Bess Eaton is Back

I don't know why I am so excited about a coffee shop reopening especially since I'm over 1000 miles from the nearest location but I am. I loved Bess Eaton growing up. I remember stopping with my mom anytime we went for a walk downtown, buying an XL Iced Coffee before Choir Practice or just even grabbing a cup with friends on whatever adventure awaited us. When I learned today that it was coming back I squealed with joy and told my husband that once I tracked down a number I'd be ordering a case full of coffee and no I'm not joking lol. The Day Bess Eaton closed was a sad time indeed. It had been a staple so long many of us were heartbroken to see it go. I've traveled many places and had many cups of coffee but through it all Bess Eaton remained my favorite.

If your curious or want to know more you can read about Bess Eaton here and if you live in RI or Southern Connecticut stop by for a cup. You won't be sorry I promise.

Egg Replacements

I found myself out of eggs and in need of a substitution for one. So of course I went to my trusty source the internet looking for something that would work. I knew of a few my mother always used and could have easily substituted with one of those but found myself finding more and more until I had a nice little list of viable options for substituting an egg in a recipe. It should be noted that you shouldn't replace more then 2 eggs in a recipe. I'm not sure why but it seem the general consensus from everything I've read about egg replacement.

1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp baking powder + 1 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water or milk + 2 Tbsp flour + 1/2 Tbsp shortening + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water for each missing egg
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
2 Tbsp potato starch
1 Tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water (mix well & allow to solidify a bit before using)
1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 of a medium mashed banana + 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp applesauce
3 Tbsp mayonnaise

I hope this helps the next time you find yourself missing an egg.

Leftover Creations

Sometimes I don't know what to make for dinner. I know it's a shock but even I get in a rut where I can't think of something to make. Last night was one of those times with the kids having already been fed I only had to make something for the hubby and I. I spent the better half on an hour trying to decide what I could make when I came across some leftover boneless pork spareribs in the freezer that only had 4 in the freezer bag. I took them out and began working on what to do with them. I could of bbq'ed them but was looking for something else since I just didn't have the time to properly bbq the meat to my standards. All I knew was it was 6 pm and I was hungry. After rummaging through the pantry I came up with something to make finally and I'm glad I did. The recipe was super simple and the taste was great. It took 30 minutes total from prep to the table. Not bad all in all for a thrown together leftover creation.

Pork Spareribs in Mushroom sauce
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4 Boneless Pork Spareribs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 slices mozarella cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 mushroom sliced thinly of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

*I served over white rice but if you prefer something else by all means make that.

Start by parboiling the spareribs. I cooked them 10 minutes at a rolling boil while my oven pre-heated @ 350F degrees. Once done boiling remove carefully from pan and slice into chunks. *I rinsed the pan and started rice which takes 20 minutes to cook.
Put meat into a small pan and top with cream of mushroom soup,milk and mushrooms. Stir together until everything is coated and cover the pan with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Mozarella slices and pop back into oven while plating rice. The cheese should melt in just a minute or two. Serve mixture over rice and that it's your done. A simple easy dinner from freezer to table in 30 minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

While surfing around online I found a fabulous recipe for Chocolate Pie from Chef Jason Hill. His mimics a Chocolate pie sold on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii but is of course made at home. I thought the recipe was super simple and fabulous because it combines two of my favorite things Coconut and Chocolate! I have always had pie crust issues no matter how hard I try it's never as good as moms. So I used pre-made pie crusts. Feel free to make one if you want. Oh and did I mention this is a no oven bake pie. The original recipe has been tweaked slightly to suit my tastes.

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie
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1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
14 oz Coconut Milk
7 oz Semi-Sweet baking Chocolate
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Pre-Baked Flaky Pie Crust 10-inch
1 Cup Toasted Coconut *optional


In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup cornstarch into 1 cup of water and let it dissolve. This is your cornstarch slurry, which will thicken the coconut milk.

Over medium heat, bring 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup of sugar and 14 ounces of coconut milk to a boil. Reduce the heat on the milk to a simmer and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Now, stir continuously until it thickens up.

In a saucepan, melt 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate over low heat. I prefer doing this using a double boiler method rather then just melting in the pan itself. Remove from heat and stir in half of the coconut mixture.

Top baked crust with the chocolate pie filling, then top with the reserved coconut custard. Refrigerate this for one hour.

Now it's time to make the whipped topping. Beat together 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, with 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Now, just layer the whipped cream on the chocolate pie, top it with fresh shaved chocolate shavings, toasted coconut that's it and your done!