Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Plenty of Nuts

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

When the my boyfriend’s father was asked what type of birthday cake he wanted, he said, “It doesn’t matter, but make it with plenty of nuts.” The boyfriend’s father is health conscious and a martial arts instructor. He looks excellent for his age, because he’s always exercising, reading health-related books and playing music. Ask him any health-related question, and he has an answer. Such as repeatedly telling us how nuts are good for {blush} men’s reproductive health, and he explains why without the crass. The decision to make him a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake — with plenty of nuts — was easy.
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Strawberry Walnut Cookies and Strawberry Coconut Granola

Dried Strawberry Cookie and Granola

On one of my best friend’s born day, I called to talk about a personal problem and those congratulatory words of “Happy Birthday” never entered the conversation. True to her friendship, she listened and wished me well. A few days later, I realized she never mentioned, hinted or questioned my forgetfulness about her special day.

She’s the friend I discuss revolving problems at three in the morning. We talk countless hours on the phone. Other than my parent’s home number, I remember her phone number. My boyfriend frequently quizzes me about his number (the last four digits occasionally perplex my memory).

The first time we met, she was this bright girl with a warm smile sitting at our cafeteria table. She was a ‘new girl’ in orchestra with my other best friends who introduced us. I was a ‘cool kid’ cheerleader who dismissed this girl with a mickey mouse fan club voice and a Jheri curl hairstyle. As we exchanged pleasantries, I made a mental note to talk with my familiar girlfriends about being careful of inviting certain people to our table. Two years later, “mickey mouse” had stolen the affection of my high school crush. Read more

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

Butter makes the world go round. Flavors swirl happily in it. We worship it. It’s a bit disheartening to see recipes using butter-flavored substitutes. It’s a marketing ploy to get people to eat healthy. Butter, another ingredient enjoyed for thousands of years, has been bullied into an unhealthy label. Guess what? Those butter-flavored substitutes are processed, artificial concoctions. Please serve the healthy and real dairy from the almighty golden cow (or goat). Besides, the health benefits of using real ingredients far exceed processed food. Read more

Boozy Banana Brownies

Boozy Banana Brownies
Boozy Banana Brownies

This is seriously a quickie dessert. Simple to make. A bit boozy. It’s bananas. It was made for a friend’s party at the last minute. We were planning to bring banana bread, but there was a missing ingredient. Promptly scanning the cookbooks, I decide to make brownies. Luckily, all of the ingredients for making this chocolate dessert are in the pantry, but it can’t just be a brownie recipe. This dish has to be special. Overripe bananas are still available to use. There’s a little rum in the refrigerator. Is it possible to make Brownies with rum and bananas? Sure, let’s try. If the recipe fails, we’ll stop by a wine store en route to the party. Read more