Presenting Da Kokoleka!!!!! with recipe!!

If I had to name a hometown, I'd have to claim Hawaii. I lived there for a total of 7 years, which is longer than anyplace else I've ever lived. My heart is certainly Hawaiian, even if I can't speak Pidgin and was only lucky enough to try surfing a few times.

Pumpkin Pie-Butter Mochi

I took this recipe from All Recipes and tried to make it into an Autumnal Mochi. 

These are AWESOME! If you are looking for gooey, chewy pumpkin yumminess, this is it!  The pumpkin makes it a little creamier than regular butter mochi.  For brownies, I prefer middles. For Mochi, I seem to prefer the edges, so next time I intend to make these in an all-edges pan my sister got me.

Ingredients

• 1/2 can pumpkin (about 1 cup)
  • 5 eggs
  • • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • • 2 cups (1 can) lite coconut milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 
    
• 1 pound mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Cloves
• 1/8 tsp Allspice

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and coconut milk and whole milk. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugarS, spices and baking powder. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Mix in melted butter and coconut. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool completely, then cut into squares to serve.

Need Mochiko? 12 boxes for $27.55 on Amazon! 

Breakfast cookies replacement

My kids are totally addicted to:and , and we go through them like crazy. The cost is ridiculous for cookies, and they aren't even that healthy, since they are full of: HFCS (2nd ingredient on both), Partially Hydrogenated Oils, and "artificial flavor."

So, Hubby decided I need to make my own. I had tried this last year and no one liked the result. I decided to consult Quaker's website this time, and found a muffin recipe that works.

Yesterday I (and the kids) made it as written, without the topping, but adding chocolate chips. It was very moist but not very pretty.

Today I made a double batch, but only baked 12 and put the rest of the batter in the fridge for tomorrow. Today I substituted half whole wheat flour, use whole eggs instead of just egg whites, and was generous with the oatmeal.  I added in about 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, and sprinkled more of that on top. They came out much prettier.

This is such a versatile recipe that I think we can keep it going for quite a while, using various dried fruits and kinds of chips. I have a stockpile of cinnamon chips because I bought OODLES last time I found them. they will be SUPER in these!!