Monthly Archives: February 2012

Faith Plate Brownies

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I joined the coolest group last month called Foodie Pen Pals.  It is a great program where foodies mail each other little love packages filled with little cullinary goodies to create something fun and yummy. The Lean Green Bean puts this all together for us!  Then we blog about it and link back to each other.  It is a great way to meet others and to help network all our blogs.  My goodie package came from Rachelle at Faith Plate!  She sent a bunch of cute things, information on her college town, heathly eating information and some really yummy cookies and candies! I had to hide some so I would have some left to use for the post!  I used The Sea Salt and Dark Chocolate candy bar and the Granola to make some yummy brownies!

Foodie Penpals

 

Faith Plate Brownies
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • one box of fudgey brownie mix
  • once candy bar chopped up
  • 1 1/2 cups granola
Instructions
  1. make box according to directions
  2. add granola and candy bar
  3. bake accoriding to box
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Irish Cream Coffee Cupcakes

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When two Food Bloggers get together for the weekend, one can only imagine how much cooking would be happening.  In the case of Ashley at Kitchen Meets Girl and myself we cooked and baked quite a bit!! We even made a really yummy cocktail that took much less than stellar photos….. Just means I will have to make it a second time.  We learn from our mistakes do we not?  One item that was not a mistake were these super yummy cupcakes!  We wanted to get a head start on our St. Patrick’s Day festivities!  It is a big To Do here in Kansas City, starting with Snake Saturday and ending with a Pub Crawl on the Big Day! So with just a couple of weeks to get some great recipe’s in and get ready for the big party we spent a small part of our Saturday baking up these little goodies!

While we were at the store getting our booze supplies for the weekend we saw this Iced Coffee Flavored Milk.  Well we said we just had to have this and then it became a major ingredient in the frosting for the cupcakes!

 

I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was to make these.  It is always nice to have a second set of hands helping.  Ashley is my partner in crime in food blogging world and she set me up with some great new features!  Check out the side bar……

So Here are our Irish Cream Coffee Cupcakes! You can also see this post at Mrs. Fox Sweets

Irish Cream Coffee Cupcakes
5.0 from 2 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen and Kitchen Meets Girl
Serves: 24
inspired by a recipe at Sweet Tooth
Ingredients
  • For the Cupcakes
  • 2 1/2 cups Cake Flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 12 tbs unsalted butter
  • 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • For the Frosting
  • 6 cups powdered Sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 5 tbs Iced Coffee Milk
  • 3 tbs Bailey’s Irish Cream
Instructions
  1. For the Cupcakes
  2. In a mixer cream butter and sugar
  3. add eggs one at a time until combined
  4. add vanilla and salt and baking powder and coffee
  5. add the flour and the Bailey’s Alternately
  6. mix til batter is combined
  7. Line 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins and fill 2/3 full of batter each
  8. bake at 350 15-17 min
  9. cook on a wire rack
  10. For the Frosting
  11. cream the butter and 4 cups of sugar
  12. add 3 tbs coffee milk
  13. add 2 more cups sugar
  14. tbs coffee milk and 3 tbs Bailey’s
  15. Mix till combined and piping consistency is achieved
  16. Pipe or spread icing on cooled cupcakes
  17. Start your Merry Ole St Paddy’s Party!!!
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http://mrsfoxssweets.blogspot.com/2012/03/luck-o-irish-link-party.html

Muffeletta Pizza

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So the Big Day has arrived! FAT TUESDAY is here! I know it is not very helpful to write a post for a meal ON the day of the holiday, but hey I was a little busy this week.

I wanted to do something fun, different and totally in the Spirit of Mardi Gras.  I had 2 more of my Blood Orange Cocktails again tonight! They are sooo yummy and give just the nicest little buzz…… http://www.pandpkitchen.com/2012/02/19/blood-orange-hurricane/ I really recommend drinking this along with this meal!

I took the classic Muffeletta sandwich and turned it into the easiest and most crowd pleasing of meals….. PIZZA!!  All the classic elements of the sandwich are here, Olives, Olives, and more Olives, Salami, cheese and oh did I mention Olives?

Muffeletta Pizza
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Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 pre-made pizza dough such as biboli
  • salami
  • black olives
  • green olives
  • sliced banana peppers
  • mozzarella
  • roasted red peppers packed in olive oil
  • basil pesto
  • dried oregano
  • cheddar cheese
  • the amounts will depend on how you like your flavors….. like more cheese? like more olives? it is all up to you!!!
Instructions
  1. on the pizza dough spread about 3 tbs of basil pesto
  2. sprinkle one handful of mozzarella cheese
  3. layer black olives and one small handful of mozzarella cheese
  4. layer salami slices and one small handful of mozzarella cheese
  5. layer more black olives and sprinkle some oregano
  6. layer sliced roasted red peppers and a little more mozzarella cheese
  7. one more layer of salami slices and a layer of green olives
  8. layer a handful of cheddar cheese and more green olives
  9. bake at 450 for 10 min till golden bubbly brown
  10. please feel free to adjust layers as you would like your flavor combinations to be!
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The Sweet Spot

Blood Orange Hurricane

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It is Mardi Gras Time!!! Get out your beads and fill the largest cup you can find with great New Orleans Libations! And that is New Arrlens for all you Northerner’s that want to say New or LEANs.  I spent most of my life in the Deep South that is Memphis and Nashville Tennessee and it is a true Faux Pas to get this wrong.  Especially at this most sacred of Southern Celebration times!  Tomorrow is the Greatest Party Day of all times! Fat Tuesday!!!  Time to get your PARTY on folks before we enter our most solemn of times in Lent.  So in that Tradition I have created my own version of the MOST Famous of all Louisiana Cocktails. The Hurricane!!!

I am on my second one as I am writing this! Whoo Hoo!!! I took the classic drink and just tweaked it a tad to make it my own.  I used a Carbonated Blood Orange drink.  You can find them at most Posh Grocery stores.  (I think we all know the one I mean) The one ingredient that CAN NOT be substituted is a Top Shelf Spice Rum! I use the Sailor Jerry kind…… Some like the Captain Morgan kind…… but one must NEVER use clear or Rot Gut kind……

So go on down to the Byou, take a trip down the mightiest river in the world, push your way through the spanish moss, fan away the humidity…. oh just make sure that you watch out for Vampires and Ghosts.  It is not a legend or just child stories in this part of the world!

Blood Orange Hurricane
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Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 oz BEST Spiced Rum
  • 1 oz Pineapple Rum
  • 1/2 oz Tripple Sec
  • Blood Orange Soda or Juice
Instructions
  1. In a cocktail shaker fill with ice
  2. pour all liquor in the shaker and shake!
  3. pour in a glass with ice
  4. top with the blood orange soda
  5. Have a good time!!!
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Mexican Stuffed Shells

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So let’s see the last 4 posts here at The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen have been over the top yummy cakes and cookies and all sorts of sweet confections!  Time for some real meals to get put back in rotation. I actually made this meal before the Super Bowl even aired! I have had so many other creations to blog about.  Now it is time for these little beauties to have their chance for the whole world to see. They are really easy, a little time consuming but not bad at all.  It was a very hearty and tasty meal that I will be making again! I hope that you enjoy it also!

I also want to give a shout out to Larissa over at Larissa Marie Design http://www.etsy.com/shop/larissamariedesign?ref=pr_shop_more  for making my blog look so sharp and fun now! Plaid and Paisley is not the most blogger friendly theme I have found, but Larissa did a GREAT job! How do you all like the new look?

Mexican Stuffed Shells
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 15 jumbo stuffed shells
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 can enchilada sauce (10oz)
  • 1/4 chopped onion
  • 1 pkg taco seasoning
  • 1 can fat free refried beans
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk or low fat Cheddar Cheese
  • fat free sour cream for garnish
Instructions
  1. boil shells in salted water for 9 min remove and shock under cold water to stop cooking process
  2. saute onions and chicken and taco seasoning till cooked all the way through
  3. in a 9 x13 baking dish pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom (so the shells won’t stick while baking)
  4. take shells and spoon about 1-2tbs of refried beans inside then fill with meat mixture
  5. place in the baking dish. Continue process till all shells are finished
  6. pour the remaining enchilada sauce over shells
  7. cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 min
  8. remove foil sprinkle cheese and bake for 5 more min
  9. serve with a nice dollop of sour cream and a healthy side salad!
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Carrot Cake Ice Cream

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This is my first time at the Improv Challenge Blog Hop! http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/  If you are unfamillar with it, Two ingredients are given to you and then you let your imagination roam! Sweet or Savory doesn’t matter just create something wonderful!!  This month’s Challenge is Carrots and Ginger.  I was going to a savory dish as a veg side at first then, I came across a great idea from Not Quite Nigella. www.notquitenigella.com As soon as I saw her version of this most scrumptious dessert I just KNEW I had to make it!!!  Never mind that we got 3 inches of snow the other day….. I want to eat this RIGHT NOW!

I do have to admit that I did cheat a little…… I used Breyers Vanilla Bean Ice Cream instead of making my own.  I know bad girl….. My ice cream maker did not survive the move and I just wasn’t ready to replace it this week.  So I Cheated. Don’t judge me.   So Here is my first post for the Improv Challenge! Carrot Cake Ice Cream!

Carrot Cake Ice Cream
5.0 from 3 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • For the Cake:
  • 2 cups flour (I used Cake Flour)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger (the recipe did not call for it but I added it for the challenge) Optional
  • 3 cups grated carrots (about one bunch)
  • 8 oz can of crushed pineapple drained VERY WELL
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 oz softened cream cheese
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 4-6 tbs milk
  • 1 carton of vanilla ice cream softend to almost liquid
  • 1/8 cup chopped candied crystalise ginger
Instructions
  1. For The Cake:
  2. Combine all the dry ingredients
  3. add the carrots and pineapple oil and eggs
  4. mix till all is combined
  5. pour into a greased 9 x13 baking pan
  6. bake at 350 for 30 min
  7. cool completely
  8. For the Frosting:
  9. Beat the sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and 2 tbs milk
  10. add 1 tbs milk at a time till disered consistancy is achieved (quite thin but not liquidy)
  11. To Assemble:
  12. Crumble cooled cake
  13. in a large mixing bowl pour in ice cream
  14. add 3/4 of the cream cheese frosting (reserve the rest for drizzeling)
  15. add 4 cups of the crumbled cake (reserve at least 1 cup for crumbling on top)
  16. mix till combined
  17. pour into a glass 9 x 13 dish
  18. scatter the last 1 cup of cake on top
  19. cover with cling film (saran wrap) and freeze till ice cream consistnecy returns
  20. when you serve drizzle a little of the cream cheese frosting on top and top with chopped cyrstalised ginger!
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Shortbread Hearts

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Ok one last Valentine’s Day Post!!! This is the last one I promise!! Once I made that Chocolate Cake I just got the baking bug and I haven’t been able to stop!!!! I even made mini red velvet bundt cakes for the gals at work! I didn’t even blog that one!! I am out of control!!!  The boys really love my shortbread that I make at Christmas Time, so it just seemed fitting that I make them some for Valentine’s Day.  I have this cute heart shaped brownie pan and I just used that for the molds.  It made a thicker cookie that what I make by hand.  A result that was met with much happiness!!  I just added a touch red gel food coloring to give the dough a pink tint.

Shortbread is super super easy and can be whipped up lickity split!  I use a very old school traditional recipe that I have memorized and I give out whilly nilly quite often.  So here it is the super easy super yummy Scottish Shortbread Recipe

Scottish Shortbread
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: cookies
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter soft
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup powder sugar plus 2 tbs
Instructions
  1. cream butter and sugars
  2. add flour and salt
  3. mix till dough ball forms
  4. split ball into 2 pieces
  5. roll out to 7 in circles
  6. prick edges with fork to make a pretty pattern (I like a plaid pattern myself)
  7. bake at 325 for 20 min
  8. cool and cut into wedges
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Strawberry Love Cake!

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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!  A couple of days early that is!  I had to give you a few days to make this, didn’t I?  I am always finding the greatest Holiday Theme ideas the day of or the day AFTER the occasion!

I have been just drooling over all the wonderful litlle love bites that all you wonderful bloggers have been posting! You have all inspired me to make a lovely confection of my own.  I made this once before using Fresh Strawberries, this time I used frozen.  In California I had Strawberry Feilds just about in my back yard and every street corner had someone selling them.  I don’t have that luxury anymore so I used Frozen.  Can I tell you that I actually think the frozen worked better?!  It left the cake moister and the frosting more strawberryish….. yes I know that is not a real word……

I used fresh mint leaves and cute little sprinkles as the decorations for the cake and a heart shaped pan and Viola Strawberry Love Cake!

Strawberry Love Cake!
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • For the Cake:
  • 24 oz frozen Strawberries
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbs chocolate extract (or vanilla)
  • 2 1/14 cups cake flour
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter room temp
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 cup butter room temp
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbs strawberry liquid
  • 2 tbs milk
  • 2-3 tbs strawberry puree
Instructions
  1. For the Cake:
  2. Thaw strawberries in a strainer over a bowl to reserve the liquid
  3. puree the strawberries with an immersion blender or food processor
  4. you need 3/4 cup puree for cake and the rest will go in the frosting and still you will have leftovers
  5. cream butter, sugar, eggs, extract and milk in a stand mixer
  6. add the flour and baking powder slowly
  7. add the puree and mix till combined
  8. pour into prepared pans and bake at 350 for 25 min or til done
  9. For the Frosting
  10. Beat the butter for 30 sec
  11. add the powdered sugar and mix
  12. add the 1 tbs strawberry liquid and 2 tbs milk beat for 3 min
  13. add strawberry puree 1 tbs at a time until desired consistency and color is achieved
  14. once cake is cooled you can frost and then eat your yummy delight!
 
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Take a heart shaped cookie cutter to use as a form for your sprinkles

how sweet and fun is this cake? Much quicker and easier to make than my last post! http://www.pandpkitchen.com/2012/02/07/the-sexiest-chocolate-cake-you-have-ever-eaten/

I hope that your Valentine Loves this cake as much as mine did!

 

 

 

The Sexiest Chocolate Cake you have ever eaten!

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I am so excited to announce that I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop! This a great way to see more wonderful recipes and meet more foodies! Can you believe the first challenge was CHOCOLATE CAKE?!  It just seemed too good to be true! This seems to be a great blog hop and I am so happy to be a part of it!  Tina at Mom’s Crazy Cooking http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/  has a great blog and you should all check her out!  You too can join the Crazy Cooking Challenge!
Photobucket

This is such fun and it helps highlight a blogger that you might not have stumbled upon in the past.  I have to give a big shout out to TWO different bloggers in aiding me in the Chocolate Cake!  Chic Gorgeous http://www.chicgorgeous.blogspot.com/  and The Savory Sweet Life http://savorysweetlife.com/  If you have never seen their blogs please hop over to them and you will be as addicted as I am!

I named this Cake The Sexiest Chocolate Cake you have ever eaten, just my little nod to Valentines Day! This is one Crazy Decadent over the top Chocolate Cake.  I am talking Dark Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting, Fresh Raspberry layer, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries!!  This would be the perfect cake to make for your Romantic night! Just imagine your sweetie feeding you one of the decadent Dark Chocolate covered strawberries with a bit of Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream….. Hmmmmmm  Now that is true Love!

The Sexiest Chocolate Cake you have ever eaten!
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • For the Cake:
  • 3/4 plus another 3/4 cup Dutch Process cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups ap flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup milk (I did use whole on this one occasion)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 pint fresh raspberries (macerated with 2tbs sugar and 1 tbs water)
  • For the Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting: (double for layered cakes)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temp
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs Chocolate Extract
  • 4 tbs whole milk plus more to make your consistency
  • For the Ganache:
  • 1 package Dark Chocolate Chips
  • 6 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 tbs dark rum
  • For the Vanilla Bean Whipped cream:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean scraped of seeds or 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
Instructions
  1. For the Cake:
  2. whisk dry ingredients
  3. in a stand mixer add the eggs, water, milk, sour cream, butter and vanilla extract
  4. beat on medium till no lumps are left.
  5. pour into prepared 9″ round pans
  6. bake at 350 for 35-40 min
  7. For the Frosting:
  8. Beat the butter
  9. add the sugar and mix till combined
  10. add extract, salt, 2 tbs milk
  11. beat for 3 min
  12. then add milk 1 tbs at a time till desired consistency is reached
  13. I tinted this pink for Valentines Day
  14. For the Ganache:
  15. Over medium low heat in a sauce pan melt the Chocolate Chips and butter.
  16. Let cool slightly before you pour over cake
  17. For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream:
  18. Freeze bowl and whisk
  19. whisk the cream, sugar and beans till stiff peaks form on high
  20. To Assemble:
  21. Once the cake is cooled COMPLETELY I slice off the tops to make for perfectly even layering pieces.
  22. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the bottom layer and spread raspberries
  23. place second layer of cake on top
  24. I like to frost my sides first and then the top (I know that most of you do it the other way but I get it smoother this way)
  25. Chill the cake
  26. pour the ganache slowly on top and let drip down the sides
  27. dip the strawberries in extra chocolate
  28. pipe the whipped cream all along the bottom and make a ring of “stars” on the top of the ganache
  29. place a strawberry on every other whipped cream star
  30. chill and then slice and serve!
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Believe me when I say this is a Labor of Love to make this cake.  Don’t expect to whip it up last-minute notice.  There is alot of down time waiting for things to cool down or chill or set up.  I made this cake over 2 days. I baked and frosted the first day and topped it the second day.  It is SOOOOO worth the effort! Now please Check out all these other great Chocolate Cake recipes!

My Second Blog Award!!!

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I feel so special that I have met such wonderful foodies in this crazy online world of food blogging!  A few months ago I was awarded the Versatile Blogger award.  I was over the moon happy about it when I got it!  Now I come home from work the other night and I find that not ONE but TWO of my new foodie friends have awarded me another great award!

The Liebster Blog award means “favorite Blog” in German.  Now as you may remember I am 50% German Descent.  So this is like UBER COOL for me!

I have to thank my good friends Stephanie at Eat Drink Love http://eat-drink-love.com/

and Choco Chip Uru at Go Bake Yourself http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/

They both lovingly sent this award my way.  Please go check them out! They have great blogs!

So the Rules for this Award are:

1. Thank the person/persons that awarded you the blog and link to their blogs       Done

2. Copy and Paste the Award Logo to your blog.  It is your award!!! = )                   Done

3. Send the Award to 5 Deserving Bloggers with 200 or less followers   (since I got the award twice I am going to give it to 10 people.  I think that is only fair)

4. Let your Blog owners know about the award via email or blog comments

Ok Here are my 10 Deserving Blogs! Please check them out if you have not been to them before and if you have it is always nice to go back for another visit!

1. Amiee at Bargin Bites  http://bargainbites00.blogspot.com/

2. Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker http://www.browneyedbaker.com/

3. The Purple Spoon http://thepurplespoon.wordpress.com/

4. Lyndsey at Vanilla Clouds and Lemon Drops http://vanillacloudsandlemondrops.blogspot.com/

5. Lora at the Cake Duchess http://www.cakeduchess.com/

6. Oh Cake! http://cake-o-cake.blogspot.com/

7. Baker Street http://bakerstreet.tv/

8.  Alyssa at Mom De Cuisine http://momdecuisine.net/

9.  Kristin at To Serve with Love http://kristenleanne.wordpress.com/

10. Ashley at Kitchen Meets Girl http://www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com

I love all these blogs and I visit them all quite often! I hope that you will do the same!

 

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