Most Wonderful Time of The Year

This has been a wonderful Christmas for me and my family. 

Nothing says Christmas more than spending time with family and friends,

and traveling to Philadelphia to spend Christmas with our favorite doctors. 

Unlike last year, there wasn't twelve inches of snow. No snow at all. In fact the weather was wonderful.

We attended the performance of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, visited the Longwood Gardens to see the Christmas lights, prepared and consumed some wonderful and amazing meals,

and ate way too much of the Christmas goodies like these babies....

Lemon Truffles
2 cups white vanilla chips
10 oz lemon curd
3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup powdered sugar
Optional: chopped pecans and toasted coconut

1. In  a microwave, melt vanilla chips until smooth. Stir in lemon curd, vanilla wafer crumbs, and powdered sugar. Chill until firm enough to handle.
2. Roll into 1/2 inch balls. Roll either in chopped pecans or toasted coconut. Chill until firm.

It was indeed a wonderful, wonderful time. Thank you, Lord for all these blessings!

Enjoy...

Loving This Thing Called Spring Break

Spring break finally arrived and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Started the week off by watching our nephew play a Little League baseball game,

and all the other activities taking place at the baseball park.

Took a road trip 

 to attended a wedding in small town USA.

Attended USC baseball game....The National Champions played #1 Vanderbilt.

And won the series - Go Gamecocks! YES!

Cleaned up the flower beds and planted some new flowers. 

Had my car fixed after a limb decided to make a visit to the top of my hood one night last week. UGH!!!

And, of course, did some baking.

 Coconut Pecan Cake 

1 box White cake mix

1 (3 oz). box vanilla instant pudding

1 1/3 cup water

4 eggs

¼ cup oil

1 ½ cup shredded coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 box powdered sugar

4 teaspoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup toasted coconut

1.To the cake mix, add all ingredients except the coconut and pecans. Mix completely.

2.Stir in coconut and pecans.

3.Pour into greased tube pan and bake 350⁰ for 60 minutes or until done.

4.To make frosting, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.

5.Add powdered sugar, milk  and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

6.Spread on cake and top with toasted coconut.

 

 

Enjoy...

Hello Springtime! Why Don't You Make Yourself at Home

Is spring almost here? Sure looks like Mother Nature is trying to encourage spring to show up.

Love it! Come on, Spring. Make yourself at home and stay awhile.

With spring in the air, spring time cakes come to mind. Strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, and coconut cake. Yum! Tried a new recipe this weekend for coconut cake. This recipe is very similar to a coconut sheet cake my mother used to make. She would poke holes in a baked yellow cake, pour a sweet coconut milk filling over the top and then cover it with white icing and coconut. This new recipe is similar except it is a layer cake with no frosting between the layers. Just layers soaked in a sweet coconut milk filling.

I was not sure how a cake without frosting between the layers would be, but it actually was quite tasty.

Coconut Cake

Cake:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 cups sifted self-rising flour

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

1.Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes.

2.Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.Add flour and coconut milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.

4.Divide batter equally among 3 9” greased and floured pans.

5.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done at 350⁰. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

6.While cake cools, stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended.

7.Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Sprinkle extra coconut on top. Place remaining layers on top of first layer and repeat process after each layer. 

8.Cover the top and sides with 7-Minute Frosting. Sprinkle top and sides with coconut.

7-Minute Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla 

1.Place sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a hand held electric mixer for 1 minute.

2.Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Frosting will  become grainy if pan gets too hot. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Enjoy...