Crock Pot Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I haven't posted a recipe on my blog in long time. Not in fact since I posted my recipe for Polenta Style Corn Casserole back on April 26th, 2011, and for that I'm sorry. Not for the recipe, but for not posting any new ones for such a long time.

Anyway, my good friend Mike Moon was talking about how he made blueberry muffins on his BBQ because he didn't want to heat up his kitchen (In this weather I can sooooo understand that), and that got me to thinking of another baking recipe in my collection that won't heat up your kitchen.

CROCK POT PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

• 1 package of your favorite poundcake mix


• 1/4 cup butter


• 1/2 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)


• 15 oz canned pineapple chunks (reserve the juices)


• 8 maraschino cherries, halved

1. Mix the cake according to the mix directions, using some of the juice as part of the liquid


2. Melt the butter or margarine in a lightly greased (ie Pam) baking tin that is small enough to fit into your crockpot


3. Stir in the brown sugar and spread evenly over the bottom of the baking tin


4. Add the pineapple chunks and cherry halves (and if you want to get creative, try making a happy little face with them)


5. Poor in the cake batter and place the tin in your crockpot. Cover and set on high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours


6. Before removing, insert a knife in the center of the cake. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is done (that is assuming of course you used a clean knife to begin with)


7. When the cake is done, remove the tin from the crockpot and emediately invert onto a plate


8. "TAH-DAH". You've just made a pineapple upside down cake in something most people think can only make soups and stews.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. I just wish Nutrisystem had this as a menu option.

Bye-bye for now, and remember as always, 'Eat and Enjoy'.

My Minor Little Coup

I haven't talked about my investments in a long time, and there is a very good reason. Like most of the people who had money in "The Market", the last few years were a disaster, but I think I've rounded that corner, beginning my long, slow climb back up.

A few months ago, when it became clear to me that the politicians were starting to play a serious game of "I've Got Bigger Balls Than You" (aka "Chicken") with the United States' AAA credit rating, I slowly started selling off the bulk of my investments and got into a 100% cash position. Then I began to slowly take small bites out of the investment pie for lack of a better term. In a phrase, I did my research.

I wanted more diversification than I could get at the moment by buying my own stocks, I wanted to keep the expenses down, and I wanted the ability to get into and out of a position quickly if I had to. That meant ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds.

Keeping my eyes and ears open (Thank you CNBC TV and 740 AM radio), I started taking $100 bites out of 4 different stock ETFs and one bond ETF that concentrates on TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities).

Since I had built up my cash position to 100% of my portfolio, every time the market took a dive, I would set a limit order to buy a small number of shares in the 5 ETFs I chose, and then, after I bought, I set new limit orders to buy into each fund again when the price fell 1% or more below the previous price. This is called "Dollar Cost Averaging". That and keeping calm has served me well so far.

My total gains for the year, 16.4%.

I wonder if anyone would be interested in starting an investment club.