I miss you Dad.

    My first Fathers day with out my dad. I haven't felt this odd in a long time. I will always treasure you and the memoires we share. Love you lots dad!

Coconut Pecan Pound Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
1 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
2 sticks butter, unsalted, room temperature
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups toasted shredded coconut
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
For Coconut Cream Cheese:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, unsalted, room temperature
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
toasted coconut and chopped pecans to top
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray in mixer for about 3-5 minutes.
Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer for about 3-5 minutes
Add sugars slowly to butter/cream cheese mixture.
Add eggs to mixture 1 at a time, beating for 20 seconds between the next egg.
Add vanilla.
Mix flour and salt together, Add in four batches to mixture.
Alternate between flour and coconut milk.
Beat about 20 seconds between.
Scraping down the sides of mixing bowls
Toss coconut and pecans with last batch of flour.
Add to mixer and beat for about 20 more seconds.
Pour mixture into baking pan. Tap baking pan on counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 30 minutes, check cake with a skewer or fork. Bake 10 minutes more if needed.
Remove cake from oven, allow to cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool on cake platter for 30 minutes.
To prepare Coconut Cream Cheese frosting.
Place all ingredients into a mixer and mix well.
Add more coconut milk to thin to desired consistency.
Pour cream cheese over cake and top with shredded coconut and chopped pecans,
Serve with extra cream cheese on the side.

Molasses Cookies

A tried and true recipe I always go back to for great cookies! I added a little more flour due to the elevation. I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we do!!

Ingredients~

1

cup packed white sugar

3/4

cup shortening

1/4

cup molasses

1

egg 

2 1/4

cups Flour

2

teaspoons baking soda

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1

teaspoon ground ginger

1/2

teaspoon ground cloves

1/4

teaspoon salt

3

tablespoons granulated sugur

Steps~

• 1

  Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg
•  with electric mixer 
• on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.
• 2

  Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dip tops into
•  granulated sugar.
•  On ungreased( I use Parchment paper)cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up,
•  about 2 inches apart.
• 3

  Bake 13 to 16 minutes or just until set and cookies appear dry. Immediately remove from 
• cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Fabulous Fig Bars

These are absolutely delicious. I did not include the orange juice. If you do try this recipe let me know what it's like with OJ!

Ingredients

16 ounces

 stemmed, chopped dried figs

1⁄2 cup

 chopped walnuts

1⁄3 cup

 sugar

1⁄4 cup

 orange juice (juice from 1/2 orange)

2 Tablespoons

 hot water

1⁄2 cup

 margarine or butter, softened

1 cup

 packed brown sugar

1 

large egg

1 1⁄2 cups

 all-purpose flour

1⁄2 teaspoon

 baking soda

1 1⁄4 cups

 old fashioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or oil a 9x13-inch baking pan.
2. Combine figs, walnuts, sugar, orange juice and hot water in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Mix together margarine and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and mix until smooth.
4. Mix flour and baking soda. Stir into egg mixture. Blend in oats to make soft dough.
5. Reserve 1 cup of dough for topping. With floured fingertips, press the remaining dough into a thin layer on the bottom of baking pan.
6. Spread fig mixture evenly over the dough. Crumble reserved dough over top, allowing fig mixture to show.
7. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in baking pan. Cut into 24 bars (about 2.5 x 2 inches).

China Hutch redo

It started with this big brown hutch. Back in the 80s I guess this was the style. Fast fwd to 2017 where painting furniture is the way to go! 

 I was am so happy with the final outcome of my hutch. It is just what I pictured it to be!

This paint I purchased from ACE Hardware worked very well. There are many colors to choose from and it's easy to work with. The can above cost 32.00. I still have half of a can left of paint, a little goes a long way.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Red Velvet Sandwich cookies 
Ingredients 
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil 
1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cream Cheese Filling
4 Oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 375*
In large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, oil and vanilla extract.
Scoop out pieces of dough roll into balls
Drop into powdered sugar and cover with sugar.
Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 7 to 10 minutes and let cool.
Make the filling by beating cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
Spread filling onto the bottom half of one cookie, sandwich with another cookie.

Grandma's and mom's recipes

I put this together today. Such a sweet memory of two beautiful ladies and wonderful cooks! So happy to have this hanging in my kitchen,