Sunday Sweets (Coconut Macaroons)



Coconut Macaroons

This Sunday I have an easy, fun recipe to share. I love coconut! Something about it seems very summery to me. I have seen several recipes for macaroons on Pinterest, on the web, and even on the shredded coconut bags! These macaroons are sweet, chewy, and really addicting.  The edges are the best part. They get brown and a little bit crisp. So, so good! I made this recipe for a small 4th of July get together. This recipe makes around 40 nice sized macaroons.

 

In a large mixing bowl, I start out with 4 bags of shredded, sweetened coconut. I used the great value brand, which has about 7 ounces of coconut per bag. In total, I have about 28 oz of coconut.

 

 



 

Next, I add 1 and 3/4 cups of sweetened condensed milk. 

 

Then, around 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Mix the three together and set aside.

In another small bowl, add 4 egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Beat eggs using a mixer until you get stiff peaks.

The egg whites should look like this:

Next, fold the egg white mixture into the large bowl of coconut.

After lining baking sheets with parchment paper, I use two tablespoons to shape the mounds. I kept my macaroons around an inch apart. They don't spread too much in the oven. I baked them for 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Just make sure the tops and bottoms are a nice, golden brown before removing from the oven. After cooling for around five minutes, I drizzled white chocolate over them. I think it added a little extra yumminess. Since these were for a 4th of July party, I wanted to dye my chocolate red and blue. Unfortunately, the chocolate seized up when I added food coloring (water based food dye makes chocolate seize up, per Google search). I ended up with blue, play-dough like white chocolate. Needless to say, I stuck with just white colored white chocolate. I have also seen these dipped in semi-sweet or dark chocolate. I think either would be pretty darn good!



Coconut Macaroons

Here is the recipe I used:

28 ounces shredded coconut (sweetened)
1 and 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
White chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold egg whites into coconut mixture.
5. Using tablespoons, make mounds of coconut on baking sheet. Keep them about an inch apart.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Pull them out when they are golden brown on top and bottom.
7. If desired, dip or drizzle chocolate on macaroons.

Cheers to a happy 4th of July!


Tuesday Dinner Ideas (Crockpot Beef Stroganoff)

Today I am posting a recipe that I found by happy accident. Jon and I worked at a German restaurant for several years when we started dating. The Hot Springs Brau Haus had an excellent 'goulash' entrée. While searching for a goulash recipe, I came across an older blog post at the crockstar. The recipe was for an easy to make Beef Stroganoff. I ended up trying it out, and have made it several times since then. (Although I never have gotten around to making an actual goulash recipe!)

I made this on Sunday for Father's Day. It makes enough for us to eat it for dinner at least two times.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds cubed stew meat (I used one pound regular stew meat and one pound lean stew meat)
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (you can adjust up or down depending on taste)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces cream cheese
Egg noodles

Combine soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, water, and spices in crock pot. Stir in stew meat. Cook on low for around 8 hours. Just before serving, turn crock pot up to high. Cube and add in cream cheese. Stir until combined.

Serve over egg noodles.

Cheers to easy-peasy crock pot recipes!

Weekend Update and Happy Father's Day!

We had a pretty low-key weekend at the Cromer house. My mother had a heart catheterization on Thursday, so I stayed home on Friday to watch miss O. Everything went well, and the doctor did not find any blockages. We are lucky that my mom is able to watch Olivia during the week, because day care is outrageously expensive! We spent Friday and Saturday at home, doing laundry and watching movies.
Sunday was Father's Day. I have been lucky enough to have had a good father of my own, and have a husband who is a great father to our daughter.
Here are a couple pictures of me and my dad from my wedding (in 2010).

 

 

Olivia loves her dad (and she looks just like him)! She was really excited about helping pick out his card and Father's Day gifts. I can't believe that she has grown up enough to be helping pick presents. Time flies by so quickly.



I made a special dinner for Jon while he went fishing. The menu included crockpot beef stroganoff (from the crockstar, via Pinterest) and a Kentucky Butter Cake (from an old church cookbook). Both recipes were definitely a success! I shared the recipe for the Kentucky Butter Cake yesterday, and I will share the beef stroganoff recipe tomorrow. I am feeling rested from the three day weekend, so here's hoping the week goes by without complications. Cheers to Mondays!

Sunday Sweets: Kentucky Butter Cake

Wow, it has been awhile since I last blogged!
I've wanted to try a recipe for Kentucky Butter Cake for awhile. Butter...vanilla...sugar....I figured I couldn't go wrong! I used a recipe from an old church cookbook. This cake is very dense and moist, similar to a pound cake. The flavor is very similar to cookies you can get in a tin around Christmas time (Danish Butter Cookies). The butter sauce/sugar on the cake forms a layer almost like a crust. It is so, so yummy! I made it on Saturday night, and let it set up in the fridge to eat on Sunday for Father's Day.

Here is the recipe:
For the cake:
1 cup of butter (room temperature, but not melted)
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

For the butter sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Pre heat oven to 325.
2. Grease and flour baking pan. (I made sure my Bundt pan was very 'greased' so the cake would slide out easily.)
2. Blend butter, sugar, and eggs.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter/sugar/egg mixture until all are combined.
5. Stir in vanilla.
6. Put batter into cake pan. (The batter is really thick. I used a serving spoon to ladle it in and smooth it out).
7. Bake for 60-70 minutes. A toothpick should be able to be inserted and removed clean.
8. Use a knife to poke holes all over cake.

Once the cake is out of the oven, make the glaze.
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir constantly.
3. Once butter is melted and sugar is dissolved (don't let it boil), pour warm glaze over cake.

4. When completely cool, flip out onto a pan.

The recipe suggested serving with fresh fruit, but it tastes great on its own. I dusted a little powdered sugar over the top and called it done. This recipe got all thumbs up from the family.

Cheers to a sweet finish to the week!

Who Are You Part Three

Linking up again for Who Are You with That's the thing about destiny...

List 10 pet peeves:
People who yell everything they say, loud eating/smacking, chewing with mouth open, not putting new toilet paper on the dispenser thing, the feel of cotton (cotton balls give me chills), people who are mean for no reason, putting trash in the garbage can when it is already full (just change that bad boy already), leaving dishes 'to soak' in the sink but leaving them there so long the water turns cold and slimy (looking at you hubby C), putting an empty peanut butter jar back in the cabinet, chalk/dust on my fingers.

Describe a current day in your life:
6:00 to 6:30 Push snooze button repeatedly while trying to get in those last few minutes of sleep.
630-735 Get up, eat breakfast, get ready for work.
735-825 Drive to work.
830-430 Work.
535 Get home, eat dinner, spend time with baby O and hubby C. Play chase the baby and watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (because it's my favorite show). Give O a bath.
800 O goes to sleep. Hubby C and I try to watch a show or two.
930 I go to sleep. I really love sleep!

Repeat, repeat, repeat until Friday!

What is the hardest part of growing up?
Not being able to have summers off to eat ice cream and read lots of books. (Also, having to pay bills!)

Describe 5 strengths and weaknesses you have.
Strengths: good listener, fast learner, loyal
Weaknesses: don't always stand up for myself, take on too many projects

Describe when you knew your spouse was the one, or how you fell in love.

When we first met, I was dating someone else. He was my next door neighbor, and lived with my best friend's boyfriend. After I broke up with the other boyfriend, we started 'hanging out.' I think he won me over because he was very laid back and always sweet.

When we first started dating. I was blond then...

Married since May 2010

On another note, I got to try a new restaurant today while I was on my lunch break. The place was called Stone Mill Bakery. I got the 'Heartwarmer' which was tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. It was delicious! They make all their bread there, so the place smelled amazing. It came with a cookie, so you know I was definitely a fan.

Cheers to trying new restaurants! Has anyone else tried new restaurants lately? Can anyone spell the word restaurant without using the spell check? I always put the u in the wrong place.

Who are you part two!

Day two of the link-up with That's the thing about destiny...and I am actually on time!! Hallelujah! Today was my first day at my new job, so this post will be short and sweet!

If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?

1. A magic potion that would insure everyone I love would live a long and healthy life. 

2. Win the lottery so I can take care of all my healthy loved ones! I am hoping this will happen this week, since the lottery is a bazillion dollars. 

3. Ability to fly!

What is your dream job, and why?

I don't talk much about my job on here, but my dream job is the job I have now! I am a therapist, and I work with kiddos. I love it.

What are 5 passions you have?Being a wife, being a mother, being a friend to others, my job, and living life to the fullest. 

List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.My mom, dad, hubby c, and little miss O are family members that have influenced me. They remind me to smile every day!

Mrs. T from high school and Dr. E from college influenced me to keep going in my education. Miss J from work influenced me to work hard and have a heart for helping others. My friends influence me by showing me how to be a mom, a wife, and a friend.

By your powers combined....I am captain planet!

Describe your most embarrassing moment.

I have lots of embarrassing moments. I often fall down and trip over things. This started in kindergarten, when I fell down during my graduation while I was on stage getting my diploma. I also run into things, like the time I ran straight into a pole at lunch. Bang! I had a sweet bruise on my forehead. I also accidentally say the wrong words sometimes. Once, when I was a waitress I asked a customer if they wanted an order of cheese dic*ks instead of cheese sticks. 

Most recently, I embarrassed myself while trying to take the drug test for my new job. I got into the bathroom and just could not 'go.' I sat in there for about ten minutes chanting 'water, lakes, ocean, drip, drip, drip' before the lab lady knocked and asked me if I was okay. She made me come out and sit in the hallway to drink three glasses of water. What can I say, I have a shy bladder!

Cheers to hoping little miss O doesn't inherit my clumsiness! And cheers to Monday being over!

Attempting my first link up...late!

I haven't ever tried a link up before, so I hope this works! The blogger hosting this link-up is one of my favorite reads! This is a several day link-up, and the first day was supposed to be Friday. Better late than never...right??? List 20 random facts about yourself. 1. I like to make sweets. 2. I can't cook if I am not following a recipe. 3. My karaoke name is LJCoolWage. 4. I hate the feeling of dirt under my feet.  5. My high school choir teacher preferred that I lip sing. (sync??) 6. I am a terrible speller. Thank God for spell check! 7. I have a hard time coming up with 20 random facts about myself. 8. I hate saying the words jello and moist. 9. My BFF now was my big sis when I was in college (sorority).

10. I graduated from high school ten years ago. 11. I was a vegetarian for 2 years. 12. The only concert I have been to is Britney. 13. I went on a road trip from Arkansas to Las Vegas. 14. I don't like to finish shows in one sitting because I get distracted by other things I need to do. 15. I read a couple books at a time usually. 16. I like to eat frozen things...fruit, ice cream, snow cones, ice, pie. 17. I hate driving in any kind of bad weather (rain, snow....I stay home). 18. I like to soak in the tub at the end of the day to relax. 19. I have a one year old daughter who is into everything! 20. I am a bit of a procrastinator! (I am sure you didn't guess...with me being a couple days late on the link up!!)
Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears. 1. Spiders. I don't like to see them or touch them or kill them. When I see them, I run away. When I was younger, my dad tried to 'help' with my fear by making me take things to the storage shed where there were a TON of giant spiders. I think I had a panic attack. He didn't try to help me with that fear any more. 2. Death/illness of a loved one. I am afraid of something happening to the people I love because I love them!! 3. Driving in bad weather. Probably because I totaled my car a couple years ago during a thunderstorm.
Describe your relationship with your spouse. Hubby C is my best friend. We have been together for about 8 years. We have been married for 3. He is a great husband and an even better dad to little miss O. He is very talented. Great cook, great at building and fixing things. He puts up with my moodiness.

List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could: 1. Don't quit running, it is good for you! 2. All the hard work you spend now at school will pay off later. 3. Enjoy spending time with your friends, and don't lose touch with them. 4. It is okay that you don't have a car. You will get one one day! 5. Spend more time with your mom and dad. 6. Enjoy eating all that sugar, it will catch up with you! 7. It is okay to be different. 8. Take better care of your skin. Step away from the tanning bed. 9. Living away from your parents is a big responsibility, don't do stupid stuff! 10. Go to school! Just because you can write your own 'excuse' notes doesn't mean you should! What are 5 things that make you most happy right now? 1. Hubby C 2. Little Miss O

3. Pecan pralines 4. Tax-free weekend (clothes shopping for the new job!) 5. Finally getting things unpacked and put in their new place If you want to join the link up, here is the button (I think)! Cheers to my first link-up!!

A Little Something Sweet on Sunday

The month of July was busy, busy, busy! Packing and moving five hours away from home takes a lot of energy! We have been official residents of NWA for a week. I have been battling a summer cold most of the week. I finally felt better when I got up this morning, so I thought I might put our new kitchen to use! I have a serious love of pecan pralines. Especially the ones from TaMolly's in Arkadelphia. Since I couldn't just hop in the car and drive five hours to get them, I thought I would try to make them myself. I used this recipe:

Pecan Pralines
2 cups brown sugar (I used golden brown)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups pecan pieces
2 tsp vanilla
3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and water in saucepan. Heat to boiling while stirring constantly. (I did this over medium heat). Cook until mixture reaches soft ball consistency (235). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, butter, and pecans Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper.

I did not have a candy thermometer, so I used a cold bowl of water to test the consistency while cooking. When I thought it had heated enough, I dropped a little bit of the liquid mixture into a bowl. It formed a soft, flexible ball. I took it off at that point. I am going to buy a candy thermometer soon, since I don't like guessing! The pralines turned out very well. Sweet, soft and melt in your mouth yumminess. They are very sweet, so I can only eat one at  a time.

Cheers to a sweet finish to the weekend! Tomorrow I start my new job. Any one else make candy this weekend???

30 Before 30

Hello all! My 28th birthday is coming up in August. While packing, I have been looking through a lot of things that I haven't seen since high school. I graduated ten years ago! One of the things I came across is a Bucket List. With only two years left in my 20s, I decided it would be fun to compile a list of things I want to do before I turn 30. Here we go:

1. Go on a cruise.
2. Go sky diving.
3. Go on a weekend trip out of state.
4. Don't eat out for a whole month.
5. Cook new recipes every night for a week.
6. Go see Britney in concert.
7. See a musical.
8. Take baby O to the zoo.
9. Write a book.
10. Work on learning a new language.
11. Be fully lisenced in my field.
12. Go on a family vacation to the beach.
13. Go fishing with hubby C.
14. Continue blogging about our life.
15. Do a zip line.
16. Take baby O to the fair.
17. Take mom to Branson.
18. Go to a Christmas tree farm.
19. Learn to shoot a bow accurately.
20. Win a game of pool.
21. Host a game night with friends.
22. Run a whole 5k race.
23. Complete a half marathon.
24. Enlarge our family of 3 to a family of 4.
25. Visit another country.
26. Go skiing.
27. Get a new car.
28. Go on a picnic with hubby C and baby O.
29. Take family pictures.
30. Ride on a boat.

There is my list. I have a little over two years to complete these items! What's on your bucket list?

Cheers to the fun I will have trying to do all this stuff!

(Last) Weekend Happenings

We had a super busy weekend, which is why it has taken me nearly a week to get a post together! Hubby C was in an art show. He was in Little Rock all weekend with the Arkansas Sculpture Guild Invitational. Last week he was preparing for the show around the clock. He got up early with me and went to bed very late. He got it all done Friday morning and headed to Little Rock to set up. Friday night we all went up and stayed at the Double Tree hotel. My mother in law came with us and kept O at the hotel while we went to the opening night. O loved the hotel. The closet had mirrors for doors, and she spent a lot of time kissing the baby in the mirror.

We have hardwood floors at home, so I am sure the plush carpet was a nice change for her tumbles. She is still learning speed control with walking. When she gets excited, she starts running and gets ahead of her balance a little. The Double Tree also has an awesome view of the river.

While O was running around like a wild thing, hubby C and I went to his show. Little Rock was having a gallery walk that night, so there were a ton of people coming through. I walked around and looked at all the different sculptures while C talked to other artists and people viewing the show. I always feel a little awkward at shows because I am not an artsy person. When people ask me questions, I usually just say I think it looks pretty. As the night wound down, I went over to stand by C and some other artists. One of the ladies came over to me and straight up rubbed my belly. Of course I immediately thought she was trying to say I was pregnant...who does that? I would never go up to someone I don't know and rub their stomach! Not cool! Anyway, C said that he saw me give the lady 'the look' and jumped in to change the conversation. You know the look right? The one where the temperature goes down about 30 degrees, your head spins around on your neck, your hair stands on end, and you shoot flames out of your eyes at someone? No? Just me? Okay, moving on. After the show, we went back to the hotel. We were both hungry, so we ordered a cheeseburger from room service. It cost $17 and was really good. (For $17, it sure better be one good burger!)
On Saturday, my mother in law, O, hubby C and I went back to the show. I got a cute picture of baby O and hubby C with one of his outdoor, large sculptures. C stayed at the show all day.


Inferno


Saturday night we went out for a friends birthday. Here is a picture of my buddies Leah and Britt at an Irish pub.

This happened (probably a bad idea to start the night):


Yowza


We ate at a fancy restaurant in Little Rock, Loca Luna. The food was very good. Hubby C got some lamb chops. I split a little pizza with Britt.

On Sunday, hubby C went back to his show while baby O and I rested at home. I am very proud of him for all the hard work he put into the show. He sold a couple pieces and really had a good time meeting all the new artists. I will end the weekend update with a few pictures of his sculptures from the show!


Brimstone



Torn



Cheers to a quickly ending work week! It is almost the weekend! Any weekend plans for anyone? Next week we are headed up to north Arkansas to find a place to live. Wish us luck!

Life lately

Wow, it has been over two months since my last post! I have been very busy with work and preparing to move at the end of July (ahhhhhhhh!) The whole month of June has flown by. I decided to get back on the weight loss wagon after being off basically since Olivia's birthday in March. In March, I was weighing about 165. By the end of May the bad food and lack of consistent exercise led to me creeping back up to 169. When June came along, I started the month off with another ten day cleanse from Advocare. I got the peach and cream flavor this time....and it was oh SO much better than the citrus. I also joined RunninRob's 6 am boot camp at the end of May. I went to work out with her three days a week for four weeks. I made a lot of progress! Over the month of boot camp, I lost the four pounds and gained a lot of strength. At the beginning of boot camp I could barely do a ten second plank. By the end, I could hold the plank for a whole minute! I also lost a bunch of inches. I started out boot camp in a 11/12. While I was going through old clothes and packing up stuff for the move, I came across a pair of size 7 shorts. I decided to try them on to see how far away I was from fitting into them. They slid on and buttoned up without a problem. I went from a 11/12 to a 7 in just four weeks! It is amazing the difference a good workout can have on your body. Here is a picture of me and RRob after our 6 am workout.

Baby O is having a fun summer as well. We bought her a little play pool. She hated it the first time because the water was so cold. I managed to take a couple pictures of her smiling before she threw a fit. Now she will think her first pool experience was a success. Ha.

She is also a little shoe stealer....

And clown wig wearer...

And new HOG lover!

We are moving in a month, and I have so much left to do. I hope to start being a more consistent blogger. How is everyone's summer going so far? Busy? Melting in the heat? Anyone else attempting to do the summer slim down?

Cheers to a fun summer!!