Coconut Macaroons

This recipe is from my good friend, Theresa Preston who lives in Australia. This is the first macaroon recipe I've seen using the whole egg. I believe using the whole egg makes the macaroons taste so much better.

Her recipe is as follows:
1/2 pound coconut - sweetened flaked coconut you buy in the can or the bag
2-3 eggs depending on the size you buy. I always buy large eggs.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
and I added
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

Mix together and either drop onto a greased cookie sheet, parchment paper, or a silicon baking sheet so they are easy to remove. Bake at 300 degrees until golden brown.

I made these for Easter dinner and shaped the macaroons into little nest before baking. You can see they turned out really cute using with Peeps and jelly beans. The next time I make these, I will be making them in small logs and dipping 1/2 of them into chocolate.

Simple Orange Cake

I was searching the internet for a new recipe a few days ago and ran across this recipe.  I found this recipe from Jill McKeever at Simple Daily Recipes.  I made it tonight and both Chilly and I really liked it.  Jill said it would be so good to get what we wanted and take the rest away because you will want to keep eating it.  She is 100% correct.

The recipe is as follows:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 small box of orange gelatin
1 cup orange juice (the kind you drink
3/4 cup oil  (I used canola oil)
4 eggs
2-3 teaspoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt pan.

Beat cake mix, dry gelatin, orange juice, oil, eggs and zest in a large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes or so.  Pour into the bundt pan.  Bake for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Meanwhile, mix up the orange glaze for the cake.

Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest

Whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice and zest in a small bowl.  After you move the cake to the serving plate and while the cake is still warm, prick the cake with a fork or toothpick.  Pour glaze evenly over the cake.  Allow the cake to completely cool before serving.

(((We couldn't wait for it to completely cool.  We had it while it was warm and it was delicious.)))

Thanks so much for this great recipe Jill.  I look forward to trying that Coconut pie too.  :-)
Stop in and check out Simple Daily Recipes when you get a chance. :-)

Table Setting Ideas

This is just a simple idea using table runners, simple Christmas silver and gold decorations in a crystal bowl, candles, greenery and berries for a Christmas Breakfast table setting.  I mixed silver and gold so I can enjoy using some of the beautiful things I have.

This is another set of Winter dishes I have.  I decided to set everything with Snowmen using burgundy, blues, and greens.  I will use this for Christmas time and thru January.  There are two different patterns of dishes used with this but they blend together. If I decide not to use the cup and saucers that match the plates, I have mugs to use that match the bread/dessert plates.