tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263952998795030002012-01-29T16:11:10.497-06:00Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.comBlogger4641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-34096996616083713182012-01-29T03:40:00.002-06:002012-01-29T03:55:09.490-06:00

I was selected by Foodbuzz to participate in the January's 24x24. That means 24 bloggers (me included) were chosen to have dinner or a social gathering revolving around food. The chosen 24 will blog their meals or creations within the next 24 hours. This is documentation of my party- A Pie Party to be exact! For the

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-70510801401404044482012-01-25T18:59:00.001-06:002012-01-25T19:02:51.299-06:00

I did not intend to blog about this coffee cake. I was wanting to make Belgian waffles from my Williams-Sonoma Breakfast cookbook and noticed this recipe. The original version included dried cranberries and chocolate chips. In typical fashion, I wanted to use fresh cranberries and leave out the chocolate while Mr. H only wanted chocolate and no cranberries. We both compromised and left

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-89988584304698239202012-01-18T03:53:00.000-06:002012-01-18T03:53:31.982-06:00

I'm a little late getting to this list, but here are my favorite recipes of 2011. I tried to limit them to just 12 but had a hard time, so you get 14. Bonus! 2011 was a delicious year. I hope you enjoy. 14. Ultimate Shortbread Cookies 13. New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies 12. Cinderella Cake 11. Oatmeal Cream Pies 10.

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-30126128842660262612012-01-18T03:02:00.002-06:002012-01-18T04:25:14.472-06:00

The winner of Cake Ladies cookbook is: #61- Nicole from nuts4knitting said "My knitting buddy, Susan, fits the description of a cake lady, which is a new term for me, perfectly. If there is an occasion, a birthday, retirement, or a day which ends in "d a y", she bakes a cake. For Christmas, she cranked out sixteen chocolate cakes. She is the only person I know who can go to the dollar store,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-52230520802145656262012-01-12T23:50:00.002-06:002012-01-18T04:37:13.565-06:00

I have another baking book up for review today! This time it's Cake Ladies by Jodi Rhoden. This book appealed to me immediately because I consider myself to be somewhat of a cake lady. "What is a cake lady?", you may be asking yourself. Everyone may have a different definition, but to me a cake lady is a woman who bakes cakes to make people happy. Sometimes they bake to make ends meet,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com114tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-78528202891098087322012-01-11T02:40:00.004-06:002012-01-18T04:39:26.388-06:00

Do you make resolutions for the new year? Did any of you resolve to eat healthier this year? If so, then I have a healthy and delicious breakfast recipe for you today. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions because they often get broken and I can't stand the guilt and shame I bring upon myself when I don't follow through with them. Instead I just try to do better

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-1332641922009410912012-01-07T03:11:00.001-06:002012-01-07T04:07:29.450-06:00

Happy New Year! I know we're already one week into the new year, but this is my first post in 2012 and it's a good one. Usually on New Year's Eve, we are at home, watching the ball drop, drinking sparkling apple cider and sharing a kiss or two...with family. Party animals we are not! We don't like crowds and we don't drink much so we opt to stay home- it's cheaper and safer that way.

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-75017564229767537152011-12-30T22:19:00.002-06:002012-01-02T03:38:45.078-06:00

We are just hours away from the new year and I'm rushing to get one last recipe onto this blog before the clock strikes 12. Why? Because I'll be doing my top 12 recipes of 2011 soon and this cake will be on the list! I bake several cakes a year and I've made and tasted several recipes for chocolate cake in my lifetime and this is one of the best I've ever eaten. The recipe was given to me

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-26907812804793112282011-12-25T03:00:00.004-06:002011-12-25T03:04:21.580-06:00

Wishing you and yours peace on this Christmas day. ~ Mr. H, Hayden and Monica

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-88978845849412785692011-12-22T04:00:00.001-06:002011-12-30T21:15:41.481-06:00

December has flown by and Christmas is quickly sneaking up on me. Stop the time- I'm not ready! I need another 4 weeks to get ready, decorate the house, wraps gifts, send out cards and do my holiday baking. Surprisingly (or not) I haven't made a single cookie this month. Heck, my Christmas tree just got decorated yesterday! True story. Usually by this time of year, I have a stash of

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-13826535977701731802011-12-19T14:36:00.003-06:002011-12-22T04:02:27.782-06:00

I was contacted a couple months ago and asked if I'd like to receive a complimentary copy of a new dessert cookbook called Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has A Story by Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero. Well I love sugar so I said yes! I was excited to get my hands on this book because it reminded me of a modern version of my favorite community cookbook. The book is broken up into 7

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com142tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-6831987723280377042011-12-11T23:50:00.005-06:002011-12-12T15:10:28.001-06:00

For the past 3 years, I have made the birthday cake for the boys I was a nanny for. I made a sea themed cake, a Wonder Pets cake, a Dinosaur cake and this year the theme was Pirate Mickey! In the past, I've spent countless hours thinking of the cake, drawing it out, then finally baking and decorating. Time was never as issue for me until this year. My mom came over to help out with

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-1502739194113367082011-12-03T22:51:00.002-06:002011-12-04T00:52:33.253-06:00

I realize it's already December and no one is talking about Thanksgiving anymore. But this year we were lucky enough to celebrate Turkey Day twice! My aunt and uncle hosted a post Thanksgiving dinner at their house the day after Black Friday, which was nice because they had a smoked turkey, and a few different side dishes than we usually have- including squash casserole and shrimp stuffing.

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-48637770164640388492011-11-29T23:19:00.003-06:002011-11-29T23:34:34.578-06:00

Are you tired of pumpkin yet? How 'bout one more recipe? I was supposed to share this pumpkin cheesecake with you all last Sunday for The Cake Slice Bakers, but I waited to make this for Thanksgiving so I'm just now getting to it. I hope you'll forgive my tardiness! When I moved out on my own into my first apartment (in 2000) I scoured my mom's pantry for canned goods and

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-1305405635268210562011-11-23T01:24:00.002-06:002011-11-23T01:29:10.975-06:00

Creamy pumpkin layered with maple soaked graham crackers and whipped cream, topped with buttery maple pecans. Yes please! A few weeks ago I hosted a Pampered Chef party with a few friends and close family. We fooled around in the kitchen, played with our food and ate this maple pumpkin trifle for dessert while flipping through catalogs. This trifle was simple to put together and

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-64123951381696859592011-11-17T01:51:00.001-06:002011-11-17T01:57:56.763-06:00

I don't have a lot of time these days to get on the computer but I often have my iPhone by my side to play games, text, send family and friends pictures of Hayden and to check my email. For the past few years I've subscribed to the daily holiday emails from Better Homes and Gardens. This year they started posting slideshows to accompany their recipes and this particular pie caught my eye. Hey

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-67737921909265283522011-11-13T19:15:00.006-06:002011-11-13T23:16:24.093-06:00

This is one easy peasy dessert. It literally comes together in minutes and bakes up in about half an hour. Pie in half an hour-that's awesome! This recipe comes from a Pampered Chef cookbook titled, All The Best. My friend Maranda is now a Pampered Chef consultant and I snagged this recipe from her while at one of her cooking shows. It really is simple to throw together since all you

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-45192572181025782032011-11-09T00:41:00.001-06:002011-11-09T00:43:39.823-06:00

Just a quickie post for today. I am one busy momma and it's already taken me 3 hours to edit and upload photos for this recipe! These days it seems everything takes me twice as long to complete, with the exception of bathing and getting ready- because I've gotten quite speedy at that. I do have some recipes to share with you all, it will just take me a little longer to blog about them. I

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-35752805049821589772011-10-29T23:52:00.004-05:002011-10-30T00:20:25.079-05:00

Here are the muffins I promised you a few days ago. I tried to get them up by Friday but it's hard blogging with a squirmy baby in your arms and typing with one hand while trying to balance a laptop on the armrest of the recliner. :-) But as they say, "better late than never" right? These muffins were fantastic so I'm glad to be sharing them with you today. Before I go any further,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-14037256773823592542011-10-25T01:57:00.006-05:002011-10-25T03:02:39.748-05:00

I don't know if I ever told you guys, but a dear friend of mine, Lori from LFE Photography, was allowed in the operating room when Hayden was born. She photographed the whole process from the moment we left home to following him and Daddy to the nursery to get cleaned up. I'm so glad we have these photos because the morning of his birth went by so fast and was such a blur. Having these photos

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-31371831928627065782011-10-25T01:45:00.002-05:002011-10-25T01:52:54.419-05:00

The winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway is #50 Heather of Pages by Heather that said "Dark chocolate, yes please! And whole wheat...yipppeee :) And on the not so healthy side...I love pecan pie!" Oh Heather, I love pecan pie too! Enjoy the cookies and the cookbook! And because I'm so behind on getting recipes blogged, here's a little tease. These muffins are coming soon!

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-49927158876156220042011-10-20T00:00:00.004-05:002011-10-20T20:31:18.578-05:00

I love baking with apples and spices this time of year. And this cake incorporates chunky apples, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. It just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about them. Makes me think of crisp cooler days, the changing colors of leaves and mugs of warm spicy beverages. Fall is my favorite season, simply because the scenery is so beautiful. I dream of

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-8829787116535511182011-10-18T19:08:00.005-05:002011-10-24T17:21:39.515-05:00

Last December, I was sent a few packages of Tate's Bake Shop cookies and a signed copy of their cookbook. I made their Cappuccino Shortbread which was deelish! I bookmarked a few other of their recipes, but I have yet to make them. So many recipes, so little time! You know how that goes, right? Well, now is the time for one of you to be able to make their recipes and try their new Whole

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-26145487189588817662011-10-09T17:35:00.002-05:002011-10-09T17:38:49.248-05:00

Holy sheet! This cake was good! I got the recipe from my chocoholic friend, Memoria, from Mangia da Sola. I know she'd be happy that I made this cake but I'm pretty sure she's cringing at all those glorious pecans nestled in that delectable icing. While she loves chocolate, she hates nuts. Memoria stop cringing...I can see you! haha! Mr. H is a Texas sheet cake lover. I've made it

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-26072575104521595022011-10-05T17:13:00.001-05:002011-10-05T17:13:39.829-05:00

The winner of the Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread breakfast giveaway is #60- Jenna from The Dean Family who said, "What a great giveaway! I can think of way too many uses for that spread...mainly for cornbread and hot rolls though! YUM!" That sounds like a perfect way to use it to me! Enjoy! And for all the others out there who requested a picture of my love. Here he is

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-68429467734439347132011-09-29T23:54:00.005-05:002011-10-10T15:21:52.298-05:00

I'd love to give you a list of things I've been creating in the kitchen but the list would be embarrassingly short and laughable. My days are all running into each other and I only know what day it is if I happen to leave the house, which is about once a week. I can tell you I make excellent breast milk 8 times daily- Hayden's one happy camper :-)

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-85902236695242976752011-09-20T22:43:00.006-05:002011-09-20T23:00:27.934-05:00

I made a cake today! No, it wasn't this one. I made this cake three weeks ago before Hayden was born. I was pretty exhausted and didn't think I'd have time to make it, but my mom offered to help so we did this together. I'm pretty sure she was only interested because it was full of booze! haha! Either way, I appreciated her help because she cleaned up after me and took over when I had to

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-26103054201261122462011-09-16T01:39:00.001-05:002011-09-16T01:45:15.110-05:00

Well my little man turned 2 weeks old today. It's hard to believe the days have just zipped on by. He's changing so much from day to day, and definitely developing a personality of his own- he is quite the funny guy. Things have been going well so far, but we have been busy. When I was getting bi-weekly ultrasounds, they noticed he had enlarged kidneys. From week to week,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-68155907293471721852011-09-10T18:56:00.007-05:002011-09-10T19:18:51.220-05:00

Time on the computer is limited. I wanted to update before now, but washing bottles, feeding my baby, changing diapers, doing laundry and holding that sweet boy of mine are priority one. So I'm copy and pasting this from my other blog. If you read both of them, please pardon the duplication. Here I am just 2 days before giving birth to Hayden. I already miss being

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-17166389790624913392011-09-05T23:03:00.002-05:002011-09-05T23:17:48.781-05:00

Hayden Bonnell September 1, 2o11 8:58 am 6 pounds 11 ounces 19 inches

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-23003239659569009842011-08-31T00:00:00.002-05:002011-08-31T00:06:47.599-05:00

I'm having a baby tomorrow! That is something I never thought I'd say or type. It's taken us a long time to get where we are and come tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be heading to the hospital to bring Baby Boy H into this world. Happy September to me! We have a couple names picked out, but nothing definite. We want to wait to see him to make sure that his name fits him.

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-6260118185789174682011-08-27T19:18:00.003-05:002011-08-27T19:35:31.394-05:00

A few weeks ago I was on Lisa's blog, The Cutting Edge of Ordinary. It's a blog that I frequent but don't always comment on, but I enjoy her recipes and photography and it doesn't hurt she's got a cute little doggie named Moose- you know I have a soft spot for four-legged furry friends. Anyway, earlier in the month she was visited by the Fairy Hobmother. Ever heard of the Fairy Hobmother?

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com101tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-22059845434081487922011-08-20T23:37:00.002-05:002011-08-21T00:37:30.384-05:00

A friend of mine, Maranda of Jolts & Jollies, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last Monday, August the 8th. Mr. H and I went to visit her in the hospital the very next day when her little man, Baby N, was just one day old (go here to see Baby N). I was so excited to meet him. I got there, smelled him and and held that little bundle of deliciousness in my arms. Then I was told to

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-27473075744355364192011-08-18T23:12:00.000-05:002011-08-19T00:15:08.205-05:00

Last week, I asked you all to guess how big the Mister would be at my appointment this week and I intended to come home and blog about it, but my doctor put me back in the hospital. I didn't even have the option to come home, I went straight there from my appointment. She was concerned about my protein levels because they spiked, but after 24 hours of urine collection and observation in

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-87665534421156948862011-08-09T23:27:00.002-05:002011-08-09T23:44:57.789-05:00

Hello again! Did you guys miss me? I missed you! You'd think that being on bedrest would give me lots of free time to blog but I've been watching lots of TV and playing games on my iPhone and a friends' borrowed iPad instead. I'm addicted to Words with Friends, Hanging With Friends and a new game I discovered called BubbleXplode. CAN'T. STOP. PLAYING. I even got my MIL hooked on the

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-87463797441522909952011-08-02T19:33:00.003-05:002011-08-02T20:52:25.976-05:00

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I honestly can't thank you enough for all the kind comments and emails I've received over the past few days. Some were encouraging, some were sweet, some made me cry, but they were all helpful. It's nice to know that I have all of you out there rooting and praying for us. I really do consider you all my friends even if we've never met in person or have

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-33820437443857659052011-07-30T22:31:00.003-05:002011-07-30T22:37:19.164-05:00

This is copy and pasted from my other blog. I was far too lazy to come up with something original and different to say. So here's the latest update with me and my pregnancy. On Wednesday, I went to my regular OB visit. I had an ultrasound done where we got to see the Mister hide his face with his fist. When prodded, he only raised the other arm in defiance. He did not want his picture taken :

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-55807231919386030602011-07-29T00:22:00.001-05:002011-08-28T02:09:01.644-05:00

This is baby shower recipe #2! I thought twice about sharing this recipe with you guys, not because it wasn't tasty, but because I had a few technical difficulties with it. But I had a few requests from guests as the shower to "please post it on your blog" so here it is. There is nothing majorly wrong with it, I'm just a little OCD and was bothered by it's appearance. You see, my

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-73311792609102730282011-07-24T01:26:00.001-05:002011-07-24T01:29:09.088-05:00

Here's the first baby shower recipe I promised you. These were pretty amazing tasting so I thought I'd share this recipe first. My neighbors bake these every year at Christmastime along with about 6 other homemade cookies. They make pecan tassies, rugelash, thumbprint cookies and other bite-sized morsels but these are my absolute favorites. I like them so much that when they

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-71387755640177249292011-07-20T01:30:00.004-05:002011-07-21T16:37:39.017-05:00

I know I promised you all some baby shower dessert recipes, but I forgot that it was the 20th and it's time for me to post this month's Cake Slice Cake. I assure you that I will share a new recipe by this weekend- scouts honor. Every month, the Cake Slice Bakers, bake a different cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman and this month the cake of

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-8470830709536011222011-07-14T22:35:00.003-05:002011-07-14T22:41:13.945-05:00

I had my baby shower this past weekend! It was truly a wonderful (yet exhausting) day. I'll share all the food with you today then in the next couple posts, I'll share a couple recipes that I made. On the table were also painted wooden frames with copies of sonogram pictures of my little boy from the gestational age of 10-28 weeks. This was my favorite addition to the table. Here

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-60255165759070705632011-07-06T23:28:00.003-05:002011-07-06T23:42:04.031-05:00

Last Tuesday I had dinner at a friend's house and brought this coconut milk-cream cheese flan over for dessert. The very next day I had to do my glucose test at my OB's office to check for gestational diabetes. If you've never had to have a glucose test, consider yourself lucky. It involves drinking a sickly sweet orange beverage, that tastes like a cross between flat orange soda and

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-69069127071152260722011-06-30T18:25:00.000-05:002011-06-30T18:26:23.577-05:00

Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies. Let that sink in for a minute. Sugar cookies that are crisp on the edges, yet soft and chewy in the middle, that have shredded coconut and zesty lime in them. Yes please! As my friend said, these were a tropical party in her mouth. I've wanted to make coconut lime cookies for awhile now. Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod shared them on her blog last year and I

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-33412429747923728882011-06-24T00:13:00.003-05:002011-06-24T00:16:20.362-05:00

I'm reaching into the archives today for this recipe. I made this bread back in August of last year and forgot to post it, then winter came along and it didn't seem very seasonal to share then and it just got lost in the shuffle. And since zucchini is plentiful at the moment, it just seemed like a good time to share this with you. I'm sure many of you have recipes that are backlogged....

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-52070850969775945052011-06-20T18:30:00.000-05:002011-06-20T18:31:26.500-05:00

I have a special "Cake Slice" cake for you today. "What makes it so special?" you may be asking yourself. It's special because I got to co-bake with my fellow Cake Slice Baker- Maranda of Jolts & Jollies! I first met Maranda in person back in December when she was visiting family and friends over the holidays. We wanted to bake together but time was limited. Lucky for me, she just moved back

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-90182347413880261032011-06-16T00:37:00.007-05:002011-11-11T01:24:35.196-06:00

A couple of years ago I saw Jacque Torres make these incredible chocolate chip cookies on the Martha Stewart Show. Not only were they huge, plate sized, cookies, they were also different because they used fancy European butter and chocolate discs, rather than just chocolate chips. The cookies were clearly something special. I didn't have a laptop at the time, so when I saw a

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-16746298500300778752011-06-08T02:50:00.001-05:002011-06-08T03:07:03.403-05:00

These bars. Oh, these bars! They are delicious. I first saw these bars in an issue of Everyday Food a few years ago. I just love Everyday Food recipes because they're simple and not fussy, but they're consistently good. When I first made them, I used plum jam and took them to a friends' house for brunch. Then it seems that I lost the recipe. I looked for a long time through my old issues to

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-27857223151416107002011-06-03T00:45:00.005-05:002011-06-17T11:58:07.399-05:00

We're celebrating today at Lick The Bowl Good! On Wednesday I reached the viability mark in my pregnancy. I'm sure many people wouldn't think twice about this date, but for me it's a milestone. Of course this baby isn't done baking, but at this gestation he could survive outside the womb if he were born early. That's huge! Now I don't want him to come any earlier than September but at least

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com123tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-25167301665620364492011-05-25T03:08:00.001-05:002011-05-27T23:27:25.816-05:00

My baby brother's birthday was a couple weeks ago. Only he's not a baby anymore, he's 16 years old! It's amazing how fast they grow up. I was looking at wedding photos the other day while cleaning out the guest room (preparing it for the nursery) and I saw this little boy who was my ring bearer. A sweet boy who was no more than 4 feet tall and now he's my height. His birthday fell on a

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-17080108624816256662011-05-20T00:00:00.011-05:002011-05-20T12:56:15.893-05:00

Two posts in one week?! Yes, because it's Cake Slice Time! I can't believe it's already been a month since I last made a cake for The Cake Slice Bakers. Where does the time go? Last month's cake was a dense cream cheese pound cake, this time it's a light upside down cake. I have to admit being a little skeptical about this cake. Yes, I like oranges, and almonds and caramel,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-51538351401649028422011-05-16T23:00:00.001-05:002011-05-16T23:06:38.103-05:00

These are the Mother's Day pancakes I promised you. Yes, I'm a week late, but you can save this recipe for next year. Or for brunch this weekend, or a special birthday breakfast or just because. Just be sure to make them because they really are delicious and they're a twist on the typical pancake. They're not big and heavy, they're light and mini (which means you can have more) and go

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-64988764308777735142011-05-10T00:25:00.001-05:002011-05-10T00:25:23.141-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend. I was going to share some yummy pancakes with you before the weekend, but as you can see I didn't quite make it. No worries though because these shortbread cookies more than make up for it. I got this recipe from Coleen's Recipes and she declared them "absolutely perfect". These cookies were delicious, melt-in-your mouth and so

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-22687388275082023172011-05-10T00:00:00.004-05:002011-05-10T00:38:18.091-05:00

The winners of the "Simply Suppers" cookbook are: 24- Topher at Hurry Slowly 53- Sadie at Sadie's Kitchen Adventures 80- WoolieGirl at Woolie Girl Congratulations to you all! Please contact me via email with your address so the publishers can get your book out to you! ~Monica

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-68764213553467583522011-05-03T00:00:00.005-05:002011-05-14T15:02:30.313-05:00

I have a delicious and simple side dish recipe for you today. A couple months ago I was contacted by Katherine at Thomas Nelson and she wanted to send me a cookbook for review. The book was titled Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler. This sounded perfect for me because at the time, I just had surgery and was recovering. I didn't have much energy or the desire to cook. But when my body

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-68743892871040790442011-04-25T00:00:00.000-05:002011-04-25T00:00:05.368-05:00

This pretty and pink dessert was lovingly made for my mother-in-laws' birthday a few weeks ago. I don't think she'd appreciate me telling you how old she turned, so I won't :-) But I can say she is as sophisticated as this dessert looks. The moment I saw this recipe on Coleen's Recipes, I knew I'd be making it for her birthday. It's light and refreshing and it has my MIL's name written all

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-60686793237075261682011-04-23T16:21:00.004-05:002011-04-23T16:42:22.785-05:00

I have leftover turkey pesto meatballs planned for dinner, but I was thinking of defrosting a couple hamburger patties instead. Then I realized that we don't have any tomatoes, and what kind of burger can you have without a slice or two of red, ripe tomatoes on top? Oh wait, I do have a container or tiny pear tomatoes, I could always use those. But, I was saving those to make tomato

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-19073854359954093112011-04-20T11:00:00.000-05:002011-04-20T11:08:36.576-05:00

It's time for more cake, this time brought to you by the Cake Slice Bakers! I missed last month's cake because I just plain forgot about it until it was too late and I was already baking a triple layer 70th birthday cake. I didn't want the other cake to go to waste and I knew we wouldn't eat it so it didn't get made. However, I was not going to miss out on this cake though because it got

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-15215401522669254062011-04-14T18:08:00.001-05:002011-04-14T18:05:47.592-05:00

It's finally here- the cake recipe I promised you over the weekend! A couple of you were correct in guessing that it was an Italian Cream Cake. Most Italian Cream Cakes I've seen have cream cheese frosting on them, with a garnish of chopped pecans on the sides of the cake. But this recipe, incorporates the nuts into the frosting, which adds a nice texture. Having the nuts mixed in also means

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-1049869690549315502011-04-11T01:25:00.003-05:002011-04-11T01:37:10.726-05:00

I intended to blog about this cake all weekend, but daily life got in the way. Then our guest bathroom sprung a leak, which resulted in a few trips to The Home Depot, mold removal, and the demolition of the walls surrounding the tub. Thankfully, Mr. H has done most of the work himself and now we're just waiting on the plumber. I didn't do any of the dirty work, but I feel badly sitting on my

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-40984655475131007532011-03-30T02:42:00.001-05:002011-03-30T02:49:23.223-05:00

I hope you'll forgive me for being absent for almost 2 weeks. It seems the time is just flying past me and before I know it, it's been 3 days, then 7, then 10 days and those m&m's cookies are still at the top of my blog. Even though they were delicious and colorful, I was getting tired of looking at them. How 'bout you? I had great intentions of updating sooner but this baby is sucking all the

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-45572560810591500082011-03-18T00:22:00.002-05:002011-03-18T11:29:49.306-05:00

I have to tell you that as I read through the comments on my last post, I smiled, then I cried. I was so overwhelmed by you all and your kind words. I can honestly say that I felt and still feel, loved, supported and blessed. I thank you all so very much from the depths of my heart. I always knew there were wonderful people out there, I'm just thankful that I have you in my life. You have no

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-36791822135035758182011-03-11T21:52:00.000-06:002011-03-11T21:53:07.596-06:00

When I see the contrasting colors of purple and green together they immediately remind me of my two sons' birthstones- Amethyst and Peridot. I did not make this bread because blueberries are purple and zucchini is green, but rather because I like the two flavors baked into sweet quick breads. I've never had the two together, but I really liked it and the crumble sent it over the top. Besides

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-43098773295885870802011-03-03T00:00:00.002-06:002011-03-11T21:46:42.180-06:00

I mentioned in a recent post about Lemon-Lime Cream Pie, that we were going through cases of oranges from Costco like they were going out of style. They have just been so good this year, and as a midnight snack, Mr. H and I will peel two oranges and have those for dessert. Actually he does the peeling, I just do the eating :-) Our entire crisper drawer was filled to the brim with oranges so I

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com161tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-951160317205471092011-02-25T00:00:00.002-06:002011-02-25T11:18:06.660-06:00

I made this awhile back when I first got my new camera in October. I didn't really know what I was doing with the camera so I just turned it on, adjusted a couple settings and started shooting. For the most part, the pictures turned out okay, but you could tell I was still practicing :-). The white balance on them is a little off and some of them were way blurry, but it was really good and

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-31972514751092825192011-02-20T16:24:00.005-06:002011-02-21T10:59:11.619-06:00

I know I've been MIA lately, but I'm hoping this cake will more than make up for it. If you like cake, and coffee, and chocolate covered Heath toffee bits, then you'll love this cake. These are all some of my favorite baking flavors so this cake was delicious to me. It doesn't look like much, but it's packed full of flavor with an espresso laced cake, and a buttery toffee crumble on top. It's

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-80491209177979391242011-02-15T23:14:00.005-06:002011-02-15T23:57:10.744-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Mr. H and I went to Chipotle for tacos and burritos. We had a buy one get one free meal coupon then we went to Hobby Lobby for silk flowers. Romantic, huh? ha ha! In all honesty, it was nice not to have to cook, but still be able to spend some one on one time together. Any time spent with my hubby is a good day. Today I wanted to take a minute

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-87284979964413190892011-02-11T00:00:00.001-06:002011-02-12T13:35:16.551-06:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post. It just seems like time has flown by and I don't know where it's gone. I strive to keep this blog up and post a couple new recipes a week, but I just don't have the energy to do so right now. I've been sick for almost 3 weeks now. It started to go away then it came back full force on Tuesday. I went to the doctor when I first

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-53150643760883016152011-02-01T21:07:00.000-06:002011-02-01T21:22:19.294-06:00

I have not been baking or cooking much lately. And I'm way behind on blog reading because Bloglines changed and didn't migrate all the blogs over like it should have- so please accept my apologies if I regularly comment but haven't lately. I'm now reading blogs differently but it's not as efficient. On top of that, things in my life have just been crazy but that doesn't mean that I don't have

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-57303819291019671642011-01-28T00:47:00.002-06:002011-01-28T00:57:36.148-06:00

Anyone remember that song by Adam Sandler on SNL- Lunch Lady Land? If you don't know what I'm talking about go HERE - it's totally hilarious! Go ahead, go watch it, I'll wait... Okay, funny right? I'm not one to watch much SNL (then or now) but I loved Adam Sandler on that show. He's such a classic. And everytime I make sloppy joes I can't help but think of that song. It's like "Lunch

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-41817820798068326402011-01-24T01:14:00.004-06:002011-01-24T01:39:32.074-06:00

Today is my 400th post and I have a special cake for you today! I made this for the boys I nanny. They both have birthdays one week apart so for the last couple years they've shared a birthday party and cake. The oldest turned 4 years old and the youngest turned 2. Last year I made them a Wonder Pets Cake and this year they wanted to go with a dinosaur theme. raaar! When I'm trying to design

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-16631833700532961392011-01-20T02:20:00.000-06:002011-01-20T02:21:57.590-06:00

It's Cake Slice time again! Today I have a graham cracker-chocolate chip snacking cake with marshmallow buttercream frosting. Whew! That's a mouthful! I was really excited to try this cake because I'm a huge fan of s'mores and cake, but it wasn't everything I hoped it would be. It was by no means bad, but it certainly was not like a traditional s'more. Recently I made s'more bars and now this

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-46342155891312965492011-01-18T01:04:00.005-06:002011-01-18T01:32:53.825-06:00

For my 100th post (2 years ago) I shared a recipe for Graham Break-Aways. It's a layered snack of graham crackers, buttery toffee, chocolate with a sprinkling of nuts on top. It's a decadent treat that my husband adores. I like them too, but I saw this recipe for saltine toffee and thought I'd give it a try. It's basically the same concept with salty crackers on the bottom instead of the

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-16901444923455075992011-01-14T03:05:00.003-06:002011-01-14T03:16:56.780-06:00

I understand why people buy frozen waffles, because if you don't have a waffle maker, you can't make waffles. But I'll never understand why people buy frozen pancakes or pancake mix. Making pancakes from scratch is so simple and you probably already have all the ingredients already in your pantry. But I want to share with you a recipe that makes perfect pancakes everytime as well as a couple

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-75088649152404197082011-01-12T03:25:00.001-06:002011-01-12T03:28:31.334-06:00

What do you do with speckled overly ripe bananas? I'm sure many of you are thinking banana bread, right? I don't love banana bread (gasp!) so I usually toss them into fruit smoothies or make this strawberry Jell-o salad. I like bananas as a snack, but I like them firm with a little green still on them. Once they turn brown, I'm out! Usually if they're really black they get thrown away. Don't

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-86187395926183924912011-01-08T00:00:00.001-06:002011-01-08T00:00:02.139-06:00

I know many bloggers did their year end recap of the recipes they made in 2010. Some narrowed it down to ten and twelve recipes, but I just can't do that! I made far too many yummy recipes last year to narrow it down to 10 recipes, so today you get my top 24 favorites of 2010- that's 2 recipes per month. Enjoy!Here they are in no particular order: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bread Baked Corn

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-58810733766952164732011-01-05T21:43:00.002-06:002011-06-20T18:22:55.927-05:00

Over the holidays, I met one of my favorite blogger friends- Maranda of Jolts & Jollies. She emailed me awhile back and we chatted back and forth. In our conversations I found out that she was also living in Texas, but was about to relocate to another state, following her army husband. I also learned that her mom and I lived in the same town and she was coming to visit for Christmas. That also

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-1831433561049570772011-01-02T04:19:00.001-06:002011-01-02T04:22:19.869-06:00

I dedicate this post to my friend Jeanette from Starting Over. On Monday, I got an email with some heartbreaking news- Jeanette passed away on Christmas morning. Jeanette and I became friends in early 2010. She found this blog and emailed me to tell me that she loved and trusted the recipes I shared. You see, Jeanette was in a car accident several years ago and suffered some brain damage that

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-72963500706125156192010-12-29T02:00:00.005-06:002010-12-29T15:47:40.874-06:00

I hope you all had a peaceful holiday full of family, friends, fun and food! There was a lot of cooking and preparing on my end, but once the festivities began, I was able to relax a bit. I hope the same was for you. We had family over (a total of 17) for Christmas Brunch over at my mom's house. It's the first time we've ever done brunch for this holiday and I have to say, it was a nice

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-25211753008661468002010-12-24T02:19:00.009-06:002010-12-24T03:26:02.885-06:00

Last year, I did 7 days of Christmas Breakfasts and it was a lot of fun. I had intentions of doing the same thing this year but time slipped through my fingers, just like the last 12 months did! I guess next year I should start my holiday posts in August so I can ensure they get done. If you think about it, that's not much unlike the stores that start putting Christmas stuff out in September,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-54759367362015001952010-12-21T00:39:00.009-06:002010-12-21T14:49:36.053-06:00

I know you're all busy, so I'll keep this short and sweet. I just wanted to share this cake with you that I made last Christmas that I'll be making again for this years' festivities. It was so good, that I'm pretty sure it will become a Christmas tradition. And it's a good one because it's loaded with booze- rum to be exact. I also wanted to share with you a conversation that happened

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-83048097216565691732010-12-20T02:34:00.001-06:002010-12-20T03:33:22.661-06:00

Last Sunday, my in-laws celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. That's just amazing to me! We invited them over for dinner, dessert and Christmas tree decorating. Dinner was roast chicken, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots and dessert was this delicious cranberry cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. This cake was also baked by all the other Cake Slice Bakers and judging by their

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-35266190820897468872010-12-17T19:55:00.004-06:002010-12-17T20:15:36.132-06:00

It has been a loooong stressful week. My mom had back surgery on Monday and I've been tending to her needs for several days. Luckily she doesn't live too far, but it's hard to help her out the way I want/need to as well as live my own life. She is recovering and doing very well...it only takes time! There are a lot of things I have yet to do. I try and do one little thing a day, so I don't get

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-88893024640486108452010-12-15T19:03:00.002-06:002010-12-15T19:05:30.953-06:00

Ever heard of one-bowl chocolate cake? Of course you have. It's a simple recipe that can be mixed up in one bowl. But have you ever heard of a one-pan cake? Me neither! This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour and all the ingredients are mixed right into the very pan you bake it in. It sounded too good to be true so I tried it out, and it worked! I took step by step photos of this one so you

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-54855694240385944612010-12-12T02:08:00.002-06:002010-12-17T19:09:13.987-06:00

I am one lucky blessed woman. I honestly believe that I have the best husband in the world. Shouldn't we all feel that way about our significant others though? When I went out of town, this past weekend, Mr. H cleaned house, did laundry, put up the Christmas tree and did a little decorating just to help me out. Then yesterday he was scrubbing toilets! That means the world to me since I've been

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com112tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-81194061338125907272010-12-11T21:58:00.000-06:002010-12-11T21:58:34.140-06:00

If you'd like the recipe for these low-fat but deliciously soft and addictive Mocha Crinkles, please head over to Christy's at The Girl Who Ate Everything to read my guest post. ~Monica

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-68504862587801929692010-12-08T01:59:00.004-06:002010-12-08T03:22:51.601-06:00

I just returned from visiting my great grandmother in faraway Small Town, Texas. She's been sick and age is taking a toll on her body, so my mother, aunt, brother and I went to see her. It was hard to see her body, frail and weak, but her mind is mostly still there. She still has a sense of humor and is eating well, so that is a good thing. Of course, she still has her bad days and fortunately,

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-11501810874042813142010-12-04T00:00:00.001-06:002010-12-04T00:00:05.344-06:00

Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Butter. Yup, it's the fifth season, didn't you know that? Baking Season, also known as Butter Season is upon us. It's time to start baking your favorite holiday recipes and I hope with all of my heart, that those recipes start off with Real Butter. I can tell the difference between a product baked with butter or margarine, and butter is definitely my preference.

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-58341253232815054602010-12-01T00:00:00.002-06:002010-12-01T01:58:54.314-06:00

I was raised in cattle country so naturally, I like meat. Mr. H is certainly not a vegetarian and I don't think he'd ever become one because he likes his steak too much. Now, I'm not going to get into how we like it cooked because I might gross some people out and that is not my intention here, but my point is we are carnivorous beings and like it like that. We seldom eat a meatless meal, but

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-86825673101003764602010-11-28T22:02:00.004-06:002010-11-29T00:51:30.370-06:00

Whew! It has been a "whirlwind" weekend, as my father-in-law likes to say. I am worn out from Thanksgiving weekend. It's been nice to have some time off from work, but I've been a full time wife, cook and Christmas light decorator. I'm sure many of you can relate. It seems you cook and bake for 2 days straight, and it's all eaten up in 15 minutes, then you have and endless stack of dishes to

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-19225571616353909502010-11-23T02:00:00.003-06:002010-11-23T02:00:04.647-06:00

Today's recipe comes from a lovely book written by Molly Wizenberg-- A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table. Molly is also the author of the blog Orangette. Without knowing what this book was about, I purchased it because of our common interests: food. I got this book many moons ago then placed it on the shelf and forgot about it. I knew I'd pick it up again when the time

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-84646815752458928892010-11-21T18:35:00.003-06:002010-11-21T19:00:14.505-06:00

Several weeks ago the folks at Olivia's Croutons sent me some Olivia's Stuffing to try out (Thank you!). I loved their croutons so I was excited to try their stuffing mixes too. Don't you love the farm on their box? They sent me their Traditional and the Cornbread stuffing free of charge. They did not ask me to blog about it, but that's what I do! So here I am sharing my recipe with you. I don't

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-41119304193156317222010-11-20T00:00:00.001-06:002010-11-20T00:00:04.586-06:00

This is the second cake The Cake Slice Bakers have made from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. Geez, how many times can you say "cake" in one sentence?! Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake. ha! The winning cake this month was Cinnamon Pudding Cake. I adore cinnamon so I was super excited about making this cake, but in the end I thought it was a little disappointing.I've never had a pudding cake

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-20958992549983151202010-11-18T03:14:00.003-06:002010-11-18T03:44:16.556-06:00

This is my last Foodbuzz Fest post but this time it's not about the food or the sights, it's about the people. Without the people, there would be no Foodbuzz Fest.Sadly, I have to admit, that I met a few trolls at this event, but for the most part the people that I met were really nice and friendly. They are the reason that I want to go to Foodbuzz Fest 2011.Rather than listing all the wonderful

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-47739288366945589892010-11-16T22:15:00.001-06:002010-11-16T22:46:55.119-06:00

We're smack dab in the middle of November (where did the year go?) and I'm making s'mores! Wacky, I know, but s'mores aren't seasonal to me. They're a perfect treat during the warm summer months around the campfire, but they're perfectly acceptable in the Fall too. And just for the record I've never had a s'more around a camp fire. If I'm having a craving then I just toast a marshmallow with my

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-14902027844860156632010-11-14T18:45:00.002-06:002010-11-14T18:56:36.445-06:00

I'm sure you're quite tired of seeing Foodbuzz pictures all over the place, but I still wanted to share my perspective with you. I'm sure you've seen the same plated food pics, but after the farewell brunch we explored the city and I want to share that with you. Hope you don't mind :-) The farewell brunch at The Sir Francis Drake was plentiful. I believe it was sponsored by Nature's

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-78454898290145738242010-11-12T22:44:00.001-06:002010-11-13T00:26:48.400-06:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my Le Creuset giveaway. It was great to read all of your Thanksgiving memories and to get your treasured recipes all at once. I read some really funny stories that included gray mashed potatoes, seriously crazy pie baking, and drunk Grandpa's falling asleep at the dining table. I laughed so hard, and I got a little teary too as you all recalled memories of your

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-8250147928036178952010-11-11T18:30:00.002-06:002010-11-11T22:16:39.328-06:00

Day 2 of Foodbuzz Blogger Fest in San Francisco was a busy one! We crammed quite a bit into our day. Saturday morning, Debby and I walked across the street for breakfast at Sears' Fine Foods. They're known for their small Swedish pancakes and they're just as tasty as they are cute -served with butter and lingonberries. Back at the hotel we went to a photography workshop. I was hoping to

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-56774049195146752452010-11-10T19:47:00.010-06:002010-11-10T22:21:16.729-06:00

I had a wonderful time in San Francisco at the Foodbuzz Blogger Fest this past weekend. It is a beautiful city, with lots to experience and photograph and good food everywhere you turn. I feel like all we did all weekend was EAT! I'm pretty sure, Debby (my lovely roommate) from A Feast For The Eyes would agree with me. Debby picked me up from the airport (thanks Deb!) and we

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-10224095739375643052010-11-03T02:23:00.006-05:002010-11-11T03:44:54.337-06:00

Today is Lick The Bowl Good's 3rd Anniversary! I remember the night I started this blog. I sat quietly for a long time at the desk in the office fooling around with colors and templates until I was satisfied with the outcome. The original color of this blog was blue-green, the way :-) I walked out of there as the proud owner of a baking blog. I thought my husband was going to think I was crazy

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com330tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626395299879503000.post-40450296060976474352010-11-01T02:47:00.006-05:002010-11-01T03:03:23.190-05:00

I have a few exciting things to share with you this first day of November. Firstly, I'm going to San Francisco this weekend for the 2nd Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Fest! I am beyond thrilled to be heading out west. Obviously there will be cooler weather in California than in Texas, but also because I know I'm in for a fabulous weekend filled with beautiful sights, bloggie friends and food! My

Monica Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14767867041043811045noreply@blogger.com37