Friday, December 20, 2013

Celebrating 6 Years Of "Lick The Bowl Good" With A Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Every year my blog anniversary comes and goes and I forget about it. I intend to do something special to celebrate the day (November 3rd) and time escapes me, stuff comes up and then the holidays hit and my blog birthday goes unmentioned again. Well this year, to say "thank you for sticking by me!" I have a giveaway for you. I've been blogging for 6 years and so much good has come out of it. I've connected with some amazing people, made and eaten lots of tasty treats and some not so great ones too. I've learned a lot about baking formulas, food styling and photography and I even wrote my own cookbook, gosh darn it! Such an amazing opportunity and accomplishment that was! Would you like to win a signed copy of Lick The Bowl Good


I'll tell you more about the giveaway in a moment, but first let me tell you about this cake, streusel squares to be exact. The recipe comes from Great Cakes by Carole Walter. The Cake Slice Bakers are baking from this new book. This was a good recipe, the cake had a soft tender center, lightly scented with vanilla. The topping was the best part though- those buttery, cinnamon-y crumbs were hard to resist. This would be a great one to share with a crowd or to give as gifts this Christmas. You can even play up the flavorings a bit and use rum, lemon, or almond extracts in the cake. 




Streusel Squares
Recipe from Great Cakes by Carole Walter
via All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Printer Friendly Version

Streusel Topping:
  • ⅓ cup (⅔ stick) unsalted butter
  • 1¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake:
  • 2¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk 
  • 1 large egg white

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350⁰F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2” pan.

To Make The Streusel Topping: Melt the butter, then cool slightly.

Add the flour, sugar and cinnamon all at once and stir with a fork until the mixture forms small crumbs. Take a handful of the crumbs and make a fist to press the mixture into a large clump, and then separate into smaller clusters, at least two or three times the size of the original crumbs.

Repeat until all of the crumbs have been reshaped, then set aside.

To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to soften on low speed. Increase speed to medium-high and cream until smooth and light in color, about 1½ to 2 minutes.

Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, taking about 6 to 8 minutes to blend it in well, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the eggs and additional yolk, 1 at a time at 1-minute intervals, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.Blend in the vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, dividing the flour mixture into three parts and the milk into two parts, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds longer.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a tablespoon.

Beat the egg white lightly with a fork, and using a pastry brush, spread about half of the beaten egg white over the top of the cake batter. Discard the remainder - the egg white helps the streusel adhere to the top of the cake.

Sprinkle the entire surface of the batter generously with the streusel, gently patting the crumbs into the batter with the palm of your hand; do not press hard.

Center the pan on the rack and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top, begins to come away from the sides of the pan, and the streusel is crisp. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out dry.

Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cake rack to cool. When ready to serve, dust the top with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.


The Giveaway! 

1. A Signed Copy of Lick The Bowl Good
2. Red Striped Paper Straws
3. Kitchen Utensils Magnets
4. Magnetic Note Pad
5. Baker's Twine
6. "For You" Baker's Tags
7. Recipe Cards
8. Sticky Notes for Bookmarking Your Favorite Recipes :-)


Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. You have 4 chances to win. Please leave a separate comment per entry. 

Entry #1 (mandatory entry)- Leave me a comment on this blog post telling me about your favorite holiday traditions.

Entry #3- Follow monica_h30 on Instagram

Entry #4- Share this giveaway with your friends and family and help spread the word about Lick The Bowl Good

Please remember, if you enter more than once to leave me separate comments per entry. 

I will select and announce the winner using random.org on Monday, December 30th. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Best of luck and Happy Holidays to you all. Thank you for your generosity and support over the last 6 years. My family and I are thankful for you.

~Monica Holland

156 comments:

  1. HAPPY, HAPPY blogiversary Monica! Wow, 6 years...what an accomplishment! I'm so thankful for your blog, which I stumbled upon a few years back...your beautiful pictures and recipes have truly inspired me to learn to bake. Congratulations again, and, by the way, your streusel squares turned out wonderful!

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  2. Happy Anniversary!! What a cute giveaway! :) Your streusel squares look yummy! May many more successful years come your way! :)

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  3. I love decorating cookies with the kids!

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  4. We are going to see the lights in our PJ's for the first time this year and I am so excited!

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  5. I love your blog and happy 6th anniversary, it also is my only childs birthday so I would never forget your blog anniversary! Your recipes and blog is absolutely wonderful your familia so sweet, Hayden looks like a sweet angel..Happy holidays, oh, I love to make some carmel corn with nuts for special family and friends and we always watch zoo lights when we can and go to see light displays in the early evenings..happy happy! from mary jane s. momanddad00@clear.net!

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  6. Happy Blogaversarry! It is the same day as our anniversary, exactly the same day! For us Christmas traditions include caramel corn, looking at lights, advent and the wreath and the nativity and constant Christmas music playing, but not until after Thanksgiving :)

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  7. Love your blog. Favorite holiday tradition~opening gifts with my family on Christmas Eve :)

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  8. My family always goes to Florida to be with my grandparents!

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  9. My family always goes to Florida to be with my grandparents!

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  10. Congratulations on your success with the blog and the book!~ When my family is all together, we each open a gift Christmas Eve and stay up late chatting and laughing together.

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  11. The time has gone by so quickly, wow, six years? Congratulations on this wonderful achievement. Love the photo of your cake, and agree that this was a quick and easy cake that most people would enjoy.

    Loving this giveaway - a signed copy of you book! - fingers, toes, and everything else possible is crossed. I love all the other additions to it too - so cute.

    I'm really looking forward to baking through your book and will have to go and check if the first recipe has been selected as yet.

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  12. My Christmas Eve tradition is that we have cheese and crackers for dinner. It was something that my mom always did and now I just HAVE to have it! haha

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  13. We have lots of traditions, but my favorite now that my are in colleges visited the town where I attended college. We have been doing this since they were toddler. We shop in town, go to lunch and bring back our favorite treats.

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  14. Happy Anniversary! My extended family makes their gifts for each other. Baking is my love and I make something new every year. My family always look forward to their treats

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  15. I already like you on Facebook, but I'll be heading over to Instagram after this. My Mom always made fruitcakes and the holidays and with her having passed on I am now taking over the job. I know not everyone likes fruitcakes but I do and so does my family. Doing this is what makes the season happier for me. Also, Happy Anniversary on your blog. I just found you this year but I enjoy it everytime I check in on it.

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  16. My favorite holiday tradition is making sticky buns for my family. I started making them years ago when they were all at home for Christmas morning. Now they are all out on their own and so the sticky buns are now gifts wrapped and bow tied to be enjoyed still on Christmas morning.

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  17. I like Lick the Bowl Good on Facebook.

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  18. Happy Anniversary! I enjoy reading your blog, I follow you on instagram (I'm gottabake), just liked you on Facebook too.
    My favorite holiday tradition is putting out shoes for St. Nick to fill with gold coins and trinkets on the night of Dec 5th. My parents did this for my siblings and I growing up and we now do it for my son. It's just something different and fun that we look forward to.

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  19. Great idea to add rum extract, Monica...Next time...Oh! And my favorite holiday tradition is singing Christmas carols with family and friends,

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  20. Congratulations on your anniversary! I pin most and make many of your recipes. I would love to win your cookbook.

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  21. Riding around before Christmas looking at lights w/ cocoa and cookies to snack on.

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  22. Congrats on 6! Enjoy your blog and your recipes!

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  23. I'm the 7th "like" on today's Facebook post..or maybe not since I can't get through the I'm not a robot.

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  24. my favorite holiday tradition was being able to open a present before Christmas day.

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  25. I liked your page on facebook.

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  26. My favorite holiday tradition is to bake with my niece and nephews then go to the Festival of Lights! It's so much fun and so wonderful to see such JOY light up in them over the holiday season!

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  27. Already a fan on Facebook!!

    And congrats on the blog anniversary!!

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  28. my favorite tradition: baking xmas cookies with all the family

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  29. I follow you on Instagram! @adayinthelifeofjennay

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  30. I tweeted about the giveaway here: https://twitter.com/Jennaync79/status/414190483951210496

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  31. One of my favorite traditions is listening to Christmas music while we decorate the tree. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  32. All the kids,my mom,and sister all get together and we bake for Christmas :) Six years yay...congrats
    Erica S.

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  33. I already like you :)

    Erica S.

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  34. I shared on my facebook :)

    Erica S.

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  35. My favorite Holiday tradition is to cook Christmas Eve Dinner for my whole family which now got bigger due to my nieces recent engagement!

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  36. Congratulations on six years of a great blog! Since I've gotten better (and bolder) with baking, my new favorite holiday tradition is making some sort of breakfast pastry for Christmas day!

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  37. WOW! Six years! Congratulations, Monica. I'm glad you and the fam are doing well :)!

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  38. there are always certain foods we have at Christmas that we look forward to each year but of course the best is to have everyone under the same roof with some spare time to enjoy each other

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  39. candle light Christmas Eve church service with my family

    Debasket@ptd.net

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  40. Shelly rsbianchi6@yahoo.comDecember 21, 2013 at 4:54 AM

    love your blog.Wishing you many more blogging anniversaries. My favorite Christmas tradition is taking an annual family photo.

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  41. We all get together or a oyster and calamari fry hosted by my Mom on Christmas Eve!

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  42. Laurie
    Don't laugh, but our new favorite tradition is closing The Chatham Squire on Christmas Eve.

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  43. Six years? I just found you. Congrats!!
    I get up early and make a huge breakfast so that when my granddaughter is done opening presents, we can enjoy a nice family meal.

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  44. Here's to six more!!!!
    Every Christmas I make my family biscotti. I've been doing it for so long they expect it.
    Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year

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  45. My favorite tradition is decorating Christmas cookies with my daughter. We've been doing it since she was a little girl and she's 26 now and I know she looks forward to it too. We usually have friends over too.

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  46. Wow. It's so hard to believe that 6 years have passed. I remember when I first started visiting you and discovered the "blogging world!" My favorite holiday tradition has to be going to our little country church on Christmas eve and of course baking cookies for Christmas!!!

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  47. I would love a signed copy of your cookbook....I have a real cookbook fetish! Making Christmas cookies has to be my favorite tradition. When I was a child, my mother always made cookies....by the thousands....and gave them to friends in metal tins.

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  48. Liked on Facebook.....Congratulations on your anniversary!

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  49. Happy Anniversary, Monica! I've loved watching Hayden growing up and following you these last few years. Our tradition is trying to stay up later than the kids so we can set out gifts to surprise them! So far we've still won! Merry Christmas!

    Kathy Kksdelights@yahoo.com

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  50. Following you in every aspect already!! �� love you crumb cake.. Look delicious! And 6 years already huh? That's awesome Monica! Happy late anniversary sweetie. Ps favorite holiday tradition is baking with my mom. Happy holidays!!

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  51. My favorite holiday tradition is the cookie decorating party we have each year. Each of my 4 kids gets to bring one friend. They get to take home their "artwork" as gifts to their families. This started when my first child was 3 years old. It continues today... all 4 of my kids still bring someone ~ from college or wherever, and my oldest is 30 and my youngest is 20!!

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  52. Making and decorating Christmas Cookies with the kids. Although the kids have dwindled from 4 to 1 left at home! Still fun though.

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  53. Beautiful cake Monica and congratulations on your Blogiversary! What a fabulous giveaway! I have your book and love it! Everyone should own a copy! You are about to make one of your readers very happy!

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  54. I loved making xmas cookies with my son; I miss that. I would love to have your cookbook...PLEASE!

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  55. My favorite holiday tradition is riding around looking at Christmas lights!

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  56. And I shared the giveaway on Twitter!

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  57. I love decorating sugar cookies every year with my kids. Thanks for the chance to enter.

    Andrea D.
    short74717@msn.com

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  58. I am facebook fan of yours. Thanks for the chance to enter.

    Andrea D.
    short74717@msn.com

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  59. We always celebrate Christmas Eve with my dad's side and Christmas Day with my mom's!

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  60. Stockings are still my favorite part of Christmas!

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  61. I make a Christmas mix...candy...the kids love it. They call it "Christmas crack".

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  62. Happy Holidays / Merry Christmas! Congrats on the 6 years, that's amazing! It'd be awesome to win your book, so, one of my family's Christmas traditions is making buñuelos and natilla every 24th at night and watching a Disney Sing Along video that we've watched since I was a baby!

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  63. Oh! And as entry #2, I already follow you on Instagram (@stephanievelezr)! :)

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  64. Happy Anniversary! Our favorite holiday tradition is baking sugar cookies with the Christmas cookie cutters. Yum!

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  65. Every Christmas I make lemon sugar cookies in rememberance of my maternal grandmother. Another a favorite tradition is a champagne toast in rememberance of my paternal grandmother--with pink champagne in hollow stem champagne glasses. I also add a new cookie recipe--this year it's Cardamom cookies. Last year's favorite was a Peppermint Crunch Chunky. Yum.

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  66. My favorite tradition is to have people over in our community that have nowhere to go for Christmas dinner. We make a roast lamb and everyone brings side dishes or desserts that hold a story. It's so wonderful to reminisce and to hear everyone share new stories of their Christmases growing up. It can be sad to be away from family, but exciting to meet people from all over the world. My husband is in the military and we are moving to a new base after Christmas so it would be great to have a cookbook to try new recipes to woo new friends with! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

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  67. My favorite tradition is picking out a tree and then decorating it with family while listening to Christmas music.

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  68. Christmas dinner with my family is my favorite tradition.

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  69. I love decorating Sugar Cookies with my family and friends jan - clawd1a@hotmail.com

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  70. Congratulations! Some of our holiday traditions are homemade toffee, an advent calendar and a new Christmas book every year! Holidays are the best with family!

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  71. My fave tradition is having brunch with my family and decorating the tree
    mannasweeps (at) gmail DOT com

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  72. I follow on instagram
    mannasweeps
    mannasweeps (at) gmail DOT com

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  73. We've been making homemade egg nog and chromecasting Just for Laughs on Youtube. I believe this will become a holiday tradition for years to come!

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  74. I liked your facebook page! Thank you!
    rugstudio ((((at))) gmail

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  75. I just love baking and being with family and friend. There is nothing better.

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  76. Happy anniversary for your blog! My favorite holiday tradition is making and icing Christmas cookies with my sister, mom, and grandmom. :)

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  77. I tweeted: https://twitter.com/terdisue/status/414876577655046144

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  78. Congrats on 6 years!! Christmas tradition; I say " Christmas Gift" when first speaking to someone

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  79. I love getting the tree and decorating and baking!

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  80. I just liked you on FB.

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  81. My mother always makes her mother's famous Pineapple Filled Cookies...my favorite. Even though one daughter is married and the other an older teenager we still take them to see Christmas lights in DE while visiting family...a tradition my father in law started.

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  82. My favorite Christmas tradition is eating a deliciously delicious home made dinner feast with my family! Forget the gifts. Give me food and family and I'll be jollier than old St. Nick. :)

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  83. My family always gets together on Christmas Eve.
    dawnhecke@yahoo.com

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  84. I like you on facebook.

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  85. Our favorite holiday tradition is myself and my daughter making recipes of our favorite cookies or cakes from that year and taking them to out friends and neighbors wishing them a Merry Christmas!

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  86. I follow you on Facebook via susan.broughton.9400 sbroughton61@yahoo.com

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  87. I follow you on Instagram via sbroughton61 sbroughton61@yahoo.com

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  88. Happy Anniversary! You have a wonderful talent. The best part of the holidays is baking and family!

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  89. Congratulations on 6 years at Lick the Bowl Good! And thank you for the lovely giveaway.

    My favorite Christmas traditions are going to Christmas Eve services at church, then gathering with family for soup supper and lots of treats. We open gifts on Christmas morning, then get together again for a big family dinner. Can't wait!

    sharonjo at gwtc dot net

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  90. Happy Bloggerversary! That is quite an accomplishment & all your hard work & talent should never be overlooked. I wish you continued success as you begin year 6 of a terrific blog that I love following.
    Mt favorite tradition is making gift baskets for friends & family. Selecting what will go into baskets each year, researching recipes for just the right assortment of goodies & making every item look beautiful. Baking & a little crafting is a tradition I look forward to each year.

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  91. Happy Bloggerversary! Cheers to many many more years ahead!

    Its wonderful to bake along with you at TCS bakers!

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  92. Happy Anniversary and Merry Christmas!

    One tradition is sending Christmas cards-- love to do it!

    karin56381 (at) gmail.com

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  93. like you on fb

    karin56381 (at) gmail.com


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  94. https://www.facebook.com/karin.ag.79/posts/506835922748592

    Shared

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  95. I love light night, driving around looking at everyone's home! I love baking and making the cherished foods, I love going to see my friends, and I love making cakes to share!

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  96. My mother shared your blog with me this morning. Can't wait to make this recipe! Our Christmas tradition is stockings - before we do anything else Christmas morning, we go through the stockings and pull out whatever goodies might be hiding within. There's always something unique and tailored to each person as well as items that show up in everyone's stockings. It's a constant for us so I love it!

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  97. My favorite tradition is making perogi with the extended family. It is so much fun.

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  98. Happy blogiversary dear! You are wonderful and so was this cake!

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  99. Guess what I Simply fall in love with your blog! everything seems to be very tasty to me! I'm going get your book now!

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  100. Happy 6th! Didn't realize there was a cookbook so that's awesome!

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  101. congratulations! Love your blog. My favorite holiday tradition is being with family

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  102. My favorite holiday tradition that we don't do as often as we should is tamales on New Years. And watching Bad Santa and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And Elf. So the movies. LOL!

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  103. Happy Anniversary! I love baking and decorating cookies, but would like to learn more about cakes and buttercream! :)

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  104. I already follow you on Instagram.

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  105. I shared the giveaway on FB with my friends and family.

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  106. Happy Anniversary! You are one of the first bloggers I followed many years ago. Before my Dad and step mom moved away, we went out for pizza for Christmas Eve dinner. Now the 4 of us do fondue.

    You know I follow you on FB and Instagram.....off to share!

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  107. Happy Blogiversary! I've been following your blog for a few months now, and I enjoy all your recipes, as well as the pictures of your cute, curly-headed little guy. We have many family traditions, but one that I've enjoyed since I was a small child is stacking the Christmas records on the old 1961 Motorola console stereo and listening while we decorate the tree. The stereo was originally my parents, but they allowed me to abscond with it (the records, too), so now me and my family can enjoy it in our home. Have a happy and blessed 2014! Looking forward to more recipes for delicious things to make.

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  108. Favorite holiday traditions would have to be watching "A Christmas Story" on tv until the football fans get ahold of the remote.And also our pets "giving" a gift to someone else in the family.

    Already follow you on facebook...droolworthy recipes!

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  109. Making cake balls with my mom every year

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  110. Baking Christmas Cookies long into New Years is my favorite, the dust settles from Christmas and who can't consume MORE cookies.

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  111. Happy 6th Anniversary and I hope I win the giveaway...My favorite holiday traditions are baking different cookies and cakes and cooking all the fattening dishes for my family and watching all the Holiday Christmas Movies and staying up real late

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  112. Love your blog! We get up very early on Christmas morning, open gifts and then have a Christmas strata for breakfast.

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  113. I follow you on Facebook.

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  114. Ciao Monica ! Our favourite Christmas tradition is baking cookies !!!!

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  115. We celebrate Christmas on the 24th in the evening since we are German

    jessicarwarfield at gmail dot com

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  116. Hi Monica! I'm already loving your cookbook! So glad that I can go to it for inspiration!

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  117. Happy Blogaversary, Monica! And this was such a great giveaway, too bad I've been lazy and am just now getting to your post :P But your great looks beautiful!

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  118. This is really a delicious cake and looking at your pictures makes me want to bake it again soon. I would definitely enter the contest if I lived in the US!

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Thank you for your supportive comments. I appreciate each and every one of them!