Much Love Monday {coffee to start the day}

I'm always looking for a new K-Cup flavour to try in my Keurig [a much loved Christmas gift from the fam]. Coconut is one of those little things that make me happy, so when I saw Island Coconut staring at me from the shelf I had to try it.


Yum!

I'll be adding that to my list of faves that include Green Mountain Rain Forest Nut, Gloria Jean's Butter Toffee, Timonthy's Cinnamon Roll, Pumpkin Spice and Midnight Magic, Kona Tully's Extra Bold and a few others.

What's your favourite K-Cup flavour?

I buy my K-Cups from Markol Distibrution in Pickering, ON [they have other locations too]. Great selection and great price!

I am...

glad the weekend is here!

Bella and I spent the afternoon with some wonderful friends we met during our February Punta Cana getaway. Bella and Hannah hit it off from the moment they met so it's nice they can continue to be "beach buddies" as they don't live too far away from us.

As I type, I'm enjoying a glass of white wine and some Swedish Fish {thinking of you, Sheba...one of your favourites, I know}.


A fresh batch of cookies just came out of the oven. Ok, not homemade but still yummy. They smell oh so good and they're still warm...Mmmm!


The weekend is off to a great start! How are you spending your weekend?

I am...

enjoying some me time!

The boys are at the Toronto Maple Leafs game. Bella announced at 7:30pm that she was tired so I quickly rushed her upstairs and took advantage of the situation. She was sleeping by 8pm!

I'm now sitting on the couch, watching HGTV, with a glass of Guilty Men white wine in one hand and a Cadbury Cream Egg in the other (yes, it's that time of year again. Woohoo!) while I do a little catching up on what's going on in the blogosphere.

How are you spending your night? Hope you're having a good one!

I am...

thinking about how much I enjoyed my Venti Non-fat Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks today. Best of all, it was half price! You too can enjoy a half price latte from Starbucks between 2 - 5pm until February 20th.

I am...

enjoying a cup of joe from my Keurig and listening to Nelly's Just A Dream cover by Christina Grimmie and Sam Tsui.

Love the power in their voices!

You can hear the passion -- a love for what they do!

Producer Kurt Schneider and the teams creations are refreshingly brilliant!

Coconut M&M's

I just finished off the last of the Coconut M&M's my friend, Sheba, graciously gave to me. YUM! Now if only they would sell them in Canada.

Starbucks Holiday Flavours

I'm super excited [though my wallet might say otherwise] -- holiday flavours are out at Starbucks!

Can I get a woot! woot!

With so many yummy flavours to choose from, it's hard to pick just one.

Today I'm Cafe Mistoing it up -- grande, non-fat, light foam, bold, peppermint, cafe misto. Could my order get anymore crazy? Well, yes, yes it could if I had asked for it extra hot, but I forgot.

Peppermint Cafe Misto -- Mmm, like a warm hug from the inside!

What are some of your Starbucks favourites?

[order scribbles]

I am...

enjoying a Pumpkin Spice coffee from Timothy's -- YUM!

I am...

enjoying some peanut M&M's. I've had a craving for the last few days and finally got some!

Smile!

[sharing a smile at Tim Horton's for lunch]

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a few bananas hanging around and remembered this cookie recipe passed on by a friend. They are super delicious!

1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups oats (quick cook)
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (I used 3 bananas)
2 cups chocolate chips (I used about 1/2 a cup less)

Mix flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and oats in a bowl and set aside. Cream together the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar. Add the egg, vanilla and bananas until well mixed. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls (I used generous spoonfuls) onto a cookie sheet (not sure if it needs to be greased - I used a non-stick baking sheet mat) and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

I am...

enjoying a mix of leftovers I found in the fridge for lunch -- leftover pasta from the other night, some grape tomatoes from a veggie platter, fresh garlic, basil, kosher salt and pepper all tossed together in a little olive oil and warmed on the stove. YUM!

What did you have for lunch today?

Too Much Chocolate Cake

My friend Sheba had a friend make her son's cake for his first birthday. It was super yummy so I asked for the recipe. I tried it out for Steve's birthday cake and it was just as delicious as I remembered it! It's super easy to make too. Instead of adding all the oil, I added 3/4 cup of applesauce and 1/4 cup of oil as a healthier alternative. I also didn't add chocolate chips as you might have noticed in the picture. A tub and a half of Chocolate Duncan Hines Icing and some sprinkles finished the cake off perfectly!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

What I Loved in January

I've decided to start something new on my blog this year. At the end of each month I'll devote a post to all of the things I loved that month, starting with January.

You can also head on over to Perpetual Bounce to check out what she loved in January.

1. Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks

2. Canon T1i

3. Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon

4. The Blind Side -- a great feel good movie!

5. Guacamole (from Costco) with Tostitos

6. Birthdays -- Lucas turned 6 years old this month and I celebrated my birthday too (here and here)!

7. Honey Dijon Kettle Chips -- I'm usually not a fan of mustard flavoured products but I loved these.

8. Jujubes

9. Ogio Pinot Grigio

10. Contigo Travel Mug

11. Dreams Palm Beach, Punta Cana -- a wonderful place to go on a family vacation!

12. Fun Mail -- I rarely get mail that isn't a bill so birthday wishes in the form of a card are a special treat!

13. Maybelline Full N' Soft Mascara -- I found it again!

I am...

enjoying a glass of Ogio Pinot Grigio.

Contigo Travel Mug

I've been on the hunt for a new travel mug. I do have one, not a very good one, but I have one. It magically appeared in my kitchen cupboard one day. I honestly have no clue where the mug came from. I think it might have been a work gift or at least I think it was a work gift. It's functional but it has seen its day. So on the hunt I have been for a new travel mug for when I have to stand waiting for Luke's bus in the freezing cold, oh joy! I scored these Contigo Travel Mugs from Costco the other day -- two for $22! Instead of a flip top or a piece to slide open there is a button you press to open the spout just before you take a sip and then release to close it again. So far the mug has been good to me. No spills and my coffee has stayed nice and warm. Hmmm, maybe I should use them while I'm at home too to avoid reheating my coffee umpteen times (yuck, I know, but it's faster than making a new cup).

I am...

relaxing on the couch devouring Christmas chocolate, drinking a cup of Warmth Tetley tea and watching a rerun of Glee. Life is good...well, better now -- a stressful day but I know tomorrow will be better!

Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha Latte

I found heaven! OK, maybe just a little taste of heaven but it was heavenly none the less. Oh, what might you ask am I talking about? My new fave latte from Starbucks -- enter the Peppermint Mocha Latte ... ooo, ah, oh!
Simply delicious! And so was the pumpkin scone I had with it. YUM!

Fave Rave: Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and Scone

A friend and I went to Starbucks the other night for some good ol' girl chat. Instead of getting my usual Vanilla Caramel Latte, I decided to be adventurous and try the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I'm glad I did. It was super yummy! My other favourite at Starbucks lately has been their Pumpkin Scones. They are simply delicious! Fantabulous Fall treats to ring in the new season!

Monkey Bread

I've been going through my countless photos trying to organize what pictures to put in this year's Blurb book. I came across a picture of the Monkey Bread I made just after Christmas last year. It is so ooey gooey good and really easy to make! The recipe doesn't call for it but I sprinkle on some chopped candied cherries and chopped pecans before putting it in the oven.

1 package Pillsbury Country Biscuits
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or 1/6 cup)

Take the package of biscuits (10 per roll) and cut each biscuit into 6 pieces. In a dish, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Roll biscuit pieces into the mixture to coat. Drop sugar-coated pieces into a well buttered loaf pan (don't squish roll pieces when placing them in the pan).

Put 1/6 cup (or 2 tbsp and 2 tsp) of the left-over sugar/cinnamon mix and the packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup of butter into a small saucepan. Bring this mixture just to a boil; remove from heat immediately. Carefully drizzle over the roll pieces.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Cool slightly in an upright position, then tip pan over onto a plate to remove monkey pull-apart bread.

Enjoy!