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I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake and a #MadMenBlogParty

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Hey, remember that time I wanted to dye my hair like Joan from Mad Men? And it ending up being a total flop!!!

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Ooph, Christina Hendricks can rock the red hair, me- not so much. I just never could achieve the right kinda of red. Plus, I really don’t have the right coloring for it. I liked this red, but then it would fade so quickly while staining all our white washcloths, towels, and pillowcases. Then I played around with it myself and it got bright red. And then gave up and decided that I wasn’t Joan and had to just live with it. ha!

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The final season of Mad Men is starting this Sunday night and I am not excited about it. No, that’s wrong. I am really excited it is starting back up, but I am not excited that it is the final season. I’m so torn!! I already am dealing with the fact that Cougar Town had its series finale on Tuesday. At least we got to have fun with my Penny can and drink wine!

I love when I get to incorporate food into something, like when I did all my NASCAR related “Sprint Cup Snacks” posts and created recipes based upon where they were racing each week. So when this #MadMenBlogParty popped up I was really excited because it would mean I’d get to whip up something all vintage-y.

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To me a Pineapple Upside Down Cake would be a dessert that Betty Draper would whip up for a dinner party. And then Betty Francis would actually eat. ha!

Typically Pineapple Down Cakes are made in cast iron skillets, but I didn’t have a cast iron skillet large enough for the cake so I just used a 9″ round cake pan. I adjusted the process of melted the butter in the skillet to just melting it and then pouring it in the pan. I think it worked out really well.

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It looked beautiful. I loved the geometry of it. Plus, the red cherries in the center of the pineapple rings where so lovely. A nice pop of color in it.

So enjoy Sunday’s episode and the rest of the season! I know it will be amazing. It will be hard to say good bye to it once it wraps up, but at least it was a great run. Oh man, the fashion, the drinks, the story-lines. And Don Draper. Yum.

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Plus, what’s Mad Men viewing without some drinking so check out this drinking game. Not drinking? No worries, I’m not either now while doing Whole30, so just play with Mad Men bingo!

No matter what, enter this fun giveaway and be sure to check out Tom and Lorenzo’s episode and fashion recaps on Monday morning. I can’t wait!

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In the mean time…

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Join us for a #‎MadMenBlogParty‬!

Cocktails

Appetizers

Desserts

MAD MEN BLOG PARTY GIVEAWAY

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win an adorable vintage 4.5 qt Pyrex mixing bowl (valued at $30)! Fancy martini glass! $100 giftcard from Modcloth! YES PLEASE!!!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Makes a 9″ cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 Cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 Cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 Cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 Cup butter (1/2 stick)
  • 1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 20-ounce can pineapple slices 
  • 7 maraschino cherries
  • 1/3 Cup chopped pecans

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the oil and milk to the bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add the vanilla, egg, lime rind, and lime juice, blending just until well combined.
  4. Melt the butter and pour into the bottom of your 9″ round baking pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar around the bottom of the pan.
  5. Arrange the pineapple slices on the brown sugar. Place 1 cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and then sprinkle the pecans on the pineapple slices. Pour the batter evenly over the top and bake for 45 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a circular platter.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

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Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies

Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies

Autumn is just beginning to laugh. EEEEEEE!!!!

She has spent the past 2 months laughing like a mime. Just imagine watching some TV on mute when you see someone crack up with a huge smile. Yep, that is how she had been. But since last Thursday night she has given us a few giggles. It’s just the best thing ever. Makes us so happy whenever she does it.

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Until I can actually capture her laughing to share with you, I’ll make you happy with this recipe for Samoa Cookie Stuffed Brownies.

That’s right cookies inside brownies. And not just any cookies… Samoas!!

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I just love Samoas (aka Caramel Delights) so much so I’ve made cocktails to take like them and even just put them in a pie! Well, the next obvious step to me was that I had to put them in brownies. Obvi.

These are fun because it’s a treat to bite into them and discover a cookie inside the brownie!

Now don’t fret if you don’t have Girl Scout Cookies on hand, you can use Keebler’s Coconut Dreams. So you can enjoy these brownies whenever you want, not just in the spring time!

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Enjoy!

And please, winter won’t you go away soon? Like now! RIGHT NOW!!

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Hidden Samoa Cookie Brownies

Makes 20 brownies

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 20 Samoa Cookies

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by generously buttering/spraying with non-stick cooking spray the bottom and sides.
  2. In a large microwavable safe bowl, melt 8 ounces of the chocolate chips and the butter together, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and combined.
  3. Add the cocoa powder and sugar, mixing completely.
  4. Add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.
  5. Stir in the flour and salt to gently incorporate.
  6. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Then place 20 cookies into the batter in a 4×5 grid, then pour the rest of the batter on top. To help you cut later on put a tooth pick in the center of the few cookies to give you some guidance.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is clean upon removal. Do not over bake. Let cool prior to cutting into 20 pieces.

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