coconut

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and they’re even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, cocoa, and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake oatmeal cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t), he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.continue to the recipe… about The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

German Chocolate Cake

This homemade German chocolate cake with its easy, sweet, and gooey coconut and pecan frosting is my all-time favorite. It’s an easy recipe to make from scratch, and my whole family goes crazy for it.

There’s nothing more traditional in my long-legged life than the cake I have every year for my birthday. It may be made by someone who loves me, or purchased from a bakery to add to the celebration.

And because I love it so much, I am totally a-okay if I make this coconuty, nutty, frosted cake myself because this homemade German chocolate cake is one amazing cake. Just like me :)

January is birthday month for me. Time to take a look, evaluate, and see who and what I am and what challenge I see in my future. Sometimes I love what I see, sometimes, not so much.

But if I don’t take a look at myself and cross check my perception versus reality, then where is the next challenge to conquer, the next mountain to climb? Or even a reason to get out of bed?

Are you happy? Are you yearning? Are you challenged? Are you bored? Are you still searching?

My birthday challenge to you is the same one I’ve given to myself. Take a look at where you are, right now. Today. While you’re surfing the internet because you’re bored or hungry or a friendly follower (thank you!)

Today, choose one thing you want to change and make one goal, one statement, to make it happen.

And then just do it. Love yourself. Be yourself. And keep on being you.continue to the recipe… about German Chocolate Cake

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad Recipe

This classic ambrosia salad is one of my favorite family holiday recipes because nobody can pass up its mixture of tropical fruit and marshmallows bathed in tangy whipped sour cream.

The Best Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

“You’re REALLY going to put that on the blog?” my man questioned. “Really?”

Yes, REALLY.

We each have our holiday favorite dishes. He has his creamed corn. I have my ambrosia salad.

These are the recipes that if missed on the holiday table cause pain and agony. Even if just for ourselves, because it simply wouldn’t be the same without them.

My grandma made this marshmallow fruit salad recipe every Thanksgiving. I think my Aunt Jill and I—and maybe my little sister Holly because she’d eat pretty much anything that was sweet—were pretty much the only ones who actually ever ate it. Although I do distinctly remember my mom adding a dollop to her plate nestled next to the cranberry sauce, even though she may deny it now.

But as the years went on, and the realization that the ambrosia likers were in a deep decline, it disappeared from the serving table.

Well guess what peeps? It’s baaaaaaaaaack.

I’ve planned on adding this ambrosia salad recipe to the blog ever since I started the blog. But I’d always second guess myself.

It’s not healthy enough.

It’s not Pinterest-worthy enough.

Who’s gonna want to look at a salad with canned fruit and marshmallows bathed in a creamy slather of deliciousness?

Me. That’s who.

continue to the recipe… about My Favorite Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Creamy Tropical Fruit Slushies

Trade in your handheld popsicles for this frozen slushie treat that’s iced, creamy, and a total tropical flavor delight made from real fruit and almond milk, making it more delicious AND healthier than what you’ll find at the local snow cone shack.

This recipe is brought to you by Almond Breeze

Who else has stood in line at the little wooden shack on a hot summer day sweating bullets but so totally not moving because you’re finally next in line for a cold, frozen slushie/snow cone/ icy treat?

Or rather, who hasn’t?

Once we hit the dog days of summer, the summertime slurping ritual of savoring a brain freeze/Slurpee/shaved ice is at an all-time high. But here’s the deal, do you really know what’s in those things? Basically, it’s just a lot of sugary syrup made from weirdly manufactured ingredients over chunks of ice. And if you get the creamy version (because it tastes SO much better!) it’s doctored with heavy cream and/or sweetened condensed milk.

Talk about a calorie load!

But you do have options! Instead of piling on the unnatural sugared syrups and heavy cream options, it’s so easy to make healthier iced slushies at home. And you don’t even need a slushie machine to do it. Instead, just a good quality kitchen blender will totally do.continue to the recipe… about Creamy Tropical Fruit Slushies

Coconut and Lime Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

Soft and pillowy, these incredibly easy to make sugar cookies are flavored with fresh squeezed lime juice and grated lime zest then topped with a coconut flavored cream cheese frosting and even more sweet coconut for a sweetened citrus flavor in every bite.

I usually save the phrase “little pillows of heaven” for when I’m bellied up to the bar of my favorite Italian restaurant gushing over my bowl of Gnocchi alla Norma, that when cooked just right, is indeed heaven sent. But today, I’m extending my catchphrase to these soft and easy-to-make sugar cookies because they totally deserve it.

The recipe isn’t mine, but it’s one I’m more than happy to share.

I recently asked you lovely readers to submit your favorite Christmas cookie so I could select one to share on today’s Facebook Live “All Things Cookies!” cooking show (at 11 am MST on Facebook/foodiecrush and on replay all day AND we’re giving away a KitchenAid stand mixer!) and I’m pleased as lime and coconut punch to say this.is.it., your new favorite, any-day-is-a-holiday cookie.continue to the recipe… about Coconut and Lime Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

German Chocolate Banana Bread

My favorite banana bread recipe gets a nutty chocolate chunk upgrade, making this quick bread a dessert lovers dream.

To say I have a fetish with German Chocolate anything and everything is a severe understatement. Proof in the chocolate pudding is right here.

I could try and blame it on my German heritage, but let’s just say it like it is: I am a load-it-up-with-all-the-nuts-chocolate lover and I have no willpower when this flavor-bomb combo is in sight. I mean, have you ever had Baskin Robbins German Chocolate Cake ice cream?

Has chocolate ever been considered a part of our DNA? Apparently so! Who-da thunk that someone (not me) was likely to investigate?

My favorite part of this banana bread is all the additional fixins, but the secret is what lies under the toppings, and proof that beauty is more than skin deep.

continue to the recipe… about German Chocolate Banana Bread

Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

My favorite Thai flavors are lightened up in this chicken and cucumber salad with almond coconut blend almond milk subbing in for full-fat coconut milk.

This post is in partnership with Almond Breeze

When my sister was in high school she spent her season year on a year-long foreign exchange school program with a host family in Thailand. She was just 17. And ready to expand her horizons. That’s only five years from how old Smudge is right now. Looking back I wonder if I could let Smudge go to a foreign land like my mom did with my sister?

My mom made it through that year (barely) and since then we’ve all been back to Thailand with my sister Holly, and thus the whole family has become enamored with Thai food. So this year when my sister and her family came home to spend the holidays with all of us, it was far from shocking that one very important item on the agenda was going out for Thai food.

My mom has a favorite restaurant she frequents for her favorite Thai chicken salad. After “borrowing” just one bite, I was a fan too. And I knew my version of that chicken salad was destined for you here on le bloggity blog.continue to the recipe… about Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Loaded Monster Cookies

Whole wheat pastry flour, nuts, raisins, popcorn, coconut and chocolate bits all combine to make one monster of a healthier cookie.

This post is sponsored by Lifetime’s production of Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow premiering Saturday, November 21, 2015.

These cookies. They’re so ugly, they’re crave-ingly cute. Just like Jim Henson’s classic puppeted creatures and those in the new holiday movie, Turkey Hollow, these Loaded Monster Cookies are destined to become classics.

When Lifetime asked if I’d like to preview their new Jim Henson movie and make a treat to eat along with it, I was all for it. I grew up with Jim Henson and his cast of characters. I know every line to Rainbow Connection. I can still sing the opening credits to the original Muppet Show TV series.

And as for Kermit and Miss Piggy? They’ll always be a the ultimate celebrity couple in my eyes. I’m just waiting for a reunion.

Until then…these cookies.

By using smart ingredients like whole wheat, heart-healthy nuts, raisins and oatmeal, not to mention that chocolate is good for you (here’s 10 reasons why!) these cookies pack a fortified punch. Your kids’ll never know you snuck in all that good stuff into these perfectly-imperfect, Henson-inspired cookies.

continue to the recipe… about Loaded Monster Cookies

Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Almond Breeze Almondmilk Coconutmilk is my secret to a lower calorie instead of canned coconut milk for dressing this flavorful, Thai-inspired noodle salad.

This year I’m partnering with Almond Breeze to create and share recipes using almond milk. This noodle salad recipe takes full advantage of this flavored almond milk’s ability to infuse the distinctive Thai taste of coconut milk, but is a lighter alternative that cuts the calories and keeps the taste.

I’m sure I’ve shared here on the blog that during my sister’s senior year of high school she spent the year as a foreign exchange student in Thailand. Growing up in Utah, the geography, culture and certainly the food was worlds away from what she was used to. And she loved every single minute of her year-long immersion there.

When it was time for her to come home, my parents and I traveled to her adopted land to explore her new world. We quickly became fans, too. The beaches. The kindness of the Thai people. The vibrant heart of the culture. And for a food lover like me, the sumptuous and exotic dishes simply sealed the deal.

Ever since, when I’m craving dishes with a balance of spicy and sweet, Thai flavors are at my cooking epicenter. When you search my recipe archives it’s proof in the pudding, the Thai pudding so to speak. Hey, now! There’s a recipe idea I haven’t tried out yet…

continue to the recipe… about Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Coconut Baked French Toast With Oatmeal Crumble

This easy coconut scented baked French toast is made lighter with almond milk, and features an oatmeal crumble topping for a crunchy granola texture, for a delicious special breakfast your whole family will love.

This year I’m partnering with Almond Breeze to create and share recipes using almond milk, and like many who think of almond milk, breakfast has been on my mind.

A make-ahead breakfast, something to make at home instead of going out. For breakfast, or better yet, for brunch. For Easter. For Mother’s Day. For Saturday or Sunday. With champagne, orange juice and daffodils on the table.

For me, French toast is something you make at home.

continue to the recipe… about Coconut Baked French Toast With Oatmeal Crumble

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

These dense and chewy coconut macaroons are dipped in dark chocolate for the ultimate decadent treat, and they also feature a fun crunchy surprise in the center!

Easy Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate. It’s one of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen. This post is part of series of partnered posts with Hershey. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you.

She dunks everything she eats. She takes after her great grandmother, and her grandfather—whom she never met.

Toast in eggs. California rolls in her ramen broth. And last week? Her cheeseburger in milk. Things might be getting out of hand. But, I must say, I appreciate my daughter’s adventurous palate.

It was no surprise then, that when I was telling her about my cravings for coconut macaroons, her head went straight to dipping my favorite cookie into chocolate.

It was a no brainer in my head, too.

Late night eats are what led me to discover my favored version of the coconut macaroon. Band watching and cocktails in the Kibitz Room always led to slurping a bowl of matzo ball soup—I’ll take mine mish-mosh style with rice, kreplach and noodles please!—at Los Angeles’ famed Canter’s Deli. I could never leave without browsing the dessert cases and trays and trays of cookies, bars and brownies.

But there was only one sweet treat I could never resist leaving without. The chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon.continue to the recipe… about Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

The Best Coconut Margarita Recipe

A refreshing combination of coconut cream and coconut milk infuse tropical flavors into my favorite reposado tequila margarita, served on the rocks.

Once upon a time I went on a train ride. Sure, I’d been on trains before, but nothing prepared me for this ride of a lifetime.

This train was owned by self-made billionaire John Paul DeJoria, founder of John Paul Mitchell and Patron Spirits, and was deemed by DeJoria as, “the favorite of my 13 homes.” But unlike those other homes from New York to Hawaii, this one just happened to be powered by an Amtrak steam engine.

How in the heck did I end up there?

Lucky me, I know people who are very generous and invited me and my husband along for the ride. It’s also where my love of tequila was cemented in stone.

On the rocks, of course.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Coconut Margarita Recipe

German Chocolate Brownie Pie

An easy, from scratch, fudgy brownie is baked into a tart pan and topped with a classic coconut-pecan German frosting for a decadent dessert you won’t be able to resist!

It was my birthday last week and that makes me an Aquarian. And like all water-bearing astrological believers, that means I have an affinity for chocolate.

I know! I didn’t know that was an astrological trait either. But just look it up online. That fact is sure to be attributed as truth out there somewhere. Or at least…it is now.

I get it from my mom. We’re both chocolate lovers. I can pass all day long on vanilla cupcakes and caramel dripping anything. But slip a piece of chocolate in front of me, and I melt.

So it makes complete sense that when the stars align, this Aquarian’s all-time favorite birthday tradition is a toast of German chocolate flavored anything and everything. Cake. Jars. Heck, toss me a bite size ALMOND JOY bite-size bar and look at me go all weak in the knees like a lovelorn 13 year old who just set eyes on her crazy crush. continue to the recipe… about German Chocolate Brownie Pie

Banana Bread Muffins with Toasted Coconut

I spend a lot of time looking at recipes. I read cookbooks like most read from books from the NY Times bestseller list. My bedside is littered with layers upon layers of food magazines from across the world. And man, of course I look at a lot (a lot!) of food blogs for crazy good inspiration.

But one of the biggest traps I find myself getting into when I’m creating a weeknight dinner or Sunday breakfast, is I end up cooking to create content for this blog, instead of for fun or frivolity.

Yes, cooking is creative and yes, I love it. But sometimes, I don’t want to think about composing photos of ingredients or taking photos of the finished product or swatting hungry hands away from the hot goods before they can dig in.

Sometimes I just want to recreate something delicious I see from a food blogger online. To be inspired by someone else’s recipe. To take it for a spin and give it a go. Just because it looks so. dang. good. rather than having to work for it.

And this, THIS, is a prime example…

continue to the recipe… about Banana Bread Muffins with Toasted Coconut

Mango Smoothie Plus 11 Favorite Smoothie Recipes

This week the internet exploded. Not because of political scandals, the return of Downtown Abby or even because some guy raised a baby duck in his beard.

No, it’s because with the new year comes new resolutions for better health and a plethora of new smoothies recipes. It’s a cool and refreshing domination of the www. and perfect timing to add mine to the pack with my mango, banana and coconut tropical smoothie.

Back in the day when I would drag myself into the office after my morning torture weight training session with my trainer, I would somehow will my legs one. step. at. a. time. to the community kitchen, meagerly toss a handful of ice into the blender, peel a banana, add a dash of milk and pour in a packet of protein powder. In my post workout trance I’d refuel with a fantastic protein-powered shake that nourished my rebuilding-muscle tissue and keep me full and satisfied til lunch.

Since I don’t work in the office anymore, I can invest a little more time and effort into my smoothie cravings. Sometimes I get a even get a little exotic. Okay maybe more tropical than exotic. Ah hell, who cares. I’m going big, and going with exotic.

continue to the recipe… about Mango Smoothie Plus 11 Favorite Smoothie Recipes

Coconut Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup…Or Ice Cream

Maybe it was all of that tropical sun beating on my brain while I celebrated Thanksgiving at the equator. Or maybe it’s just my die hard love of coco-nut—Almond Joys have always been my weak in the knees sweet treat.

Either way, these Coconut Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup just hit the top of my koo-koo for coco-nut list. And it’s all a part of Gold Medal Flour‘s Virtual Bake Day.

Breakfast. It’s the meal that can sometimes get overshadowed by the big guns with tons of variety in the lunch and dinner time menus. I say, rise up breakfast! Let your flavor buds show their flair!

And let’s add coconut to waffles.

Like most red-blooded Americans I spent Thanksgiving with my family. Unlike most red-blooded Americans I spent it in the British West Indies sucking down Mango Mambos, fresh from the sea Conch salad and digging my toes in the sand while my girl savored every second of cousin time.

Meal times were just about the only thing that kept us in touch with the time of day. Breakfast > beach > lunch > beach > 4:00 rainbow > cocktail on beach > dinner > bed. Then up to do it all again the next day.

Oh what a glorious groundhog day we were in.

continue to the recipe… about Coconut Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup…Or Ice Cream

German Chocolate Brownies In a Jar Plus Friday Faves

It’s no secret for anyone who knows me that I am a chocolate girl when it comes to sweets. I have no problem passing up a Sour Patch Kid or Cherry flavored gummi bear. But pass a piece of chocolate in front of my face and it’s all but certain to be gone in a heartbeat. Or a mouth smack.

My favorite birthday cake for years has been German chocolate cake. Each year my mom would pull out the bundt pan and bake up my yearly request. It’s probably the reason I’m such a fan of anything with almonds, nuts and goo. Almond Joys and Snicker bars are my go to selections if I have my druthers.

When I was asked to create a recipe for something served up in a jar Go Bold With Butter, I put myself in my summertime shoes, aka flip flops, and envisioned myself at the beach. What would I most crave besides an ice cold beer and sushi while I sit on my pretend blanket digging my toes into the pretend warm sand.

continue to the recipe… about German Chocolate Brownies In a Jar Plus Friday Faves

Craving > 5 Twists on Comforting Chicken Stew

Goodbye grill. Oh well helllllooolo braise.

It’s the first day of fall and we’re all about comforting, stew-ey goodness and going back to the basics with chicken, carrots and mushrooms. Over rice? No way. Noodles. That’s right, egg noodles, just like mom used to make, slithering in butter with a touch of salt and pepper.

photo > foodiecrush

Whoa, but wait! What’s that pungent smell perfuming the entire house with an almost wrinkle-your-nose-I’ve-been-cleaning-the-house-from-top-to-bottom smell?

Vinegar. Cider vinegar. It reminds me of most Saturday mornings when mom would clean the wood floors with her secret combination of “just a tablespoon or so to a gallon of water” that made the whole house smell clean and fresh.

Except tonight its for dinner. And it tastes nothing like wood floors.

photo > foodiecrush

Get the recipe from one of my favorite food mags, and you SERIOUSLY have to try it. It’s a keeper. One for the archives, to hand down from generation to generation. You’ll thank us later. And your house will smell clean and fresh, whether it is or not.

Do you have a favorite home cooked meal that reminds you of mom’s cookin’ (not neccesarily her cleaning like this post). Join a bunch of us foodie bloggers on Wednesday, October 5, when we’ll each be posting our own Family Food Flashback recipes. Join us with your story, your recipe and your memories.

Send me a link to your recipe by Monday, October 3 and we’ll add your link to our list of recipes for post on Wednesday, October 5 and we’ll share memories of dinner time before Ipods and microwaves. Well, some of us will anyway.

And of course, here are some hold-the-phone, home-cookin’ chicken recipes to add to your “Welcome Fall” repertoire.

photo > Mirch Masala

One thing that brings me to my cooking knees is the combo of chicken and coconut milk. Manju creates a coco stew-ey goodness with Mirch Masala’s Kerala Chicken Stew with potatoes, ginger and garlic deliciousness. And a beauty shot bonus too.

photo > La Fuji Mama

Quote from Rachael: her Chicken Gohan Stew is “ It’s what might happen if chicken noodle soup took a little trip to Japan and had a layover in Mexico on the way home.” La Fuji Mama also suggests using a shorter grain rice for max chew after thickening the comforting tang of the ginger-flavored, slow-cooker stew.

photo > Bev Cooks

Putting on her craz-ee hat and asking the rest of us to join her, Bev of Bev Cooks pulls together swiss chard, potatoes and chicken chunks in her Crazy Chicken with Skillet Potatoes and Swiss Chard. Choose your amount of your fav spice blend and cook at your own risk.

photo > My Cooking Hut

Two little love birds sittin’ in a tree, c-h-i-c-k-e-n k-o-r-m-a I love thee. Curry, coriander and creamy yogurt lovingly envelop tender chicken nuggets in My Cooking Hut’s Chicken Korma where Leemei serves this stew-ey comfort dish with a hint of spice from green chiles, cumin and chili powder.

photo > Food and the Fabulous

A pestle and peppercorns walk into a bar and…oh wait, wrong blog. There’s no punchline because this recipe isn’t funny, it’s lux. Isahy takes the de riguer simple ingredients of carrots, chicken and stock to create Food and the Fabulous’s Pink Pepper Chicken Stew, to create a spicy and bold one pot meal.

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The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

German Chocolate Cake

My Favorite Ambrosia Salad Recipe

The Best Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Creamy Tropical Fruit Slushies

German Chocolate Banana Bread

Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Loaded Monster Cookies

Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

Coconut Baked French Toast With Oatmeal Crumble

The Best Coconut Margarita Recipe

German Chocolate Brownie Pie

Banana Bread Muffins with Toasted Coconut

Mango Smoothie Plus 11 Favorite Smoothie Recipes

Coconut Waffles with Pomegranate Syrup…Or Ice Cream

German Chocolate Brownies In a Jar Plus Friday Faves

Craving > 5 Twists on Comforting Chicken Stew

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

My Mom’s Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

coconut

The Best Ambrosia Fruit Salad Recipe

Easy Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

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5 Quick and Healthy No-Sweat Simple Meals