Endlessly Inspired's 1st Blogiversary and a $550 Amazon Giveaway

Who wants to win $550 to Amazon.com?! I do - but I can't win! But you can! Enter for a chance to win $550 in the Endlessly Inspired 1st Blogiversary Giveaway!





I'm teaming up with some great bloggers to celebrate Jenn's first blogiversary - and one of you gets the gift! If you haven't been over to Endlessly Inspired, you need to stop by! :)

Congratulations on one year, Jenn! Here's to making the second year even better!

I want to thank the women from these amazing blogs for co-hosting with me and making this giveaway possible! Be sure to visit them and give them some love! {You can also click on their picture above to be taken directly to their blog!}

HostJenn from Endlessly Inspired

Co-HostsTiny Sidekick // White Lights on Wednesday // Place of My Taste // Simply Dream & Create // Luxe...With Kids // Food Faith Fitness // This is Happiness // Perspective by CC McAfee // Sew Crafty Angel // Huckleberry Love // Epic Mommy Adventures // My Turn for Us // Love Bakes Good Cakes // Crafts a la Mode // Craft Dictator // I Dig Pinterest // Learning, Creating, Living // The Love Nerds // Fearlessly Creative Mammas // Dizzy Busy & Hungry // I Want Crazy // VMG206 // A Peek Into My Paradise

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Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

OREO Overload Milkshake

OREO Overload Milkshake is a delicious OREO milkshake topped with homemade sweetened whipped cream, chocolate syrup and more OREOS!! #milkshake #oreo #drink




After the day (actually, more than one day, but who's counting?!) I've had, I needed a little treat. A pick-me-up. A milkshake sounded good, but I decided to throw in some Oreo cookies and chocolate syrup ... ya know, for good measure! 




OREO Overload Milkshake
Printable recipe
Yield: 2 servings

8 OREO cookies, divided
1 cup milk
2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Homemade sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate syrup

Chop 4 of the OREO's and set aside. 

Place the milk, ice cream and remaining 4 OREO's in a blender. Blend until smooth. Divide the mixture between 2 glasses. Top with sweetened whipped cream, chocolate syrup and reserved OREO's. Serve immediately.



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Red Velvet Cupcakes withOreo Cream Cheese Frosting
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I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

$200 Gift Card Giveaway for Top Notch Mom's 2nd Blogiversary!

Today, I am helping my bloggy friend, Doree from Top Notch Mom, celebrate her 2nd blogiversary! One of you will be getting the gift - a $200 gift card!! Good luck, y'all!



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Strawberry Cream Pie {Easy & No-Bake}

This Strawberry Cream Pie {Easy & No-Bake} is perfect for the warmer months! Full of fresh strawberries and cream cheese, it gets an additional boost of flavor from instant pudding mix! Serve this at your next get-together, and watch it disappear! #strawberries #pie #nobake #quickandeasyrecipes



I recently bought eight containers of strawberries ..... eight of them! As much as my kiddos love them, I really wanted to make something different with them. A pie, perhaps? I ran across a recipe over on the Kraft website that looked easy enough and it sounded wonderful! I changed a few things, using what I had on hand - and it was an instant family favorite!
This would be great for summer BBQ's or a church potluck ... or anytime really! I hope y'all enjoy this as much as my family did!



Strawberry Cream Pie {Easy & No-Bake}
Slightly adapted from Kraft
Printable recipe
Yield: 8 servings

1 (9-in.) pre-made graham cracker pie crust
1 container (16 oz.) fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
4 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. (half of an 8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) vanilla flavor instant pudding mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) strawberry creme instant pudding mix
2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, divided
Additional sliced fresh strawberries, for garnish

Place the 16 oz. of fresh strawberries in a food processor with the sugar. Cover and pulse a few times until the berries are finely chopped. Add the cream cheese and pulse until blended. You may need to scrape down the sides. Place the mixture in a large bowl. Add both of the dry instant pudding mixes to the bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in 1½ cups of the Cool Whip. Spoon the mixture into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm. 

To serve, garnish with the remaining Cool Whip, then top with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate leftovers.

***No food processor? No problem! You could do this without a food processor too! Just chop the strawberries very small and add sugar. Then, stir in the cream cheese. Proceed with the recipe as directed! 


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Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream Sauce
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I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

#ad Spicy Maple Chicken Wings are a Great Grilling Idea or Easy Party Food!

With only three ingredients, these Spicy Maple Chicken Wings are a Great Grilling Idea or Easy Party Food! With upcoming graduations, family barbecues and summer picnics, we all need easy party food and great grilling ideas! Tyson Grillin' Wings and Country Time Lemonade are the perfect combo to get you party or picnic off to a great (and easy!!) start! #ad #whatsgrillin #CollectiveBias

My oldest son, Elijah, is graduating from high school in less than a month. As a mom, you may know how bittersweet it is. As parents, we try to give our children everything they need to be successful in life .... and we hope and pray that we're doing it right. As a mom, I have been so proud of Elijah and his accomplishments - and watching him grow into a man. I remember times when I thought this time would never come ... and truthfully, it sneaks up way faster than we realize. He has plans to go off to boot camp and serve our great country, and as a mom, I am bursting with pride ..... but I am also tinged with a bit of heartbreak. He's the oldest .... so this will be the first time I will watch one of my children "not need me" anymore.
I remember watching him go off to kindergarten. I remember his excitement and I remember thinking, "how's he going to do this without me?" He waved good-bye and went on to school - he had this. As I looked around the parking lot, I could see other moms who were letting their babies go for the first time too .... the tears gave us away. As his graduation approaches, I have those same feelings ..... "how's he going to make it without me?" Don't get me wrong, he's fully capable of taking care of himself, and I believe Brian and I have prepared him for the world ... but it's hard letting go and trusting that they will be ok. 

Since Elijah's graduating very soon, I have been planning a celebration for him! Nothing too big or over the top, but I want him to know that the people who love him are proud of him and are supportive of his next chapter in life. Celebrations call for food .... copious amounts of food! When your mom is a food blogger, you can bet it will be written about online! :) One of Elijah's favorite foods is chicken wings. Not to mention, wings are a great party food and since it's grilling season, what could be better?!
I heard that Sam's Club carries Tyson Grillin' Wings - and when I also heard that they cook up in less than 12 minutes, I knew I needed to have a trial run before the graduation party! I found the wings if the frozen food section near the other frozen chicken products. Since Elijah likes spicy/sweet type sauces, I wanted to make a sauce he would love! I had a bottle of pure maple syrup in the pantry and I wanted to use that as the base of my sauce. Cayenne pepper was an easy choice for the heat. I ended up using about 1½ tsp of cayenne powder for our wings (since we have little kiddos who eat with us!) - and that was perfect for our family. There wasn't so much heat that it burned, but it wasn't so mild that the heat lovers felt cheated. If you are more sensitive to spice, you may want to only use a teaspoon of cayenne pepper - if you like spice, go ahead and take it up to two teaspoons (or more if you dare). 

Y'all, let me tell you - these wings are addictive and good!! The Tyson Grillin' Wings cook up quick and easy on the grill (less than 12 minutes, y'all!) and the sauce is amazeballs with it's thick, sweet and spicy goodness! I think I'll need a few batches of these wings for the party! Yum, yum!




Spicy Maple Chicken Wings
Printable recipe
Yield: 3.75 lbs wings

1 cup pure maple syrup
1-2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper, depending on your preferred spice level
1 bag (3.75 lbs.) Tyson Grillin' Wings
3 green onions, sliced (optional garnish)

In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Heat over medium heat until the maple syrup is reduced between half and three-quarters. The maple syrup should appear very thick. Set aside.

While the syrup is reducing, cook the Tyson Grillin' Wings according to package directions. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a large bowl. Pour the maple sauce over the top and carefully toss (or use tongs to gently stir) until all of the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce. Place on serving plate or basket. Garnish with green onion, if desired. 



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Here's one last look at those wings .... be sure to add them to your summer party menu, you'll be glad you did! :)

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I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Springtime Magic Cookie Bars

Springtime Magic Cookie Bars are a soft baked graham cracker cookie bar topped with coconut, pecans and Springtime morsels! #cookie #bars #coconut #chocolate


What a week, y'all!! I am sooo glad it's finally the weekend!! I seem to be saying that a lot more lately!! I have had some major time constraints and deadlines this past week, so I'm glad to have that behind me! *big sigh of relief*

We had some neighbors from down the street invite us to a BBQ this weekend. We are looking forward to getting to know some of them.  Brian and I have lived here in Arizona for just over a year now, so maybe it's time we got to know some of the people who live on our street?! :D

Of course, with every party comes the trying to figure out what to take?! Maybe your have a designated "party dish" ... you know, your default, the dish you always take to get-together's. Part of my problem is, I wanna bring the whole party ..... the main dish, some sides, drinks and of course, dessert! I have tons of ideas and recipes I want to try, and as someone who truly loves cooking/baking/eating, how do you pick just one thing?! Truth is, I can't!! I hope my neighbors don't think I'm weird when we come rolling down the street with half our kitchen. Well, at least not weird in a bad way! :)

I saw the Nestle Springtime Semi-Sweet Chocolate and Pink & Yellow Colored Morsels at Walmart the other day. I thought I could make Magic Cookie Bars with them and take them to the potluck .... along with burger toppings, cupcakes and my Creamy Pea Salad! I may think of some other things I may want to take ..... we'll see!
If you have never had a Magic Bar, you're in for a treat! Not only are they easy to make, but with a soft graham cracker crust, coconut, pecans and chocolate - these bars are super delicious too!



Springtime Magic Cookie Bars
Slightly adapted from Eagle Brand
Printable recipe
Yield: 30 bars

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 21 crackers)
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut
½ cup chopped nuts
1 bag (10 oz.) Nestle Springtime morsels

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-in. baking dish with foil, extending the edges over the side of the pan. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter, mixing well. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Evenly pour the sweetened condensed milk over the crumb layer. Next, evenly sprinkle the coconut over the top, followed by the nuts and lastly, the Springtime morsels. Using the back of a fork or your clean hands, firmly press down all over the bars.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bars are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. After the bars have cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the foil. Cut into bars.


If you can't find the morsel mix, you can substitute all chocolate chips, half chocolate chips with half butterscotch, you could use peanut butter chips with white chocolate chips .... or whatever kind of "chocolate" chips float your boat.
I don't know about you, but I am totally digging the yellow and pink chips!
So tell me, when you go to a potluck or BBQ, do you have a designated dish you take?! Maybe you are like me, wanting to take twelve dishes?

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Caramelitas
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I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas {Round-Up}

Can you believe it's almost May?! In case you haven't noticed, Bloggyland is filled with great Mother's Day ideas right now. As a food blogger, I don't know too much about crafts or making things - well, except for making food things! So, I'm sharing a bunch (more than 45) Mother's Day Brunch Ideas! Let's be honest, these delicious ideas would be good year round, too! :)


Today, you can find me over at Mom's Test Kitchen with my monthly contributor post! Over there, you can find links to all of the yummy brunch recipes. These recipes are sure to make mom feel special on her day! Click this link to see the Mother's Day Brunch Ideas round-up!


Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream Sauce
Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake
I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Hot & Dirty Stuffed Peppers

Hi ya'll! I'm Jessica from All She Cooks, a Southern transplant living and blogging in the Midwest. I'm really from all over, having been a Navy brat my first few years, and then later an Air Force wife. Now... I'm the wife to an Air National Guard hubby whose civilian career planted us near Madison, Wisconsin. We love it here!

I'm thrilled to be a new contributor on Love Bakes Good Cakes. You all know that Jamie is just wonderful, but let me tell you all something... she is an awesome blogging friend to have. Jamie is one of my go-to-gals when I have a question about whats working to monetize my blog, how to have great format for foodie blog posts to drive more traffic to my website and so much more. If you're a blogger and haven't started analyzing other blogs to see what is working for them, it's really worth the effort.

Enough of my chit-chat!

Hot & Dirty Stuffed Peppers 

• Look for me the 4th Friday of each month here on Love Bakes Good Cakes, where I'll be sharing a new recipe creation.This month, I'm starting you all off with my Hot & Dirty Stuffed Peppers.... because we all need something hot & dirty in our lives, right?  Oh come on ladies- I'm talking cooking!

You'll find me mostly cooking up recipes that are EASY for anyone to make. I like simple. I'm not a fancy gal, and I like to keep things super simple in the kitchen. Except my messes, and those get quite extravagant!

 Really, the fewer ingredients, the better... in my opinion. Recently, I've been experimenting with some recipes that really don't even require seasoning because its all done with the heat of peppers. You know what they say, 'If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen'.

Well, these Hot and Dirty Stuffed Peppers aren't so piping hot that you have to have a gallon of water on hand. Not even close. But they are hot. And as with anything else in life, feel free to add more spice. Seriously... my husband has taken to having a side of sliced jalapenos with every meal! Now... I wouldn't go that far, but to each their own.

I love how there are SO many variations on stuffed peppers.  Jamie even took it a step further with her Stuffed Pepper Soup!  Can you say, 'YUM!'?

How do you spice things up in your kitchen?

Enjoy!

Hot and Dirty Stuffed Peppers

Recipe Type: Dinner

Author: Jessica- All She Cooks

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4-6 bell peppers (combination of colors, or choice)
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, browned
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 can Rotel (I used original)
• Mozzarella cheese (optional, grated over top)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix together browned sausage, cooked rice and Rotel.
3. Wash bell peppers. Cut tops off of them and scoop out seeds.
4. Stuff rice and sausage mixture into bell peppers. Place in oven-safe casserole and bake for 15-20 minutes. Add grated Mozzarella cheese to top of stuffed peppers and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.

3.2.2265

 
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Try my Strawberry Limeade Rum Punch.

For the perfect easy weeknight meal,

try my Cheesy Beef Burritos.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at thesefun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥

 
Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved