PB Marshmallow Brownies (with HONOR and compliments)

Don't you just love giving someone a compliment?  To see their face light up with happiness or a soft blush come over their cheeks is always so rewarding to me.  Unfortunately for many (including myself) it is often easier to give a compliment than to receive one.  I work hard on accepting compliments with grace and appreciation even though it may make me feel uncomfortable.  It's just one of those things that I continually have to work on in life....I've accepted it.

Well, not that long ago I received a very BIG compliment.  I was asked by a fellow food blogger, the sweet Maranda of Jolts and Jollies to be a guest on her blog.  OMGoodness was I so happy that she asked me to do so! I have never been asked to be a guest on someone elses blog before!!!  In my humble opinion it is a very HIGH compliment to be asked to write a post on someone else's blog - they are trusting that you will provide the same kind of care, appeal and creativity that they themselves work so hard to provide to their blog followers, family and friends.  Needless to say I was over come with honor when Maranda presented me with her proposition.  Thank you, thank you Dear Maranda for asking me to be a guest blogger on your precious, delicious and fabulous blog.   I enjoyed every minute of it!

Go check out what I wrote up and featured on my guest post on Jolts and Jollies....it sure is YUMMY.  And yes, it contains not only peanut butter but also chocolate and marshmallows coming all together in one lovely brownie. Scrumptious to the MAX!

And while you are over at Jolts and Jollies be sure to check  Maranda's delicious recipes.  You won't be disappointed!

I thought I would leave you today with one of my favorite recent views in life.  It just makes me so happy to look at I must say!

Can you guess who it is?  Yup....my little Coco-Nut :-)

Baby Colette has ARRIVED!!!!

 Happiness and JOY!!! Our Baby Girl Colette has been born!

She arrived in the wee hours of January 12th, 2011.  A perfect 7lbs 9oz. she weighed and a lovely 19 1/4" long.  A fast and amazing labor and delivery brought her into the world as a snow storm roared and swirled outside the hospital.

We are in awe and deeply in love with this little beauty of a Baby Girl.

All bundled up as she just came home from the hospital.  Fresh white snow on the ground with sunshine all around us carried us home as a family of four. :-)

BIG Sister, Jolie couldn't be prouder...

Welcome to the world Baby Colette!

A VERY Belly Christmas and a BURSTING with Flavor Cake

Sending all of you a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year as I burst at the seams with only 3 weeks (approximately :-) left of my pregnancy.   I wishing each and everyone of you a joyous and happy New Year too!  Again, my cup runith over with gratitude and happiness for all that I have gained and experienced this past year in my daily life adventures outside of this blog and "inside" of it too.  I truly feel blessed and honored to be so fortunate with such a wonderfully full life.

Speaking of "full" I have a lovely cake FULL of flavor that I made through

The Cake Slice Baker's group last week.

Lauren Chattman author and creator of Cake Keeper Cakes gives this cake a very simple title of, Cranberry Cake but I think it should be called, Fabulous Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake.  I state this because this cake is amazing in all its simple glory of having fresh cranberries surrounded by a moist and sweet cake that is finished off by a delightfully crunchy almond topping.....reminding me of a coffee cake rather than just a simple cake.  It could be eaten for breakfast, at tea time and even as a wonderful dessert after dinner.  And it is super, super easy to put together.  In fifteen minutes flat I had the cake stirred up and placed in the oven baking away happily.  The hardest part was waiting for it to be done.  It does take a good hour for this treasure to bake.  I learned from the other talented ladies in the TCSB's group that the oven temp of the original recipe actually needed to be increased to 325 as 300 took forever for it to fully bake the cake.  Even at 325 I still had to bake the cake longer than I anticipated.  The middle of the cake just needed that extra time to fully bake. 

That being said all you need is a bag of FRESH cranberries, regular ingredients in your pantry and some good ole fashioned "patience" to allow the cake to bake to its fullest.  You will then have a master piece of a festive cake that will bring happiness and YUMMINESS to many.  Bake and share this cake ASAP!

Cranberry Cake (also known to me as Fabulous Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake)

(recipe from Cake Keepers Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

1 cup sliced almonds

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Cake Ingredients:

2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag (12 oz) FRESH cranberries

Streusel Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 10" round springform pan.

2. Combine sliced almonds, melted butter and 2 Tbsp's  brown sugar in a medium bowl.  Mix all together and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt...whisk all together.

2. In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar - beat with an electric mixer on medium-high heat for a good 5 minutes.  Mixture will become light and fluffy and increased in volume.

3. Turn mixer down to low and slowly add in melted and cooled (1 1/2 sticks) of butter.  Turn mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.  Add in vanilla extract at the end of 2 minutes. 

4.  Gently mix in flour - 1/2 cup at a time.  Then stir in FRESH cranberries.

5. Pour batter into prepared springform pan.  Smooth top of cake with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle cake with Streusel Topping prepared previously.

6. Bake cake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cake will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when cake is done.  If you feel like your cake is getting too brown too fast yet needs more time to bake cover with tin foil as it completes it's baking time.

7. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then release sides of the springform pan.  Cool completely, cut into slices and serve.

Happiness with FRESH cranberries will be enjoyed by all!

Happy Cranberry Cake Baking!

21 Weeks and Counting

I thought I'd share with you a couple of my recent baby "bump" pictures.

21 weeks brings us a "banana" size baby. Kinda silly I know but to me comparing our growing baby to a piece of fruit allows me to have a better sense of just how big the little bambino is right now growing inside me.

And because I am referring to a banana I thought it would fun to go back and remember some of the banana recipes I have made in the past. 

Such as....

 Banana Crumb Topping Muffins

And....

Banana Coffee Cake

Or how about.....

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting!

Lots of yummy treats made with bananas.....do you have a favorite banana recipe or two? Or any recipe for that fact that makes you happy happy!  Please do share with the MckLinky below.

Can't wait to find out what kind of fruit the little one will be in the next couple of weeks.

Happy Banana Baking!!!