banana coconut muffins

my biggest pet peeve about muffins is, they are so good fresh that i want to eat a whole dozen. which i obviously cannot do. but when you store them they lose their texture. i've tried on a plate with foil (they get dry), in tupperware (they get that moist, almost waxy look, and lose any crisp edges), fridge (they get hard)... etc. and so on. if anyone has any tips they know of, please, PLEASE, let me know. my waistline demands it. moving on...

i got this recipe from one of my sisters, and make just a few tweaks (namely coconut and brown sugar) and i love it.

4 big ripe bananas

1/3 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

blend together with a blending wand or a blender - something to make it super smooth.

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda
(i added, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring)

(also, i added brown sugar and coconut on top. just a sprinkle of brown sugar to get a little crispy, and enough coconut to satisfy)

fold the rest of the ingredients together until blended. pour into muffin pan. (sprinkle brown sugar over the top of each muffin then sprinkle coconut) bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

flourless peanut butter cookies

i first found these on joy the baker's site. and i heard my sister talk about pretty much the same recipe, so i had to try it. and i'm soooooo glad i did. best peanut butter cookies of my life! and since they don't have any flour, it's pretty much pure protein at that point, right? sure, whatever.

1 c. smooth peanut butter
1 c. sugar (1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 c. granulated sugar)
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 t. baking soda

preheat oven to 350°. in a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. roll into walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork, dipped in sugar. bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

pineapple upside down cake

there are some people who are like "i don't like warm fruit" and that totally harshes on my gig (remember that line, amy?) because think about it, peach cobbler, apple crisp, blueberry buckle, pineapple upside down cake... that's some good stuff right there. pineapple upside down cake is always a great summer cake. or winter, or any season really. i was trying to think of something to make for my family that would be pretty easy and of course, delicious. so, hello warm fruit. i actually doubled this because i was making this for my family, and it adjusted perfectly.

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
6 canned pineapple slices, drained
2 eggs, separated
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. pineapple juice

(for high altitude: add 3 T. flour and bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes)

heat oven to 350° F. in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and margarine; blend well. spread in bottom of ungreased 9-inch round cake pan. (again, i doubled this, and adjusted for altitude so i did this in a 9x13 and cooked it at 375°). arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar mixture. set aside.

in a small bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. gradually add sugar; beat well. add flour, baking powder, salt and pineapple juice; mix well.

in another small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. fold into batter. pour batter evenly over pinapple slices.

bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool upright in pan 2 minutes. invert cake onto serving plate. serve warm.

(recipe from the pillsbury complete cookbook)

i want: oven thermometor

so my new oven is a gas one, which i've never used before. and i'm thinking i need one of these to make sure that the temperature is just right. has anyone used one of these before? i hear they are a necessity, pretty much no matter what oven you use. i really could have used one at my last place, that oven was quite wonky.

oh and ps, here's a partial view of my new kitchen that i'm in love with.

and pps, recipe coming soon. sorry, work wants to own my soul!

can't live without: my serrated peeler

this was another fantastic christmas gift from my parents. i always just thought a peeler was a peeler, until i used this. it's amazing. i am always peeling yams or carrots or apples, and this makes things SO much quicker and smoother. i highly recommend it! (oh, but if you are clutzy and hurt yourself in every task that you do—like me—i would just say, be careful and don't get too carried away or you'll end up with serrated thumbs.)

coconut macaroons

i love, love, love macaroons. if i was a poet, i'd insert "an ode to coconut" right here. anyway, i have made a few different recipes but wanted to try nigella lawson's macaroons. i got how to be a domestic goddess for my birthday (thanks, rach!) and have been itching to make something from it ever since. i love the flavor of these—the coconut extract adds so much. i definitely want to try these again because i don't think the texture came out quite how i wanted it, but the flavor is on point.

2 large egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. ground almonds
pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla extract (or coconut extract, should such be available)
1 c. plus 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

preheat the oven to 325°.

beat the egg whites until frothy—no more—then add the cream of tartar and continue beating, until soft peaks are formed. add the sugar a teaspoon at a time and whisk until the peaks can hold their shape and are shiny. fold in the almonds, salt, vanilla, and coconut. the mixture will be sticky but should, all the same, hold its shape when clumped together.

(you can form this into larger balls or smaller ones, i wanted more so i made them smaller, and doubled the batch. they might stay more round if you make them larger, so i might try that next time i need them for fewer people.)

cook for 20 minutes or until they’re just beginning to turn golden in parts.

lemon-yogurt-poppy seed muffins

these were the first thing to break in my brand new oven. not a bad way to go, cause if you've spent any time with me at all lately, you'd know i'm obsessed with all things lemon. at least three times a day i mention my insatiable desire for a lemon slushy like the one i had at bakesale betty's. which i have yet to find again here in salt lake.

back to the muffins. you should probably make these.

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
1 t. lemon extract
1 c. plain yogurt
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 T. poppy seeds

lemon syrup:
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. lemon extract
1 c. sugar


preheat oven to 375°. arrange oven rack to middle position. line muffin pans with paper liners. cream butter until smooth and creamy. blend in sugar and then eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, zest, lemon extract, and yogurt. blend well; fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. bake until golden and set, about 25 minutes.

for lemon syrup, simmer water, lemon juice, extract, and sugar over low heat for 5 minutes. cool well. brush baked poppy seed muffins 2 or 3 times with lemon syrup wile they are still warm. let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

(recipe from "a passion for baking" by marcy goldman)

while i've been gone

ok, so i'm back and not living in chaos anymore. i LOVE my new place and broke in my new oven and range this weekend. dreamy. anyway, i'm posting some pictures of some foods i ate during my trip to southern california. as always, my trip revolved around food and it was delicious. i only took a few pictures, but they are pictures of really good things.

delicious bread pudding that my sister-in-law's mother made. i LOVE bread pudding. LOVE.


one of my very favorite treats: it's-it. mmmmmm

and thrifty's chocolate malted crunch ice cream. so divine. most of my childhood memories revolve around riding my bike to thrifty's and eating this or the black cherry ice cream.

and this incredible guacamole my sister made. i have the recipe somewhere?? i think i'll have to be asking for this again cause i have no idea where that ended up. and i know i need it. it's the perfect summer guacamole. i could use some right now, actually...

ok, so that's a little bit of my trip, i'll post my muffin recipe from this morning later this week, now that i'm functioning again (for the most part anyway).

don't be mad

but, it's been a minute since i've been able to post. i was out of town for family events and now i'm packing up my apartment and living in chaos because i'm moving into a condo i'm buying.

i'm so excited because i get to cook on this:

(i literally hugged this when i first saw it)

i probably won't be able to post again for another week because work is insane right now, but i'll see if i can even dig up some inspiration or something. ok, back to the chaos and anxiety...

portable breakfast ideas

i saw this on one of my favorites, thekitchn. great ideas for quick, healthy and portable breakfasts.

i really want to make this apricot oatmeal.