Lemon Upside Down Cake

One of my favorite cakes is the pineapple upside down cake. Oh man.It's got a delicious fluffy cake layer with that caramelized sugar and pineapple on the bottom, so that when you flip it over, all that goodness sits right on top, making such a beautiful and delicious summer dessert.Well, after Wonderfully Seedless Lemons sent me some of their seedless lemons to try, I knew I needed to make the next best thing - Seedless Lemon Upside Down Cake. If you can't find seedless lemons, you can always remove the seeds yourself.This is sure to be a new lemon dessert for your summer dessert table during these warm months.

Lemon Upside Down Cake

Upside-down layer:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ½ cup (plus 2 tablespoons sugar)
• 2 large unwaxed lemons (ends trimmed, then halved, seeded, and sliced ⅛ inch thick)

Cake:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar

1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and thickened a little. Pour the melted butter and sugar into the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer to cover the bottom. Place the cake pan in the freezer until the butter and sugar layer freezes; leave the pan in the freezer until you are ready to transfer the batter to the pan.
3. In a small bowl, gently toss the lemon slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Leave the lemon slices in the sugar to macerate for 10 minutes.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the eggs with the olive oil in another large bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk until well combined. Add the yogurt and sugar. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet mixture in three additions, folding in each addition until no dry bits of flour remain. Set aside.
5. Fan the lemon slices out to cover the melted butter and sugar in the cake pan, overlapping the slices by as much as 1⁄8 inch. Pour the cake batter directly on top of the lemon slices.
6. Bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the parchment-paper lining. Allow the cake to cool for 1 hour more before serving

More Dessert Recipes You'll Love:

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan PieStrawberry TrifleSweet, Sweet Summertime Blueberry Cookies If you'd like to see more recipes like this, SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel!

S'more Cones

Hello, my name is Stacy and I’m a chocaholic.

This is not something I’m proud of necessarily, but hey, it’s who I am! I love any form of chocolate I can get – except for that disgusting stuff they try to pull off as real chocolate – “white chocolate”. Yuck.So naturally, any recipe that has chocolate in it is okay in my book. Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, tarts, cannolis, and even cocoa powder used as a seasoning for steak – I’ll try it all. But the best way to use chocolate?S’mores.

S’mores have a bit of nostalgia attached to them, don’t they? You can probably remember the first time you had one, or maybe a camping trip where you set many a marshmallow ablaze over an open campfire. But while simple in nature, there are many different ways to enjoy a s'more.The one I’m going to show you today is a less mess version of that roasted marshmallow classic. In this recipe for s’mores cones, waffle cones are stuffed full with chocolate pieces and marshmallows, wrapped in aluminum foil, and put in a heat source.Now, I say “heat source” because these have been known to have been made in an oven, on a grill, and even over a campfire with a stick protruding out of them. Think of them as the fancier cousin of the traditional s’more.In theses s’more cones, you get all the delicious flavors of a traditional cone – but in a neat, compact package. They’re perfect for backyard barbecues, family movie nights, while camping under the stars, or when you just need a sweet treat on a weekday evening.What I also like about this recipe is that you can use any different type of chocolate that you have – Hershey bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, snickers, etc. You can even add peanut butter to the inside of the cone to make it even heartier of a dessert.Ready to try them for yourself? Let’s get to it!

S’mores Cone Recipe

In this recipe for s’mores cones, waffle cones are stuffed full with chocolate pieces and marshmallows, wrapped in aluminum foil, and put in a heat source.

• Waffle cones
• Mini marshmallows
• Your favorite type of chocolate

1. Fill the waffle cone with mini marshmallows and chocolate pieces.
2. Wrap in aluminum foil.
3. Place on a grill and cover for 2 minutes, flip at the 1 minute mark.
4. Remove with tongs and let cool.
5. Unwrap foil and remove cone.

If making on a campfire, wrap the end of a s'mores stick in with the cone with foil. Rotate in the fire for a couple minutes.

If making in an oven, turn your oven onto 400 degrees and place the foil-wrapped cones on a baking sheet. Allow to cook for 1 minute and then flip the cones to the other side and cook for another minute.

Dessert, Snack

American

camping, chocolate, christmas dessert, marshmallow, smore, smores

More Summertime Recipes You’ll Love

Candied Bacon Deviled EggsColorful Pasta SaladFresh Dewberry Cobbler If you’d like to see more family fun ideas like this, subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

Weekend warrior? Looking for a weekend getaway? How about just a little rest and relaxation for a few days?The JW Marriott San Antonio has something for every type of vacation – couples getaways, family retreats, and solo expeditions. You’re going to love this place!

Accommodations

The rooms here are spectacular. They have everything from rooms with 2 double beds to private suites. They have rooms with balconies and some that walk out to direct access to the pool. Check out their availability here.

Amenities

Indoor lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will all love the activities this resort has to offer!

Water Activities

Whether you’re looking for high adventure or just lounging by the pool, the JW Marriott in San Antonio has it all! First, there’s the River Bluff Experience that features a lazy river and pool. Then there’s the children’s play area and if you’re looking for a place a little more quiet, there’s an adults only overlook infinity pool as well.

Spa

Ready for a little relaxation? There’s no better place to luxuriate than the Lantana spa. Get any treatment you like – such as a pedicure, facial, and massage. If you’re trying to stay in shape, they also have a full gym complete with Peleton bikes and fitness classes available. They also have tennis and basketball courts available.

Golf

If you’re an avid golfer, this golf course (or should I say courses since there’s two) is stunning. It’s won numerous awards and is only open to JW Marriott guests and members. If you need a little help with your backswing, private lessons are available as well.

Nature Trails

You know I love getting outside any chance I can, so we had to hit the trails. Right outside of the hotel are 3 different trails – none longer than a mile, so it was a great way to start the day with a leisurely stroll and little exercise.

Activities for Kids

Since it rained the one full day we had at the resort, I thought for sure the kids we saw around the resort would be bored out of their minds – but they weren’t! Not only does the resort have an arcade, but they also have family friendly activities planned for every day of the week. There was an animal exhibition, slime making, birdhouse painting, inner tube decorating, and s'mores made by the fire. So many fun things to do!

Restaurants

With several restaurants on property, you can find whatever you’re in the mood to eat – from a simple cup of coffee to a perfectly cooked steak.

Cibolo Moon

This casual dining restaurant  features Tex-Mex favorites and a tequila bar. They even have 3 private dining spaces – all named after different kinds of tequila – Anejo, Reposado, and Blanco. They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.

Rivertop Grill

If you’re out by the water activities, no need to come inside! This poolside bar and grill features sandwiches, hamburgers, chips and salsa, and cold margaritas.

Starbucks

If you need your morning jolt of coffee, there’s a Starbucks located conveniently on property.

High Velocity

If you like the energy of sports bars, High Velocity will be just your speed. They have a great food selection, craft cocktails, and a vibrant 120 foot long HD video wall. Here, you'll find your traditional bar food - burgers, wings, loaded fries, etc.

Crooked Branch

This whiskey bar is a great place to have nightcap and wind down from the day’s festivities. It's in the middle of the downstairs common area, so it's a nice spot to grab a drink, sit by the fireplace, and unwind.

18 Oaks

Did somebody say steak? This upscale steakhouse was the perfect birthday dinner spot for us. If you’re a foodie, you’ll love this fine dining experience overlooking the golf course’s 18^th hole. Be sure to make a reservation before you arrive on property!Curious to find out more about the property? Enter your possible vacation dates in the search bar below to get started!Booking.comIf you’d like to see more travel tips like this, subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

Spicy Grilled Pineapple

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Meal Planning

Lately I've been really trying to plan out what we're going to have for dinner in advance. On one day a week - usually Sundays, I plan out what we're going to have for dinner the rest of the week. I take into account what activities we have that day and how much time I actually have to spend in the kitchen. At the same time, I write out the grocery list and make sure I have all of the seasonings I need. I like using my HEB app on my phone to make my grocery list because it puts every item on the list categorized by aisle number, so I'm not going to be criss-crossing across the store. I'm not sure if other grocery stores have that, but that's where I shop and it's a huge plus for me that the app has that feature!

Here's what last week's menu looked like:

Last Week's Menu

Sunday - Chicken Enchiladas, Rice, and Charro BeansMonday - Spaghetti & Garlic BreadTuesday - Fish TacosWednesday - Chicken & DumplingsThursday - Texas HashFriday - Chicken FettuccineSaturday: King Ranch Casserole

If you're interested, I got the recipe for the chicken enchiladas, chicken and dumplings, chicken fettuccine, and king ranch casserole all from the Magnolia Table cookbook and can vouch that they're all amazing and were gobbled up. (and now there's a second one coming out? I need it!)

Taco Tuesday

So on Tuesday, tacos were on the menu and I thought, why not add a pineapple relish on top? So I bought a fresh pineapple along with the rest of my groceries. I like prepping my ingredients all at once, so while I was coring the pineapple, I thought, why not grill it? Flavors of fruits are always so much more enhanced when they're grilled, so why not grill it before I chop it and add it to my tacos? So I marinated the pineapple and got it ready for the next day - Taco Tuesday.After marinating overnight, the pineapple chunks went on the grill. Y'all, the smell of that sweet pineapple hitting the grill was like Heaven to my nose. Holy moly! I knew as soon as I smelled it that I was going to have to try a bite as soon as I was done grilling it.

We have a situation on our hands.

The pineapple came off the grill and I took a bite. At first, it was that familiar, sweet taste of pineapple, but then the cayenne kicked in just at the end, giving it just the right amount of heat. So good. Like, so so good. I called for my husband to come over and try a bite and soon it was all gone. We devoured that whole dang pineapple before it ever even touched a taco. Now, even as I write this, my mouth is watering for me to make it again. And I will very soon - you can bet on that!So I guess the right thing for me to do now is to give you the recipe, huh? If I must....but don't say I didn't warn you when I say that this pineapple doesn't last off the grill long!

Uses for Grilled Pineapple

You could easily make this spicy grilled pineapple in slices to put on a teriyaki burger, in chunks to serve alone as an appetizer, paired with vanilla ice cream for dessert, or (if you can restrain yourself better than I can) as a pineapple slaw to top your tacos. Or how about a refreshing pineapple margarita? Now that I think about it, the possibilities are endless when it comes to this grilled pineapple recipe! Maybe I should find a support group...

Spicy Grilled Pineapple

Sweet and juicy pineapple has a little kick of heat for the perfect summer treat.

• 1 pineapple (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine the honey, butter, cayenne pepper and salt in a resealable plastic bag.

   

2. Place the pineapple in the bag, seal it, and toss it to coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight)

3. Grill pineapple for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until heated through and grill marks appear.

   

Snack

American

grill, grilled pineapple, pineapple, pineapples, snack

Products Used

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