitchen and get to cooking.
What about you… Do you like to massively menu plan, or by the week?
We had several handmade items to make for Shaunna’s Bridal Shower, and besides the mints, I was looking forward to making Marshmallow Pops too . Thade didn’t mind helping out either.
For the Marshmallow Pops you’ll need:
Thade counted marshmallows, as I placed a lollipop stick in each one. A 16 oz bag will easily give you 50 pops, and a few marshmallows left for snacking.
Have your adorable helper place the sugar topping in a bowl, and then watch them make a big mess in the kitchen with Blue Sugar. We are using a light blue and a medium blue sugar, and hoping that the two will look turquoise in the end.
When the double boiler is warming, add your Chocolate Chips, Vanilla, Vegetable Oil, and Corn Syrup, and wait for it to melt. Just as the Chocolate is melted add in a tablespoon or two of milk and stir like crazy. You are going for a medium ganache, not too thick, not too thin.
Then it is time to dip… First into the chocolate ganache, then into the blue sugar, and then it is time to rest the pops upright on the lollipop stand.
Once the chocolate and sugar had set just a bit, I moved my marshmallow pops to the fridge. The day that I was making the pops, it was super-stinking humid, and I was worried about the chocolate setting properly.
After a few hours of chilling in the fridge, and when the cool of the evening had set in, it was time to wrap the pops and decorate them for the Bridal Shower. I used small cellophane bags, and tied turquoise floss around each of the pops.
A little bit of time wrapping and before you know it you’ve got them all done. This treat was really fun and easy to make, and the kiddos at the Bridal Shower went crazy for them.
I’m going to make these for Halloween and use Green, Purple, and Orange Sugar. These are tasty just chocolate dipped too.