Cafe Beaujolais Coffee Cake

If you know me, then you know that I absolutely love coffee cake. It's the perfect morning pick-me-up and it is fantastic with a piping hot cup of coffee or hot cocoa. I have about 15 different coffee cake recipes in my repertoire and the Cafe Beaujolais Coffee Cake was something I've been wanting to make for a while. Cafe Beaujolais is a quaint restaurant in Mendocino, California with a reputation of having one of the best coffee cakes around. I've never been to Medocino or tried anything off the Cafe Beaujolais menu...but if the other items on their menu are as good as this coffee cake...then it's at the very top of my "Places to Eat" list for California!!

Cafe Beaujolais Coffee Cake 

(Source: LA Times)

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup sliced almonds   ( I used chopped walnuts)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

Mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and ginger. Blend in oil until smooth. Remove 3/4 cup mixture and combine with almonds and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix and set aside.To remaining flour mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, egg and buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Pour into buttered 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle reserved nut mixture evenly over surface of batter. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes. Place pan on wire rack to cool. Cut into squares to serve. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm not sure if everyone is excited as I am for SPRING to arrive!! I'm tired of the cold, dreary, slushy days of winter. That said, I know I only have a few more weeks of soup weather left, so I decided to take full advantage of it this weekend. 

One of my favorite soup of all time is Chicken Tortilla Soup. If I see it anywhere on a menu, it's the soup  I'm bound to get. I've tried making this soup at home using a variety of recipes, but most failed to impress me...that is until a few days ago. I was looking for new recipes for my slow cooker, and came across this one on All Recipes. The reviews were amazing so I knew it was a must try! Plus, you just throw everything together in the slow cooker! It smells aaamazing in the house while it's cooking away, and I think it tastes better than some of the soups served at restaurants! It's definitely a keeper :o) 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

(Source: All Recipes)

1 pound shredded, cooked, chicken   (I used shredded rotisserie chicken meat)

1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed   (I used petite diced tomatoes)

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.