Azoresgal~Life on an Island

My wonderful Mr.G, celebrated another birthday this weekend ! I think since we have been married, I have baked him a cake every year. I like to try and make a different flavored cake every year, usually with something he loves ! So seeing as we have so many strawberries, that's what I went with. Mr.G loves..loves chocolate dipped strawberries ! The rest of the cake, just came together like a puzzle. Bits and pieces that I thought would work. I will try and walk you through my madness ! I was in the kitchen all afternoon, and yes there are alot of steps...but...Mr.G is worth it ! I am pleased to say, he loved it... .mission accomplished ! the cake : ( found here ) 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix 1 (4-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix 4 large eggs 1/2 cup Irish Cream (I used Baileys Hazelnut) 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup vegetable oil Preheat oven to180// 350 degrees F . Spray 2 9 inch round cake pans with Baker’s ...

Ohhhhhhhhh... it  has been so hot and muggy on our little island ! We have been keeping cool, the best ways we know, staying in the pool and sipping on these slushies ! 1 cup water ( or 7up or sprite ) 1/3 to 1/2 cup sweetened "powder" drink mix ( tang, kool-aid..etc ) 4 cups ice Place 1 cup water, 1/2cup  ( more or less)  of your favorite flavored  powder drink mix, and 1 cup ice cubes in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add additional 3 cups ice cubes; cover. Blend using pulsing action, until smooth. Serve immediately. Store leftover slush in the freezer.

My kids absolutly love this salad, it may have something to do with the....  uhmmmm  Doritos !  They cannot stop eating it, especially our oldest who is eating us out of a home  a growing teenage boy ! It is really easy to put together, and after you make it once or twice, you just end up eyeballing everything. You can really make this salad as large or as small as you like, and mix and match any ingredients. The only important thing, is to add the chips last, as they go soft after awhile. If by any chance you have leftovers, never happens around here, the salad goes soggy.  No one likes a soggy salad, unless of course you are Mr. G, who will eat just about any kind of leftover ! Ingredients: 500grams ground beef 1 head  lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces 1 packet (1oz/28g) taco seasoning or 3 tablespoons of this 1 medium tomato, diced 1 large bag of Doritos (crushed in the bag)  bottle of Catalina dressing/ homemade 1 1/2 cups...

Ban for banana + offee for toffee = Banoffee Pie! A British favorite. Delicious caramel with sweet sliced banana and smooth whipped cream. So very yummy, and very easy to make. I made a little pie dish, you could certainly make individual ones. Try to stop your self after one slice of this banoffee pie. about 4 bananas sliced cooked condensed milk/ Dulce de leche-1 tin 200 ml of cream  + 2 Tablespoons icing sugar (whipped) 2 cups Digestive biscuits/Marie biscuits-crumbs, 1/2 Butter -melted cocoa powder/or chocolate sprinkles/or grated chocolate Use the food processor to grind the biscuits. Mix the crumbs and the melted butter and transfer it into a pie dish. Press the crumbs to make the crust. Refridgerate it for about 15 mins. Next layer is the caramel poured over the crust. Top with the sliced bananas. Top bananas with the whipped cream, be sure to cover all the bananas or they turn brown. Dust with cocoa powder/ or chocolate shavings/ or chocolate sprinkle...

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock What a perfect quote to describe summer, around our house we have been doing our best to enjoy it ! It goes by so quickly, so best to enjoy it with the most simple things, simple pleasures really ! I  look forward to this time of the year, to enjoy our backyard and the outdoors.When the days are long and hot,  and there is nothing like doing absolutely nothing at all. Lets face it, I enjoy sleeping in, and not having to have everyone on a schedule. I enjoy sleeping at night with the windows open, listening to the ocean, the frogs and the crickets. I enjoy the wonderful sea breeze that invades our house during the day. I enjoy sitting out at night, and lighting a bonfire, so the kids can roast marshmallows. I enjoy nice cold drinks. Swimming daytime or nightime. Our bountiful veg...

Homemade pesto is oh so easy to make ! It adds so much flavor to dishes, add it to cooked pasta, serve with grilled chicken or spread on sandwiches, or as the base for a pizza. See so many ways to use it up ! The only tiny down-side is it lasts about a week in the fridge, so make it and use it up. I warn you pine nuts are expensive, if you like you can use walnuts or almonds. Please, please use good parmesan, and the garlic is optional. 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves 4 cloves garlic 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1  cup olive oil 1/2 cup pine nuts salt to taste Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. Pour into a jar, add a layer of olive oil on top, and store in the fridge.

This smoothie is just right for a hot summer day! It has been really hot and muggy the last couple of days on the island. These are yummy, and refreshing at the same time. My kids love them, even our oldest who doesn't much care for bananas. If you get a chance, slice and freeze your bananas, makes this even thicker! The milk you use is up to you, we use skim, you could even use almond milk or soy milk. Want to make it extra special add some cocoa powder or chocolate syrup !   4-6 baby bananas, broken into chunks ( or frozen slices) 2 cups milk ( your choice, skim, soy, almond) 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter ( I have used as little as 2 Tablespoons 2 cups ice cubes *** add some honey for sweetness OR chocolate syrup OR cocoa Place bananas, milk, peanut butter, and ice cubes in a blender; blend until smooth .

You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

We love these at our house, they are a lovely treat for breakfast, or the perfect afternoon snack ! Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 overripe bananas (6 small island bananas) 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled OR oil 2 eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup pecans/walnuts chopped * optional Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180  and lightly butter 2 muffin tins or use paper liners In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash  the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture.  With an electric mixer, whip the bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffi...

HELP !! Once again the garden is being taken over by too many zucchini ! Every year when we start planning out the garden I tell mr.G  ask mr.G not to go crazy with the zucchini seeds. Every year mr.G, ignores me  and goes crazy with the zucchini seeds.  We must have 10 plants in the garden, this results in WAY TO MANY zucchs. So needless to say, everyday I have found some way for us to eat these little green guys. This cake, hands down is my favorite way to use them up. It is lovely without the cream cheese frosting, but I would be lying if I said I ever make it without it. Use some young, tender zucchini, it is easy to shred everything up all at once. Hope you give this a try ! INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 cups grated zucchini 2 teaspoons vanilla ext...