Whoopie Pies

Hey guys! Today I'm guest posting over at A Proverbs 31 Wife. I'm sharing my recipe for Whoopie Pies. You can check it out here. Go say hi to Kendra!

Super Bowl Cupcakes

Are you ready for the big game? We sure are. Hubby was a little disappointed the the Falcons lost, but he got over it quickly. So in preparation for the game, I made cupcakes!

Manic Monday #2

Hello! I'm so glad you are here to join me for Manic Monday. I think I had a pretty good start with the first post, so I'm going to continue. Yay!

You all linked up some pretty great projects. I sooooo want to feature all of them, but alas, I can't. So, I chose a few of my favorites.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches - It's What's for Lunch!

I've tried to write this post so many times, but I have this amazing little dog that just wanted a lot of attention. Thankfully, I finally got her to take a nap! I guess that's what I get for treating a dog like a child. Oh well.

Back to the post. Today I'm sharing one of my favorite lunches - Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

Manic Monday #1

Hey Guys! I'm so excited to be hosting my first blog hop linky party. It will run from Sunday at 9pm EST to Saturday at 9pm EST. There will be features each week. However, since this is the first party, I'm just going to share with you some of the stuff I've been up to lately.

Lemon Peppered Chicken

The Best Lemon Peppered Chicken...ever

Well hello there.

This is my first savory post on the blog, and my first dinner post. (I have done a breakfast post, so I thought I'd add that dinner part in.) I'm so excited to be adding new things to the blog. I have so much planned! So today, I'm sharing what we had for dinner last night; plus, it's healthy!

Valentine Washi from Pick Your Plum

OMG! I'm so excited to share that Pick Your Plum has Washi Tape today! That's up to 70% off, if you didn't know. What's even better is it's Valentines themed. Annnnd...it's really cute. So, pop on over there and stock up on some Washi Tape!!

Click here for Washi Tape!

See how cute!

iPad2 Giveaway - Blogger Op

It's a MPM Birthday Celebration Event

Hosted by Mom Powered Media

Prizes: iPad 2 with Wi-Fi 16GB in Black

Event dates: 2/4 - 3/4

Free Blog Event! Sign-up here, BLOGGERS WANTED

No Bake Pudding Pie

Wow! I can't believe it's already Friday. This week has gone by so fast. I've been up to a lot this week. I've written a guest post for another wonderful blogger, and I've been trying to figure out how to make this blog a better place to visit. I have a few ideas, but I may need your help with that. But, we'll get to that later. First, I want to show you want I made with my guest post leftovers.

When Hubby and I went grocery shopping last week, he insisted that we buy instant pudding mix. Ok, I don't know why I take him grocery shopping with me. We usually come home with something that we don't actually need. However, instant pudding mix gave me an excuse to make pudding pie! It's really very simple to make, and it requires no baking. Yay!

You only need 3 (more or less) ingredient to make this. 

The crust consists of chocolate cookies. I used my Whoopie Pie cookies (which will be posted at a later date). They are a cake-like cookie, and worked very well. You'll need about 10-12 cookies and 3 tbsp of melted butter. Crumb the cookies and mix the butter in. Make sure all the cookies are moist. Then, in a glass pie pan, smash the cookies flat onto the bottom. You can also shape the cookies to the sides. This should look just like a normal pie crust, only chocolate. See, easy!

For the pudding, I used chocolate. You can use any flavor you want, though. Now this is probably the easiest step. I literally followed the directions on the pudding box. Now that's easy. 

When you are finished with the pudding, just pour it onto the pie shell. Chill it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. You need to do that before you complete the last step, or it won't work correctly. 

For the final step, add whipped cream. You can use store bought, or you can make your own. To make your own you simply need 1 pint of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

Chill a glass mixing bowl and whisk beaters in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. Pour the heavy cream into the mixing bowl, and whisk on high until it starts to get thick. Don't make it too thick. I would suggest stopping just before the edges of the bowl starts getting thick. Now pour in your powdered sugar and mix with a spoon. This will thicken up the cream that was still a little runny while sweetening your whipped cream. 

If your pie is thick, you can add the whipped cream. Spread it enough to cover the top of your pie. For a nice finishing touch, add chocolate chips for decoration. They're also tasty!

So the next time you need a quick and easy dessert, try this pudding pie. You won't be disappointed. 

Now, I need a little help from you, my readers. Please complete the survey below. This will greatly help me with the improvement of my blog, and I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Click here to take survey

Also, don't forget to subscribe by email to get my posts without ever leaving your inbox!

Twitter Tuesdays #4

Hey everyone, and welcome to Twitter Tuesdays. This week I'm trying something new with the linky.  I'm going to feature one partygoer each month.

This week it's Javeriya from Believe&Inspire.

Javeriya's blog features DIY, travel, fashion, and more. You can check her out here.

Also, you can follow her @JaveriyaCrafts.

Now, are you ready to party?

<div align="center"> <a href="http://cupcake-n-bake.blogspot.com" title="Cupcake-n-Bake"><img src="http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r562/erclaunch/twitter_tuesdays.jpg" alt="Cupcake-n-Bake" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Here are the rules:

1. Grab a button. You can grab one above, or on the sidebar. :)
2. Link up your twitter handle only.
3. Please follow me. Also, follow someone else. Everyone loves new twitter followers.
4. Have fun!

Use the widget below to add your twitter handle.

Bloggers Wanted

I'm participating in the "Beat the Winter Time Blues $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway" sponsored by author Terri Morgan, and you can too!

Giveaway: January 16 - February 6

One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card from Terri Morgan. 

All you need to do is to make an announcement about the FREE sign-up on your blog by grabbing the code under the graphic (you can post the whole message, if you want) and then on January 16 post the giveaway (html post will be provided). This is a great way to gain more followers on your Facebook page. There will not be a "host page", each blogger's Facebook page will be listed individually on the Rafflecopter.

Sign up here

*Please note, there will not be a "host page," each blogger's Facebook page will be listed individually on the Rafflecopter. Rafflecopter has met with Facebook to ensure that this method does not violate their TOS. 

Strawberry Banana Cupcakes

I'm so glad I am able to bake again! Since I'm no longer employed, and Hubby and I moved very far away from everyone we know, I needed something to keep me busy. I think I'm starting the 2013 baking year out pretty well with this one, too. Just one thing before I start. I'm still trying to figure out the camera Hubby got me to replace the one I was borrowing; so bear with me.

These are literally the best cupcakes I've ever made. Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to top these. They taste fantastic! I wanted something that I could use for Valentines Day, but I wanted to keep it sort of neutral, too. Somehow, I came up with Strawberry Banana cupcakes. You won't be sorry you read this when you try them. 

Hubby got me these really cute Valerie Bertinelli cupcake liners for Christmas, and I knew they would be perfect for these cupcakes. Ok, back to the baking... You can print the recipe here.

Here's what you need:

For the cupcakes - 

• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 12 fresh strawberries, halved (optional)

For the Filling - 

• 12 fresh strawberries
• 1 8oz block of cream cheese
• Slightly more than 1/3 cup of powdered sugar

Directions for the cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. In a medium sized bowl, use a fork or a potato masher to mash up the bananas. You'll want to remove the bruises first. 
3. Add the cake mix, eggs, vanilla, milk, and oil to the mashed bananas. 
4. Use a mixer on low to moisten the ingredients.
5. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then blend for 2 minutes on a higher speed.
6. Fill your baking cups until they are 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. The cupcakes should be a golden brown color.

Go ahead. Try one. They taste almost exactly like the pudding in Banana Pudding. Yum!

Now for the filling. 

1. Using a knife, dice the strawberries. 
2. Add the strawberries to a blender in order to make them small enough to use a filling tip.
3. In a small bowl, cream together the strawberries and cream cheese. 
4. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all mixed together. 

Now, combine the strawberries with the banana. Fill a piping bag with the strawberry filling, and attach a #230 tip. Insert the tip into the top center of the cupcake and slowly squeeze a small amount of filling into the cupcake. 

Use a 1M tip to add a small amount to leftover filling to the top of the cupcake. This will cover up that unsightly hole you made with the filling tip. Plus, it's really cute!

To pull it altogether, add strawberry halves to the top of each cupcake for decoration. Now, you're all finished. Trust me, these cupcakes are amazingly good. You won't be sorry you tried them. 

I hope you enjoy these. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful year!

Wilton W415850 Dessert Decorator Pro (Google Affiliate Ad)

New Year, New Etsy Shop

Wow! It feels like it's been forever since I posted. We have been busy with family and moving from state to state. It took a few days to get settled in, but I think I'm back. Now, I just have to buy flour. (I'm waiting on Hubby to start his new job before I do that).

So, here's the plan for 2013. I will be starting a new blog over on wordpress whenever I get comfortable with out new cost of living. Hopefully that will be soon. It will be called "It's a Southern Thing". And... it will be just that, southern. Baking will still be located here at Cupcake-n-Bake, so don't worry. The new blog will consist of crafts and savory cooking. It might also include random tips and tricks. I can't wait to share everything with you.

Also starting this year - Cupcake-n-Bake has an Etsy shop!!

I'm so excited about this new endeavor. At this shop, you can request orders as well as order what is offered. If you have any questions about it, you can also contact me. I tried to price my cookies similar to everyone else. 

You can visit my shop here.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. No one gets successful without suggestions!