Maui Banana Cake with Lime Coconut Glaze

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt 1 cup of sugar
½ cup of low fat vanilla yogurt
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups of smooshed ripe bananas
3 tablespoons of dark rum (or coconut rum)
Or 1 teaspoon of rum extract
1 teaspoon of a good vanilla
1 teaspoon of coconut extract (optional)
½ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

Lime Glaze
½ cup of powdered sugar
1 ½ tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of chopped macadamia nuts
2 or 3 tablespoons of coconut

PROCEDURE
Turn on the tropical sun (the oven) to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl till all mixed up. Combine the yogurt with the sugar and beat with a mixer till well blended. Add the eggs beating as you go. Stir in the bananas, yogurt, rum, vanilla, coconut extract, next. When everything is well blended add the flour mix and combine till just moistened then barely mix in the coconut. Pour batter into either a bread loaf pan or a cake pan, depending on the look you want. Bake the loaf for about one hour or the cake for about 35 minutes, while the palm trees sway. When the house fills with the heavenly scent of banana bread, check with a toothpick to see if it is done. Cool 10 minutes on a cooling rack and place on a deserving platter. Whip up the lime juice with the powdered sugar and drizzle over the warm cake then sprinkle with mac nuts and coconut. Take a bite and do the hula! Ono! (Delicious in Hawaiian)


Thanks to http://danazia.wordpress.com.

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Green Flash Cocktail

Green Flash is a “natural tropical phenomenon occurring at sunset. Very rarely, on utterly cloudless occasions, and just after the sun has disappeared underneath the sea, a brilliant band of green light as wide as the sun itself will flash across the horizon.”

Summer's here again and this is a perfect treat!

INGREDIENTS
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
3 oz orange juice
3 0z sprite ice

PROCEDURE
1. Mix ingredients together, serve over ice.
2. Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry
3. Lean back, savor the tropical evening and enjoy

Thanks to http://whiteonricecouple.com.

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Vinegar's Fruity Merits

When grapes become red-wine vinegar, you get more than a salad-dressing staple: The disease-fighting phytochemicals in the fruit may become even more potent during the fermenting process, according to a study from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Other fruits are finding their way into vinegar, too; apricot, blacurrant and cherry are among the newest varieties.

How to cook with them:
Top chefs use fruit vinegars as flavor boosters for anything that needs a sharp, clean lift -- from a splash of balsamic on roasted butternut squash to a raspberry-vinegar glaze over poached pears with vanilla ice cream. Plus, they shine on salads with fruits, nuts or blue cheese. And you can use them instead of wine to deglaze a pan.

How to make your own:
You could pay $10 to $55 a bottle of gourmet fruit vinegar in store -- or try the following simple recipe, instead: Heat store-bought wine vinegar to below the boiling point, toss in a handful of berries, refrigerate the mix for a few weeks, then strain out the fruit and enjoy!


by Janis Graham

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Valentine's Day Strawberry Pie

Planning for your Heart's Day treat? Here's a starter.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

PROCEDURE
1. Arrange half of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Mash remaining berries and combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over berries in pastry shell. Chill for several hours before serving. In a small bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Serve each slice of pie with a dollop of whipped cream.

More Valentine's Day recipes coming up! Thanks to http://allrecipes.com/.

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