Happy (day after) Pecan Day!!

Despite being a hickory (type of tree), 38% of Americans consider the pecan their favorite nut.* And for those fateful, today is a glorious day: Pecan Day!! (ED: or it would have been, but there was too much stuff happening on Pecan Day, so we'd like to celebrate the Day After Pecan Day! yay, zaz, etc.)

In the US, pecans are probably most well-known for the delicious center of the Pecan Pie. Grown on the state tree of Texas, pecans are fabulous for salad toppings, desserts, entrees, and even the scrumdiddlyumptious Salvadorian Amaretto Apple Pecan Muffins featured here on mad tasty last month. For more information on the pecan, check out Pecans 101 and be sure to enjoy some today!

*78% of all statistics are made up, including this one.

California Strawberry Day

March 21 is California Strawberry Day. In honor of this day, Allow me to share with you my friend Erin's famous Summer Strawberry Salsa. Conveniently, it tastes just as good no matter which season you are in!

Summer Salsa

• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp of salt

Preparation:

Clean your strawberries, bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro leaves. Remove and discard the stems of your cilantro, finely shred, and set aside. Hull and chop your strawberries and place in a medium mixing bowl. Chop your red onions, bell peppers, and jalapeño pepper and combine in mixing bowl with strawberries. Add orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, and salt and combine until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5 minutes before serving, remove the salsa from the refrigerator and stir. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!!

National Kahlua Day

So dave said “it’s Kahlua day can you make something “ I said “SURE OF COURSE I’ve been looking for an excuse to make Kahlua cake”.

WELL suddenly it was Sunday night, the weekend had passed and I hadn’t gotten to the cake BUT we did have a box of brownie mix. SO I thought OH I can make “white russian” brownies by making cream cheese brownies but adding vodka to the cream cheese and kahlua to the brownie mix.

You can see the results below… TASTY but disastrous.

Not sure if it was my off the cuff baking or inability to wait until something is cool to take it out of the pan BUT, these DID NOT make it from pan to plate ok. Looking to remedy the situation, I thought oh what the hell I’ll just Paula Dean them (that is add some butter) so I started to slather icing on top thinking I could make it look like a cake (icing hides flaws) well, I ran out of icing so I just plopped a large spoonful in a bowl with some ice cream poured a little Kahlua on top and dug in…yes they are ugly but I’ll be damned if they don't taste like a white Russian dream .

SO- if you make this for guests and have the same issue just prep it out of their sight… they will still believe you to be the hostess with the most (if all else fails fill them with any leftover vodka)

Uh-OH White Russian Brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 oz. size) cream cheese softened
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 TBS cup flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup Kahlua
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 Box Brownie Mix (store bought)

Directions:

Cream together cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, vodka, 2 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp soft butter, set aside.

In a separate bowl mix brownies according to package instructions for “fudgy brownies- usually 2 eggs instead of 3) Stir in 1/2 cup Kahlua; mix well.

Pour half brownie mixture in a buttered and lightly floured 9" baking pan.



Add cream cheese mixture smooth around (be careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan)





add remaining brownie mixture.- smooth around some more. Bake at 325 F for about 30 minutes.


When cool brush with 1/4 cup of remaining Kahlua.

UH OH



Add icing if you like and DEFINITELY Serve with ice cream

don't cry over spilled milk ...

...day. yup.

so on this national holiday, i think of kitchen katastrophe.

don't ask me why. simply remember to bake with good intentions and without repercussions and all will be forgiven. don't cry over spilled milk.

national ...

so there's a national nutella day.

check out whitnee's nutella banana bread!

today is national ..

carrot cake day. i'm a fan. you?