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.

Mama's Banana Bread (a whole lot of yellow!)

Hey friends! So last week I posted on my instagram a photo of some gorgeous brown, mushy, ripe smelling banana peels with the caption "it's banana bread bakin' time"! Someone asked for the recipe and so here I am giving out my mama's recipe (don't worry she doesn't mind...just make sure if you see her to give her a big kiss and thank you for making all your banana bread dreams come true!)

This bread is the best of the best...perhaps it's because I grew up on this stuff but I highly doubt that's the only reason. The key to the recipe is almost melting the butter all the way (about 27 seconds) and creaming the bananas, butter and sugar really well before you add the dry ingredients. The other key is sprinkling the pan with cinnamon and sugar (makes the outside nice and crispy) OH, and for obvious reason don't forget the chocolate chips! I have yet to find someone who would rather have the bread without chocolate.

p.s. it also helps to have a ridiculously adorable, pantless assistant as shown below :-)

 ^^^a first timer egg cracking malfunction...we're workin' on the whole "get it in the bowl" part ^^^

^^^spray the pan with PAM and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar...

it's so YUM and I mean like YUM YUM

 ^^^the longest hour of all time for my best little helper^^^

^^^get it girl^^^

^^^get it get it girl^^^ :-)

MAMA'S BANANA BREAD

1/2 cup butter or shortening (slightly melted)

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 ripe bananas

2 eggs

-----cream above ingredients than add-----

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

mix all ingredients together and fold in 1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels than pour in a cinnamon sugar coated bread pan and cook at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Sometimes I have to cook it even longer...just make sure to stick a toothpick in and if it comes out pretty clean with a little dough than you're good! Don't over cook...nobody likes over cooked banana bread (which I totally did the last time I baked this and it was no bueno)

Yellow Sunflower Petals & Bunny Ears...

Last night we had some friends over for dinner and Sage requested cupcakes for dessert. So as I was making them (I used this red velvet cup cake mix which is SO good) I glanced at my vase of semi wilting sunflowers and had an idea. I decided to use it's petals for bunny ears...and sprinkles for the bunny face. Sage couldn't quite get the face/sprinkle part BUT she totally loved the petal part :-).

***on a side note: You know those people who can frost a cupcake so effortlessly and it looks flawless. Yeah, that's NOT me. I've come to terms with the fact that I just can't frost a cupcake beautifully. Ugh, but hey they tasted good and that's what REALLY matters, right?!

Oh and the cream cheese frosting I used is one of my faves:
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter softened
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS milk

^^^see what I mean?! How do you graceful frosters do it?! :-)

^^^I've created a monster...she was at my feet the entire time while making these :-/

 

Party Table Color Schemes

My one and only blondie sister is getting hitched in May...so my other sister is taking the reigns on the bridal shower and we are trying to conjur up a few color palette ideas. Here are some of my favorites...thought I'd throw it out there for you to give your opinion. I tend to go more for corals and pinks...with yellows and greens. It's crazy how much you can do with a few good group of colors, aint it?! :-)

photo cred:  pic1   ////    pic2    ////     pic3     ////     pic4      ////     pic5

Conversation Heart Necklace...cute and edible (best of both worlds)

I had this weird idea of softening up some conversation hearts, poking a hole through the center, and stringing them on fishing wire to make a necklace. So, I tried it...and it TOTALLY worked?!?! It's times like these, when my ideas DON'T go down the pooper as an ultimate failure, that I find myself smiling ear to ear with gloating glee!

Here's the how-to and a few pictures to prove that yes, indeed my three year old and I wore matching edible conversation heart necklaces...beads included! I am so glad that having a toddler totally justifies making things like this...and really she is the whole reason behind these ideas so it's a win win! :-)

DIRECTIONS:

-Line hearts (about 5-7  at a time, because they harden fast and they have to be soft to poke a hole through) on a baking sheet and put in oven for exactly 1 1/2 minutes (no more, no less...) at 400 degrees 

-Right when they come out of the oven, have your needle ready and pull it through the center

-Once they're cool, simply string them on and wear/eat to your hearts content! 

***adding beads just gives it a nice touch!

make sure you don't leave them in longer than 1 1/2 minutes otherwise this happens...

 ^^^it just brought out the kissable, lovable, infatuation they have for one another...

(don't let those faces fool you...this lasted about two secs & then Cozy was trying to eat Sage's neck off)

^^^...but i didn't mind...a kiss for a lick... :-)

Coloring A Bird House...

I ran into Joannes Fabric Store to grab a few swatches, and came out with a bag full of little DIY crafts that my three year old could play with. Let's just say, she is weaning off the good ole' afternoon nap and I am sort of in denial about it. Nap time is like my sanity time...and so with that said I have been trying to find ways to occupy her during the afternoon while my other babe is in dreamland. Not that easy of a task!

However, we got this little wooden birdhouse for $5 and we had so much fun painting it all sorts of bright colors ("poko-fots" included).  She than went on a search to find the perfect spot...I just had to document it all. Such a simple thing, made her so very happy! 

Who knows, maybe this whole no-nap gig will lead to a lot of unnecessary, but super fantastic projects with my little three year old! So I guess with that, I'd say denial is over ruled :-).