One of the "Best Baking Blogs on the Web" !?!?!

Wow, not alot of pressure there, huh???

I am a simply an easy blogger. I am also thrilled to pieces!!!

Thank you FoodBuzz!
I am thrilled to be featured as one of

 "The Best "Baking" Blogs on the Web".

Can You believe it??

Me ??? I am so shocked! (A little proud too).

I do bake, but I have to admit, there are lots of bloggers that bake alot more than I do. The only thing I think I do differently is that I try to make it easier for Everyone to bake. I so hope that comes across. I want everyone to feel that if they take my recipe and instructions into their kitchen that they will come out with the result they see here on my blog. That's my mission for everything I post here. I bake or cook every single dish I post. I go through every ingredient and concentrate very intently on making the ingredient lists available to anyone who can get to a grocery store. I truly want to empower anyone who wants to cook, but has been intimidated to do so or just thinks it's too much trouble.

Since the concentration of this honor is on my baking..I thought I'd highlight a few of the things that have been most popular in my baking efforts. I so hope you enjoy them.

Streusal Pumpkin Bread
 ~ Featured on Foodbuzz ~

Homemade Hamburger Rolls

Boston Cream Pie Cheesecake

Lemon Coconut Tartlets

As always Thank You EVERYONE who reads, comments and follows Food is Love.

 I truly am honored for the privilege to be a part of your Food Experience! 

Alfredo Chicken from Birdseye Voila®

Ok, I admit, I'm not one to buy a pre-packaged meal from the freezer section of the Supermarket. I have guilt issues. I am one of those women who shop in the market peering at other young women's carts and commenting on how they are shopping in a supermarket yet they buy frozen Prepared food! Well, I was one of those women yesterday, and after eating a really good dinner last night...my opinion has changed!!
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program®, I agreed to sample a Free package of Birds Eye Voila®.
I know I tout a mantra about fast food, but this truly is Fast Food with Slow Food Flavor. I equate this "Meal in a Bag" to what I would get if I had made Chicken Alfredo and frozen it for a later date. The spices, flavor and content were definitely satisfactory.
Here's what you get: I got the 23 oz package..here's a pic of the actual bag:

I received a Coupon from Birds Eye® for a FREE 23 oz package. Coupon value was for $5.99 My Grocer's price was $5.49. So I was straight. There were probably 8-10 different flavors to choose from. Flavor choices were Italian, American and even Asian.The Birds Eye website lists 17 different flavors in this package size. I brought the package home and read the instructions. It said to pour the contents of the bag, the sauce package and 2 tbsp of water into a saute pan and heat covered on med high for 10 minutes. (There are microwave instructions also) I have to admit, for college kids who have a microwave handy, this would be a treat!

I opened the bag and find a "block" of sauce in it's own little package. I removed the block and poured the contents of the bag into a saute pan. (I was surprised by the amount of chicken in the bag. Nicely done.) Opened the sauce package and chopped it up into little pieces so it would melt evenly in the pan. I heated it on medium until it warmed through, then lowered to low for 3-4 minutes longer.
The contents of a 23 oz package is enough for 2 servings. Served aside a fresh salad and nice crusty bread, you have a substantial meal that took literally 10 minutes without the sacrifice of a Take Out price tag or the fast food guilt. Thumbs up Birdseye!

My New Kodak Photo Book

I have exciting News! 

I was a chosen  Foodbuzz Tastemaker this month.

We were given the opportunity to create and receive a FREE Kodak Photo Book!

I had made one previously when the books like this had first come out. I had gone to the Florida Keys for my 40th Birthday and wanted to make a scrapbook, but wanted it to be especially nice. 

The process for this Kodak Photo Book was similar.

You simply choose the photos you want to include in the book and

 insert them into the Page Layout of your choosing.

I have to admit, This book is more than I ever expected!

As my Cookbook, is an E-book, I don't have a Hard-copy.

So I chose this time to create a book about my Cookbook Journey.

It was so much fun. The photos came out Fantastic! 

I have the simplest Point & Shoot Camera,

 and was so afraid of "Low Resolution" problems.

This book makes my photos look beyond professional!

The Quickstart Program lets you choose the Book Style 

then Upload any and all Photos you might want to include.

Can you believe this???

Thanks to Kodak and the Tastemaker Program I can now

 not only see my Cookbook, but hold it and thumb through it!

I now have a Hard Copy Cookbook!

I am over-the-moon thrilled!

With each turn of the page, I am happier and happier with the outcome.

The process was painless and the turnaround 5 days!

I created the book in 2 days, ordered it and it was in my hands in 5 days!

I think my Hunny was disappointed that I didn't do a "Vacation Book",

 but the expression on his face when he saw this book

 lets me know I made the right choice.

You will love Your book!

Oh, didn't I tell you?

Kodak is giving all of my readers a 40% discount off of a 

Medium Hardcover or Large Photo Book!!!!

Is that cool or what???

Now you can make your own!

You can do a First Day of School Book, 

Put all of those Wedding Photos in a Fantastic Book,

 How about a really special Christmas gift?? 

Know someone with a Special Anniversary or Birthday coming up?

This is the Gift of a thousand Million words!

Are these Photos Fantastic or What?

I knew once you saw this that You would want one!

I am delighted to say that Kodak Gallery has provided you,  my Readers an exclusive URL all of your own, to purchase Your very own book @ a 40 % discount!

So get to it! Get thinking about what you'd like to do!

The discount ends on 8-31-11.

Click Here to get started!

Enjoy, my Readers!

Thanks so much for the pleasure of sharing this with you!

Have Fun!!!

Gorilla Bread, a Tasty Fail?

Have you ever watched a cooking show and said "Wow, That looks Fantastic!" ?  I have. Many, many times. Well this week was just one of those occasions. I watched a cooking show last week, that absolutely had me hoodwinked into thinking that my every day "Monkey Bread" wasn't good enough anymore.

All of a sudden I needed "GORILLA BREAD"! 

For goodness sakes...What about it's differences did I need? What was it that made me want to stray away from  my tried and true favorite? I knew it was a risk...I knew to try this *shiny*new* tantalizing treat, was to forego years of perfecting an old trusted friend. I was mesmerized. I was taunted and teased. I was Tempted! This Food Network Maven had me convinced that this was the Newest Bestest thing since the invention of the Cinnamon Roll. She was worse than an Ice Cream Vendor in a heatwave! The new fangled idea of Twisted Cinnamon and Brown Sugar mixed with the sweetness of Chocolate and Banana deliciousness was now replacing and forever changing the landscape of Baked Breakfast Indulgences Everywhere! Was I going to go with this New Fangled Wave? I tried to fight it. I was NOT going to write anything down. If I didn't write it down, I wasn't going to do it!!

 ::::strategic long pause:::::

Yup, It got to me...My mind kept going back to it. How different can it be? It's just szushed up Monkey Bread. What's the big deal? Upon looking back I realize Oh, it was soooo a Very Big Deal!

Sweetened Condensed Milk, Bananas and Chocolate Chips wrapped in the center of a warm, fluffy, buttery Croissant! Then it all is enveloped in a sweet glaze of Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and a hint of crunch from the Walnuts! I couldn't stop myself...I HAD to MAKE IT!!!  But wait ! I didn't write down the recipe...

What have we learned about me? I don't look up the recipe on the website. I scurrily write it down while watching..Emphatically getting every detail..and replicating beautifully as if I were there learning from the Master herself! But, this time..I was so sure, that this was not something I wanted to make, that I had convinced myself that if I did, it was a "no-brainer"! Oh boy... I left my self wide open! Wide open for what ? You ask.

FAILURE !!! I FAILED !

I didn't write it down. I was sure I would know what to do, but for some reason...I was sooo wrong. To this very moment, I don't think I know for sure what it was that I missed...but it was not a successful moment in my kitchen.

Here it is my friends: Gorilla Bread...gone awry.

I have to admit. My Hunny liked it. He loved it hot from the oven. I also must confess, I had a piece. It was GOOD!!! It looks like someone dumped mashed up chocolate chip cinnamon rolls on a plate. But, it tasted Fabulous!!! It's worth the try!

Here's the breakdown: Whole Croissants, Bananas, Chocolate Chips, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar...How bad can it be? Really? You could put all of those things anywhere and someone will eat them!

I'm sure you would like to try this ...But, Please, Please be sure to have the Recipe!!! 

Michelle's Banana Chocolate Gorilla Bread

The moral of this story... Sometimes we set out to make something in the kitchen,  WE know in our heads what it "should" look like. But friends, nobody but You can see that image.  When I cut my Hunny's piece and put it in front of him..He ate it up!  Think about that everytime you make something. Everytime you say "I'm no chef..but...." Everyone has failures...but sometimes the failure is a perception. This Gorilla Bread may not be a Food Buzz Top 9 Feature, but It was in the Top 9 at my house this week. That's all that really matters. Isn't it?

Have Fun in the kitchen...

&

Enjoy!!!