Family Tradition

Bunny Cakes have made an annual appearance on my family's Easter table for as long as I can remember.

Every Easter, my mom, my sister, and I would make a Bunny Cake for each of our neighbors, plus the grandparents, as well as our own table. My sister and I would walk to each neighbor's house, most likely leaving a trail of green coconut and jelly beans behind us (I'm also assuming I had chocolate around my mouth--it was a semi-permanent look for me as a kid).

Bunny Cakes were frosted with only two distinct flavors at our house: Pink Frosting or Coconut Pecan. I was always a Coconut-Pecan girl, myself.

Ah, memories.

For the past few years, I've maintained the title of "Keeper of the Bunny Cake" for the family. I've upgraded from the Funfetti boxed mixes we used as a kid, to now making a classic vanilla cake recipe (known as the Dinette Cake) from Betty Crocker's old-school cookbook. For frosting, I use a basic buttercream with almond extract. In the words of Ina, How easy is that?

I asked Adam yesterday if I should make Bunny Cakes for all of our neighbors this year. He looked up from the pile of frosting-coated, coconut-caked dishes he was washing, and I knew it would be another year before Bunny Cakes made an appearance in our kitchen :)

Bunny Cakes

(Dinette Cake recipe from Betty Crocker)

While I went with a classic white bunny for this year's cake, why not get creative with your Easter dessert centerpiece? Use strawberry, lemon, or even caramel frosting. Coat your bunny with coconut--or coat your bunny with chopped, toasted pecans. The sky is the limit in bunny decorating.

Dinette Cake Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Other Bunny Cake Ingredients:

• 1 recipe for your favorite frosting
• jelly beans
• coconut, tinted with green food coloring
• large marshmallows
• optional: chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch circular cake pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake ingredients. Add milk, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 - 60 seconds. Beat on medium-high speed for an additional 2 minutes.

3) Pour cake batter into pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 3o minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

4) To assemble the bunny body: Cut the cake into two equal halves. Generously frost one side of one of the cake halves. Sandwich the two cake halves together, frosting side in, and set the "cake sandwich" up (flat side down) on your serving platter. Frost the outside of the cake generously.

5) To make the bunny face: On one end of the cake, attach three large marshmallows in the shape of an upside down triangle. Cover generously with frosting. Affix two chocolate chips with frosting for the eyes, and a pink jelly bean for the nose. Cut ears out of paper. Attach one large marshmallow to the opposite end of the bunny for a tail.

6) Sprinkle green coconut and jelly beans around the bunny for serving.

Coconut Curry

I'm a sucker for coconut milk.

It's one of those fabulous ingredients that plays for both sides: the sweet team and the savory team.

Although coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting will bring me to my knees in 3 seconds flat, that tiny impulse-control portion of my brain prevents me from baking them weekly. So, I've got to find alternative ways of getting my c-milk fix.

Enter curry powder, the match-made-in-heaven spice that was designed to pair with the milk o' coconuts.

Tonight's recipe is loosely based on one I found in the most recent issue of Vegetarian Times. This vegan stew highlights all the beautiful hallmark spices of a curry dish: cinnamon, turmeric, and curry. With a handful of cilantro and a dash of chili powder, my taste buds were throwing a good ol' vegan party. Bonus: it's super-fast to throw together, making it the perfect after-work meal to prep.

We paired our vegan curry stew with rolls made from Adam's sandwich bun recipe. Yum.

Curry it up, friends. And yes, I officially turned "currying" into a verb.

Coconut Curry Stew
(inspired by a recipe in the February issue of Vegetarian Times)

I made several substitutions in this recipe, so you may want to make your own based on the veggies you have on hand. Although we didn't have extra fresh spinach last night, the original recipe calls for 2 cups worth, which I imagine would be a delicious mix-in!

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• a little olive oil
  
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 can of light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• optional: additional veggie broth
  

Directions:

In a soup pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in spices and cook for 1 more minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil (if you prefer a thinner stew, you can add additional veggie broth to reach your desired thickness). Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty

I know I made granola bars just a couple weeks ago, but I still wasn't satisfied with the softness of the final product.

When it comes to granola, I like a good solid crunch. I crave that toasty flavor. And don't even get me started on the nuts. Lots and lots of nuts.

Since the granola bars didn't completely fill the crunchy-toasty-nutty criteria I set, I decided to make plain old granola. You know, the kind you can grab a handful of and really sink your teeth into.

SUCCESS! Boy did this recipe fill my crunchy-toasty-nutty void...to the tenth power. You can serve it a zillion ways: stirred into yogurt, sprinkled on your morning bowl o' oats, mixed into a peanut butter-banana sandwich, or as an ice cream topping.

But me? I like to eat it plain and simple...one handful at a time.

Of course you can dress this recipe up with your tasty preferences (one of the beauties of granola). And I promise: If you crave the crunchy-toasty-nutty kind of granola, this recipe will certainly not disappoint.

Bonus holiday gift idea: Load your granola up in a clear jar (recycled nut butter jar?) and include it in a small basket with some sugared pecans, a cute tea towel, and a gift card to your local health food store.

Now, let me leave you with something to look forward to: Oreo Truffles will be made--and promptly eaten--on Saturday. Holy yum, I can hardly wait.

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty Granola

(Hungry Spoon original)

This granola makes a great yogurt mix-in, but my favorite way to eat it is one dry spoonful at a time :)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 TBSP honey
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• Optional: Dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet (or two) with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, coconut, and nuts. In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey, and extracts. Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

3) Place granola in a single layer on baking sheet(s). Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and toss/stir. Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until toasty. Be sure to check back often! It can get too toasty (read: burnt) very quickly! Stir in cranberries when granola is finished baking.

Breakfast Intervention

Breakfast is a daily requirement for me.

I simply cannot start my day without it. After an early-AM workout, I desperately need some protein-packed, stick-to-your-bones goodness to hold me over until lunch.

However, breakfast isn't easy for everyone. My buddy Katie--a high school teacher--starts work in the 7 o' clock hour, faced with chaotic hallways, last-minute paper-grading, and groggy-eyed teens. Breakfast, she admits, is the last thing on her mind at that hour.

She needs a Breakfast Intervention.

And who better to solve a breakfast conundrum than Miss Ina Garten herself? I got the idea to make homemade granola bars from Ina's cookbook, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. I added some tweaks and touches to make it my own (and to avoid an extra trip to the grocery store), and the result was a sweet, slightly soft breakfast bar.

My only disappointment was that these bars weren't crunchy, which I'll admit I was hoping for. Any suggestions in the crispy granola bar department?

This recipe would make a great holiday gift for the person-on-the-go in your life--a busy mom, a constant traveler, a work-out nut, or an over-stressed college student. Individually package each bar and create your own personalized labels. Place the wrapped bars in a basket or clear canister jar (or ship them off in a shoebox like I did!).

And although these guys do contain some sugar n' butter, I'm still a firm believer that food made fresh in your kitchen has a leg up on the pre-packaged stuff at the store. Move over Quaker Granola Bars, the homemade granola bar train just pulled up. And she's not leaving anytime soon.

Homemade Granola Bars

(recipe adapted from this one by Ina Garten)

The wonderful thing about granola is that you can add and omit ingredients to suit your fancy. Experiment with your own favorite nuts, dried fruits, sweeteners, etc. There is no wrong answer on this test! As noted above, these granola bars turned out soft and slightly crumbly for me. If you have suggestions for making a firmer, crispier bar, please let me know!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup chopped dried blueberries or cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oats, nuts, and coconut on a baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

2) In a small saucepan, heat the butter, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil for about one minute and remove from heat. Pour butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to coat. Add in apricots and dried blueberries.

3) Coat a 7 x 11 (or 8 x 12) inch pan with baking spray. Moisten hands slightly and press granola mixture into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Allow to cool for about 3 hours before cutting into bars.