Baking is Cheaper than Therapy

Pumpkin Bars w/ Brown Butter Maple Frosting

2018-07-22T19:22:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin bars-

4 eggs
1 2/3 c sugar
1 c coconut oil, melted
1/3 c applesauce
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
2 c flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce & pumpkin. Combine flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, & salt and them gradually add to pumpkin mixture.
Lightly coat jelly roll pan with cooking spray and pour mixture in. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting -
1/2 c butter, browned and cooled to room temp
1 package of cream cheese, a bit colder than room temp
2 TBSP Maple syrup
1 T vanilla
Powdered Sugar (several cups)

Mix browned butter, vanilla, maple syrup and cream cheese until smooth. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Asian Chicken Salad - Low Carb Keto Friendly

2017-05-29T21:50:00.001-07:00

Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Salad-

2 Boneless, skin-less, chicken breast - grilled with seasonings of your choice and then chopped

1 bag of coleslaw mix

5-6 green onions, sliced thin

2 TBSP minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

Dressing-

5-6 TBSP rice vinegar

3-4 TBSP soy sauce (Or aminos)

4 TBSP sesame oil

1-2 tsp minced ginger

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl or blender bottle. Set aside. For salad, heat garlic and ginger in a frying pan until fragrant. Remove from heat. Stir coleslaw mix and green onions into garlic and ginger. Toss until mixed well. Serve topped with grilled chicken and salad dressing to taste.

Pork Egg Rolls in a Bowl - Low Carb - Keto Friendly

2017-05-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork

2 tbsp sesame oil

2-3 TBSP minced garlic

10 green onions, chopped fine

2 tsp minced ginger
1 container mushrooms, minced fine (optional)

Morton Nature's Seasons, to taste

2 tbsp Sriracha or garlic chili sauce, or more if you want spicy

Bag of coleslaw

3 tbsp soy sauce (or aminos)

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

In a large frying pan with medium high heat, add the sesame oil and garlic. Stir until garlic is fragrant. Add the ground pork ginger and siracha. Cook until the pork is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and natures season to taste. Add the coleslaw, rice wine vinegar and soy. Cook until the coleslaw is crisp tender. Top with more green onions if desired.

Raspberry Cream Maui Punch - Keto mixer

2017-05-24T18:44:00.003-07:00

I've decided to start sharing my Keto/os creations here because I spent hours searching for good mixer ideas and came up empty.

Ingredients:

1 pack Keto//os Maui Punch

12 oz almond milk, unsweetened

2 TBSP heavy cream

1 pump Torani Raspberry syrup, sugar free

Mix all ingredients in a blender bottle with or without ice. Drink immediately.

Cheese Taco Shells - Low Carb (Keto friendly)

2017-05-24T18:26:00.001-07:00

I'm just going to warn you. Once you have cheese taco shells, you'll never want any other kind. These are basically heaven on a plate. You guys, have you been to those recipe blogs that sample on about how the dog got out and the kids did stuff and something about laundry and ALL THE THINGS before they'll give you the recipe? Yeah. Me too. I'm not gonna do that to you. You're welcome.

So, the only ingredient you'll need for this is cheese. I went with sharp cheddar, already shredded.

From here, you have 2 options. Option One - the oven and a silicone baking mat.

Option Two - I went this route. A griddle (or frying pan). I feel like this was more difficult than option one, but I didn't have a silicone baking mat handy.

Now, sprinkle the cheese in a circle pattern as big as you want your shell to be.

Quickly, while the cheese melts, prepare your "drying rack" for your shells. I had two of these stations set up. Make sure to set a paper towel or plate underneath to catch the dripping grease.

When your shell starts to brown around the edges and appears to hold together, it is time to move it to the drying rack.

Your finished shell should look similar to this.

Lastly, fill with your desired taco toppings.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2016-12-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

I made these cookies during a Christmas baking escapade. They are so good!

Confession: I do NOT love cookies. These were amazing though. I was pretty excited about them.

They came out in perfectly round looking cookies which was a huge win for me!

My 6 year old walked in and asked if I was baking ice cream. These little beauties looked just like scoops of mint chip ice cream.

Adapted from Little Diary on the Prairie.

Ingredients

1 c. butter, softened
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp. peppermint extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Mexican vanilla)
a few drops of green green food coloring (color to your liking)
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tarter
¼ tsp. salt
10 oz. bag Nestle dark chocolate chips mixed with mint chips

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar for about three minutes. It should be fluffy.
Add eggs, green food coloring and peppermint extract. Cream for another 2-3 minutes.
Measure dry ingredients in a separate bowl or sifter. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix until combined.
Add mint and chocolate chips. Gently stir to until incorporated.
Spray cookie sheet. Drop cookies using a 2 Tablespoon size cookie scoop.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Watch for the cookies to begin cracking. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to cookie rack and finish cooling.

Pumpkin Soft Pretzels - Say What?! Seriously Delish!

2014-10-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

1 T yeast

1 ½ cup warm water

1 tsp salt

1 T sugar

1/2 c pumpkin puree

3 ½ to 4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 c sugar

1-2 T cinnamon

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Stir in the salt, 1 T sugar and two cups flour. Add pumpkin. Beat till smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle. Shape. Then brush lightly with 1 T water and 1 egg white that has been whipped with a fork and sprinkle with Cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 425* for 15-20 minutes.
*We dipped ours in cream cheese frosting but I think that caramel frosting would be amazing too!

Maple Syrup

2014-09-07T10:52:00.001-07:00

Who knew that maple syrup was so incredibly fast and easy to make. Not to mention that it is delicious!!

What you'll need:

1 cup hot hot water

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 T Maple flavoring

In a medium saucepan, combine water and both sugars. Stir constantly over high heat until boiling. Be VERY careful as this will boil over really easily at this point!

Reduce heat to medium-high and continue to stir constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved. Continue stirring mixture over medium to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until mixture begins to thicken to a syrup consistency. Keep in mind that this mixture will further thicken when cool. *I tested mine by scooping a small amount into a glass dish and setting it in the freezer for 1-2 minutes* Remove from heat and stir in maple flavoring.Set pan in an ice bath and continue to stir mixture for 3-5 minutes to cool.

Serve over something yummy and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Veggie Tray

2014-08-24T19:55:00.002-07:00

We have all made that plain old, boring veggie tray. Spice up your table this year with this super cute Turkey Tray! He was so easy to make.

You'll Need:

Lettuce

Pea Pods

Olives

Carrots

Broccoli

Peppers

Cucumbers

Anything else you'd like to add.

Healthy No Bake Cookies (that all 5 kids beg for!!)

2014-07-12T19:03:00.001-07:00

What you'll need:

2 cups rolled oats, ground fine (do not use quick oats!! YUCK!!)

1 cup ground flax seed (I got mine in the organic section of Fry's)

2 cups coconut, ground fine

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup nutella

1 cup raw honey

1 cup 60% (or higher) cacao chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla

I used my Ninja Master Prep Pro to process the oatmeal and the coconut. I left some normal sized oats as you can see in the photo, but processed them slightly just because we prefer this texture. For the coconut I used Dried Young Coconut from Costco and I processed it in my Ninja until it was a powdery substance. Why? Well, because who actually like coconut flakes in their food? No one, that's who. I was out of my good raw honey, but this one is a good substitute. I then placed all ingredients into the bowl of my KitchenAid stand mixer with paddle attachment. Once everything is combined I used my cookie scoop to make approx 40 little "cookies" 2T. servings while my kids jumped up and down shouting and begging and trying to stick their little hands into the bowl. We each quickly ate one while we made our dinner and placed the rest in the refrigerator for later. I have been called "the best mom ever" multiple times tonight. They don't even know these were semi-healthy!

Perfect Chocolate Frosting

2014-04-30T11:55:00.002-07:00

1 1/2 cups Sugar
3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups butter)
1/4 cup flour
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 T Vanilla bean paste (or regular vanilla extract) ***You can use any flavoring of your choice here***
1 1/2 cups milk
2oz Milk Chocolate
2oz Dark Chocolate

In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, flour and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and mix very well. Pour in remaining milk slowly while stirring. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat. Place into a clean mixing bowl and allow to cool completely. (I place mine in the freezer and stir it frequently) Slice the butter into small sections and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. When the mixture is cool (I mean COLDER than room temperature) beat in the vanilla and start adding the butter 1-2 pieces at a time. Keep beating the frosting until all of the butter in whipped into the mixture. While this is mixing take 4oz chocolate from Dove Discoveries (GOOD chocolate matters!) and melt in a bowl, don't get it too hot. Slowly pour the melted chocolate into the mixture while mixing. Now you are going to continue to whip the mixture until it resembles whipped cream. If it isn't fluffy, don't stop. HERE IS MY SECRET: every other blog I have seen a similar recipe on says that if you beat it too long the frosting will start to break down; that is the opposite of what I have found. If it appears to be broken down, you didn't beat it long enough. I can store mine in the fridge and then re-whip it the next day for another 10-15 minutes and it will be perfectly fluffy again.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

2014-04-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Okay Bunco ladies! Here it is; the long awaited recipe for the salad I promised!

3 bunches broccoli, cut into salad size pieces
1-2 cups sliced carrots
1 head cauliflower, cut into salad size pieces
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 1/2 c. Mayo
1/4 c. Cider Vinegar
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. Italian Cheese (I use a Parmesan/Romano mix from Costco)
Snyder's honey mustard & onion pretzel pieces

Mix veggies in large salad bowl. In a small bowl mix mayo, sugar and vinegar. Pour over veggies and toss well. Toss in bacon and cheese. Right before serving, mix in the pretzels (they will get soggy if you mix them in too long before serving). Watch your fingers because this salad goes so fast you could lose one in the process!

Chicken and Angel Hair Pasta w/ Lime Dill Sauce

2013-05-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast halves
Angel Hair Pasta, cooked
2 T butter
1/3 cup white onion, chopped fine (I put mine in the food processor)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 T flour
2 c water
3 T chicken bullion
1 T dill
1 T Lime juice
1 c milk
1/4 c Parmesan Cheese
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (to taste)

Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper and place in crockpot over low heat for 4-5 hours until cooked through. (You can cook the chicken however you wish, this was just the easiest for me.) 30 minutes before you are ready to eat begin the sauce. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and garlic stirring over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir until no longer clumpy. Turn heat to medium and add in the water, milk, and lime juice whisking until smooth. Add chicken bullion, dill and Parmesan cheese and continue to stir until mixture thickens. Season with lemon pepper to taste. Serve chicken over pasta and top with sauce.

Porcupine Meatballs

2013-05-25T20:14:00.001-07:00

Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork or sausage
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 eggs
1/3 c bread crumbs
1 cup minute rice (fast cook rice)
1 T Garlic salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t black pepper

Sauce:
2-3 cans tomato soup
1 can water (refill one soup can with water)
1 T Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl. Mix well. Shape into 2" balls and place in a 9x13 pan. Combine ingredients for sauce in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes.

Don't forget to check out my fabulous makeup from Younique and don't forget to frost your lashes with 3d fiber lash mascara!

Zuppa Toscana Soup - Olive Garden CopyCat

2013-05-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

2 lbs sausage (Pork Shop!! or if you aren't lucky enough to live near the pork shop, make sure you buy the best quality you can find)
4 large potatoes (if you live in Idaho) or 8-12 regular potatoes if you don't, sliced very thin
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped (If you can't find this, it's not a big deal. You can leave this out.)
16 cups water
4-5 T chicken bullion
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Place water, potato slices, onion, and chicken bullion in a soup pot and cook over high heat until potatoes are soft. Cook on medium high heat until potatoes are done. Brown your amazing pork shop sausage while the potatoes cook. (It is really important to buy very high quality sausage. You'll be sorry if you don't.) Add sausage to soup and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add kale and cream. Stir and serve.

Don't forget to check out my fabulous makeup from Younique and don't forget to frost your lashes with 3d fiber lash mascara!

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

2013-05-08T07:53:00.002-07:00

I just saw this recipe on facebook and decided I'd better quickly save it so I can add it in to my menu! I'll update after I've tried it.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (you can use up to 6 oz)
1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you can also use fresh cooked spinach)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lots of toothpicks

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 (350 degreesf ).

Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl.

Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks. This part requires a tiny bit of skill and I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out. Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used!

Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional).

Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the toothpicks before serving. Count to make sure you have removed every last toothpick. Serve whole or slice into medallians

Perfectly Not Too Sweet Frosting

2013-04-24T13:28:00.003-07:00

1 1/2 cups Sugar
3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups butter)
1/4 cup flour
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 T Vanilla bean paste (or regular vanilla extract) ***You can use any flavoring of your choice here***
1 1/2 cups milk

In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, flour and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and mix very well. Pour in remaining milk slowly while stirring. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat. Place into a clean mixing bowl and allow to cool completely. (I place mine in the freezer and stir it frequently) Slice the butter into small sections and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. When the mixture is cool (I mean COLDER than room temperature) beat in the vanilla and start adding the butter 1-2 pieces at a time. Keep beating the frosting until all of the butter in whipped into the mixture. Now you are going to continue to whip the mixture until it resembles whipped cream. If it isn't fluffy, don't stop. HERE IS MY SECRET: every other blog I have seen a similar recipe on says that if you beat it too long the frosting will start to break down; that is the opposite of what I have found. If it appears to be broken down, you didn't beat it long enough. I can store mine in the fridge and then re-whip it the next day for another 10-15 minutes and it will be perfectly fluffy again.

** Chocolate variation *** Add 1-2 hershey's bars as soon as the cooking stage is finished. Stir in until completely melted and combined. Continue on as directed. Not too chocolatey, but perfect for chocolate cupcakes! Yum!

Chili's Salsa - Copy Cat Recipe

2012-12-31T16:18:00.001-07:00

Really easy Chili's copy cat recipe for salsa. I made this today in less than 2 minutes. All you have to do is put everything in a food processor and blend it up. In fact, if you want the chunks of tomatoes, you can just dice the onion and then put everything into a bowl and mix it up.

6 - 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c diced jalapenos
1 onion
1 T. garlic salt
1 T salt
1 T. cumin
1 T sugar
1 T lime juice

No-Chill Sugar Cookies

2012-12-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

1 c sugar
1/2 c oil
2 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 - 3 1/2 cups flour

Place all ingredients in bowl of stand mixer and mix until completely blended. Add more flour if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Place dough on a floured counter *** and roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350* 9-11 minutes.
***If you would like colored dough like shown sepearte the dough into 4 (or the number of colors you would like) balls. Knead food coloring in by hand.***

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2012-12-23T10:29:00.002-07:00

1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c melted butter
4 eggs
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 c flour
1 1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1/2 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can pumpkin

Combine both sugars, butter and eggs in bowl; beat well. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger and mix well. Mix in flour and then add the pudding mix and pumpkin puree. Mix well. Pour into prepared mini cupcake pans and bake at 350* for 12 minutes. (or 20-25 minutes for regular size cupcakes) Makes 75 mini cupcakes or 18 regular cupcakes. Frost with Cream Cehese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cube butter, softened
1 package cream cheese*
3-4 cups powdered sugar (you can use more if you want)
maraschino cherry juice (optional)
1-2 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract (optional)
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped

Cream butter and cream cheese together and whip until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and extracts**. Add maraschino cherry juice (1-2 T.) for desired consistency. You can add more powdered sugar if you get it too thin. Add in whipped cream.
*If you want a stronger cream cheese flavor use 2 packages of cream cheese. You will probably want to up the amount of powdered sugar.
**Always add extracts before the milk because they will thin out your frosting somewhat.

Gingerbread House Recipe

2012-12-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 T ginger
1 c molasses
2 t allspice
2 t cinnamon
2 t cloves
1 t nutmeg
1 T + 1 t baking soda
1 c (2 sticks) margarine
2 eggs, beaten
7 c flour

Place both sugars, ginger, molasses, and spices in a large saucepan and combine. Stir occasionally while bringing to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. *It will bubble and rise as shown in picture*

Add margarine and stir until melted. Place mixture in bowl of stand mixer and mix in eggs and flour with dough hook (or add other ingredients by hand). Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4" thinkness and cut into desired shapes for houses. (We made 5 houses out of this recipe - may vary depending on size of houses.)

Caramel Glazed Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2012-12-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

All five of my kids (ages 2-10) seriously devoured these muffins this morning. I was really glad I had made 24! My 2 year old finished her first one (without the caramel) and was on to a second one before I finished putting the caramel on the tops.
Line 24 muffin cups with paper baking cups or brush tins with this easy release. Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ c brown sugar
¼ c powdered sugar
1 egg
2 t vanilla bean paste (or regular vanilla)

Combine all of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Set aside.

Pumpkin Muffin Batter:
2 2/3 c flour
1 ¼ c brown sugar
1 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t pumpkin pie spice (You can also use a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in place of this if you don’t have it)
½ t. ginger
3 eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c veg. oil
2 t vanilla bean paste (regular vanilla is fine, too)

Mix together flour, both sugars, baking powder, salt, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice. Add eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. Scoop 1-2 T. of this batter into each muffin cup. Next, place 1 T. of the vanilla cream cheese mixture into each of the muffin cups. Top each one with another T. of the muffin batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes (adjust cooking time as needed). While muffins are baking make the caramel topping.

Vanilla Bean Caramel Topping:(optional)
1 c. cream
1/2 t. sea salt
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla bean paste (You can use regular vanilla instead, this is just what I had)

Pour the cream or milk into a small saucepan and place on a low to medium heat. Add the salt and vanilla to the saucepan and stir to dissolve. Bring to a steady simmer, and then add the brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Bring the mixture to a steady, low boil, and stir frequently. It takes about 5-10 minutes to get to the desired consistency.

When the muffins are done you can either dip the tops of each one into the caramel or drizzle the caramel over the tops of each muffin.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Variation:
Skip the filling and the topping. Add chocolate chips to the batter.

Ebates

2012-09-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, this is totally unrelated to the recipes, but it's getting that time of year again where we all start shopping for Christmas gifts and I thought I'd share Ebates with you! I use it when I buy online. All you have to do it log in through Ebates website and then click on the store you want to buy from. They will tell you if there are any coupon codes and also how much cash back you'll receive (usually a % of your purchase). I got $116 back once. It's totally worth it!

Crockpot Chicken Parm

2012-08-20T21:11:00.002-07:00

This was my creation for the day. Super easy dinner in a hurry with what you have in your pantry kind of day.

What You'll Need:
Boneless Skinless Chicken breast halves, about 4
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 T garlic, pressed
1 T Italian seasoning
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion powder
Cheese, optional
1 box pasta of your choice

Place chicken in crockpot. Come back several hours later and add everything except cheese and pasta (you could probably just throw it all in besides the cheese and pasta, but this is how I did it). 15 minutes before you would like to serve it, top with cheese (I used mozzerella) and replace crockpot lid. Cook pasta. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. I served this French Bread on the side.

Don't forget to check out my fabulous makeup from Younique and don't forget to frost your lashes with 3d fiber lash mascara!

Caramel Coconut Creme Pie

2012-08-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe for Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie a few days ago and just knew I had to make it! You know, my way, like I make everything else. No one knows what my problem is. I just can't seem to bring to myself to follow a recipe exactly. It's ridiculous really, but I've just accepted it.

You'll Need:
2 - 9 inch graham cracker crusts
1 package cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
coconut extract
1/2 c powdered sugar
vanilla extract
1 c coconut
4 T butter
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 t salt
1 c packed brown sugar

I made homemade caramel first.
1 cup cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 c packed brown sugar

Heat cream and salt in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add brown sugar and boil 7-10 minutes until it reaches desired consistency (remember it is still going to thicken up quite a bit after you remove it from the heat). Set aside to cool.

In another sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and add coconut. Stir frequently for 5-8 minutes until coconut is nicely toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Add coconut extract to taste. (I used about 1-2 t.)

In another bowl, whip the remaining cream, powdered sugar (to taste) and vanilla extract (to taste). Fold HALF of this into the cream cheese mixture. Save remaining half for topping pies.

Pour cream cheese mixture evenly between pie crusts. Next pour caramel evenly over both pies. Top with remaining whipped cream and toasted coconut. Freeze for 1 hour or overnight. It tasted divine either way.