Tropical Vacation Cocktail

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Pineapple Coconut Rum Cocktail

This summer I decided to take a break from working full-time in the kitchen and find a job where I could spend a little more time outside in the bright sunshine. I love the kitchen, but I'm still young and not yet tied down by that scary beast called a career. I've decided the kitchen can wait a few more months so I can have a little fun; it isn't going anywhere. But the warmer weather and summer breeze is something that will fade all too quickly.

My wish was granted and I was hired as a day camp counselor for the summer. Honestly, I couldn't be happier. I spend my days outside working with dozens of elementary aged children. This is the type of camp where television is strictly forbidden and "rain" is a 4-letter word. I love my job. Where else am I going to get paid to hike, swim, play games, and do arts and crafts?

Exactly.

Pineapple Coconut Rum Cocktail

While my days are usually a blast, a few moments sneak in there that test my patience. When one of the campers is having a rough day, a mini meltdown or two is to be expected. But when everyone is having a rough day at exactly the same time? Well, that only leads to trouble. Big trouble.

I had a bad day yesterday. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It was the sort of day where I was so frustrated, so furious, so emotionally drained from conflict after conflict after conflict, that I wished I could be put in time out just so I could have a moment's peace. It was the kind of day where I had to be reassured more than once that all children weren't terrible little monsters with sharp teeth and a good set of lungs.

It was the exactly the sort of day where the only thing that could possibly make it seem a little brighter was a cocktail.

So cheers to you, my friend, for the arrival of a much needed weekend, for cocktails, and the dreams of tropical vacations (even if they are only in your glass).

Pineapple Coconut Rum Cocktail

This Pineapple Coconut Rum Cocktail is like taking a mini-tropical vacation. If you close your eyes, lean back in your chair, and take a sip, you can almost smell the salty sea breeze and feel the sand between your toes. This cocktail combines pineapple juice, coconut rum, and a splash of triple sec to give it a tropical flair. The drink does not taste particularly strong, but it is deliciously fruity and gets the job done. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve in chilled glasses to make it extra special.

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Chocolate Almond Oat Bars

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Chocolate Almond Oat Bars

Chocolate Almond Oat Bar

I've kept a little secret from you for much too long. A year has passed, over a hundred recipes have been shared, and still I haven't said a word. It's about time I confess. If you've been following for awhile, you may have even picked up on it. Can you guess what it is?

I'm allergic to tree nuts.

I'll admit, it's a little (a lot) ironic for a baker. Tree nuts are an anchor for most bakers. They are the backbone to many, many delicious baked goods. Yet, this secret world of nuts will be forever lost on me. Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews—I will never know their unique flavors. No sticky, gooey pecan pie at Thanksgiving. No rich, moist carrot cakes or warm banana bread sprinkled with walnuts. Perhaps most devastating of all, I will never get to enjoy a thick spread of nutella on a warm piece of toast (well, not unless I want to end up in the emergency room).

Now that's a real shame.

Chocolate Almond Oat Bar

I have come to terms with this over the years. It wasn't hard. To some extent, you can't miss what you've never had. I can dream about hazelnut crusts, nutella brownies, or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, especially when other food bloggers flaunt these beautiful photos in my face, but I can't imagine these tastes so they become the stuff of far off dreams. Occasionally, I will smell a jar of nutella and become wistful, but that's as tragic as my story gets.

Also, that's a little weird, isn't it? Perhaps that's one confession too far...

Now that I've shared this not-so-classified information, you're probably wondering why on earth I just made chocolate almond oat bars. I'd wonder, too. For some unknown (but miraculously delicious) reason, I am not allergic to almonds, despite the fact that I am deathly allergic to the other tree nuts. My reasoning is that almonds are the most mild of the tree nuts and are more related to fruits (like the peach) than to the other tree nuts. In fact, almonds grown from undomesticated almond trees actually have small amounts of cyanide in them just like peach pits. Regardless, I don't plan to question my almond invincibility. I wouldn't want to jinx it.

Confessing my tree nut allergy isn't going to change anything around here. I fully intend to keep sharing my love for chocolate and decadent desserts. Just don't come looking to me for a recipe for pistachio pudding.

Chocolate Almond Oat Bar

These Chocolate Almond Oat Bars are the very definition of addictive. They are soft, gooey, and I-can't-stop-eating-them-please-hide-them-from-me delicious. I was inspired to make these from the Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies I made recently. The combination of oats, chocolate, and almonds in the cookie was so uniquely delicious, I wanted to try out the medley with another dessert. These do not disappoint. As several of my taste testers said, "These are good. Too good."

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Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

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Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

Every Sunday I like to fix up something special for a morning brunch. Since my family doesn't have enough time on weekday mornings to make something extravagant (and, really, who does?), we save up all our cheesy, buttery, maple syrup drenched breakfast dishes for our lazy Sunday mornings.

Last night, I set out to make a baked French toast dish. Though French toast is a regular on our brunch menu, I'm usually too last minute to think far enough ahead to assemble the French toast dish the night before. It seems a bit silly to say, but baked French toast is something that has eluded me for years. By the time I realize I want to eat it, it's already Sunday morning. It's too late to make the baked French toast I've been craving.

This week I finally thought ahead. About time, self!

Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

When looking for recipes online, I've noticed that so many recipes for Cinnamon Raisin French Toast require a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. I don't know about you, but this isn't something I normally keep in the house. When it's late Saturday night and I'm wondering what to make for Sunday brunch, the very last thing I want to do is head to the grocery store. So, in order to fix this little problem, I decided to come up with my own recipe to suit the ingredients I already had in my home. Chances are you'll already have these ingredients in your pantry too (and isn't that a wonderful, wonderful thing?).

After eating well over 1/4 of this dish on my own, I can assure you this Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast is the perfect brunch dish. This French toast dish does have to set in the refrigerator overnight, so you will have to think ahead. The time it spends in the refrigerator really melds together the flavors of the dish and brings out a fantastic custard-like texture.

Or, in other words, this is definitely worth the wait.

Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast

This Cinnamon Raisin Baked French toast is absolutely saturated with cinnamon and raisins—there is no skimping on flavor here. The French toast itself rests on a layer of butter and brown sugar. When it bakes up, the butter and sugar caramelize. This caramel sauce is then absorbed by the bread, giving an added (and delicious) dimension to the French toast. The raisins also absorb some of the liquid in the French toast, making them plump and bursting with raisin-y goodness. If I didn't know any better, I would imagine this was a decadent bread pudding. Now tell me, who wouldn't want to eat that for brunch?

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