Oange Major: orange, pineapple, banana, & yogurt smoothie

I made a smoothie! When one visits a juice and/or smoothie place they always have crazy names like Strawberry Dream or BananaRama or something. Generally I am not that creative when it comes to names.

As a kid I named all my stuffed animals what they were. Penguin (my favorite stuffed toy) was called Penguin and his best friend Walrus....yup was a walrus. They are still best friends. I also had a platypus (he was a beanie baby, before beanie babies were a thing) he came with a name, but I changed it to Platypus. Because he was the original color I had a lady offer me $500 for him back in the day and I said no. I was a kid, I didn't have bills to pay.

Anyhow, I was drinking this and googling cocktails and something was called Major something or another and I was like I should call this Major something or another and I did. But at the end of the day it's an orange, pineapple, banana, and yogurt smoothie and here is how I made it, it's super easy.

Orange Major

serves 2 
1-2 oranges
1/4 pineapple
1/2 banana
50g vanilla yogurt

Juice the orange and pineapple and then blend with the banana and yogurt. If you like it cold add a few ice cubes!

It's perfectly orangey with just the right amount of pineapple and banana! This would also make great ice lollies. Pour them in ice lolly moulds and freeze! Yum!

August Break Day 5: Citrus/Citrus Water

Today’s August Break prompt is citrus so I am going to share with you my favorite flavored water. I find it refreshing and it always seems to help when dealing with a nasty cold.

Citrus Water
500ml water
1 satsuma or tangerine, juiced
1/2 of a small pineapple, juiced
1 lime, squeezed

Juice the satsuma and pineapple in a juicer before adding to the water, squeeze in the lime and shake or stir. Keeps for about a day or two, best served chilled.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I haven’t followed a TV series closely since Lost ended. I sometimes feel a bit left out because I really don’t watch a lot of TV.

My new co-workers are always talking about their favorite shows so, I've started to watch some more TV. You know so I don't feel so left out! 

One I have recently tried to get into is Made in Chelsea. Mainly because I have met Jamie Laing and I thought you know it’s a mix of reality TV and a sitcom.

I’m not so sure how much longer I will continue to watch; they are just so talky talk. The American guy makes me uncomfortable. Not sure why? Anyone else who watches think the same thing? Or have I just missed something in a previous season? 

Besides talking about TV shows I sometimes steer the conversation to cakes. It was one of these times that my co-worker exclaimed her love of pineapple upside down cake.

On Monday night (while watching Made in Chelsea) I made my first every Pineapple Upside Down Cake and took it to work with me Tuesday morning. 

I was a little worried about how it had turned out. I always worry about that when I make a cake for the first time and every time it's unnecessary.

Everyone enjoyed it, even the guy who doesn't like cake or pineapple said it was pretty good! Most importantly the lady who requested it absolutely loved it! So, I would say it was a success! 

I had found a few different recipes to try, but in the end I decided to adapt Nigella’s recipe from Nigella Express.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Square of butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6-7 canned pineapple slices

3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

cocktail cherries

100g flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g golden caster sugar

2 medium eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

Heat the oven to 200C. With the square of butter thickly layer the bottom of a cake tin, it can’t be a loose bottom or springform tin, the juices would run every where. Then sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the bottom. Then layer the pineapple slice on the bottom shaking as much juice from them as possible. Then place the cherries in the circles and in the open areas between the pineapple circles.

Then place the remaining ingredients minus the pineapple juice into a bowl of a stand mixer or food processor or just a big bowl. Mix together until smooth and then add the pineapple juice.
Gently spoon the batter over the pineapple slices and cherries, it will just cover them, so spread carefully.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Once out of the oven run a butter knife around the cake, then place a plate or serving platter over the tin and flip! And just like that Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

notes: Nigella’s recipe is also found on her official site. 

Super Detox Smoothie

It seemed like every time I turned around someone else I knew was talking about juicing.

I received a juicer for my birthday back before I had kids so like 7 years ago. I juiced a few things and then it was shelved.

The juicer came with a book by Jason Vale, telling his story on how juicing saved his life. Then my friends bought me The Juice Master’s Keeping it Simple! - over 100 Delicious Juices and Smoothies by Jason Vale.

The first book was donated, but the second I had held on too. So, when I felt like I was hearing the word ‘juicing’ I brought it out and decided to do the 3-day detox.

Instead of over thinking it I just did it. It was actually quite refreshing. I did struggle a bit the last day. I was very tired. So, if you ever think of doing a juice detox make sure you aren’t too busy, because you will be tired.

For the whole program and recipes check out the book! He also explains how the juice are beneficial and how they help to detox.

I’m not really sure what to write about, as I’m not sure what people want to know about juicing? So, please if you have any questions or anything you want to know leave a comment!!

My favorite juice of the 3 days was breakfast on day 2 and here is the recipe.

Super detox smoothie

½ small pineapple

1 handful fresh blueberries

1 handful fresh black berries

200g low-fat live yogurt

4 ice cubes

Juice the pineapple before blending with the rest of the ingredients until smooth.

notes: This post is not being compensated or endorsed by Jason Vale or his affiliates in anyway; all opinions are my own. Please see my contact/policy page for further information. This post was written for day 24 of Blog Every Day in May. #BEDM

The Human Element

I’m not very good at choosing just one thing as a favorite. If I have to choose a favorite color, flower, tree, sweet, cake, or a decade I really can’t give just one answer.

Today’s topic for Blog Every Day in May is ‘Favorite Decade.’ Some might be able to answer that quickly having something that happened in a decade that make it stands out for them.

I don't have a favorite decade. Each decade has something special about it. 

So, I thought I would focus on retro desserts instead of music, movies, fashion, or political movements – all things that define a decade.

Then I just started thinking about what actually defines a decade. There are the things I listed just there types of music and fashion and wars and other political stuff. 

We get a lot of the facts. In the 1920’s women had won the right to vote. That’s a fact. It happened, but it takes away the human part of it. What did women have to do to get that vote? How did the people feel?

Upside Down Pineapple Cakes were popular in the mid 1920’s. Why were they popular? People then didn't have access to ovens like we do today and they made cakes in skillets. Fruit on the bottom cake batter on top and when you flip it over instant upside down cake. Who used pineapples first is still unclear.

I promise I have a point to all of this and it’s that facts don’t define a decade. I can read about what people wore, what they listened to, and what they ate. But I don’t know how those people felt.

I know how I feel when I wear my comfy jeans and novelty tees and I know how I feel when I hear Timber by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha, and how I feel about the desserts and cakes I make and eat. I know I feel about the economy and how it affects all of the above.

However, I can only guess how it would have felt to be a young woman in the 1920’s having fought or not fought for the right to vote. Depending on how I felt about woman voting would then determine how I felt when I had the right to vote. 

I am for equality in all shapes and forms so I would like to think that if that was my time, my decade that I would have been one of those woman who felt strongly about woman being equal to men. Heck, we're still fighting for it. 

I can dress in vintage clothing, but it will always feel like dressing up (to me) instead of my everyday clothes. I can listen to Elvis Presley but lets be honest his music is tame to the music I grew up listening to in the 90's and naughties. I can bake pineapple upside down cakes, but I have a choice of baking it in the oven or on the stove in a skillet or even in a novelty pan that has indents for the pineapple. I take the use of an oven for granted. 

I will never know how the people of the past felt about certain things. Because their feelings were based on their environment and the social society they were a part of.

Everything changes.Yet, nothing does. People will always be people and people will always love and hate or laugh and cry ... what makes one love and hate or laugh and cry changes. 

There is a human element to every decade, to the past, that we will never fully grasp unless we lived it. 

My favorite decade(s) are the ones I have lived in and the ones I will be a part of. 

notes: This post was written for day 17 of Blog Every Day in May. Photos are from here and here. The two pans are Nordic Ware they have not sponsored this post nor do I own either of them I just thought it fit with my post. 

Hawaiian Coconut Cake!! {weekend baking}

All you need for the cake is: 

1 box mix of Angel Food 

1 16oz can of crushed pineapple

Frosting: 

Cool Whip

Coconut milk (to taste) 

Pineapple Tidbits & Toasted Coconut & Cherry to top (optional)

To make just mix the cake mix with the 16oz can of pineapple

follow the instructions on the back of the box for baking times.

I used 2 9in round pans instead of the traditional fluted pan and lightly greased my pans. 

I had to adjust the timings because I changed my pan size. 

Whip up the Cool Whip with a little coconut milk if using or vanilla as another option. 

Spread over the cake and top with chosen toppings! 

A very light cake perfect for summer! My family enjoyed it and it was super easy to make! I left the coconut off because my husband doesn't really like it. ~ Janet 

Rainbow Dash's Rainbow Jellies!!

So, this isn't so much a baked good as a fun treat for kids!

My oldest turns five in December and she wants a birthday party. At first she wanted a My Little Pony Party (or maybe I wanted her to want one!) and now she wants a princess party!

I have a bunch of great ideas for a My Little Pony party and if I can’t use it for her birthday I’ll use it for my 30^th in May! ;0)

A rainbow cake with blue frosting would also be awesome for a My Little Pony Party!! 

Anyway, every once and a while we pick up the MLP magazine and they had a ‘recipe’ for rainbow jellies (jello in the USA) I thought these are easy enough and would be great for a party if you topped it with fluffy light blue cream! I didn't do the topping but the girls and I had fun making and eating these rainbow jellies!

To make Rainbow Dash’s Rainbow Jellies: Buy any number of different colored/flavored jelly (jello) make according to instructions and layer in the order of a rainbow* starting with blue/purple at the bottom and topping with red. If you make it in a mold that needs to be turned out start with red at the bottom and so on… Also be sure that each layer is set before adding the next!

I just wanted to not the subtle colors of the UK jelly. The reason it’s subtler is because it doesn’t have huge amounts of unwanted e-numbers and additives! If you made it with Jello you’d get much more vibrant colors, but all those extra unnatural things your body really doesn't need!

notes: *red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink

Hartley’s UK   

Jello USA

Pineapple Muffins!! (low-fat)

I made a very yummy sweet and sour stir-fry for dinner last night; the point of me telling you this is that it had fresh pineapple in it. The reason for me stating this is- I didn’t need a whole pineapple.

I remembered this recipe that I pulled out of the YOU magazine (4 March 2012) that comes every Sunday in the Daily Mail. These are made without butter and egg yolks so they are semi-healthy for you!! Do I dare call them low fat?

They are very moist and dense and will keep for a couple days according to the article. My Mini-Baker didn’t really like them because they do have a different texture. I really enjoyed them though, even if they can only be eaten one at a time! This recipe makes 10 ‘buns.’ Enjoy!!

200g plain flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

100g golden caster sugar

200g trimmed and diced pineapple flesh

100ml apple juice

3 medium egg whites (large in the US)

1 tsp vanilla extract

finely grated zest of one lemon (I left this step out as my husband is citrus intolerant)

50g of dried sour cherries or raisins

vegetable oil for brushing (I used sunflower oil)

125g apricot jam

poppy seeds for sprinkles

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and prepare your muffin tin
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together in a large bowl.
3. Mash the pineapple in a food processor or as I did with my stick blender thing that I used to make baby purees’- it shouldn’t be liquid but a puree with texture.
4. Add all the wet ingredients to the dry. Pineapple, juice, egg whites, vanilla, and zest. Stir until just combined.
5. Fold in the cherries or raisins.
6. The mixture is very sloppy so you will need to brush the inside of your paper cases with a little veggie oil.
7. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cases. I used an ice cream scoop. You can fill them up (not to the top) because they won’t raise much.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are a light golden brown and they are slightly raised.
9. While they are cooling- gently heat the jam in a saucepan and once loosened sieve into a bowl. Then brush the tops of each bun with the jam to glaze them.
10. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the tops and leave to set for 30 minutes to allow the glaze to set.