Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I think my mom is the coolest woman on my side of the Earth so it's great that I got to dedicate a day to her. I don't know if you subscribe to the idea of "love languages", but she definitely likes to be shown love rather than to be told or showered in gifts. So I spent the whole day cooking a fabulous 3 course dinner for our family!

 

 The crab cakes are one of my favorite things I have EVER made! Cranberries and crab are a perfect match. Check out the recipe below.

 I feel like cake is much more elegant than cupcakes, but as our family isn't heavy on the sweets I knew a whole cake would go to waste. Instead I made individual mini cakes and I think they turned out so cute. Anyway when it comes to dessert, who likes to share?

I used the Jimmy Buffet recipe (now changed to "Cupcake in Paradise" so I don't get a call from his lawyers) but made a few changes, which are now reflected on the recipe page. I used cream of coconut rather than coconut milk so that the coconut flavor would come through stronger. I just love coconut.

Dinner was a hit and I made my mama happy, so now I don't feel so bad about asking her to buy me new shoes for my prom dress. I love you mama!

Cranberry Tarragon Crab Cakes:

 

* 1/2 c light mayonnaise * 1/4 c dried cranberries * 1 1/2 t tarragon * 1/4 t black pepper * 1/4 t salt * 4 T butter, divided * 1/2 c finely chopped celery * 1/4 c finely chopped onion * 1 pound lump crabmeat (use the real stuff, it makes a difference) * 1 c Stove Top savory stuffing * 1 egg, lightly beaten * Lemon zest

 1. Mix mayo, cranberries, tarragon, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.2. Melt 1 T butter in a nonstick skillet, add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 min or until tender. Cool slightly.3. Gently mix crab meat and breading in a large bowl. Add egg, mayo, and celery mixtures; toss to coat well. 4. Shape into 6 large cakes or 14 small cakes. Refrigerate 15 minutes - overnight.5. Melt remaining 3 T butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add crab cakes; cook about 6 min or until golden brown, turning once. Be careful not to break the cake when you flip them. You can make this lighter by using vegetable oil or cooking spray instead of butter, but it was a holiday so I wanted everything to taste extra special. Another tip is to use real crab meat. It's a little bit of a splurge but so much better than imitation