Coconut Corn Flake Kisses

Posted on May 17, 2016

Are you guys ready? Ready to have your mind’s blown with this crazy recipe??

I’m not joking. This is like a French Macaroon, meets an American coconut macaroon, meets rice crispy treats (just made with corn flakes). Your brain and tastebuds are about to go… BOOM.

Grams was the queen of baked goods. Cooking in general. But man, every time we came to visit, grams was always sure to make your favorite meal and dessert. There were always cookies, pie, cakes, you name it… it was there. She loved experimenting in the kitchen and her desserts were no exception. I couldn’t even tell you how many different types of grandma cookies I’ve tried over the years. This recipe is one of my kitchen experiments. I’ve never seen anything like it, so what the heck?! Figured we’d give it a try.

This is actually perfect for kids. It’s a fun interactive recipe and it kind of like a healthier version of rice crispy treats. You know pretty much everything that is going in it. You could use any cereal for this and make it gluten free too!

Now again, I have used a recipe from gram’s mother’s cookbook. This recipe is originally from a Mrs. S. F. Henderson of Apollo, Pa. And yes… I know it’s spelled Cocoanut in this book but know that’s the old fashioned way of spelling coconut. This is the same with a ‘moderate oven.’ This is an old school terms for an oven at 350°-375°. So without further ado, I give you this unique 70+ year old recipe!

Cornflake Coconut Kisses

2 eggs whites, beaten very stiff (stiff peaks)
1 cup sugar
2 cups of “Kellogs Corn Flakes”
1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut (found it very cheap in the bulk bins at Wegmans)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Separate eggs. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Whip in one cup of sugar. Carefully fold in corn flakes, coconut and vanilla. Make sure that everything is combined and coated well. This is a very ‘loose batter.’ Don’t worry. Trust me, as long as everything is coated, this will cook.. puff up and stay together. Once everything is combined, drop balls of about 1-2T of the mixture onto parchment paper. Make sure to space out drops evenly. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy this craziness 🙂

Ever wonder what it looks like when we’re shooting? Here’s a bird’s eye view. Anyone who tells me their space is small hasn’t seen where I shoot. Especially when the hubs is 6’5″ and sitting on the floor lol. He’s doing such a good job hand modeling though, isn’t he?

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com

www.alyshayoderphoto.com (e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

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Fresh Basil Dressing

Posted on May 5, 2016

So yes, I’m a little late this week. I know. Here in PA, it’s been rainy, gross, and all around dreary the past nine days. Not only am I sluggish, but my motivation has been literally… nothing. So I slacked. Fail Alysha. But I hope I can make it up for you with a summer family favorite. I figured, if it can’t be bright and cheery outside… at least I can make something a little bright and cheery for you!

Now, when tomatoes are producing a million a minute in the family garden, we ate this every other night growing up. Sometime this summer, I’m going to show you all the different ways this recipe can actually be used. It’s like a miracle dressing, and it’s super super easy to make. It can stay in the fridge for a week or if you’re a busy parent, like my mom was, she’d make HUGE batches and freeze it.

Full disclosure, this recipe did not come originally from grandma. Although she definitely made it. My mom originally got this from her friend, Jean Barker. It’s been floating around the family ever since. If you’re looking for a fun and delicious recipe for Mother’s Day, this is certainly a crowd pleaser. Add some mozzarella and toasted almonds and it’s like a deconstructed caprese salad with a twist! The hint of sugar with some red wine vinegar makes this sweet and tangy.

Trust me. Pure dressing winner.

On the plus side, this is also vegetarian, and very allergy friendly. You could substitute soaked cashews, almonds, or pine nuts for the parmesan. Thus making it gluten and dairy free. So grab some fresh ingredients, and away we go to awesome dressing land.

Fresh Basil Dressing:

2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic (who are we kidding, we always added enough so you could smell us for miles, 4+ will do for those who like it strong)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil (I’m lucky enough to have some beautiful EVOO we brought back from Greece)
Variety of tomatoes
Mixed Green

Here’s the easy part. You literally put this all in a food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle over your salad. Add other veggies and toppings to taste. Boom. Done.

Tips:

If you want it to be more ‘liquidy’ you can add more olive oil or vinegar.
If you don’t have a food processor, I use my Magic Bullet or my blender.
Salad is awesome with mozzarella and toasted almonds or pecans. Capers also make a great addition.

Seriously, look at that olive oil. It’s a thing of beauty. I’m going to be sad when I run out.

This is the consistency you’re looking for.

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Category: Family, food photography, Friends, recipe, www.alyshayoderphoto.com Tagged: alysha yoder, alysha yoder photography, basil, beefsteak, blog, blogging, cherry tomatoes, cooking, diet, dressing, food processor, fresh, gluten free, grandma, may, mom, mother's day, on the vine, paleo, primal, recipe, salad, salads, summer, tomato, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian, veggies, www.alyshayoderphoto.com

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Cheesy Spinach Squares

Posted on April 26, 2016

Onto another one of Gram’s cook books. This time, it was one she happened to have a few of her own recipes in. I’m fairly certain that it somehow was connected to The Shriners. Both my grandfather (an actual Shriner, who also dressed up as a clown for many of their parades) and grams were involved in the Shrine. I mean, she still has ticket stubs to the ‘ladies luncheon’ she attended as a book marker… leave it to grams to keep something from 1986 haha.

Delving through the treasure trove of cookbooks grandma left me is pretty fun. It’s like a treasure hunt every weekend… looking for a new recipe that’s sucks me in. This one is no exception.

Now, for those that know me, they know I’m a HUGE cook. I’m always cooking and I’ve tried to recreate, remake, and frankly…. all around experiment with just about any food I come across. This recipe is a first for me. Seriously…. something I have never eaten or seen a recipe for. This is like a combo of a strata… cheese bread… and appetizer. It’s definitely unique and delicious. The recipe is called Spinach Cheese Squares and it’s from Mrs. John Carter.

Now just to be honest, I messed up and mistakingly only got one package of spinach to make this. In reality, I think that it is better with the one package. But feel free to use two packages. I also snuck in some garlic and onion powder to give it a little more flavor (and garlic makes everything better… duh) and I’m telling you… this is really good. You could also totally add in some chopped onions or sautéed mushrooms if you’re feeling crazy. I think either would be a winner. In reality, I don’t even know what I’d classify this as. It could be an appetizer, but you could also serve it as a side. Heck, if you’re not too hungry, it could be the main course. So without further ado, I give you…. drum rolllll… Spinach Cheese Squares.

Spinach Cheese Squares:

4 T butter
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt (we added a little more, but this is more to taste)
1 tsp baking powder
1 lb sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 or 2 pkgs chopped spinach (depending on your love of spinach), thawed and drained
1 tsp of garlic and/or onion powder (optional)

First, make sure to pull out spinach to thaw. Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9×13 pan, melt butter in oven and remove. In a bowl, beat eggs, add flour, milk, salt, baking powder, and optional garlic/onion powder. Mix well. Drain spinach well. I find the easiest way to do this is with a dish cloth. Place spinach in the center, roll cloth around the spinach and squeeze until most of the liquid has been removed. Slowly add cheese and spinach, and make sure they are blending well. Pour mixture into buttered pan, spread evenly. Bake in oven at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes to set. Cut into bite sized squares and enjoy! The hubs and I both agreed this was better warm. This also keeps in the fridge quite well and is easy to reheat. You’ll thank me later. This seems to be a good ‘veggie hiding’ recipe for kids too!