Picnic Cake

We had a pretty lazy Labor Day weekend, but I did want to mark the unofficial end of summer in some way. So I whipped up this cake. It reminds me of the ambrosia dessert my Aunt Marge always used to have at her big summer parties.

With mandarin oranges and pineapple, this treat definitely tastes like summer – but I can also see using it as a winter pick-me-up when the cold and dreary days drag on – especially since my boys liked it so much.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Picnic Cake
Inspired by this recipe from The Country Cook

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 14 ounce can mandarin oranges, plus 1/2 of juice from the can
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, plus all of the juice from the can
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 (4 ounces) of Cool Whip from a regular sized tub

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Note: To reserve juices from canned fruit, place a strainer on top of – or inside – a similar sized bowl. Pour contents of can into strainer. The juice will be saved in the lower bowl.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, mandarin orange juice, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for about 4 minutes, until everything is smooth. Add oranges and beat to break up orange sections and incorporate into the batter.

Pour into prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth the batter out. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake is beginning to brown and is set in the center.

Remove from oven and cool about 15 minute on counter. Then transfer to refrigerator for about an hour.

To make the icing, add pineapple juice and pudding mix to a medium bowl. Beat for about 2 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar and beat again until combined. Add Cool Whip and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together. Then mix in drained pineapple.

Spread frosting on cooled cake. Refrigerate until serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Grilled Pineapple & Watermelon Salad

I do love to grill and to me, there is nothing tastier than grilled fruit.

With pineapples and watermelon in season, I figured why not? 

Watermelon firms up over the flames and gains a mellow flavor. The pineapple becomes caramelized and even juicier.

The result was so tasty I ate nearly half the bowl myself. This smoky sweet side dish is a great partner to some spicy blackened grilled chicken. 

The next time you fire up the grill, give this a try.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Grilled Pineapple & Watermelon Salad

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 small pineapple, outer skin removed, cored and quartered

5 thick watermelon slices, cut from 1/4 of a large melon

1 bunch green onions, trimmed

1-2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped

Heat grill to medium. Brush both sides of each piece of fruit with olive oil. Brush green onions, too.

Place each piece of pineapple and watermelon on grill. Place onions perpendicular to the grill grates.

Cook for 2 minutes or until nice char marks appear. Remove green onions and set aside to cool. Lower heat if fruit starts to burn. 

Turn over fruit and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. 

Remove fruit and let cool until you can handle it. Cut off watermelon rind. Dice watermelon, pineapple and green onions into bite-sized pieces. 

Toss fruit and onions in medium bowl. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve warm or cold.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork

When I wrote my last post at the end of March, I apologized for falling off the face of the earth because of our business move. Well I fell back off. As soon as we got settled in our new office, life got a little crazier. I was feeling relatively terrible because apparently morning sickness and exhaustion are twice as bad when you're pregnant with twins.

Yep, you heard that right. The husband and I are having identical twin boys! They'll arrive sometime in October, and we couldn't be happier. Especially now that I'm in my second trimester and eating more than crackers and cheese.

While the nausea reigned supreme, my family was subsisting on mac and cheese from a box while I laid on the couch like a cranky beached whale. But I'm back in the kitchen! And I was craving pork like you wouldn't believe.

I found this recipe on my Pinterest board, and immediately headed to the grocery store. When we sat down to dinner, I wasn't disappointed. The entire family demolished this meal; it is absolutely delicious. And you can prep everything ahead of time! The Pineapple Coleslaw might seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it's worth it. I ate my weight in slaw. The kids even helped me stir together the dressing.

If you're looking for an easy, delicious, filling, make-ahead meal, give Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork a whirl. You're whole family will love it. Guaranteed.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Pork 
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
3 pounds pork shoulder roast
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Coconut Rice (recipe below), for serving
Pineapple Slaw (recipe below), for serving

Mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and ginger. Set sauce aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add pork to slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork falls apart when you poke it with a fork. (My slow cooker tends to run hot, and my pork was finished cooking in 6 hours.) Remove pork to a plate and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high and take off the lid. Allow the sauce to simmer until it's thickened, about 15-30 minutes. Stir shredded pork back into liquid and allow it to warm through again. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Slaw.


Pineapple Slaw
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together mayo, pineapple juice, yogurt, vinegar, brown sugar, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cabbage, pineapple, and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Coconut Rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
Pinch salt
1 cup rice

Bring water, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until rice is firm but tender. (If you have one, you can certainly use a rice cooker in place of cooking rice on the stove.)

Blackberries and Pineapple with Basil Simple Syrup

I love a good fruit salad. But you know what's even better? Fancy fruit salad.

A couple weeks back, I was bringing fruit to my mom's night out, and I wanted to class things up a bit. An herbal simple syrup seemed like just the ticket, so I headed to the grocery store to pick up fruit (truth: I got whatever was on sale) and fresh herbs. Since it's spring (hurray!!), Trader Joe's had giant pots of basil and mint. I promptly bought one of each and texted Amy and Andrea to determine which I should use.

The vote was speedy and unanimous: basil. And it was absolutely the right choice.

Basil simple syrup was an unexpected but delicious twist on the standard fruit salad. Check out this gorgeous bowl of sunny pineapple, tender blackberries, and ribbons of basil glistening with a drizzle of basil simple syrup. Don't you want to dive right in there?

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Blackberries and Pineapple with Basil Simple Syrup

1 pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
20 ounces blackberries
1/4 cup (or to taste) basil simple syrup (recipe below)
1 tablespoon chopped basil for garnish, optional

Gently stir everything together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Basil Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup basil

Combine sugar, water, and basil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Allow syrup to cool for about 30 minutes. Strain syrup into a small container to discard basil. Press on the basil to make sure you extract all the good stuff from the herbs. Refrigerate until you're ready to use it. Yield: 1 cup simple syrup