Vacation Bundt

It's finally September, one of my favorite months because it's the best of both seasonal worlds. Things get cozy fast in September, but there are still days when it feels like lazy summer. More September forever! 

Today we have a bundt cake recipe that is more geared toward those lazy summer-feeling days (or days where you wish it was a lazy summer day), and it is LOADED with pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, and banana. This cake is sweetly spiced and cozy so it can suffice for any fall cravings, too. 

P.S. I stole the cake styling and recipe idea from Liv for Cake. I couldn't pass up the pineapple top inside this bundt! 

Vacation Bundt

recipe & styling inspiration from Liv for Cake

For the Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

2 cups mashed banana (I used 4 large bananas)

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained (keep the juice for the glaze)

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

For the Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons pineapple juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together sugar, vanilla, and oil until creamy. 

Add in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. 

Add in banana, pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut and mix until just combined. 

Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. 

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean. (about 70 minutes)

Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn out of the pan.

Once the cake has cooled completely cover with glaze. 

To make the glaze:

In a measuring cup combine powdered sugar and pineapple juice and whisk until smooth. 

Pour over cooled cake. 

Toasted Coconut Limeade + SkinnyPop Popcorn

Friends! How has your August gone? Kyle and I have started to call this month "Chaotic August". It's been nothing short of chaotic in our lives, and we are both looking forward to the vacation we have scheduled in October. 

We've been doing our best to come up with ideas to just relax on the weekends, and one of our favorite things to do is EAT! Duh! We really like to just relax with a movie and some really great snacks, and that's what I'm sharing today!

One of our favorite snacks while movie-watching is popcorn (revolutionary, I know), but we like to ramp up the flavor with exciting popcorn and drink combos. One of my personal favorites? This tangy, coconut limeade paired with the Naturally Sweet Popped Popcorn from SkinnyPop. The tangy limeade is the perfect pairing with the subtle sweetness of the popcorn. SO GOOD. 

The folks at SkinnyPop have come up with a few pairings of their own that are a little more high octane than my pairing. I'm super interested in trying the coconut margarita paired with the new jalapeño flavor. What pairing sounds good to you guys? (PS - scroll down for the limeade recipe!)

Toasted Coconut Limeade

Lightly Adapted from The Kitchy Kitchen Cookbook by Claire Thomas

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted 

10 limes, halved and juiced (keep the halved rinds)

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1/2 teaspoon mint extract 

2 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 half cups coconut water

1/4 cup agave

Place the halved lime rinds into a large bowl along with the toasted coconut and extracts. 

Cover rinds with boiling water and allow to steep for 10 minutes. 

While the rinds steep, place lime juice, coconut water, and agave into a pitcher. 

Strain the lime coconut mixture into the pitcher with the lime juice. Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times to ensure the mixture is fully combined. 

Chill for an hour and serve with extra lime, coconut, and ice. 

Happy snacking! 

peach + blackberry breakfast crisp

I'm learning things about myself all the time, and lately I've noticed that I'm very indecisive. My favorite color = all the colors! Favorite band? How does someone even narrow that down? I still can't even decide what I want to be when I grow up and I'm already a grown up! However, ask me my favorite summer dessert and I'll have an answer for you.....BLACKBERRY COBBLER! It's so delicious, super easy, and buttery topping meets tart, warm berries. What could be better than that?

I know something that may be better than warm fruit dessert cobbler. Warm, crunchy, sweet, breakfast fruit crisp. Yes, that's right people, breakfast crisp! And it's healthy and really satisfying. Now I can have cobbler/crisps twice a day, and you can too!

Peach + Blackberry Breakfast Crisp

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the Granola

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

pinch salt

dash of cinnamon & nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. 

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast coconut until light brown and fragrant. Remove from pan and place in a large glass bowl.

Toast walnuts in the same pan over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add in coconut oil and allow to melt, then add in the oats. Lightly toast over heat (about 3 minutes).

Pour walnuts and oats into the bowl with the toasted coconut. Add in honey, maple syrup, salt, and spices. Stir to combine.

Pour oat mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and spread into a thin layer. Bake for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Let cool while preparing fruit filling.

Fruit Filling

1 lb. frozen peaches

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or regular sugar)

Juice from half a lemon

6 ounces fresh blackberries

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. 

In a large baking dish, combine everything but the blackberries until well combined and the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir in blackberries gently. 

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until fruit is juicy. Sprinkle granola over the top of the fruit filling (you will not use all the granola) and bake again for another 10 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling. 

Cool briefly before serving with vanilla greek yogurt.

Breakfast fruit crisps for President!

Tropical Pineapple & Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Who's ready for some weather that doesn't include below-zero-temperatures, and endless piles of snow? I know I am! While I can't do anything about the weather, I can help you create your own little breakfast paradise. Sound good? Good!

I woke up this morning to a complete white-out outside my bedroom window and decided I'm officially over the snow. I reminisced about my trip to the beach in October/November and window-shopped for bathing suits online. To round out my total denial of what season it is, I walked into the kitchen and made baked oatmeal (seasonally appropriate) with pineapple, coconut, and ginger (definitely not seasonally appropriate). It turned out absolutely perfect!

This baked oatmeal turned out almost bread-like in texture and warm and hearty with the addition of cinnamon and ground ginger. The pineapple got really sweet and warm, and the coconut transported me to my morning tropical vacation. I didn't want to leave!

This recipe doesn't include any oil, butter, or white sugar, so while it tastes like an indulgence, it really isn't. 

Tropical Pineapple & Coconut Baked Oatmeal

adapted from Oh She Glows

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup frozen shredded unsweetened coconut, thawed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon caramel coffee syrup - I used this

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup fresh pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 2.5 quart baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over dry ingredients. Mix to combine.

Pour oatmeal into prepared baking dish and top with sprinkle of coconut sugar. ( I got mine at Walmart).

Bake for 1 hour uncovered until the edges are set and the middle is still a little soft. Allow to cool of 10 minutes before serving with a little milk poured over the top.

Welcome to breakfast paradise!