Love Bakes Good Cakes

Weekend Round-Up {5-25-13}

2013-05-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day weekend, friends! We'll keep it short and sweet today ....
Here's a look at what happened around my little spot of the blogging world this week:

Let's Get Social Sunday #21 - Don't forget to join us tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 6 am Eastern time when the next party goes live!

Crustless Ham Savory Bake - An easy breakfast, lunch or dinner idea!

All My Bloggy Friends #47 - the party is still live and closes at 11:59 pm Eastern time. Don't forget to join us every Tuesday morning at 7 am Eastern time when the party goes live! I'd love to see you there! :)

Italian Sausage & Alfredo Pasta Bake - Creamy noodles with Italian sausage and veggies.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos - it's a party in your mouth! It'll cure any Mexican craving!

4th of July Cupcake Toppers or Tags - FREE for personal use!
__________________________________________________________
Five things I pinned this week that you should see too:
1. Coconut Marshmallow Cake from With A Blast - I have never seen a cake like this before and it looks totally cool! One of the best things, with summer coming, there's virtually no cooking! It's as easy as boiling water!
2. Chunky Monkey Cookies from Cooking with Curls - Ok, I'm not a big fan of making cookies, but I sure like to eat them! I'm pretty sure I can convince my kiddos to make these tasty little treats :)
3. Chocolate Salted Caramel Muddy Buddies from Kitchen Meets Girl - The perfect party snack! Who doesn't love Muddy Buddies? And this flavor combo is awesome!
4. Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches from Shugary Sweets - Seriously, I need more slow cooker recipes in my life. This sounds like one my whole family will love!
5. Cookie Dough Vanilla Milkshake from Simply Gloria - With so many choices, where do I start?!

Most pinned post this week: Italian Pasta Salad
Most popular post this week: Creamy Pea Salad
Biggest referring site this week: Pinterest
Most searched phrase: Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

4th of July Cupcake Toppers or Tags

2013-05-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this weekend is Memorial Day weekend, the official start of summer in my book! The 4th of July is kinda special to me, so I decided to make some cupcake toppers to share!
As always, remember these are for your own personal use! You may not claim them as your own, re-sell or redistribute them. However, if you would like to share - please send your friends and family to this blog post to get them! Thank you!

Click HERE for the {FREE} 4th of July Cupcake Toppers/Tags
I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos

2013-05-23T01:16:00.000-04:00

I have been craving tacos for days now ..... and I needed to get my "fix". I wanted something a little more funky and spicy than our usual taco fare. Chipotle peppers and lime to the rescue!

This is an easy meal because the slow cooker does all the works for you! Fix it and forget it! You could easily adapt it to the oven or stove top if you'd like.

What are you waiting for ... ¡ándale! ¡ándale! ¡arriba! ¡arriba! ... It's time to make some tacos!

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos Printable recipe Yield: 8 servings
1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper, to taste 1 lime, zested and juiced 2 chipotle chilies in adobo, finely minced (or more to taste)

1 tbsp. chili powder

1½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. oregano

½ cup water

Additional ingredients: Tortillas, warmed Lettuce, shredded Cheddar cheese, shredded Tomatoes, chopped Sour cream (optional)
Place chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, juice, chipotle chilies, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and water. Mix to combine. Pour over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook over LOW heat for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Add some of the sauce from the slow cooker for moisture.
To serve: Top tortillas with the chicken mixture. Then add desired toppings such as lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Italian Sausage & Alfredo Pasta Bake

2013-05-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

Many of you know that I love Mexican food ..... Brian on the other hand, loves Italian food. Lucky for him, Italian would be my second choice! ;)
This Italian Sausage & Alfredo Pasta Bake is easy to make and is fairly economical. You could add other veggies if you'd like, but usually, I like to keep it pretty simple. I like to keep my veggies "noticeable" in this dish, however, feel free to make them smaller if you want.
A simple meal the whole family will love!
Italian Sausage & Alfredo Pasta Bake Printable recipe Yield: 6-8 servings
1 lb. penne (or other pasta) 1 jar Alfredo sauce (or use homemade Alfredo sauce) 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed 1 tbsp. butter ½ cup red onion, chopped ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped 4 oz. Mushrooms, chopped 4-6 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-in. baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain. Set the sausage aside.
In the same skillet, melt the butter. Saute the red onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
In a large bowl (or the same pan the pasta was cooked in), combine the pasta, sausage, veggies and Alfredo sauce. Mix well. Spread evenly into the prepared 9x13-in. pan. Top with Mozzarella cheese.
Bake 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through. Serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

All My Bloggy Friends #47

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to All My Bloggy Friends! I'm so glad you stopped by! Feel free to link up anything family-friendly ... or just browse all the great stuff my bloggy friends share! Either way, thanks for being here! :)

Just a reminder, all of the features will be pinned to my Pinterest board as well as shared on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Onto the features from last week! Drum roll .....

The most viewed link was:

Almond Cream Cheese Bars from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

My 3 personal faves -

Italian Skillet Eggs from My Turn for us

Peach Melba Sangria from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Mexican Chicken Alfredo from Table for Seven

**Don't forget to stop by With A Blast to see Linda's faves as well :)

If you're new to the party or if you were featured and you would like a button, you can find them HERE.

Crustless Ham Savory Bake

2013-05-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm sharing this picture of this Crustless Ham Savory Bake that I made from my bloggy friend, Linda at With A Blast! This is another recipe I made months ago - and I shared it on my Facebook page at the time .... but I really wanted to share it here on the blog so y'all would know how wonderful it was and would go check it out for yourself! :) It would be a great breakfast, lunch or light dinner! As you can see, I served it with some green beans, peaches and a roll. Well ok, you can't see the roll, but it was there. :) Stop by With A Blast for the full recipe ... and tell Linda "hello" for me! :)

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Let's Get Social Sunday #21

2013-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Before we get to the party, I would like to take just a second of your time to ask you to stop by and vote for Love Bakes Good Cakes over on the Circle of Moms - Top 25 Foodie Moms of 2013 after you're done linking up your blog and social media! You can vote once a day and I greatly appreciate the help ♥
My shameless plug is done, let's party :)

Just a reminder - Lets Get Social Sunday will be on 9 different blogs every week! That means maximum exposure for you :)
Also, we have had a few requests to add BlogLovin' and Instagram to the line-up. So, if you're looking for new followers on those social media outlets, be sure to link up those as well!

Welcome to Let's Get Social Sunday!

This party is for bloggers who wish to make new friends and gain new followers. It is also an opportunity to link up all your social media sites to gain more followers for blogging opportunities and it increases traffic to all your sites.

Please :)

(1) Follow your hosts and co-hosts in as many ways as possible. We are the first 1-9 link-ups in each category.

Hosts:

Linda @ With A Blast
Paula @ Call Me PMc
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Diane @ Mamal Diane
Evelyn @ My Turn for us
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes
Joy @ Yesterfood

and meet our co-hosts this week:

Shasta @ Linky Here

and

Cindy@ Hun...What's for Dinner?

(2) Grab our button and share it on your blog

(3) Let us know if you followed in the comments, so we can return the follows!

(4) Find some new blogs to follow and let 'em know you found them from the Let's Get Social Sunday party.

*Just a note - If you would like to co-host, we are accepting spots in the future for co-hosts. Please, email us at letsgetsocialsunday@gmail.com and we will send you the information on scheduling. :)

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Not a requirement, but we appreciate the love - If you enjoy this party, would you mind hitting the tweet button to help spread the word? Or share on your favorite social media! Thanks y'all :)

Blog:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Bloglovin:

Google+:

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Weekend Round-Up {5-18-13}

2013-05-18T01:00:00.000-04:00

Before we get started, if I can convince you to take just a minute of your time and vote for Love Bakes Good Cakes in the Circle of Moms - Top 25 Foodies Moms of 2013. Voting is easy and you don't have to register! I truly appreciate it! :)
So ....... what a week! We've been in Arizona for about a month and a half, and found our first scorpion inside our house on Thursday! I asked my Facebook friends for some advice, and you should read their answers! LOL. We had to have an exterminator come out and kill him .... and we were informed that they're not that easy to kill. Lovely. To add insult to injury, we were told that we have an even bigger problem than the scorpion, apparently we have "tons and tons" of black widows, too. Yay. Not. I'm really thinking that I don't like desert animals too much! Well, the creepy, poisonous ones anyways! On the way home from the store the other day, we saw a for-real roadrunner .... and they don't look anything like the cartoons!
Anyways, let's see what happened around the blog this week:
Let's Get Social Sunday #20 - Be sure to join us for the next party, tomorrow at 6 am Eastern time!
Black Bean Nacho Burgers
All My Bloggy Friends #46 - There's still time to link up - the party closes tonight at 11:59 pm Eastern time!
{FREE} Summertime printable
Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole
Banana Split Pancakes __________________________________________________________ Five things I pinned this week that you should see too:
1. Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies from Dessert Now, Dinner Later - These start with a muffin mix, y'all! It's easy and you can switch up the flavors!
2. Fugetaboutit Burgers from Soliloquy of Food & Such - Kim describes it as "a meatball sandwich on crack" ..... it has marinara, fried cheese sticks, a beef patty, pepperoni and banana pepper rings! Sign me up!
3. Olive, Bacon and Cheese Bread from Eat Well 101 - I love homemade bread ... and all of these flavors! I must try this! Oh, and it's a "quick" bread too - so no yeast :)
4. Retro Oven Cupcake Boxes from claudinehellmuth on Etsy - Seriously, these are the cutest boxes - EVER! It comes in 5 colors too :)
5. 33 Super-Cool Popsicles to make this summer from Buzz Feed Food - With so many choices, where do I start?!

Most pinned post this week: Tastes Like Summer Fruit Salad Most popular post this week: Cowboy Spaghetti Biggest referring site this week: Pinterest Most searched phrase: Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Banana Split Pancakes

2013-05-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

When you need an easy and quick meal idea that's sure to please - this recipe is the answer! Whether you eat it for breakfast or breakfast for dinner - your family is sure to love these Banana Split Pancakes! Add a couple of slices of bacon or sausage and you're good to go!
Banana Split Pancakes
Printable recipe
Yield: approximately 10-12 pancakes

For the pancakes:
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Toppings: Whipped cream, sliced strawberries, peanuts, chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries, maple syrup

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375°F; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. (Surface is ready when a few drops of water sprinkled on it dance and disappear.)

Stir all of the pancake ingredients until well blended. Pour by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle.

Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden.

Top each serving with chocolate syrup, strawberries, peanuts, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry! Top with maple syrup if desired.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Featured at Blissful and Domestic

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole

2013-05-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

So, I took a poll on Facebook to see what today's post would be! The choices were Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole or Banana Split Pancakes! It was close, but the casserole won! Have no fear though, you'll be getting the pancakes tomorrow! :)
Have I told y'all that I really love Mexican food? Southwest and Tex-Mex cuisine is great too! Growing up, our extent of Mexican food was pretty much ground beef tacos with those store bought packages of seasoning ...... There's nothing wrong with that, believe me, it's all I knew for almost 20 something years! I know some of y'all had the same "experience". On a rare occasion, my mom made enchiladas ... I can probably count on one hand the number of times in my life we had them. Truthfully, those tacos and enchiladas were some of my favorite meals growing up. As I got older and started really experiencing different foods, I fell in love with all sorts of stuff I never really had growing up - tortas, tamales, quesadillas, posole, birria, barbacoa, carnitas, moles, sopes ...... I had better stop, I'm making myself hungry!
When I lived in the Midwest, there was this authentic Mexican joint - a real hole in the wall type place .... but man, oh man! They had the best food! The owner and his wife were always so friendly - and I never got a meal that was sub-par! By far, it is one of my favorite restaurants ever! When Brian and I lived in North Carolina, we just didn't have one of those kind of places .... they all seemed too "Americanized" ... if you know what I mean?! To be perfectly honest, one of the things I love about the Phoenix area, is all of the Mexican restaurants and food! Hello .... it's almost as if I have belonged here all along!
My bother-in-law (Gene) and sister-in-law (Caroline) have recently moved to the Phoenix area too. It has been nice having family close! Of course, having family close, means more meals together! Brian and I invited them over for dinner the night they actually moved into their house. I had originally planned on making my regular beef enchiladas (I'm sure that recipe will be on the blog sometime in the future), but decided I needed to "stretch" it a little further - so I added the beans and made this casserole! Of course, it was so much easier to just layer the ingredients rather than rolling all of those enchiladas! Needless to say, it was a huge hit and will definitely be made again! I think Caroline (who is a great cook too!) was impressed that I made my own enchilada sauce and that I didn't use the canned stuff! It's super easy!

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole Printable recipe Yield: 8 large or 12 regular servings
For the homemade enchilada sauce: ½ of a green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 cup water 1 tbsp. chili powder ½ tsp. dried oregano ¼ tsp. ground cumin 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
For the beef mixture: 1 lb. ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped ½ cup sour cream 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped ¼ tsp. black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced
Additional ingredients: 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans 12 corn tortillas, cut in half 6 whole corn tortillas 1 cup (4 oz.) Cheddar cheese, shredded Additional shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, guacamole - if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-in. baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine all of the enchilada sauce ingredients. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown and crumble the beef with the onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in the sour cream, cheese, parsley and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Place one-third of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. Line the bottom of the prepared dish with corn tortillas - see pictures below. Top with half of the beans - spread with the back of a spoon to cover completely. Top with half of the meat mixture. Do another layer of sauce, tortillas, beans, meat, tortillas and finish with the remaining third of the sauce. Top with 1 cup of cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before cutting. Serve with additional shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions or guacamole - if desired.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Featured at Blissful and Domestic

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Summertime printable (8x10)

2013-05-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've shared a printable with y'all. I needed a new one (I still have my Christmas printables in the frame - my excuse was I was moving!!) Anyways, here's one for summer - although not quite summertime yet, it's close! :) Click the link below to download and print. I suggest sending it to a place like Staples and using up their ink .... not only is it affordable, but the quality is very good!

Click HERE for the Summertime printable
I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

All My Bloggy Friends #46

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, all of the features will be pinned to my Pinterest board as well as shared on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Onto the features from last week! Drum roll .....

The most viewed link was:

Perfectly Peanut Butter Brownies from Simplee Sue

My 3 personal faves -

Diaper Bouquet Tutorial from Florassippi Girl

Easy Mexican Skillet Casserole from Family Home and Life

Star Wars Pizzas from Soliloquy Of Food & Such

**Don't forget to stop by With A Blast to see Linda's faves as well :)

If you're new to the party or if you were featured and you would like a button, you can find them HERE.

Black Bean Nacho Burger

2013-05-13T01:00:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all! Were you expecting to see a menu plan today?! I decided that I would be discontinuing the Menu Plan Monday series indefinitely. I haven't really decided "what", if anything, I want to do on Monday's now. So, at least for today, I decided to show you a picture of an awesome burger I made from my bloggy friend Sheena's blog! I actually made this sometime before we moved to Arizona ..... I can't remember exactly when though. The only thing I did different was I grilled the burgers, otherwise, I didn't change anything about the recipe! My family loved these Black Bean Nacho Burgers .... and I'm looking forward to having them again in the very near future! If you're interested in trying them for yourself, be sure to check them out over at Hot Eats and Cool Reads! You can find the full recipe over there as well!

Featured at Blissful and Domestic and Chocolate, Chocolate and More
Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Let's Get Social Sunday #20

2013-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder - Lets Get Social Sunday will be on 9 different blogs every week! That means maximum exposure for you :)
Also, we have had a few requests to add BlogLovin' and Instagram to the line-up. So, if you're looking for new followers on those social media outlets, be sure to link up those as well!

Welcome to Let's Get Social Sunday!

Please:)

(1) Follow your hosts and co-hosts in as many ways as possible. We are the first 1-9 link-ups in each category. Hosts:

Joy @ Yesterfood
Linda @ With A Blast
Paula @ Call Me PMc
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Diane @ Mamal Diane
Evelyn @ My Turn for us

Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes

and meet our co-hosts this week:

Lori Ann @ Lori Ann's Food And Fam

and BJ @ Joy 2 Journey

(2) Grab our button and share it on your blog

(3) Let us know if you followed in the comments, so we can return the follows!

(4) Find some new blogs to follow and let 'em know you found them from the Let's Get Social Sunday party.

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Not a requirement, but we appreciate the love - If you enjoy this party, would you mind hitting the tweet button to help spread the word? Or share on your favorite social media! Thanks y'all :)

Blog:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Google+:

Bloglovin:

Instagram:

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Weekend Round-Up {5-11-13}

2013-05-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

I have totally lacked the motivation to do much of anything this week. I have a whole list of things I wanted to get done ..... and really, I only managed to get through all the kids' toys and clean the carpets downstairs. It's sad. I guess that means next week's list just got that much longer, huh?
I've been thinking about changing up some things on the blog .... But haven't really decided what I want to do yet. I've thought about doing away with Menu Plan Monday .... because truthfully, does anyone really care what we are eating this week? Exactly. Not to mention, some weeks, it just doesn't go down as planned. I end up carrying stuff over or completely changing the menu ....... so, don't be surprised if that disappears in the near future! ;) As far as other changes, well - I haven't really decided yet!
Here's a look at what happened around the blog this week:
Let's Get Social Sunday - we're now on 9, yes - *nine* blogs every week! If you missed us last week, be sure to join us tomorrow morning at 6 am Eastern time when the party goes live! We'll be linking up and meeting new friends - and we'd love to have YOU join us!
Lots of great recipes on this past week's menu! Expect to see a few new recipes on the blog from this week's Menu Plan Monday! Some of the meals will be carrying over to next week though ...... Also, this series may be going away in the near future!

On Monday I also shared a recipe for Vanilla Frappe .... and a Don Tomas Coffee GIVEAWAY! That's right! Be sure to stop by for your chance to win one bag of the winner's choice - dark, medium or light roast and choice of whole bean or ground! The giveaway ends tonight!
Linda and I hosted All My Bloggy Friends on Tuesday. The party is still going strong if you want to link up! The party closes at 11:59 pm Eastern time tonight! Be sure to join us on Tuesday morning at 7 am Eastern time for the next par-tay! We try our best to share the social media love with some of the links that are shared at our party! So come on over and join the fun! :)
This Sausage & Potato Bake is one of my "go-to" meals when I don't know what to make. It's also quite economical!
I also shared a Mother's Day Round-Up from All My Bloggy Friends .... My bloggy friend, Linda from With A Blast, also shared a round-up of her own! Be sure to check them out if you haven't already! :)
I don't know about you, but there's something comforting in a bowl of soup and homemade bread. On Thursday, I shared this Broccoli and Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls.
Beef and Bean Nachos ... I may have a nachos-fetish going on right now. Don't be surprised if you see another nachos recipe in the near future! ;)

________________________________________________
Five things that I pinned this week that I think you should see too:
1. Italian Skillet Eggs from My Turn for us - I have never thought to combine a marinara sauce with eggs .... but think it sounds wonderful! Evelyn has reassured me that I will love it! :) 2. Pico de Gallo Chicken Sandwich from All She Cooks - Another combo I never thought of - but I think it sounds wonderful! 3. Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza from Sugar Dish Me - Delish! I love everything about this pizza! 4. Toasted Coconut Pudding Pie from Mostly Homemade Mom - Love this! 5. Ben & Jerry's Copycat Choco-Chip Ice Cream from Kakemilla - Brian would love this ....... ok, and so would I! :)
Most pinned post this week: Italian Pasta Salad Most popular post this week: Loaded Baked Potato Soup Biggest referring site this week: Pinterest Most searched phrase: Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Beef and Bean Nachos

2013-05-10T01:00:00.000-04:00

Uhhh, yeah .... I'm sorta on a "nachos" kick right now .... don't judge me! I would say, "I can't help it", but that would be a total lie. It's more like I don't wanna help it. Nachos are just one of those things that are quick and easy to me. Throw in the fact that you can make some awesome flavor combinations, what's not to love? Exactly.
This is just a straight up regular nachos recipe - like the stuff you're probably used to .... however, if you're looking for something a little different and funky, be sure to check out my Chili Cheese Dog Nachos!
I don't know about y'all, but I like my nachos loaded with stuff! Yummm-o! I never claimed this would be diet-friendly! The great thing about recipes like this is if someone doesn't like something, it's easy to just leave it off ...... if someone like extra of something, well ... that's easy to accommodate too!

Beef and Bean Nachos Printable recipe Yield: 4-6 servings
1 lb. ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

2 tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. oregano

⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper ½ cup water Tortilla Chips (homemade or store bought) Nacho Cheese (homemade or store bought)
Optional toppings: tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, black olives
In a skillet, cook and crumble the beef with the onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in the beans and seasonings. Add water. Cook and stir over low-medium heat until the mixture is well combined and the beans have thickened slightly and are heated through. Remove from heat.
To assemble: Layer tortilla chips on a plate. Add desired amount of nacho cheese. Spoon desired amount of meat/bean mixture on top. Add optional toppings if desired. Serve!

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Featured at Nap Time Creations

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Sausage & Potato Bake

2013-05-09T01:00:00.000-04:00

This is one of my go-to meals when I need something without a lot of fuss. It's economical and can easily be adjusted to feed numerous people. Sometimes, I like to add different seasonings. This is a very basic Sausage & Potato Bake recipe. Feel free to add a red bell pepper .... or some carrots! Served with a side salad and a roll, this makes a satisfying meal! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!

Sausage & Potato Bake Printable recipe Yield: 4-6 servings
1 lb. rope sausage, cut into 2-in. sections 4-6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 medium onion, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced 2-3 tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 3 qt. casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine all of the ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag and turn to coat, making sure everything is coated well. Transfer the ingredients to the casserole dish. Bake 50-60 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir every 15-20 minutes during baking.

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Mother's Day Round-Up from All My Bloggy Friends

2013-05-08T10:31:00.000-04:00

Here's a Mother's Day Round-Up from links submitted to All My Bloggy Friends:

Old Fashion No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls from Call Me PMc

Banana Split Fruit Kabobs with Dip from All She Cooks

Baked Banana & Blueberry Oatmeal from The Best Blog Recipes

Churros Waffles from Mostly Homemade Mom

Egg McMuffin Breakfast Casserole from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Cuties, Walnut, Gorgonzola and Mixed greens Salad with Fresh Citrus Vinaigrette from Ready to Waltz

Creamy BBQ Shrimp from Call Me PMc

Chicken Cacciatore from Kathe with an E

Guiltless Chicken Alfredo from The Cookin' Chicks

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Avocado from Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Yesterfood

Strawberry Crumble Bars from Something Sweet: Winnie's Blog

Lemon Chiffon Cake from Little Miss Celebration

Raspberry Devil Cakes from A Handful of Everything

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding from I Heart Eating

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

2013-05-08T01:00:00.001-04:00

Have I told y'all how much I enjoy a nice bowl of hot soup? For me, it's not just a seasonal thing either - I eat it all year! I can promise you when it's in the triple digits here in Arizona, we'll still be eating soup. (For the record, we've already had a few days of triple digits this year - it's crazy considering some of y'all have had snow in *MAY* - what is up with the weird weather anyways?!)
Aside from soup, another thing I really enjoy making and eating (and so does my family), is homemade bread! This carb-junkie (me) likes it too much if you want the truth. We don't do bread bowls too often, but my family thinks they're the coolest things since there is no "real bowl" per se.
This meal is a little time-consuming in the making of the bread, but since the bread machine practically does all the work, it's not too bad! I hope you'll consider this family favorite Broccoli and Cheese Soup - you'll be glad you did! :)

Bread Machine Bread Bowls Slightly adapted from Taste of Home Printable recipe Yield: 4 bowls
1 cup + 3 tbsp. warm water 2 tbsp. olive oil ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 3 cups bread flour 2½ tsp. active dry yeast
Place all ingredients in the bread pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting. Check the dough after about 5 minutes - add 1-2 tbsp. four or water if necessary.
When the cycle is complete, turn the dough into a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 30 minutes.
Bake at 400°F. for 18-23 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Allow to cool.
To serve: Cut off the top portion of the bread. Carefully hollow out the bowl leaving about ¼-in. shell. Discard the removed bread or save it for another use. Fill the bowl with the desired soup.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup Printable recipe Yield: 8 servings
½ cup (1 stick) butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 4 cups (one 32 oz. carton) vegetable broth 2 cups milk 1 large head of broccoli, stems removed and discarded, florets cut into bite-sized pieces Salt & pepper, to taste 12 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups half & half
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrot. Cook until the onion turns soft and becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the broth and milk, whisking until well combined.
Add the broccoli, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow to cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Add the cheese, one handful at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is melted. Add the half & half and heat through.
Serve the soup in the cooled bread bowls.
** If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender at the end just before serving! A regular blender or food processor works too - only fill it halfway and blend in batches if necessary!

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!
Featured at High Heels and Grills, Inside BruCrew Life, Love Grows Wild, The Gunny Sack, The Recipe Critic

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

All My Bloggy Friends #45

2013-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, all of the features will be pinned to my Pinterest board as well as shared on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Onto the features from last week! Drum roll .....

The most viewed link was:

Cheesy Quinoa and Broccoli Patties from Shop Girl

My 3 personal faves -

Fancy This Mum from Paper Seedlings

Chicken and Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe from Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Disappearing Double Strawberry Cookies from A Handful of Everything

**Don't forget to stop by With A Blast to see Linda's faves as well :)

If you're new to the party or if you were featured and you would like a button, you can find them HERE.

Vanilla Frappe - Don Tomas Coffee Review and Giveaway

2013-05-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Coffee - the definition per Wikipedia - "is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. The seeds are found in coffee "berries", which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia, Maldives and Africa. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee is slightly acidic (pH 5.0–5.1) and can have a stimulating effect on humans because of its caffeine content. It is one of the most consumed drinks in the world."
And believe me, I do my part of consuming it! :) I drink on average, 4-6 cups of coffee a day. I think it might be an understatement to say I like it.
Let me tell you a little bit about Don Tomas coffee: For over a century, four generations of the Don Tomas family has been producing high quality 100% Arabica coffee in beautiful Jinotega, Nicaragua. Don Tomas continues to lead the way in both sustainable and socially responsible farming practices, producing high quality, shade grown, 100% Arabica gourmet coffee. They also support their farming community by investing in education and medical services for their farmers and their families who call the farm "home.” Don Tomas also has fundraising opportunities!
I chose to try the medium roast, ground. I really liked that it was rich, smooth and full-bodied. This is a delicious and perfectly roasted coffee! I also loved the fact that it was not bitter! I hate bitter coffee and was very pleased with Don Tomas! I can tell they take pride in their coffee- all the way from the farm to my door. I really enjoyed this blend, and I can't wait to try the dark roast the next time!
Although I enjoy my coffee in the mornings, sometimes I like to "treat" myself with a Homemade Vanilla Frappe - ya know, like the kind you can buy at all those fancy coffee shops for tons of money? Save yourself some moola and make them yourself! Your frappe gets off to a great start with some leftover Don Tomas coffee! ;)

Vanilla Frappe Printable recipe Yield: 1-2 servings
1 cup cold coffee 2 cups ice ¼ cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2-3 tbsp. sugar, or to taste Whipped cream, optional Chocolate syrup, optional
Combine the coffee, ice, milk, vanilla and sugar in a blender until smooth. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate if desired.

I am excited that Don Tomas Coffee has been gracious and offered to host a giveaway for Love Bakes Good Cakes readers! They are offering one bag of coffee in the winner's choice of dark, medium or light roast and the winner's choice of whole bean or ground. Entering is easy .... see the Rafflecopter below. (Just a note, it has been my experience that this works best with Google Chrome - so if you have any problems, please try that browser).
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are interested in buying Don Tomas coffee, you can find out more about that HERE.
Coffee tips and info:
Store airtight and keep in a cool, dry and dark place.

Do not store coffee in the refrigerator.

Using fresh filtered water is best.

When using whole beans, only blend what you need each time.

Use 2 tbsp. of coffee for every 6 oz. of water.

As a side note: Mark your calendar - National coffee day is September 29th. :)

You can find Don Tomas Coffee on: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

Disclosure: The Don Tomas Coffee products to try, information, and additional gift pack have all been provided by Don Tomas Coffee. All opinions are entirely my own!
I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Don't forget to share and comment ♥ Copyright © Love Bakes Good Cakes 2012-2013 All Rights Reserved

Menu Plan Monday {5-6-13}

2013-05-06T01:00:00.000-04:00

Here's what we're having at our house this week:
Brian - (B) undecided (L) BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Monday - (B) Cereal, Grits, Oatmeal or Smoothies, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Sausage and Mushroom Pizza
Tuesday - (B) Cereal, Grits, Oatmeal or Smoothies, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Hand-Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich, Fries, Fruit
Wednesday - (B) Cereal, Grits, Oatmeal or Smoothies, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Vegetable Soup, Rolls
Thursday - (B) Cereal, Grits, Oatmeal or Smoothies, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Grandma's Chop Suey from Kathe with an E, Rice, Egg Rolls
Friday - (B) Cereal, Grits, Oatmeal or Smoothies, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Hamburger, Potato Salad, Baked Beans
Saturday - (B) Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Denver Omelets, Fruit, Toast
Sunday - (B) Sausage Gravy and Biscuits, Fruit (L) Leftovers, Soup, Sandwiches, Mac and Cheese or Tortilla Pizzas (D) Out for dinner

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Let's Get Social Sunday #19

2013-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Let's Get Social Sunday!

Please:)

(1) Follow your hosts and co-hosts in as many ways as possible. We are the first 2-9 link-ups in each category.

Hosts:

Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes

Joy @ Yesterfood
Linda @ With A Blast
Paula @ Call Me PMc
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Diane @ Mamal Diane
Evelyn @ My Turn for us

and meet our co-hosts this week:

Ginny @ Vegan in the Freezer

and

Leia @ Latitude Adjustment

(2) Grab our button and share it on your blog

(3) Let us know if you followed in the comments, so we can return the follows!

(4) Find some new blogs to follow and let 'em know you found them from the Let's Get Social Sunday party.

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Not a requirement, but we appreciate the love - If you enjoy this party, would you mind hitting the tweet button to help spread the word? Or share on your favorite social media! Thanks y'all :)

Blog:

Facebook:

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Pinterest:

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BlogLovin':

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Don't forget to share and comment ♥

Weekend Round-Up {5-4-13}

2013-05-04T01:00:00.000-04:00

Sooo .... we're into the first week of May already! It hardly seems possible, doesn't it? I know I'm not that old that my mind is slipping ... seriously, where does all the time go?!
I am excited to see that my Facebook page is approaching 5,000 fans! I am so excited, that I have been thinking about what to do to celebrate when we reach that milestone! A giveaway for my Facebook fans perhaps? Hmmmm ...
Speaking of Facebook, this week, I asked ya'll about Grits - love 'em or leave 'em ... what we like to grow in our gardens ... rhubarb - yay or nay ... one food you could NEVER give up ... brownies with or without nuts! If you'd like to join the conversation, drop me a line anytime or meet us over on Facebook around 3:30 pm Eastern time! I have a new random question every Monday through Friday and I'd love to see your smiling face there! :)
Here's a look at what happened around the blog this week:

I am totally loving all the new hosts for Let's Get Social Sunday and the fact that we're now on 9, yes - *nine* blogs every week! If you missed us last week, be sure to join us tomorrow morning at 6 am Eastern time when the party goes live! We'll be linking up and meeting new friends - and we'd love to have YOU join us!

Lots of amped up recipes on this past week's menu! Expect to see a few new recipes on the blog from this week's Menu Plan Monday!

Linda and I hosted All My Bloggy Friends on Tuesday. The party is still rockin' if you want to link up! The party closes at 11:59 pm tonight! Be sure to join us on Tuesday morning at 7 am Eastern time for the next par-tay! We try our best to share the social media love with some of the links that are shared at our party! So come on over and join the fun! :)

Sometimes, you just have to eat dessert. On Wednesday, I shared these M&M Chocolate Pudding Cookies. They're so easy, chocolate-y ... and soft! Definitely add these to your list of cookies! You will be glad you did!

Here's a fantastic Blackberry & Lemon Coffee Cake .... perfect for Sunday brunch - or Mother's Day! Hello, it is next weekend! She'll love you forever .... ok, never mind the fact that she already will love you forever - but, this will make her love you even more - or something like that! :)

Need a new dinner idea that the kiddos will love? Try these Chili Cheese Dog Nachos ... they're kid tested and approved! And the adults are sure to love 'em too! It's also great for those times when you forget to get buns! ;) Not that that ever happens at my house, just ask me and I'll tell ya! :D
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Five things I pinned this week that I think you should see too:
1. Romanian Lentil Soup from Slice of Southern - This looks like it would be a budget-friendly and healthy family meal! 2. Pepperoni Artichoke Breadstick Focaccia from Stone Gable - This has to be the best thing I saw all week ..... seriously, look at the picture .... Doesn't it look fabulous?! I need to give this a try ASAP! 3. SnoBall Cake Roll from Sprinkle Bakes - I cannot wait to try this! It's like the little snack cake - but bigger!! I'm thinking this would be a hit at any party :) 4. 10 Easy Holiday Storage Tips from The Family Handyman - I especially love how they contained the wrapping paper! Such a genius idea! 5. Herb Ricotta Gnocchi with Quick Tomato Sauce from Serious Eats - OK ... So I may or may not have a thing for gnocchi ...... it's safe to assume that I do though :) This looks like a simple dish and it's on my list of things to try!

Most pinned post this week: Chicken Fried Rice Most popular post this week: One Pot Goulash Biggest referring site this week: Facebook Most searched phrase: Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I hope you enjoy! Shared at these fun parties!

Chili Cheese Dog Nachos

2013-05-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, I like to think outside of the box. Wouldn't you agree that mealtimes can become so boring .... we fall into these habits where it seems like we're eating the same thing all the time. Right?! (Please, tell me it's not just me!)
One way I try to conquer that is by taking something I know my family likes and seeing if I can reinvent it so to speak. My Big Mac Salad and Cuban Medianoches Tacos, are just two of my more recent examples of reinvented recipes. Although there's nothing wrong with eating a burger .... the idea of making it into a salad - makes it new to my family - and I'm not hearing, "Burgers ... Again?" Not to mention when you call it something cool like "Big Mac Salad," you know the kids will want to eat it!
Anyways, this Chili Cheese Dog Nachos are one of those recipes! My kids love this recipe! It's quick to make and it's full of chili-dog flavor! I hope your family enjoys it as well! :)

Chili Cheese Dog Nachos Printable recipe Yield: 6-8 servings
1 lb. ground beef Salt and pepper to taste 1 small onion, diced 1 lb. hot dogs, diced A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. cumin 8 oz. tomato sauce 8 oz. can water (use the empty tomato sauce can) Tortilla chips 6-8 oz. Cheddar cheese shredded Green onions (optional) Sour cream (optional)
In a skillet, brown and crumble the ground beef with salt, pepper, diced onion and the hot dogs until the beef is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency. (I like ours the consistency of Sloppy Joe's, but make yours how you like it). To serve, place the desired amount of tortilla chips on a plate. Top with the meat mixture, then the cheese. Add green onion and sour cream if desired.

Love Bakes Good Cakes

Weekend Round-Up {5-25-13}

4th of July Cupcake Toppers or Tags

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tacos

Italian Sausage & Alfredo Pasta Bake

All My Bloggy Friends #47

Crustless Ham Savory Bake

Let's Get Social Sunday #21

Blog:

Weekend Round-Up {5-18-13}

Banana Split Pancakes

Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole

Summertime printable (8x10)

All My Bloggy Friends #46

Black Bean Nacho Burger

Let's Get Social Sunday #20

Blog:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Google+:

Bloglovin:

Instagram:

Weekend Round-Up {5-11-13}

Beef and Bean Nachos

Sausage & Potato Bake

Mother's Day Round-Up from All My Bloggy Friends

Creamy BBQ Shrimp from Call Me PMc Chicken Cacciatore from Kathe with an EGuiltless Chicken Alfredo from The Cookin' Chicks Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Avocado from Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Broccoli and Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

All My Bloggy Friends #45

Vanilla Frappe - Don Tomas Coffee Review and Giveaway

Menu Plan Monday {5-6-13}

Let's Get Social Sunday #19

Weekend Round-Up {5-4-13}

Chili Cheese Dog Nachos

Creamy BBQ Shrimp from Call Me PMc

Chicken Cacciatore from Kathe with an E

Guiltless Chicken Alfredo from The Cookin' Chicks

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Avocado from Sumptuous Spoonfuls