Macey's Polka Dot cake

I haven't posted in a while, but I have been wanting to share all of my decorated cakes.  I have tons of them to share, so maybe if I post just one a week, I can get caught up!  This cake was so delicious!  I started adding my secret ingredient to my cakes not too long before making this one.  I'm sorry, I can't give that away, but I will show you what the inside looked like!  The birthday girl loved it!

WINNER and Pound for Pound Challenge Results!!!

I guess I should announce the winner of the $30 Kroger Gift Card just in case you're wondering!  How about a big CONGRATS to VickyB from VickieB's Ramblings!!  She said she likes Cheerios, so I'm sure she'll be using her gift card to get some!

I also want to proudly say that a whopping 6.2 Million Pounds of groceries were delivered to food banks across America!  Thanks to everyone who participated in the Pound for Pound Challenge!  I also hope that you are successfully meeting your weight loss goals!  I pledged to lose eight pounds and I've only lost one so far.  BUT, I'm eating healthier and working out, so I know I'll get there if I keep this up!  The first few weeks are the most frustrating!!  With that said, it's time to go eat some Cheerios and head to the gym!  Have an awesome day!!!

Peace Love Dance Cake

Here's a cake I made for a customer a couple of weeks ago...it's for her daughter's dance class.  She said everyone loved it!  This cake is a yellow butter cake with buttercream icing...a customer favorite!

Well, I made a few cakes this weekend, but unfortunately, I had a little mishap with my camera and I couldn't take any pictures!  I'll be getting it fixed, but guess what my husband got for Father's Day??  A Nikon Coolpix S4000!!  It's a really good compact camera, by the way!  I may just have to borrow it until I get mine fixed ;)

Hope everyone has a fantabulous week!!  Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY and enter the Pound for Pound Challenge! 

Kroger $30 Gift Card Giveaway and Pound for Pound Challenge

Ok everybody; it’s time to put away all the cakes, cookies, and other unhealthy foods. It’s time to start eating healthy, exercising, and shedding a few pounds. I know, easier said than done, huh?

Well, here’s a very good reason to do it. The Kroger Co. Family of Stores, General Mills, NBC's hit TV Show "The Biggest Loser" and other key sponsors are partnering to donate up to $1,080,000 to Feeding America this year. All you have to do is pledge to lose a few pounds. For every pound you pledge to lose by June 30, 2010, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14¢ to Feeding America® - enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank.

Visit www.pfpchallenge.com/Kroger to make your pledge to lose weight and to get more information and to find tools to change your life for the better. It is free, easy and only takes a minute to make a change that can help you and help the hungry in your local community. Be sure you tell all your friends about this so they can pledge, too!

I personally pledged to lose 8 pounds. Exercising is on the top of my list right now. Of course, eating healthy is next. Fortunately, Kroger Co. Family of Stores has helped by providing me with a $30 gift card! I can’t wait to go shopping for some healthy General Mills products!

Now, here’s the good news! They are also providing one of my readers with a $30 gift card! Here’s what you can do to win:

Simply post a comment! This entry is required to participate in this giveaway. Make sure you include your e-mail address so that I may contact you.

Additional entries:

• Post another comment stating how many pounds you pledged to lose.
• Post another comment stating which General Mills product(s) you would like to purchase.
• Become a follower on Google Friend Connect and post a comment stating that you have done this.
• Follow me on Twitter by clicking here and post a comment including your Twitter ID.
• Tweet about my giveaway on Twitter (Tweet must link directly back to this post) and post a comment stating that you have done this.
• Blog about my giveaway and post 2 comments state that you have done this (that’s 2 additional entries!)

All entries must be received by Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at midnight. A winner will be selected randomly on Thursday, July 1, 2010. Winner will have 48 hours to respond. If winner doesn’t respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be randomly selected.

The Kroger Family of Stores includes Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillon's, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

This giveaway and information were provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

I hate to say it...

I guess it's better to say it than to say nothing at all....

I'm (kind of) on a blogging break.  This wasn't intended, but I just realized I haven't posted in over two weeks!  I still love all my friends in the blogging world!!  But, in an attempt to become healthy again and lose some weight, I've added "working out" to my already busy schedule.  This leaves no time to blog right now.  But, the good news is...my grad school classes are ending in a week!  After that, my husband and I are taking a much-needed vacation. Then I'll have time to blog again...and cook decent meals again!  I have so many recipes that I want to share, so I can't wait for the summer so I can share them!  Stay tuned....I'll be back!!!

My Busy Self and Some Special K Protein Meal Bars

Between now and the end of April, I have a gazillion things to do! I have 4 papers to write, 6 homework assignments, and an exam. Plus, I have cakes to bake. We are also giving my brother-in-law and his fiancé a shower this weekend. Then, Chase’s birthday is next week and I want to plan something special for him!

Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy because I have so much to do, but really….I wouldn’t have it any other way! It’s the way my life has been for about the last 4 years, and I’m getting used to it! Everything I do is rewarding and I love it!

With that said, I may not be able to blog as much as I’d like in the next few weeks, but I’m still here reading comments and occasionally visiting other blogs! I plan on posting a few more photos from our trip this week!

Now, I wanted to share my latest food addiction with you. I’m absolutely HOOKED on these Special K Protein Meal Bars! They have 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. And they are SO GOOD! Since I’ve been so busy lately, I’ve been eating these either for breakfast or for an afternoon snack...or sometimes both!! I just grab a couple as I go out the door every day! My favorite flavor so far is peanut butter, which is pictured here. They have several flavors and I haven’t tried them all yet! I’m looking forward to trying the strawberry flavor. I actually ate my last bar yesterday and thankfully my hubby got paid today so I can stock up on more!!

I'm Back and We have a Winner!

Hope you all had a great week! I'm back from our road trip! We visited family in Kentucky and traveled up to Ohio as well! We had a great time and can't wait to go back! The land is very beautiful there! Much different from the flat land here where we live! I wanted to share a few pictures from our trip!

Here are the kids at the Ohio River. We were in Ohio. Kentucky was just across the bridge.

Here’s a view of the Ohio River from Maysville, Kentucky! We were standing at an old train station. The restaurant you see in the background is where George Clooney’s parents eat frequently.

And finally here’s a shot of downtown Maysville.

Now, here’s what you've been waiting for….our winner….I chose a winner using randomizer.org. I was surprised that it chose the 2nd comment!

Congratulations to Call Me Pretty for winning the Yoplait Yogurt “Nourish Your Inner Goddess” Giveaway!!

Hope everyone has an awesome week!  Enjoy the warm weather!!

Happy Easter!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter!!  It was such a beautiful day today and I took lots of great pics of the kids!  I love days like today.  We had a nice dinner with the family tonight and now we are packing to take a little road trip!  I've been extremely busy for the last week and I'm looking forward to things calming down at the beginning of May!  I get a much needed 3-month break from grad school!

I will be posting a winner for the Nourish Your Inner Goodness Giveaway as soon as I get back!  Thanks to everyone who entered!! 

Enjoy your week!

Nourish Your Inner Goddess...Giveaway!!! - CLOSED!!

Ok, I said I'd post about my giveaway this week, so here it is!!  Do you need a little something to help you relax?  If so, I have the perfect gift pack for you!  I am excited to announce this really awesome giveaway!  Yoplait Yogurt provided me with a wonderful "Nourish Your Inner Goddess" gift pack through MyBlogSpark!  They are also providing the same gift pack to one of my lucky readers and that could be you! 

The gift pack included 2 coupons for Yoplait's new Greek Yogurt. 

"With 12 grams of protein -- twice that found in leading yogurts-- new Yoplait Greek nourishes from the inside out. Available in four delicious flavors, Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey Vanilla and Plain, the brand´s newest offering has a unique thick and creamy texture with the unmatched taste expected of Yoplait."

  

I've never been much of a breakfast person, but in a recent attempt to eat healthier, I've been trying to make myself eat breakfast.  I've been eating yogurt for breakfast lately, so when I received this gift pack, I was very excited that this yogurt included 12 grams of protein!  I don't know of any other yogurt with that much protein in one serving!  I tried Strawberry and Honey Vanilla.  They were thick and creamy, not thin and smooth like their other yogurts.  The flavor was great and once I got used to the thicker texture, I really enjoyed eating this yogurt!  The best thing about it was that it filled me up until lunch!  I didn't have a craving for a snack in between meals as usual!  I will be purchasing this yogurt again!  Strawberry is my personal favorite and Honey Vanilla is delicious when used as a fruit dip!

For those of you that want to try this yogurt right away, click here to download a coupon!  (This coupon may not be valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Tennessee)

To celebrate its new Greek yogurt and to encourage women to nourish their inner goddess, Yoplait has teamed up with actress Izabella Miko, who plays Greek Goddess Athena in the epic adventure new Warner Bros. Pictures´ and Legendary Pictures´ film "Clash of the Titans," in theatres April 2 in 3D.  Click here to check out the trailer for the movie!

How to Enter:

Post a comment to let me know which flavor of Yoplait Greek Yogurt you'd like to try the most! This entry is required.

Additional entries:

• Become a Follower on Google Friend Connect and post a comment stating that you have done this.

• Follow me on Twitter by clicking here or by clicking the link at the top of this page and post a comment including your Twitter ID.

• Tweet about my giveaway on Twitter (Tweet must link directly back to this post) and post a comment stating that you have done this.

• Blog about my giveaway and post 2 comments stating that you have done this (that’s 2 additional entries!)

Important:  Include your e-mail address so I may contact you if you are a winner. 

All entries must be received by Saturday April 3rd at midnight. A winner will be selected randomly and announced on Sunday April 4th. Winner will have 48 hours to respond. If winner doesn’t respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be randomly selected.

Yoplait and MyBlogSpark provided both gift packs, coupons, and information.

Spring is Here and Awards!!!

I’m so excited that spring is here! Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and the children are enjoying playing outside. Our family tends to stay cooped up in the house when it’s cold outside! Once it warms up, though, we just can’t get enough of the outdoors! And for the first time in my life, we have a garden! My husband has been working hard preparing the soil so we can grow our own vegetables this year! I’m so excited!!

Now, it’s AWARD TIME!!

The other day, I received not just one award, but FOUR AWARDS from Pam at A Love for New Recipes! Be sure to check out her awesome blog! Thank you so much Pam!!

Here are the awards:

BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD:

SPECIAL HAPPY BLOGGERS LOVE AWARD:

KREATIV BLOGGER AWARD:

HONEST SCRAP AWARD:

Now, I’m supposed to name seven things about myself and pass this award onto seven others, so here it goes: (Hope you enjoy!)

Seven things about myself:

1. I have a Bachelor’s Degree that I’m not even using right now. I guess you could say that I’m underemployed.

2. The closets in my house are color coded. I started this years ago when I worked at a department store and it has stuck with me ever since. It’s so much easier to find clothes this way.

3. When I was a little girl, I pretended to have my own cooking show, just like Julia Child.

4. My favorite fruit is pineapple.

5. I get distracted really easily. Really really easily. Just ask my husband.

6. I love to scrapbook, but haven’t really had time to do it in a few years. I spent $3,000 on scrapbook supplies the first year I started (Many of it still goes unused).

7. I just started a new blog, Bless Our Soles, where I plan to post about other family related things besides food. I did this so I could keep this blog purely food related! It will only take you a minute to check it out…there are only a few posts so far!

Seven bloggers I’d like to pass these awards to:

1. Megan at What Megan's Making

2. The Veggie Mom at My Veggie Table

3. Me, Myself, and Pie

4. Kitchen Koala

5. Pam at From my Motorhome to Yours

6. Kelli at Come Join Me In…

7. LeAnn at Dinner at the Osbornes

Congrats!  If I had all day, I'd choose many more blogs, but unfortunately, I have work to do! 

Also, keep checking back...I will be posting another Giveaway this week!