Pie Is the New Toast

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Foodie blogger meet-up
2007-11-21 01:03:00
I get to meet the writers behind Chowtimes on Friday. We will be going out to dinner at a local restaurant and I'm sure we'll be sharing stories! Now let's hope that I do not forget my camera this time!I am looking forward to the meet! More to come, later!
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Restaurant review- Luis' Mexican Restaurant, Bellingham, WA
2007-11-15 02:14:00
I decided to take my daughter out for dinner a couple of weekends ago after we went to the Big Lots to do some Christmas shopping. We sat in the truck for about 5 minutes between her, my husband (on the phone) and myself trying to figure out which restaurant we were going to go to. I did not want Chinese food, I was in the mood for something different, so I said, "what about Mexican food?" to my daughter, who just poopooed the idea. Then she saw a restaurant by Big Lots and said, "let's go there" and we decided on Luis' Mexican Restaurant .It's quite festive inside, but the neighborhood that it is in is one that has somewhat of a bad reputation, which is one reason why I am not around that area very often. However, the colors were fun, and we decided to have dinner and ordered take out for my husband. My daughter, Miss Picky U.S.A., decided on nachos (arghhh), and I decided on a combo plate with a chalupa and enchilada. It came with beans and rice. Honestly, it was very bland. I f...
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Goodies from home
2007-11-11 17:23:00
I love my mom. She knows how much I miss California and the ease of buying the little things, such as Mochiko rice flour, without spending an arm and a leg on it (seriously- $3/box at Haggen's? Are you for real?). So in the beginning of the week last week she told me she was sending me a box of goodies for my daughter and myself, and I had a hunch it was Mochiko! It came to me and it was not only boxes of Mochiko, but Yan Yan (the little cylinder with chocolate dipping sauce and those sweet little sticks), Happy Panda (panda cookies with chocolate), Shrimp Chips (which I really don't care for, but I thought it was sweet of her!), and Jack & Jill Chocolate Covered Pretzels, the stuff you find in Asian stores. It totally brought me back home and I called my mom to thank her.As I have mentioned before, my Nana used to take me with her to her favorite Filipino store, which no longer exists (Fajilan's), in Seaside, California, and I used to get Pocky (the strawberry covered sticks...
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NFB: Bad, bad week
2007-11-10 01:19:00
Did you just ever have a week that made it so unbearable you did not want to face work? That's how I felt this week. Just a sorry week is all. Right now is our busy season where I work and I can kiss my holidays goodbye. That honestly has me in a bit of a funk, but what can you do?I am glad it is the weekend, but right now I am feeling extremely down and bummed. Between work and home, I feel like I cannot keep up. I'm just exhausted.All of that, and I STILL need snow tires for my truck!Thanks for reading/listening to my whine.
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Restaurant review- Oriento, Bellingham, WA
2007-11-06 01:16:00
My husband took us out for dinner and knowing how badly I have been craving Chinese food, took us out to a restaurant we were recommended by someone I met a while back. We went to Oriento, which is down on the Guide Meridian in Bellingham, WA and is across the street from one of our favorite pizzerias in Whatcom County- Cascade Pizza.Again, I did not take pictures. We ordered a kid's plate for my daughter, which was a big plate, it consisted of a deep fried won ton with cream cheese (yikes!), fried rice, sweet n sour pork, and french fries. I think there was something else but all of that grease did not sit too well with her later...she wasn't feeling too well later on. My husband and I decided on a dinner combo that was about $11.95/per person and it came with pork fried rice, beef broccoli, sweet n sour pork, egg rolls and I believe Egg Flour soup. My husband ordered a side of Teriyaki Beef, as well. Overall, I liked what I ate, but I was not too impressed with the Teriyaki Beef...
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I realize I am so far behind
2007-11-05 03:10:00
and I want to apologize to my readers. I am extremely busy right now with work, PTO stuff and trying to get the student directory done for our school. It's no excuse, I should at least put some time aside, but I have not.I do realize I still need to review Oriento in Bellingham, and now I also need to add Luis' Mexican Restaurant to that as well (another Bellingham restaurant). I recently decided that every other week I will take my daughter out for a Mommy-Daughter type of day where we go to the park, museum or something and then we go to a restaurant we have not been to- specifically ethnic cuisines we have not tried. I think it will a good experience for the both of us, considering we are both very picky eaters.I will be back though, I promise! I am so behind on baking and my crockpot meals it's not even funny. I haven't baked in well over a month and I barely got the stew meat to make my crockpot meals. I need some more energy and time! Time is my worst enemy.Thanks for stil...

NFB: One more year til I hit the big 3-0
2007-10-14 21:50:00
This week we began phone training at work and it's been a hectic, stressful week. However, by Friday I felt mostly confident in my abilities to handle the customer service and the navigation of the programs we use. Thursday I turned 29 and it was not a great day for me. I was not feeling good, I was stressed and tired, I missed my husband (because I started an earlier shift, I really don't see my husband at all until the weekends now). However, it was a good birthday in the end.Last year I started feeling changes in my body- which is why I was putting myself to the challenge of trying to change my lifestyle, because my weight is finally catching up with me. I'm afraid that my obesity will lead me to an early grave and I'm scared from what I have been dealing with, health-wise, over the past year and a half. It's getting worse, but I'm trying my hardest to be more active and we are eating healthy for the most part.Onto this weekend, yesterday, we went to my daughter's soccer g...
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It's the time...of the season
2007-10-07 07:44:00
for...sniffling. (What's your name? Who's your daddy?...Okay, just kidding.)I spent my first few days at my job sick as a dog, but I sucked it up and went to work every day because our training was so intense, I really did not want to miss out on anything. Now, there are two bugs making the rounds in the office. I don't think I brought it in, because apparently they have been there longer than I was. One is a cold/cough/flu type of bug. The other one is a nasty stomach bug that took out two of my co-workers. We're talking vomiting and everything. That one I am hoping I avoid like the dickens. I hope everyone feels better on Monday! I'm not feeling sick anymore but I noticed my ears are a bit sensitive and have been aching and itchy, so I'm almost positive I have an ear infection again. It's that time of the year again!The job is going well, and part one of our training is over with. Now we will do part two of our training starting on Monday for another two weeks and I'm exci...
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A new venture in life
2007-09-30 04:27:00
I know some of you are wondering, where has Jennifer been? I am now working full-time and am learning a new trade. This past week was full of excitement, stress and even some headaches trying to adjust to a full 40 hour week. I haven't worked in three years and I am grateful for a new opportunity in my life to make some money (MONEYYYYY) again.I will be scarce but I will try my damndest to post at least once a week.
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What's been on your menu lately?
2007-09-19 18:16:00
I haven't taken any pictures because I am constantly forgetting (including forgetting the camera at the soccer game, so it's not just food I am forgetting here!), but I am trying to break out of the old and put a little more variety into our dishes.A couple of weekends ago I was in a mood for bruschetta and a light salad. My husband grilled up some pork chops and I made some bruschetta with EVOO, garlic and tomato (forgot the basil but it was good anyhow). The salad I made was iceberg lettuce (which I realize has no nutritional value but I was in a mood for an "old school" salad), cucumbers, and the rest of the bruschetta mix I had left over. It was a nice dinner and even my husband liked it.Last week I made a Cream of Celery type of dish with chicken breasts. It was rich but it was very good.On Monday night I made a Lime-Garlic Chicken Breast with garlic butter pasta and green beans (steamed but kept crunchy) with some lemon drizzled over them and lemon zested on them. It was abs...
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Food dreams
2007-09-17 19:58:00
I had a dream that I was going to an All-Filipino festival back while I was visiting my family in Seaside, California. I was going from booth to booth trying desperately to find beco, Kangkanin, or Bibingka. Why? I have no clue, but maybe I am craving some sweets. I also dreamed that I was looking for some decent adobo, but all I could find was beef tri tip.I don't know why I have dreams like these. While I was in California we had a BBQ (Filipino family side). My uncle made some killer beef tri tip and there was all kinds of yummy BBQ stuff, but no Filipino food. Nana usually makes it but she is getting older and shouldn't have to stand in front of the stove. If I had had more time I would have loved to have made the Bibingka recipe I got from a friend a while back. Of course, I might have been the one hogging most of it! (Just kidding!) My uncle (Tri Tip Master of the Universe) and I used to fight over Nana's Kangkanin back in the day. (Fighting in good fun, of course!)Despite ...
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NFB: Random mumblings
2007-09-16 04:44:00
My daughter played her first soccer game today and was a bit sluggish, which had me wondering if her thyroid is out of whack again. I will monitor her closely and see if I need to take her back to her doctor's for another blood panel and check-up. She's been on the Levoxyl medication for Hypothyroid (25 mcg/day) for a while now and it seems to help. Her last levels were checked in mid-August and she was finally normalized, but with how sluggish she was at her game today, it's something that has me concerned.My husband is using this time now to work on his truck as winter is just around the corner. The reason he bought the thing was so we would have something reliable to drive in the snow. You see, my truck is only 2wd, and the tires spin on ice and snow. I will be getting snow tires more than likely, especially considering I am on a job hunt and had an interview yesterday. I am hopeful I can find work soon so I can put some much needed work into my truck, pay off some debts and s...
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Restaurant Review: Lee's Garden Restaurant, Marina, California
2007-09-10 22:43:00
I have to say, it has been 4+ years since I have had decent (and good) Chinese food. Up here the Chinese food is a lot different and so far I have not been impressed. I have been to the Kowloon Inn in Ferndale (which was a joke in itself), the Kowloon Garden in Bellingham (I do not know if they are related, but I was just not very impressed with their dishes), have had Lucky Panda in the past (which is the equivalent of Chinese Fast Food), Haggen's Chinese food (aka "Haggenese" and again, the equivalent of Chinese Fast Food, but will do if you are in a hurry). We were supposed to go to Oriento on the Guide Meridian in Bellingham this past weekend, however, my daughter ended up sick and we had to cancel date night on Saturday (I still was able to go watch Rob Zombie's Halloween (which I may or may not review later, we'll see) though, as my husband took care of her for me and we had already purchased tickets on Fandango). We're going to try to get out to Oriento next month instead...
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Fall is just around the corner
2007-09-07 20:48:00
Ahh, my favorite time of year. Time to start my baking up (mostly pumpkin breads and hearty stews) and time to get ready for the impending winter (not my favorite season!). Recently I was looking at Brylane Home and came across the CUTEST thing ever, this:I am going to be ordering that soon and getting my Wok set I posted about a while ago for free as well! Woohoo for great deals!Last year I bought some of that silicone bakeware from some catalog I got in the mail and was not too thrilled with it. I think I'll stick with the regular ole tin sets they have.
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Restaurant Review- Montrio's Bistro, Monterey, CA
2007-09-05 19:16:00
Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the meal because we were in the middle of our 10 year high school reunion. My friend set this entire thing up and she found Mont rio Bistro , which has a wonderful reputation and serves fine cuisine. I had been there before, as one of my workplaces had our annual holiday party there back in 1998. Great food and wonderful service.We were able to sit upstairs in a private room, use the microphone, and had bartenders at the whims of many of my fellow classmates, who wanted to have a couple of drinks. I did not drink that night as I was not feeling too well.We started off with appetizers on every table, now that I actually did get a picture of:Our appetizer was Crispy Calamari with Chile-Citrus-Basil Aioli and Tomato Basil Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic and Mozzarella. I did not have the Bruschetta as I was afraid it would upset my stomach even more, but the Calamari was lovely and light. There was just a subtle hint of that Chile-Citrus-Basil A...
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I am back
2007-09-03 20:22:00
Well, I have been back since last Tuesday (August 28th). I don't know where to begin. First off, it was wonderful to see all the people I grew up with for the first time in 10 years. The reunion went wonderfully, and it's something I'll never forget. There are now plans for an 11th year reunion trip to Vegas (which I will see if my husband and I could pull off!). It also has me very excited for my 20 year reunion although it's 10 years off. I joked with a couple of my friends about it saying, "By then I will have a daughter going into her senior year of high school!" I really do NOT want to think about that right now!It was also wonderful seeing my family and spending time with them, but the downside(s) to my trip were that one, I ended up very ill due to the Yaz pill (which my doctor had taken me off of the day I left for California, I am back on it now, it was a week break). I was weak and something weird was going on with my stomach. I was nauseous and I could not hold much f...
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I bid you all adieu
2007-08-21 08:15:00
for the next couple of weeks, as I will be on vacation. Trying to get those last minute vacations in!Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!
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Constant craving
2007-08-18 00:36:00
They say that if you crave dirt or clay you are mineral deficient. I have to wonder if the same could be said if you are craving fish. I have been craving salmon and tuna for a while now, so I had made a tuna salad for lunch today. Normally I am not a fish type of a person, as I have stated before, but for some reason, sushi and Nigiri rolls sound very appetizing to me lately.My guess is that I must lack Omega 3's in my diet, and that's why I am craving salmon and tuna. I used to take Omega 3 vitamins, but could not stand the fishy burps that accompanied the brand I took. I know there are brands out there that do not cause fish burps, but I haven't picked up any in a long time.Truth is, I have been craving salmon and tuna for quite some time now, I'd say since the beginning of this year possibly. I do not know how to cook fish and I would prefer not to cook it because I do not know what I am doing. Plus I am very gun shy about buying fish from the grocery store (I worry about co...
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NFB: It's almost time
2007-08-17 03:03:00
I leave for California next week! I am really excited about getting to see my family and going to my 10 year high school reunion. I haven't seen a lot of these people in 10 years, and I am definitely looking forward to chatting it up with them again. I am a bit nervous about giving a speech (which I was asked to do), but I will get it done.I'm also nervous about flying, for so many reasons, I just wish I could drive down there, despite it being a 20+ hour trip. I hate flying!I can't wait to see my mom again, be around family I haven't seen in nearly two years and just hang out with old friends. There won't be any blogging from me, as expected, when I am gone, but I promise to take a ton of pictures (especially when we go out to eat!). I am REALLY looking forward to having some Chinese food, California-style, again as well!
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BBQ- what do you prefer?
2007-08-16 00:27:00
A dry rub or an actual BBQ sauce? When barbecuing, do you ever switch up your spices or sauce? I ask this because my husband only likes two things on the meat when he barbecues- Montreal Steak Seasoning and Garlic Salt. While I love it, I would like to try a sauce on what he grills. It's easy to buy something from the store, but I'm thinking of making a marinade to soak the meat in and drenching it while it's grilling.I started a look up of some variations we could do and found a couple of interesting ones I would like to try, such as a Barbeque Spice Mixture on Recipegal.com, or even a Honey Barbecue Sauce recipe for chicken on About.com.My MIL used to make a really tangy and delicious BBQ sauce from the fat drippings whenever she would broil a roast, but I can't remember how she did that. If you have a similar recipe, I would be interested!I have to talk my husband into trying it out. I think it would be a nice variation!
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To Wok or not to Wok, that is the question
2007-08-15 04:32:00
I got a new Brylane Home catalog in the mail today and they are offering this set of a Wok, four bowls, some chopsticks, and cooking spoons (wooden ones) for free with any purchase! I've been dying for a Wok for a long time and I'm considering putting an order in just to get this.When I make a stir fry I use a regular frying pan, but it's hard to do if you have a lot of ingredients to put in the pan. I have used my father's Wok in the past and it worked perfectly. You don't spill things out of the pan, and the ingredients tend to just cook better together. However, trying to make fried rice in a flat frying pan just does not work. I end up with rice all over my stove. I can't stand it.I figure maybe I could create my own Chinese food inspired meals if I had a Wok too...so maybe then I wouldn't miss it so much (which I do, because I have yet to find a good Chinese restaurant up here!). Plus with making it yourself, at least you know what is going in it.So now I have to try to ...
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Let's talk birth control pills and appetite issues
2007-08-14 00:51:00
Now to all the people who don't like TMI posts- I am pretty sure that the words "Let's talk about birth control pills" should give you an idea of just how TMIish this post will get...so you've been warned!Ugh. Last week was terrible. My appetite was insane last week, and now I feel like I've gained 10-20 lbs. I am still exercising regularly, trying to eat as healthy as possible and then I ended up with a voracious appetite, munching and snacking for a few days throughout the day on stuff that isn't so healthy for you. Chips. Granola bars with chocolate chips. Whyyyy?When I got it back under control I realized how bloated I was feeling, how I felt like I had another 10-20 lbs on me. My moods have fluctuated as well, but I can place the blame on something else- birth control pills. As a means of fixing the various female issues I have, I was placed on Yaz birth control 4 weeks ago. I've been continuing to do what I am doing to stay healthy but my moods and my willpower are start...
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8 things about me (MeMe)
2007-08-10 22:33:00
I've been tagged by Sue!Rules1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 3. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.8 Facts (or whatever) About Me (Food-Related, of course!)1. I'd love to have stainless steel cookware, but my husband is correct- it's hard as hell to clean off at times, especially if you cook eggs in a stainless steel frying pan, and I have no patience to soak and scrub!2. I recently dug out my blender from one of the cupboards and have been using it not for smoothies, but to make my own pasta sauce since my food processor is one of those itty bitty ones.3. Last night we had salad and chicken again, and I put more salad on my daughter's pla...
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Alton Brown's comment about the his fat fans
2007-08-10 00:23:00
Last night I was on TWOP checking out the Iron Chef America thread. Someone had posted something that Alton Brown had said back in 2004 about his fat/obese fans on a forum he posts on. Here is what was said:As for more serious matters, I’m passionate about this country getting off it’s fat butt and getting into shape. I see a lot of very heavy people at my demos and book signings and I don’t like that. They come up and they’re so nice and they say “gosh we love food and love your show” and I want to say “I think you might lay off both and go for a walk”. I’ve never actually said this because it would be mean but it really worries me.I'm glad he didn't say it to his fans, but the fact that he would admit it public like that? I must admit how upsetting it was to read that, as someone who has been struggling with her weight for years. If I had a chance to meet Alton, I would like to say the following to him:1. Do you really think all of your fat fans just sit around...
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NFB: On This Day in History
2007-08-08 00:25:00
I was tagged by my friend Katy to do this MeMe. It's a bit challenging but GOOGLE is your friend!On this day in History ...Today is Tuesday, August 7, 2007. This is the 219th day of the year, with 146 days remaining in 2007.Fact of the Day: climateClimate (the word) is from Greek term meaning "slope or inclination of the earth and sky from the equator to the poles," i.e. a zone of the earth occupying a particular elevation (a clime). The word as referring to an atmospheric/weather condition was first mentioned by Shakespeare in 1611.HolidaysFeast day of St. Donatus of Arezzo, St. Victricius, Saints Agapitus, Sixtus II and Felicissimus, St. Dogmetius the Persian, St. Albert of Trapani, St. Claudia, and St. Cajetan or Gaetano.Colombia: Battle of Boyaca.Cote d'Ivoire: National Day.Events1782 - George Washington created the Order of the Purple Heart.1789 - The U.S. War Department was established by Congress.1794 - The Whiskey Rebellion took place, a fight over excise taxes imposed on ...
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Battle Opah, tasty looking fish
2007-08-07 01:10:00
And those are words that you rarely hear coming from my mouth. I am not a fish person...I normally do not care for fish, but after watching Iron Chef America: Batali vs. Liu last night, I thought the fish looked lovely and was a bit reminscent of tuna. When Martin Yan (one of the judges- EEE! Love that man!) mentioned that opah was a very mild fish, I thought, that's a fish I could probably dig.I thought Liu could pull it off, to tell the truth...the competition was intense and it looked like Batali was going to meet his match in his former employee...but when it came time to serve up the dishes, the taste and sometimes the look just didn't cut it for the judges involved. I do have to say that I really thought the whole pressured/preserved opah jar thing was a bit impressive, as was Batali's meatball concoction- fish meatballs- whoda thunk it? In the end, Batali won, and it was definitely a memorable show.
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If you are a vegetarian you may want to skip this one
2007-08-05 03:45:00
Yes, I am back! I am feeling a lot better, thanks everyone. Ice coupled with rest and elevating the elbow helped tremendously. Next time I'll watch my daughter more closely and not stand so close! Hee.Today we set off for the place we get our meat from, and picked up some pork chops (to my daughter's dismay) and boneless, skinless chicken breast. The prices are on par with Costco but what I like about this place is they package them up for you- that means I don't have to worry about going through the meat, separating it and packaging it up (which reminds me I still have beef ribs and Italian sausage in the fridge that need to be packaged up! Crap!). I also like them because their service is wonderful and if you need to call a special order in for you they help out tremendously and even call you to let you know when your order is ready.On completely different topic, my husband's second seasonal job is winding down as berry season is just about through (no, he does not work in the...
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NFB: See you all in a couple of days
2007-08-03 01:28:00
Well being the smartie I am, today I went out today and while pushing my daughter on a swing, I overextended my elbow. It hurts to type. I'll be back later.
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Ahh what I'd do for some ice cream right about now
2007-08-01 06:58:00
I have this late night craving for some ice cream. We haven't bought much ice cream this summer as I am trying to watch what we eat...so I've been trying to be good there, and last summer we almost always had ice cream in our freezer. This summer, I think we've bought maybe 1 quart so far. And it was just vanilla. None of the fancy Tillamook ice cream I crave.A good alternative is the Healthy Choice Premium Low Fat Fudge bars, with 1.5 grams of total fat per bar and 15 grams of carbohydrates, this is an excellent alternative. I will probably get those sometime- I know Costco sells them in bulk, we've gotten them before. It's a nice treat for you if you're craving ice cream and chocolate.Other than that, you could always just go the Otter Pop route...although sometimes that just doesn't do it for me.What other alternatives do you use when you crave ice cream and chocolate?(And can I say, I can't believe that tomorrow is AUGUST already?? Where did July go?)
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Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake
2007-07-30 23:44:00
On Friday night I made MommyChef's Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake and it lasted well over the weekend into today, I am proud to say. It was easy to make and a very delicious cake my family enjoyed. Thank you so much, MommyChef!I don't have a 9x9 pan so I ended up using a 13x9 (I believe) pan and ended up not having two layers of the delicious crumbly topping. That'll be my next household purchase, for sure. The cake itself was light and not too sweet and the crumbly topping was delicious and full of brown sugar-cinnamon-pecan flavor. I think even walnuts would work fabulously on this cake, but I think pecans bring out a different type of flavor. Even while mixing the cake batter for this, it was airy and light and mixed wonderfully. I have to say this is something I'll have to make the next time my sister and mom come visit, I think they would love it!Here's the recipe:Cinnamon Pecan Coffee CakeTopping3/4 cup pecans, chopped1/2 cup brown sugar1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamonBatter1/4 ...
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