Coconut Cream Dessert Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 12 Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup cold butter 1/2 cup chopped pecans FILLING: 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed 4 cups cold milk 3 (3.5 ounce) packages instant coconut cream pudding mix 1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted Directions: 1. In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in the pecans. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. 2. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth; fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread over the crust. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate overnight. Sue

I don't know about you, but I'm crazy for dates. Gotta try this recipe. It's like a blondie with dates. CHEWY DATE NUT BARS (Delicious Inspiration) 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 large eggs 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup (4 ounces) sliced walnuts 1 cup (5 ounces) dates, chopped Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line an 8x8" glass baking pan with foil, then grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs until they're lightened, then add the brown sugar and flour mixture, stirring until almost completely mixed, then add in the nuts and dates. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is just golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 12-18 minutes. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares and store airtight up to 4 days.

Here are some dressings/marinades for grilling. From Fine Cooking Italian Dressing Marinade Bottled Italian dressing is a popular marinade, but this is so much fresher, and you can change the herbs to suit your taste. The small amount of mayonnaise helps emulsify the ingredients. Use for steak, pork, lamb, chicken, fish, scallops, shrimp, or vegetables. Yields about 2 cups, enough to marinate 2 lb. food 2/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 tsp. mayonnaise 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage 1 tsp. dried minced onion 1 tsp. dried minced garlic 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes Fine sea salt 1 cup olive or canola oil In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar and wine. Whisk in the mayonnaise until the color is milky white and there are no lumps. Whisk in the fresh garlic, parsley, oregano, sage, dried onion and garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Slowly whisk in the oil until completely incorporated. The marinade will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Asian Citrus-Ginger-Sesame Marinade Most Asian-style marinades are heavy on soy sauce, but it's used just as an accent in this bright, citrusy marinade. Confectioners' sugar may seem an odd ingredient here, but it's an ideal substitute for granulated sugar because it dissolves so easily. This marinade is great for steak, pork, chicken, fish (especially salmon), shellfish, vegetables (especially asparagus and zucchini), or pineapple. Yields about 1-1/3 cups, enough to marinate 1-1/2 lb. food 1 medium orange, finely grated to yield 1/2 tsp. zest, squeezed to yield 1/3 cup juice 2 medium limes, finely grated to yield 1 tsp. zest, squeezed to yield 1/4 cup juice 2 Tbs. Asian sesame oil 2 Tbs. canola oil 2 Tbs. lower-sodium soy sauce 5 medium cloves garlic, grated on a rasp 2 Tbs. finely grated fresh ginger (from a 2- to 3-inch piece) 1 Tbs. Sriracha or Asian chili garlic sauce 1 Tbs. confectioners' sugar Fine sea salt Combine the orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, sesame and canola oils, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Sriracha, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. The marinade will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Spicy Mexican Marinade Mayonnaise is the perfect base for a marinade. Here, it takes the place of oil and keeps the marinade ingredients suspended. The lime juice cuts through the richness of the smoky chipotle marinade, and the beer adds depth of flavor. Use for steak, pork, chicken, or fish (especially tuna or halibut steaks). Yields about 2-1/2 cups, enough to marinate 2-1/2 lb. food 1 7-oz. can chipotles en adobo 1/2 medium white onion, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup dark beer (such as Negra Modelo) 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (from 1 medium lime) Fine sea salt 1 cup mayonnaise; more as needed In a blender, puree the chipotles and the adobo sauce until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. In the blender, puree the onion, beer, cilantro, lime juice, and a large pinch of salt. Transfer the mixture to a large nonreactive bowl. Fold in the mayonnaise and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the chipotle puree, to taste. (Refrigerate the remaining puree for another use; it will keep in an airtight container for at least 1 month.) Three-Mustard Bistro Marinade This marinade combines three favorite mustards with classic French ingredients: butter, white wine, and scallions. Honeycup is a brown sugar and spice mustard available nationally; if you can't find it, substitute a honey mustard. Use for steak, pork, lamb, chicken, fish (especially salmon), or vegetables (especially mushrooms and potatoes). Yields about 3 cups, enough to marinate 3 lb. food 1 8-oz. jar Dijon mustard 1/2 cup grainy mustard 1/4 cup Honeycup mustard 1 cup white wine 4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 4 or 5 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts chopped Fine sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon, grainy mustard, Honeycup mustard, and white wine. Melt the butter in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the mustard mixture, scallions, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and heat, whisking, until the sauce has emulsified. Cool completely before using. Red Wine and Coffee Marinade The wonderful thing about this marinade is that you're likely to have most of the ingredients on hand. It doesn't contain added salt, so remember to salt your food just before grilling. This marinade is especially good for steak or pork. Yields about 2-1/2 cups, enough to marinate 2-/2 lb. food 1 cup brewed espresso or very strong black coffee, at room temperature 1 cup full-flavored red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, or Zinfandel 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 medium cloves garlic, grated on a rasp grater 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 1-1/2 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon Coarsely ground black pepper In a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk the coffee, wine, olive oil, garlic, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, and 2 tsp. pepper until well blended.

I have the urge to make flank steak. I never have, and honestly have never seen it in my grocery stores. I'm going to be looking for it specifically and try it on my cast-iron grill. Grilled Marinated Flank Steak 2 lb flank steak 1/3 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper Score the meat across the grain. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak in ziploc bag, pour marinade over, coating the steak well. Chill and marinade at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Oil the grill and heat over high heat. Remove steak from marinade and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides, which will help form a savoury crust. Grill 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove and cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes. Slice very thinly in diagonal slices across the grain. If you like, you can bring the marinade to a boil and simmer for several minutes and serve alongside.