Almond Joy or Mounds Eggs

If you are looking for a fun Easter treat to make with the kiddos, this is it! Noah and I are huge coconut and almond lovers so this was an ideal sweet for us.

Noah loved dumping all the ingredients into the KitchenAid and turning it on. Needless to say, we may have had a powdered sugar shower. Once the dough chilled, I formed the eggs and the dude put the almonds on top. This is my disclaimer to any of you that received these (in case there were two on top of each other or they were pushed down to the bottom). After awhile, he got a little bored and decided he would just eat the almonds while I finished them up. And like a typical boy, he put too much in his mouth and decided he would spit them out into the bowl of almonds…lovely I know. After that little incident, the eggs became Mounds. Oh, the joys of cooking with kids.

These turned out absolutely perfect! They taste a lot like almond joys and are the perfect small bite when you have a sweet tooth. The recipe states that it makes 28-30 eggs but I decided to make them a little smaller and came out with about 40. I still placed two almonds on each egg (you know, before the spitting incident) so keep that in mind when considering how many almonds you will need. I sprinkled the Mounds version with sprinkles so that we could tell the difference and well, because sprinkles make everything happy.

Coconut Cream Almond Joy {or Mounds} Easter Eggs
recipe from food.com

1/4 lb. butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
15 ounces flaked coconut
20 -23 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (almost 1 lg. bag)
Unsalted almonds, 2 for each egg

1. Mix the butter and cream cheese together (I use my KitchenAid) Add the confectionary sugar about 1 cup at a time, salt and vanilla then mix well. Add the coconut and mix until well blended (it will be very thick).
2. Place the mixture in the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes.
3. Take out of the freezer and form into egg shapes with your hands. (It is helpful to put some confectionary sugar on your hands so the eggs don’t stick to them when rolling out the dough).
4. Place each egg on a cookie sheet, covered with aluminum foil. When you are done, add 2 nuts on the top of each egg, pressing in slightly, so they don’t fall out.
5. Place in the freezer again for at least 25 minutes.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
7. Dip the bottom of the egg into the chocolate, then place it on a small flat dish. Take a large spoon and spoon some melted chocolate on top, spreading around with a butter knife. Make sure you don’t get it on too thick, or you won’t have enough for the whole batch. To put the egg on the cookie sheet, use a sharp knife, and run it under the egg to transfer to the cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.
8. When done making eggs, put in the freezer for a few minutes to harden. Store in the refrigerator, covered with aluminum foil.

Naples Food Tour

I know this is a little late but life has been hectic around here and I just haven’t had time to write about all our vacation indulgences. Now that all the craziness of July is winding down I will have some time to catch up on blogging and finally edit all of the photos I have taken this month!

The first place I will share with you all is Sweet Mama’s Island Cuisine. Before leaving for vacation, I searched around the net for some ideas and suggestions on where to eat. Our goal was to not eat any chains and we only broke it once for Dunkin Donuts but that is totally understandable…we don’t have them so it doesn’t count. Anyway, I was looking around Trip Advisor and this little place was rated #1 in Naples so I knew it was a place we should try. They featured a few Caribbean dishes that were too out there for us (Goat and Oxtail) but we were still able to find something that we would enjoy. And I apologize for the not so great quality of photos, I kept forgetting my second lens at our condo so I was having some techinal difficulties.

I decided on the Jerk Chicken and it was really happy with it. I like spicy food but not crazy hot and this was bordering on a bit too hot for me. The flavor was amazing though. The food does take a bit longer than normal but it was worth the wait. {Sweet Mama’s Island Cuisine - Naples, FL)

After we enjoyed our meal, Mama herself came out to greet us and ask how we enjoyed everything. She talked to Noah for awhile and got quite a kick out of him.

Our absolute favorite meal was from Fernandez the Bull, a restaurant specializing in Cuban food. The menu was huge making it very difficult to choose a meal so we ended up passing around bites of everyone’s food so we could try lots of things. Every single thing I tried was amazing but my favorite was fortunately the meal I ordered for myself, Mastistas de Puerco. It was a marinated pork that was chunked and slow cooked then fried and covered with Mojo sauce. It just fell apart and the mojo was super citrusy and garlicy. Another favorite was the Chimichurri Chicken that my grandma ordered. The chicken was so juicy and the chimichurri sauce was the best I have ever had. Joel and my mom each had a different Cuban (a traditional one and a twist on the traditional) and both were really delicious. {Fernandez the Bull - Naples, FL}

I have never had Tres Leches cake before and saw that it was on the menu so we decided to splurge and give it a try. I don’t usually like anything that is soggy but this cake is a huge exception. It was moist, dense, creamy and rich. Definitely something you want to share with someone! {Fernandez the Bull – Naples, FL}

When I was searching online, I found another place via Trip Advisor that I knew we would have to try, The MonKey Bread Factory. They feature many different flavors and I knew it would be hard to decide. I mean, how do you choose between Pumpkin Pie, Coconut and Pina Colada? Well, when we got there we were informed that they only had cinnamon so that was pretty disappointing but we were there so might as well try it, right?

It had a crumbly, struesel-like topping that was really yummy along with a cream cheese icing dolloped on top. It was incredibly sugary and we could only eat a few bites but it was really good. {The MonKey Bread Factory – Naples, FL}

I just tried Joel’s and decided on a dark chocolate covered macaroon for myself. You can’t go wrong with coconut and chocolate in my book. {The MonKey Bread Factory - Naples, FL}

Naples on Dwellable

5 Fruit Smoothie {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

Today brings back the Crazy Cooking Challenge and the item to make is fruit smoothies or shakes. Today is also a very special day in my personal life. Four years ago today, I married the man of my dreams. It’s hard to believe how fast these four years have gone and how much we have accomplished together. We became homeowners and parents. We went through an incredible amount of happy times and very few hardships. We grew up together and became the wife and husband we wanted and needed to be for each other. So this post is for you Joel. I love and cherish you more than you could ever know. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our big day and the honeymoon.

Joel and his guys. Don’t they look like they belong on the cover of a boy band cd?

Newlyweds.

First dance.

Joel’s “classic” moves.

Relaxing at Maho Bay.

Trunk Bay, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands.

I wanted to find a way to tie the challenge in with my anniversary so I decided I would search for a tropical smoothie to bring us back to our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands. I ultimately decided on this one because of the coconut and pineapple. A lot of the drinks we enjoyed there included those two ingredients so I thought it was fitting.

I’m so glad I picked this recipe from Made With Pink because it was amazing and just what I was looking for in a smoothie. The coconut and pineapple really jumped out and screamed tropical. The addition of the berries and banana helped round it out and put it over the top. I absolutely love strawberries so I think it would be great with just the pineapple, coconut and lots of strawberries.

5 Fruit Smoothie
recipe from Made With Pink

15 blueberries, frozen

1/2 banana, frozen

10 raspberries, frozen

7 large pineapple chunks, frozen

5 strawberries, frozen

2 Tbsp shredded Coconut

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt (I used Greek vanilla yogurt)

1/3 cup pineapple juice

1. Dump everything into a blend and blend until no large chunks are left. If it’s too thick, add more pineapple juice. If it’s too thin, add more frozen fruit and blend.

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New Orleans Food Tour {Part II}

I am going to start the second installment of the food tour with our favorite meal of the whole trip. We were wondering Magazine Street and found ourselves hungry. After trying to go to several places that were closed (since it was Sunday) we finally stumbled upon The Rum House. It’s a Caribbean inspired place that served the most amazing and unique tacos I’ve ever had. Oh yeah, and the most amazing drinks! So what if it was Sunday lunch, we were on vacation.

I ordered a jerk chicken taco and a calypso beef taco with fried plantains and mac-n-cheese. I know the mac-n-cheese doesn’t quite go with tacos but I just can’t resist it. And I’m so glad I couldn’t because it was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was cheesy, creamy, a bit tangy and packed full of garlic! They had so many delicious and unique side dishes so I decided to try something out of the box for me. I have never had fried plantains so I ordered them and hoped for the best. They were crispy on the outside and still a bit firm inside and a bit sweet. I didn’t love them but I didn’t hate them either. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

The jerk chicken taco was topped with a sweet mango salsa which I was a bit weary of before I tried it. I understand that the sweet mango balances out the spicy jerk seasoning but I just don’t usually like fruit with meat. Well, I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave it a try because it was pretty darn delicious. As good as the jerk chicken taco was, the calypso beef was just out of this world. The beef was incredibly tender and was topped with citrusy lime sauce and big dollop of guacamole. Seriously, the best taco I have ever had! {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

Joel had fried oyster tacos that were topped with a caper relish and spicy remoulade. I can’t say that I tried them because, well, I didn’t like anything on them. But he said they were the best tacos ever so I thought I would share them with you all. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

And we can’t forget the rum drinks we enjoyed at The Rum House. I partook in a Key Lime Coconut Punch while Joel had a Caribbean Punch with Homemade Strawberry Juice. Both were in a word, incredible! I’m not a big drinker. I just don’t like the taste of alcohol and always prefer a soda over a mixed drink. I absolutely could not taste the alcohol in either of these drinks making them just amazing. The Caribbean Punch was super refreshing and fruity while the Key Lime Coconut Punch was a bit stronger and zingy and I just loved that it was rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. {The Rum House – New Orleans, LA}

When I announced on Facebook that we were going to New Orleans I was told that I had to go to Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait. And when you are told by someone who has visited many times to go somewhere, you just have to listen. And who is going to turn down fried, sugar covered doughnuts? Not these guys. I’m not a coffee drinker so I skipped out on that but Joel had one and really enjoyed it. It was half coffee and half hot milk. He doesn’t like strong coffee so this was right down his aisle. The beignets were so airy, crispy, chewy and doused with powdered sugar. Our faces were quite amusing after we were done eating them. {Cafe Du Monde – New Orleans, LA}

The last stop on our food tour is the Cajun Cabin on Bourbon Street. We enjoyed true Cajun food there with red beans and rice and a crawfish po’ boy. The red beans and rice was served with andouille sausage and crispy chicken strips. The beans were so creamy and flavorful which made it very difficult to stop eating them. I tried a bite of Joel’s po’ boy and was pleasantly surprised by the crawfish. I have never had them before and thought they tasted like a subtle version of shrimp. This place was a definite winner. {The Cajun Cabin – New Orleans, LA}

New Orleans Food Tour {Part I}

We had a great time during our trip to New Orleans! I especially had a great time eating all the local grub! We didn’t get to eat as much Cajun food as we would have liked (because of the times of the games we had to eat at the dome a few times) but still managed to eat (and drink) quite a bit of unique fare that we couldn’t get around here. So here are our favorites….Joel thought that when we went on vacation he would escape the obsessive photo taking of our food but he was wrong. And embarrassed, which isn’t easy to do. If you ever travel to New Orleans, be sure to check out these eats!

Our first meal was at The Ruby Slipper which uses all local products from the sausage to dairy to bread. They also have a great story behind the name of the restaurant. The owners are big Wizard of Oz fans so when they came back to the city after Katrina they decided on this name because “there is no place like home.” They serve breakfast, lunch and brunch offerings with a New Orleans flair. Joel decided on the BBQ Shrimp and Grits while I had a Cheese Omelet with Breakfast Potatoes and a Biscuit. There other breakfast items sounded amazing (check out the pancakes and french toast options) but I just wasn’t in the mood for sweet and they all came with meat which I was trying my hardest to avoid.

The omelet was good but the breakfast potatoes and biscuit definitely stole the show. The potatoes were so brown and crispy while the biscuit had a crunchy bottom (in a good way) and soft, moist middle. {The Ruby Slipper, New Orleans – downtown and midtown}

The BBQ Shrimp had an amazing, spicy Cajun rub that was great on the shrimp. I can’t be a judge on the grits because well, I hate grits. I tried them because I haven’t had them in awhile and thought maybe I wouldn’t mind them but the hate remains. Joel enjoyed them though and they looked yummy. {The Ruby Slipper, New Orleans – downtown and midtown}

We stayed about 45 minutes outside the city in Picayune, MS and when we were driving in the first night, I spotted this little place and my heart skipped a beat. When we walked inside I just about died because it was even better than my wildest dreams!

They displayed case after case of pretty much any Southern (or any other region for that matter) pastry you could imagine. Needless to say, it was extremely difficult to make a selection…so we went a second time in order to get the full effect. I didn’t get any pictures inside the shop because Joel looked like he just might die if I pulled out the camera.


Joel indulged in his first ever eclair and it was pretty heavenly to say the least. He tried to compare it to a Long John and thought the doughnut version was better but let’s be honest…he is crazy and doesn’t know what he is talking about. The pastry was light and airy, the filling creamy and the chocolate rich. Yum! {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

I had my first cannoli and it was divine! It has definitely moved to the top of my “to make” list. The shell was sweet and crispy, the filling was light, fluffy and slightly sweetened and the chocolate chips added that extra richness. Oh, I’m still dreaming about it! {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

On our last day we stopped by one last time for a cream puff, mounds macaroon and little key lime cookies. The cookies were tart and melted in your mouth. The macaroon was sweet, dense and rich…everything it should be. And the cream puff was just as heavenly as the eclair. I actually enjoyed it more since I am not a huge fan of chocolate. If you are EVER in the area, you have to stop by and try one of everything! You won’t be disappointed. {Paul’s Pastry Shop – Picayune, MS}

Another favorite spot we visited was L.A. Pines Cafe in Slidell, LA. We were there for our swamp tour and had seen this little place featured on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives so it was on our list of places to try. Their specialty is the Smoked Prime Rib Sandwich. It consists of delicious French bread slathered with horseradish sauce and topped with an enormous amount of smoked prime rib, caramelized onions and melted cheese. They had a lot of business that day due to all the people in town so they were running short on the prime rib and I managed to snatch up the last one. Score! It was the first Sunday I cheated during Lent and it was so worth it. I don’t normally cheat on Sundays but I made an exception since we were on vacation. The prime rib was so incredibly tender and paired so well with the horseradish sauce (which I normally don’t like and almost asked for the sandwich without it). The bottom half of the roll is dunked in au jus…need I say more? {L.A. Pines Cafe – Slidell, LA}

Granola

If you are a busy mom like me, you are looking for a quick, healthy breakfast that tastes delicious. This granola totally fits the bill. It is so simple to throw together in the evening and lasts for about a week in an airtight container. And it’s so much cheaper than buying prepared granola.

Another great feature of this granola is that it is totally customizable unlike the boxed version. Don’t like almonds? Replace them with pecans or walnuts. Use raisins, dried banana chips or dried apricots as the fruit. You can add exactly what you want to make your perfect granola.

I personally love this granola atop some strawberry yogurt with sliced bananas. Healthy, simple, tasty. Just what we need to fuel up for a busy day.

Granola

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes. Place sheet on rack. Stir granola; cool. Mix in fruit.

Lime-N-Coconut Cupcakes

Three years ago today, I married the guy of my dreams and we started our life together.  So in honor of our third anniversary, I decided to make Lime and Coconut Cupcakes to celebrate.

We spent 10 glorious days in the U.S. Virgin Islands for our honeymoon and it was the vacation of a lifetime!  We swam, snorkeled, ate, kayaked, hiked, ate, explored, shopped, snuba dived, ate and enjoyed many delicious tropical cocktails.  These cupcakes are a re-creation of a favorite drink enjoyed on the islands, the Lime-n-Coconut.  Here I am enjoying one of many on our trip.

I fell in love with this little platter on our trip and it just had to come home with me.  When I go on vacation, I like purchasing souvenirs that are unique, useful and special and this definitely fit the bill.

When I tried the batter I was a little worried because the lime flavor didn’t really come through.  I worried for nothing.  The lime was ridiculously tart in an amazing way.  The batter was so light and airy and probably one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.  I think I may try subbing lemon or orange juice for the lime to see if they are just as yummy.

I have always been intrigued by buttercreams using flour but have never been brave enough to try it.  After seeing this recipe and all the rave reviews it received I decided it was time to give it a go and I’m really glad that I did.  The original recipe called for milk but Mara from What’s For Dinner?  substituted coconut milk to make it extra coconut-y.  Amazing idea!  It adds an extra sweetness and a delicious coconut dimension beyond just stirring in coconut flakes.  It was creamy, it was dreamy, it was everything a frosting should be.  The only pitfall of this recipe is that it does not pipe well so it’s not as pretty but the taste definitely makes up for it.

Lime Cupcakes
recipe from What’s For Dinner?
yields 15-18 cupcakes

2 sticks salted butter
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Whisk the warm butter so no milk solids remain. Mix the melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until the sugar is well-dissolved.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the lime juice.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk in 3 additions.
5. Mix until just combined then scoop into lined cupcake tins or one 9×5 loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes for cupcakes and 45-50 minutes for a loaf pan. Allow to cool completely then frost.

Coconut Buttercream
recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

5 Tbsp. flour
1 cup coconut milk (found in baking section near the condensed and evaporated milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If you are in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
2. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.  Stir in shredded coconut.
3. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe linked to Everyday Sisters twice!