Happy Holidays (see you back here on 12/30)!

In the meantime...

Feel free to catch up on some oldies, but goodies!

A Yum in my Tum Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake Recipe!

Apparently, my website is turning into a regular food blog!  What can I say; I’ve been enjoying baking and food photography quite a bit.  Don’t worry, I don’t plan on making the switch to a food blog; I enjoy writing about an assortment of topics too much to make a switch.  Besides, I don’t always have the time to cook something new every day.  I don’t know how these food bloggers do it (God bless ‘em)!  Although, with the holidays quickly approaching, I thought what better time than now to start baking!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

All I have to say is “Martha Stewart has nothing on me!”  I’ve got the baking bug, if there is such a thing.  And not only baking, but crafting as well!  I have some great crafts, freebies, and more recipes to share with you  over the next few weeks so be sure to check in with me.

I actually made this Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake last month.  Yep, you guessed it, another Taste of Home recipe from their special collectors edition!  I was hoping to share it before Thanksgiving, but never had the chance to draft the post.  Of course, it still comes to you at a great time before Christmas and all.  Not only is it a wonderful dessert to serve up for the holidays, but a crowd pleaser as well!  Isn’t it pretty?  I almost didn’t want to slice into it. 

The Best Frosted Banana Bar Recipe

Okay, I know I’m guilty of saying this before, but this recipe is to die for!  Not only are these banana bars delicious on their own, but the frosting, which I could eat by itself that’s how yummy it is, is seriously AMAZING!  It’s better than any frosting I’ve ever tasted.  And that’s including the very expensive birthday cake we purchased for Alivia’s 3rd birthday this past August which was also extremely delicious and, did I mention, from a very renowned bakery?

Yes, it’s another Taste of Home recipe, but this time from an old June/July 2000 copy thanks to my mom.  She raved about these bars while digging it out from her bin full of archived recipes.  Sure enough, it was tagged with a blue post-it note.  When I opened the magazine and saw the image, that was it; I was sold! 

Easy peasy cookie cupcakes!

About 2 months ago, I made a promise to myself I would start cooking more often.  Initially, I had intended to make more dinners.  I never imagined, in a million years, I would have the time or courage to start baking as well!  Over the past few weeks, I've baked a number of yummy desserts including Banana Coconut Muffins, Peppermint Biscotti with Chocolate Drizzle, Coffee Cake Cheesecake (post still to come) and, most recently, Cookie Cupcakes! 

Peppermint Biscotti with Chocolate Drizzle

Last weekend I picked up a special collector’s edition of Taste of Home magazine in BJ’s and was immediately sold!  It didn’t matter if they were offering 20% off.  I would have paid double as long as I didn’t have to put it down.  The food images had my mouth watering and I was inspired to bake for myself the family that very evening! 

I flipped through the entire magazine and tagged my favorites.  Everything from Cranberry Rugalach, Blueberry Banana Bread, and Cheesy Sun Crisps to Apricot Coconut Bars and Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (which I also made)!  After skimming each recipe, I settled on Peppermint Biscotti.  The hubby and I are big fans of mint anything, so it was the perfect choice.

Pumpkin apple pecan waffles!

 

Living in the Dominican Republic has many summertime perks. We don't do summertime sadness here because, well, it's always summer. You can go to the beach in the middle of January and not freeze your patoots off. It's a nice change for this January baby to be able to plan a birthday that will not be cancelled due to the looming and fast approaching winter snowstorm of the century. Buuuuut, with an eternal summer comes an extinct autumn. I've got that autumn-time sadness. So because the Dominican Republic won't give me fall, I've got to go get her. This past weekend, for our family breakfasts, I decided to make pumpkin apple pecan waffles. We purchased a waffle maker from another abroad teacher moving to Bangladesh, so I was super thrilled to use our new to us waffle maker for my fall recipe.

Easy Banana Coconut Mini Muffins and Giveaway!

I don’t know what it is about me, but I could never pass up a banana muffin, bread, cake, etc.  Banana anything really!  With my mom always making banana bread growing up, I was sort of doomed from the start.  I guess the banana and I were meant to be!  And the apple, or should I say banana, didn’t fall far from the tree as it pertains to my little one, Aliva.  Like her mama, she loves bananas as well!  She must have gobbled up 2 banana coconut mini muffins in a matter of 10 minutes!  Just to give you an idea, it takes her a good 45 minutes, or so, to eat lunch.

A Pasta Recipe for your Picky Eater(s)!

Do you have a picky eater in the house?  If so, I’m assuming they are somewhere between the ages of 3 and 8?  I have a 3 year old and she has been quite picky in the past to say the least.  Just when I thought I was understanding her taste, it would change drastically.  First she was interested in tasty foods with lots of spices, then it was bland foods like a piece of white wonder bread or plain chicken.  Today, I am happy to report she is more open minded and will eat a variety of foods with only a little coaxing!  If you can believe it, I’ve been feeding her foods like cereal, scrambled eggs, or French toast for breakfast, salami and bread or chicken nuggets for lunch, and pork tenderloin, lamb chops (her favorite), steak, chicken cutlets, sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn on the cob, or spaghetti for dinner. 

For those of you that are still dealing with a picky eater, more importantly one that would prefer more bland than tasty foods, I’d recommend my linguini dish.  Of course, it doesn’t have to be made with linguini.  Any pasta would do.  It’s a simple recipe with only few ingredients. 

Cheesy Chicken and Rice!

Hey everyone! Hope your weekend was fantastic!  I’ve got some wonderful Guest Bloggers lined up for you this week and:

So don’t forget to come back for your chance to win $100!

Julia is a busy mom of twins, a wife, and an accountant. In her "spare" time, she scrapbooks, makes cards, designs jewelry, and sneaks naps. She blogs about life, scrapbooking, card making, blogging, crafts, recipes, reviews, giveaways, social good, and anything else that makes her laugh. A Global Team of 200 moms and a Shot@LIfe Champion, she has written for US Aid, Feed the Future, Sverve, and other websites. You can join her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest.    

Easy to make Candied Teriyaki Chicken Wings!

Do you guys like chicken wings?  I sure hope so because I’ve got the best chicken wing recipe for you today!  And although it’s a cavity waiting to happen (you’ll see why), on the flip side it’s easy, quick, and finger lickin’ good!  These wings have always been a BIG hit at any event!  The trick, of course, is to cook them long enough so that the meat falls off the bone.  My hand written recipe is titled “Mom’s Chicken Wings” so I’m assuming it is in fact my moms, but I swear the first time I tried these was at my brother’s house when his ex wife made them years and years ago.  I actually mentioned this to my mom and it seemed like she wasn’t sure herself that’s why I don’t feel bad telling you all.  Of course, whatever the case may be, one thing I know for sure is that they are in a word “AWESOME”!  Oh, and addicting too!  Definitely addicting!

If you can believe it, we’ve gone through the years calling them “Mom’s Chicken Wings” but if you ask me, that doesn’t really describe them very well!  So today I name them!

Classic Pizzelles (a recipe you’re sure to love)!

In case you are unfamiliar with the name, they are Italian waffle cookies you make with a Pizzelle baker and they are absolutely delicious!  They can be made with either anise, vanilla, and even cocoa.  Our family prefers vanilla and there’s no one better at making them than my mom!  As I’m drafting this post, I’m asking my mom for tips.  Without hesitance, she answers “be sure to use Land O Lakes margarine”!  Other margarines apparently don’t measure up and the cookies will not come out nearly as good.  Another tip is to make sure the margarine is cooled before adding it to the mixture (as I’m typing this, my mom is saying “make sure you bold the word cooled under the directions”)!  Okay mom, will do!  I’ll even put it in CAPS just for you!  I got to make mom happy otherwise I won’t get any cookies.

Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Hey there!  Guess what?  Yep, I’m still on my bloggy break!  Go me!  Don’t worry though; I have you covered!  I’ve got another great Guest Blogger for you today and something tells me you are really going to like this post!  I think the post title says it all!  Who doesn’t love ice cream especially in the hot and humid Summer months?  When I first saw the pictures, my mouth immediately began to water!  Although it was tough, I managed not to drool all over my key board.  I’ll give myself a little pat on the back for that!  Now let’s see if you can do it!

Oh and if you missed yesterday’s post, Propagating Basil is Easy by Marci, don’t forget to check it out!

Dijon maple chicken anyone?

Can I get a “HELL YEAH”?

I have a little something different for you today.  I recently made a chicken recipe for the family this past week and it came out great!  After searching my Pinterest boards for the pin, I realized that apparently it didn’t come from there.  And the sad thing is, I have no idea of the source to give credit.  From my print out, however, it does read:

“I adapted this recipe from The I heart Trader Joe’s Cookbook”.  So, I guess that’s a little something.  Of course I don’t know who the original poster was.  It’s way too good not to share though, so here it is:

The Missing Link – Week 21

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious"? Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious”. I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

The Missing Link – Week 20

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious"? Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious”. I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Did someone say “food”?

I guess it’s a recipe kind of week!  This will be my second recipe guest post for the week!  Who doesn’t love food, though, right?  Skye, from First Time Mama – First Time Blogger is sharing some of her favorites below and boy do they sound delicious!  Incase you are not familiar with the lovely Skye, here is a quick recap:

- Wonderful Mama to the beautiful and adorable Julianna.
- Posts unbelievably cute photos of her little one.
- Photography lover and learner.
- Blogs about everyday life and experiences.

And, sorry to all the Bostonians out there, this mama is a Yankees fan!  Yeah I’m sneaky, I got this little tid bit of information from her About Me page.  You go Skye!

Okay, okay, onto Skye’s post!

Crock Pot Chicken

Oh boy, do I have a surprise for you.  Well not really a surprise since I made mention of the lovely Kyna over at Great Expectations in last Friday’s post.  The recipe, however, that Kyna is sharing today IS certainly a surprise.  That’s right, I can keep secrets! 

So have you guys met Kyna?  I just love her blog header.  Nothing better than chubby legs and with legwarmers no less!  Kyna is an aspiring photographer and blogs about everything from everyday happenings & personal experiences to yummy recipes (like the one below).  Did I mention that she usually throws in a couple adorable shots of Ellie (her daughter), or mouth watering foods like Crock Pot Chicken?  Try not to drool on your keyboard!  Okay, enough of my ravings.  I’ll let you see for yourself!

 

 

Hello all of you lovely Cropped Stories readers! My name is Kyna, and I blog over at great expectations.