Tag Archives: brownie

Around Accra: Coco Lounge

My birthday was October 4 and David’s was November 4. Since we weren’t together for either one of them, we decided we’d celebrate both birthdays together on December 4. As I cruised around the internet and Trip Advisor, I decided that Coco Lounge looked like a good place to go.

our-birthday-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

We arrived right on time even though I’m pretty sure the last kilometer of the drive took us 25 minutes. The traffic in Accra is unlike any I’ve ever seen before and 6:00 p.m. is a pretty busy time of day.

menu-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

We decided to order a cocktail and some chips while we decided on what to eat. David decided on a Heineken, the only beer they have on draft. I looked at the wine selection and was going to go with a glass of red wine until David discovered they have Beefeater Gin. Well! Since that’s my favorite, I ordered a dry Beefeater Martini up with olives.

drinks-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

This part of our visit, the martini part, was the only part of our visit that was less than perfect. We saw they had drawn his beer but it appeared that they were stumped on how to make the martini. David said that I shouldn’t get my hopes up too high since they seemed to be having trouble. Our server finally delivered David’s beer and a perfect Beefeater martini for me. It was really good!

We ordered a second round of drinks while placing our dinner order. The second martini was not good. I’m not sure what was wrong with it but my guess is that they didn’t use the right gin. I took it back and she came back with a second martini. It wasn’t quite as good as the first but it was Beefeater and it was good. 

For dinner, David ordered spicy beef and rice stir fry which came in a bowl. It looked good and he confirmed that it was very good. I decided on the Coco Burger with additional cheese. If you know me, you’ll know that I’m on the endless search for the best burger in the world and a burger will be my first choice at any restaurant that serves one. This burger was delish! The cheese that was added was a nice thick chunk of cheddar. The fries were also good and I’m pretty picky about my fries. 

burger-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

We decided we’d split a piece of cake and the cake on the dessert menu was one of the big factors in my selection of this restaurant since we were celebrating birthdays. The three choices of cake (banana, sticky toffee, and raspberry vanilla) didn’t compare to the idea of a brownie with ice cream on top which is what we ended up with along with coffee. It was a very satisfying end to our meal!

brownie-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

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We got really good service and I love the decor and the vibe at Coco Lounge. I was also able to make my reservation via Facebook messenger before I ever even left Oklahoma! We will for sure return to try more of the menu items and help them to perfect their dry Beefeater martini. 😉

decor-coco-lounge-accra-ghana

It was a great place to celebrate our birthdays!

Krispie Brownies, Yum

This weekend was a fun one. I went to visit my mini-me, Lyndzee. I was going to teach her how to cook some easy dinners and then she and her new husband were going to have a gender reveal party to tell everyone the sex of their baby that will be born in November.

Lauri & Lyndzee

I like to cook but sometimes I get really busy and run out of time. We try and eat a healthy paleo diet much of the time.

I asked Lyndzee if she had a George Foreman grill and she didn’t. We use the GF Grill at a minimum of five nights a week and often for lunch. Honestly, I can’t imagine how I would get along without my GF Grill. I brought one for Lyndzee so she will be able to see how fast and easy she can make dinner.

Most nights, I told her, I put the potatoes in the microwave when the GF Grill is heating up. Then, when the potatoes are done, put the meat on the grill and veggies in the microwave and, voila!, dinner in 15 minutes. There’s enough time to chop up an easy salad, too.

I taught her how to make spaghetti squash and meat sauce, a dish that both of us love. Mr. Lyndzee took a tiny portion to be sure he liked it.

Spaghetti Squash

And his review was two thumbs down. Oh well.

Although I was cooking healthy, Lyndzee is pregnant and she wanted treats so I brought a terrific dessert that I love but hadn’t made in years, Krispie Brownies. They are easy and so delicious.

They are so good, that Lyndzee wanted to eat a piece this big:

brownies

Here is the recipe so you can make your own awesome Krispie Brownies.

1 pkg fudge brownie mix, family size
1 (10 1/2 oz) pkg mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c creamy peanut butter
1 T butter
1 1/2 c Rice Krispies

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 13×9 in baking pan. Prepare and bake brownies according to pkg directions for original recipe. Remove from oven. Sprinkle marshmallows on hot brownies. Return to oven. Bake 3 more minutes. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in medium saucepan, cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Add cereal, mix well. Spread mixture over marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into bars. Makes about 24 bars or one uber large brownie. 😉

The next day was gender reveal day and

cupcake

It’s a GIRL!

We are so excited to welcome this little girl when she arrives in November. I hope she will be an extra-mini-me. 🙂