Coconut Macaroons

To Guest Post? or not...That is the Question! Coconut Macaroons have been around for a long time; just don't confuse it with the Macarons...which is the French version of the beautiful egg whites, piped in a perfect circle, and sandwiched with another with so many different kinds of delicate and yummy fillings.

I remember well, making these easy amazing coconut cookies in the seventies, but flattening them down, and placing a bright red or green glazed cherry on each of the macaroons just for the Christmas holidays. Now, they are more fashionable, leaving them in their natural state, piled high, and just a light thin drizzle of melted down chocolate glaze.

Now, I've gotten away from the subject that I wanted to cover. I did not make these macaroons just now...not even recently. I made these just 2 days before I got my hands injured...exactly 2 weeks ago to use for a guest post...which took a different route. As you can see, this is my own guest post...and I'm the guest poster for myself!

In the nearly 2 years that I have been food blogging, I have made so many friends, through my blog, but mostly through the Foodbuzz community, which is so amazing! We all share the same mutual interest; which is FOOD!
Actually, even if it's not about food, but a different interest, we still end up celebrating an event with great food!

I do think it's a nice idea to guest post for a fellow blogger friend if the friend is in "need" ...in case of vacation, an illness, or some other reason, perhaps wanting to take a break, but whichever the reasons are, it's always an honor for both parties involved...sometimes things change, and you end up keeping your own guest post, so you might as well make the best of it...and honor "yourself"...after all, you deserve the honor!

Coconut Macaroons

adapted from Epicurious.com

1- 14 oz. package sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup sugar

6 Tbsp. all-purp flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. canola, or vegetable oil



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together coconut, sugar, flour and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with

the vanilla extract, until soft peaks form. With a spatula, fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture, making

sure that all has been distributed into it, evenly.

With a small teaspoon drop cookies generously filling up the spoon, keeping them 2 inches apart. Mound cookies higher with your fingers so they don't look matted down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes till edges are golden and cookies are set. Top and sided of cookies should be slightly golden, as well.



Melt chocolate chips with oil, in a medium microwavable dish, for about 60 seconds. Take it out, and stir to make it smooth. (if not smooth enough, nuke for an additional 10 seconds longer)

Drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Makes 24 cookies



Note: The best thing to use, and it's my tip a small, or medium plastic bottle with a small tip. (it's a clear plastic bottle used for sweet dessert decorations.) Use a funnel to spoon chocolate into it.

You can also use a small teaspoon to drizzle, or cut a tip on a corner of a plastic baggie (but in this case, it's a bit messy, and bag collapses)

Chocolate-Banana Frozen Pops...and Giveaway

I've been wanting to make something with all the Dove chocolate products that my daughter Lora received from the Dove people, to try out their products. She shared some with me, but every time I get the chocolate cravings, I just nibble on the silk and smooth Dove chocolate pieces, and little nuggets...even though some are for baking. They are incredibly rich, creamy and so amazingly delicious!

As far as I'm concerned, when you get the craving for chocolates, Dove, or Godiva chocolates are the only ones that can satisfy your craving...although Godiva has not come up with their product to bake with, but Dove, has...it should be available in the supermarkets by now. I really wanted to melt these little chocolate silky nuggets to dip them into strawberries, but I did not have the large ones, so I settled for nice, not too ripe banana pieces. I've seen the "store bought" simple chocolate covered frozen bananas that a friend of mine boasts about...nothing compares to the cute little pop sized ones dipped into melted down chocolate pieces, and sprinkle them with the confetti sprinkles, and pop them in the freezer. I could not wait for them to freeze and grabbed my camera to take the photos, while I had some sunshine streaming into my condo!
BTW-It's been 2 months now since I started my Weight Watchers program...and have lost 13 lbs. which averages out to about 1.6 lbs a week...gaining 2 lbs during the weekend, and losing it again the following week, plus 1 more!
So, there you have it...who says you cannot enjoy a chocolate Banana frozen pop, or two...to satisfy your sweet tooth? They are 5 points each...just be cautious!

As a way of thanking all of you...my friends, I have this beautiful authentic LENOX candy dish to give you, as a giveaway for all your kind words, and support for not just the last 2 months, but for the nearly 2 years of supporting my blog, which I so reluctantly wanted to do!
The LENOX candy dish is 4 inches in diameter, the original pretty simple beige, with the gold trimming, and little heart shaped design around the dish. Isn't this a pretty photo I took, with the reflection of the heart shape in the sunlight? The dish is about less than 3 inches tall!
Better yet...as you know my blog is not just about "good food", but "good thrift finds"...and I was totally blown away when I found this gorgeous little candy dish at my local Goodwill...it was just staring at me, or me staring at it, when I saw it sitting on the shelf, I immediately recognized that it's a LENOX. My hand was shaking to see the price on the back...$4.99...seriously! There is not a mark, or any kind of flaws on this beautiful dish. It retails, at least $40.00 if not more; I'm sure of that! This is the original style, and color.

Again...same rules apply: Just make sure you follow my blog...that's all! My FRIEND CONNECT Google list was totally taken off by Google, so that means I lost 112 additional followers. I specifically asked a few new followers to please follow me on my existing follow list, after I followed them back...well, I'm hoping they will do so, because I am -112 followers, as of the first of March!

I will use my Random.org number generator, on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 to determine the winner.
The giveaway entry will end on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 11:00pm EST. I will ship to any country, outside of the U.S....isn't that great? You will love this little dish, as much as I do, but I have a lot of pretty things, and DO find just as much in my search for great "thrift finds"

...and now, for the recipe!

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes...and a special 7 Links



People tend to have addictions to all sorts of things, which I do not want to list right now, but if you would have a chocolate addiction like I do, and my granddaughter Gabby...you would understand why I on purposely do not bake a lot of things with chocolate, or even tempt my granddaughter with it.

I cannot trust myself to have chocolate around me, because I would eat the whole thing. Same thing goes for chocolate cake. So, I simply stay away from it, and have it once in a while, but honestly, if you're a "true chocolate lover" this would really satisfy your chocolate addiction. Not too sweet, not heavy, no cream added, just pure "chocolate heaven."

She must take after me, because she and I taste tested this Warm Chocolate Pudding cake, with the excuse of taking a photo of how it looks on the inside, just before my daughter served dinner...Gabby said to me "please don't tell mom I ate most of this...or she'll get so mad at me!..."and me"...I said. We not only taste tested it, but we ate the whole thing. The other spoon you see on the right is with another empty dish...and after that, we proceed to eat a nice dish of pasta, with homemade fresh tomato sauce, and a light salad.
Has any one of you done that? ...or are we just strange?

I'm linking my Warm Chocolate Putting Cakes, to Full Plate Thursday,
@Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Incidentally, I have left a comment @ Vicki's Blog At Home with Vicki Bensinger how I love to eat this pasta, with the fresh tomato sauce. She has just posted her recipe on it. Yumm!
Another delicious fresh tomato sauce recipe with Pennette, from Linda @ Vittles and Committals

Also, I wanted to share with you a special 7 Links from a wonderful blogger friend, Shabs,
@Yum and Delish whom I have tagged a couple weeks ago, if she would like to participate in rounding up her 7 links. She was so gracious and kind to keep me informed through e-mail, to let me know that she is still on vacation in her homeland, Kerala, India, and that she will post it when she comes back. Now, she has let me know on my previous post, commenting that she posted her 7 Links. She chose this gorgeous Strawberries and Cream Cake as her Most Beautiful Post...I do have to agree, and I'm sure you will too. Check out this amazing cake, and recipe, and her 7 links...you will be glad you did!

Strawberries and Cream Cake

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...and a Giveaway!

If someone asks you...What does Valentine's mean to you?...how would you answer that?...As for me, I would say that to me it means a day to show your loved ones how much you care, and how much you love them. Not just gifts and cards, but in words and expressions! I'll be honest with you this cake I made with a cake mix...yes, boxed cake mix, and not my own...but, I doctored it up so well, that I was so inspired to be creative with the frosting, which really is from "scratch"...and being more creative by adding something pink or red, which happened to be a can of lite cherry pie filling that I had in my cupboard from this summer, that I did not get to use for my cheesecake. So, I decided to share my little heart shaped cake, which was baked in my heart shaped spring form pan, which was a thrift find...brand new Wilton's, for $1.99 retailing at least $16.99. I have gotten so much use out of this, that it's for sure, a keeper.

How can you not love this yummy cake filled, and frosted with real chocolaty goodness, and the oh, so yummy cherry filling, which is drained from the liquid, and save the cherry liquid to spread on top of the chocolate frosting.
Last minute dinner at my son's house...not knowing if I should go, my kitty Prince being so sick for the last couple days...not eating, just moping around, not letting me sleep at night...he was pacing up and down, I thought for sure this is it, since he is so old, but still so full of life and energy. How can you not feel sad when your pet gets ill?! I took this special little cake to my son's house, we shared it after a fabulous meal, and then off to my daughter's to share the other half of the cake...while they were in the middle of their fabulous home made sushi dinner, that Fabrizio made...even the little 4 year old grandson, the little guy, loves sushi...so much for that, I went there to pick up my beautiful roses that they gave to me.

2 dozen beautiful roses, that I received from my family...they told me they bought it at Costco, since they were shopping there on Sunday. Isn't it so thoughtful? A favorite kitty mug, and a bouquet of roses, and "I Love You, MOM" ...HAPPY VALENTINE'S...how much more would a Nonna, and a Mom want from her children, and Grandchildren. This is what Valentine's is about. Not the "Bling" or $$$...but a thoughtful simple gift, and to let your loved one know how much you care about them!