Baby it's cold outside!

Okay - I know that it is January but does it have to be this cold outside?  I mean - in the teens in the morning?  Poor hyper-pooch - aka Dallas - does not enjoy going outside to do her business when it is THIS cold.  Okay - so maybe I do not like going outside in this weather either!

The one good thing about impending cold weather is that it gets me motivated.  Yes - isn't that just so strange?  I get all domestic when it gets cold outside and head to the kitchen to cook.

So this week-end the menu consisted of chicken spaghetti and also a big batch of chili.  I am not what you would call a "domestic goddess" BUT I like to imagine myself as one.  It is not fun cooking when one is an emptynester.  BUT just a few notes about the cooking this weekend.

The chicken spaghetti was from a family recipe.  I add a bit more cheese and a bit more Rotel than the recipe calls for and let me tell you - DELISH!!!!

The chile was made from another interesting recipe.  I substituded Bloody Mary mix for the tomato sauce/puree/paste.  It sure did make a good pot of chili.

I also decided to venture out on a limb and bake a coconut cake.  Just a bit of inside info here.  I was raised on Rich's Coconut cake.  Any of you that have ever tasted the Rich's Department Store Coconut cake (an old Atlanta department store) will agree with me...THE BEST COCONUT cake EVER!!  So moist and so coconutty...is that a word?  Well...I decided to bake the cake the semi-homemade way.

I used:

1 box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix - I made the cake according to the instructions with the exception of the liquid.  I used the Coconut milk instead of the liquids

1 can of Goya Coconut Milk

Bake according to the directions on the box.

Once I take the cake out I take a toothpick and place several small holes in the cake and pour more coconut milk over the cake for added moisture.  This also means that I do not waste the remainder of the coconut milk.

1 can of Vanilla Whipped Frosting - I doctored up the frosting with some coconut flavoring to make it taste more homemade

Coconut flavoring

Coconut

I then spread the semi-homemade cake with the semi-homemade icing and then top with coconut.

Not bad for a semi-homemade cake but I am still not pleased with the taste - still does not quite taste homemade so I will continue to perfect this recipe.

Any tasting volunteers?