Mixed Berry Dumpling Cobbler...you're welcome :-)

Its quite simple really, as much as I love DIY's and other colorful projects around the house, my true passion lies in baking. I love a good dessert/meal but most of all I love sharing it with neighbors and friends (well, if it passes my TLC criteria: Taste, Look, Consistency). I can't be giving out nasty, ugly desserts?!

The smells, the colors, and the memories of making something that everyone can enjoy through tasting really just razzles my berries, if you know what I mean.

Speaking of berries, this dessert is always a go to when Fall is around the corner! It's a major "comfort food cobbler" perfect for the season. It never disappoints. Well, unless served without ice cream; but I mean, you probably already knew that?!

The colors are amazing with this dessert too (actually we may have eaten it for breakfast too...hey don't judge, it has bisquick and berries so it's absolutely justifiable).

 ^^^it never lasts long...never, ever^^^

^^^this is just to prove that I really do share...sometimes?!^^^

MIXED BERRY DUMPLING COBBLER
-2 pkg. frozen mixed berries (without strawberries, they're too chunky)
-2 cups sugar
-1/4 cup butter
-3 pkg. 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 1/4 cup Bisquick
-2/3 cup milk
-3/4 cup oats

In saucepan bring berries, 1 cup sugar and butter to boil---stirl gently until butter and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth than add 2/3 cups milk. Stir in Bisquick and oats. Press 2/3 of  batter in the bottom of a greased  9x13 pan. Than pour berry mixture over and dollop the rest of batter on top. Cook at 350 for 35 minutes. Serve warm with icecream!

the color brown...chocolate crunch brownies

Whatever image you have in your mind about the color brown...erase it and insert this photo into your noggin'  because it's probably one of my (and my families) favorite brownies to date. Well, besides my moms brownies, but anything that comes close to my moms is and should be at the top of the list.

So with that said...feast your eyes on this milk chocolatey, delectable, moooooist and richly brown brownie. Than, right before your taste buds are about to burst with envy go bake it! Have today be your "cheat day"...and tomorrow and the next. What the hells-bells you only live once, right (YOLO) !?!

***I owe this post to Candace, who was the first person to bring me a plate of these back in college. I never looked back. Thanks Candace for adding a little more junk in my trunk for many years now, and for many more to come! muah.

CHOCOLATE CRUNCH BROWNIES

-1 cup margarine (I used butter but I'm a butter snob so if you like margarine than more power to ya)

- 2 cups sugar

- 4 eggs

- 6 TBS cocoa

- 1 cup flour 

- 2 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 tsp. salt

middle layer:  7 oz. marshmallow cream

top layer:        1 cup peanut butter

                        2 cups chocolate chips

First mix butter and sugar. Stir in cocoa, flour, vanilla and salt.  Cook at 350 for 25 ish minutes. Depending on how your oven cooks you might want to cook it a bit longer, but don't overcook! An almost clean toothpick is what we're lookin' for here. 

Take out of oven and LET COOL. Than lather on a nice layer of one 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream. Lastly, in a bowl microwave 1 cup peanut butter with 2 cups milk chocolate chips. (about 45 seconds should do the trick) stir until it's all melted...than add about 3 cups rice crispies. Spread over marshmallow cream.

Chill for about an hour or so and enjoy.

Coconut Mango Sticky Rice

WAIT! Ok, before you judge this delectable treat let me just say it was one of the most delicious things my taste buds have had in...a while!

I wish I could say I tried this for the first time while perusing the street markets in Bangkok...but instead it was at this mind blowing Thai food restaurant that our friends introduced us to. This place took Thai food to the next level; dare I say it has even become one of my favorites!

So back to the rice...It's warm, sweet and soaked in coconut milk. If that doesn't make you jump for joy...the soft mangos add a tangy and distinctive twist that'll have you coming back for thirds and maybe fourths. If it doesn't, well I guess we just can't be friends :-).

Here is the recipe (found below) and seriously don't judge it 'til you taste it...I promise it's a game changer. Plus, it's kind of nice to change it up in the dessert department?!

***This dessert is very popular among the Thai people where they take a lot of pride in the process; and cutting fruit is an art form. I have a new appreciation for anyone who can cut a mango and have it look pretty...I was having some mango cutting issues to say the least.

STICKY COCONUT MANGO RICE

1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice 2 cups water 1 1/2 cups coconut milk 1 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon tapioca starch 3 mangos, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine the rice and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2.	While the rice cooks, mix together 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; remove from heat and set aside. Stir the cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture; cover. Allow to cool for 1 hour.
3.	Make a sauce by mixing together 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the tapioca starch in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
4.	Place the sticky rice on a serving dish. Arrange the mangos on top of the rice. Pour the sauce over the mangos and rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Early Bday Party for our little Cozy

A couple weeks ago my dear friend, Melanie from Caravan Shoppe, called me to see if I wanted to throw a "fake bday party" for a photoshoot using all of their newest Happy Birthday Printables.

I was beyond excited to help out under one condition, if I could bake the goodies, which she happily agreed to.  I wanted to try out this ombre cake I had been thinking about since, I swear, six months ago. Maybe I shouldn't admit that?!
 

It was perfect timing since my little Cozette turns TWO years old in just a couple weeks (how is that even possible?!). I'm a firm believer that any excuse to throw a party is a good excuse; so it seemed fitting to celebrate Cozy's upcoming birthday! 

Party included:
- Caravan's Draw Together B-day Set

-4 layered Buttermilk Cake topped with this ombre cream cheese frosting (see below for frosting how to)

-mini-decorate-yourself, rice crispy treat cakes (also see below for the how to)

-small cups of decorating ingredients (chocolate chips, sprinkles, teddy grahams, cocoa puffs)

-a whole lot of art supplies

-and best of all...a table full of the cutest girls you've every seen

Mini-Rice-Crispy-Treat-Cakes

-Make a batch of rice crispy treats. 

-Fill small and medium bowls tightly with the crispies (I've found that if you get your hands a little wet, it wont stick when you push down on them to get it in there nice and tight)

-Let them sit in the fridge overnight

***when they're ready to frost, microwave them for about five seconds that way you can take a knife and scoop each one out. Than set a small one on top of a larger one to give the effect of a cake, and lastly frost it with store bought (or homemade if that tickles your fancy) frosting. The little ones LOVED decorating these! 

Buttermilk Cake with Ombre Frosting

I used this cake recipe but I used four small round pans to make it a bit taller

***For the frosting you split your frosting into four bowls. Add about ten drops of whatever coloring you want into one bowl. Than take two TBS of that frosting and add it into another bowl. Than take 1/2 TBS of the lighter frosting and add it to the third bowl. Leave the fourth bowl white. Frost from darkest on the bottom to lightest on the top. 

Angel Food Cake Meets Chocolate Pudding...

This cake is a pretty nostalgic slice of heaven for a very special person...who happens to be my very own father dear. He said that his mom (so I guess my grandma ha) always made this when he was growing up and it's one of his favorites.

We went over to my brother and sister in laws for dinner and I was in charge of dessert. I was sick of baking heavy stuff...you know brownies, cookies, butter bars...basically anything that comes to mind when you think of "dessert". 

I wanted light, fluffy, fruity and fresh and nothing defines these things like Angel Food Cake! So obviously, my good old Grandma C's recipe came to mind. So here's how it goes y'all...

What you need:

--angel food cake mix

--one pint heavy whipping cream

--chocolate pudding

--fruit

Directions: Bake the cake as directed. While it's baking make the pudding and let it set in the fridge. Than whisk the pint of whipping cream...I add a little powdered sugar just for kicks and giggles. Once the pudding has hardened mix it up with the whipping cream and put back in the fridge. When your cake is cooled, cut in half and lather it up with the chocolate whipping cream. Than cover your cake with the remaining whipping cream and surround it with your fruit.

Yum Tum Diddle. 

Our favorite place to grab a Cookie...

There are a lot of perks about living in Southern California...we have lived here for almost five years now and we are continuously finding little hidden gems that we fall in love with. From hole in the wall places, to little boutiques and mom and pop shops...it's pretty endless.

One of our favorite mom and pop cookie shops is called Uncle Biffs in hillcrest, San Diego. My husband found it a while back, and we have been huge fans ever since. You can even order the dough if you want to bake them fresh...unfortunately the recipe doesn't come a long with it. *still workin on that

My personal favorite is the good ole' chocolate chip, however the almond toffee, or the coconut macadamia...oh or the chocolate chunk are pretty amazing too.

If you're looking for other hidden gems in your area check out this home town hidden gem board to find the best of the best near you!

this post was inspired by our Hometown Hidden Gems campaign. Turo is the hidden gem of car rentals and a great way for families that have multiple cars that go unused to make some extra money and an even better resource for someone needing a car to get one at 40% less on average than our corporate counterparts