Keeping It Crockin' Cool Crock Pot Week {& a Giveaway!}

I might have a mild addiction to my Crock Pot.  I probably use it at least once a week... maybe even more. ;)

The slow cooker is my go-to cooking appliance no matter what time of the year it is.  It is perfect in the summer for making a little pulled pork while you and the family are spending the day hanging out pool side (and it keeps the kitchen cool- no oven required!).  It is fabulous in the cooler months for popping in a roast before taking the kids to school, and you know a delicious, hearty dinner will be waiting for everyone later after football practice or dance class is over. 

I have noticed a huge surge in readers finding my blog recently by Googling "summer crock pot recipes", and thought why not give the people what they are searching for then??

So, I gathered a few of my good food blogger gals to bring you all an entire week dedicated to honoring the ever useful, kitchen cooling, throw it in and forget it, all mighty Crock Pot. 

Be looking for new Crock Pot recipes from us all week and a few awesome slow cooker recipe round-ups posts brought to you by...

Julie from This Gal Cooks

Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama

Paula from Call Me PMc

Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen 

It wouldn't be a true celebration of all things Crock Pot if we weren't going to also give away a Crock Pot to one of you all...

But it is not just any Crock Pot... it is a 6 Quart Digital Programmable Stainless Steel Crock-Pot and comes with a 16 ounce Little Dipper Warmer- perfect for a sauce, gravy, or dip to go with that main dish you have been effortlessly slow cooking all day! 

And we are not stopping there, folks.  Oh nooooo... we are also throwing in the cookbook, Year-Round Slow Cooker: 100 Recipes For Every Season by Dina Cheney! :)

If you happen to be a blogger, we also have a linky going on below all week where you can link up your favorite slow cooker recipe posts!  :)  All four of us bloggers will be sharing the recipes you link up throughout the week on our Facebook pages and on our Pinterest boards.  Be sure to link up (it can get you an extra entry in the giveaway!), but keep it to just slow cooker recipes, folks!  We will be monitoring the links every day and deleting those that are not for the Crock Pot. ;)  

Ready to get entered in the giveaway??  Be sure you read ALL the terms & conditions below before entering.  I am a stickler for them, and your entries will be disqualified if you violate them.  So please follow the rules, have fun, and GOOD LUCK!!

*This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. The winner will be notified via the email they provide, and will have 48 hours to reply to the email.  If the winner does not reply back within the 48 hours, they forfeit the prize and a new winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.  This is a giveaway sponsored as a group buy, which means the bloggers pooled their money together to purchase this product for you.  Amazon nor any of the social media outlets mentioned in this Rafflecopter are sponsors of this giveaway.  The prize will be ordered and sent via Amazon from Carrie of Frugal Foodie Mama.   Entries must come from your MAIN social media accounts, not accounts that have been set up separately just for entering giveaways.  Entries from these types of accounts will be disqualified.  Bloggers in this group giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions.  Good luck, all! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your favorite slow cooker recipes below!  Please only link up Crock Pot recipes.  Any other recipes linked up will be removed.  

Be sure to hop around and discover some new slow cooker recipes that you can try out after you win your new Crock Pot. ;)

Let Me Pintroduce You Party #5 {With a Bonus Bloglovin Link Up!}

Good morning everyone!!  Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen and I are so happy to have you here for our fifth Let Me Pintroduce You Party! :)
Make sure you spread the word about the party- the more the merrier, right??

<a href="http://www.momstestkitchen.com/p/let-me-pintroduce-you.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY91viXK6ANaRRK72ujM3f6hlPIUJ6mym6oKO-UwmJbmp-1PhHxP9jc1679e8bLiQNCGhGRV2YD1mv3ATrEo8plTLPEp3pl9aYxJq3iEN4MH5Iwn9t2QDty0W93Rhunv8G9a4wPfhsJ8/s1600/PINTRODUCE.png" border="0"/> </a>

Jaime and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned again on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce You was born! 

We have decided to add a special Bloglovin linky seeing as how Google Reader just announced it's July 1st exit.  So after you have linked up your Pinterest accounts below, be sure to scroll down a bit and add your Bloglovin link as well! Just remember to give your hosts and co-hosts a follow. ;)

*Just a note- there will not be a Let Me Pintroduce You Party in June or July.  We will be taking a little summer break, and returning on the last Friday in August with a whole new party!  Have fun this week, make some new Pinterest friends, and HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER, FRIENDS! :)

This month's co-host is...

Lisa from Cooking With Curls

So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!

• Please follow me (Frugal Foodie Mama) and Jaime (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-host Lisa (Cooking With Curls). 
• Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
• Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
• Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages or individual pins.
• Then hop down to the Bloglovin linky & do the same! 
• Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone!

Tweet

Link up your Pinterest accounts here! :)

Link up your Bloglovin blogs here! :)

Let Me Pintroduce You Party #4 {With a Bonus Bloglovin Link Up & An Ad Space Giveaway!}

Good morning everyone!!  Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen and I are so happy to have you here for our fourth Let Me Pintroduce You Party! :)
Last month we had 56 Pinterest accounts linked up and 36 Bloglovin pages!  Make sure you spread the word about the party- the more the merrier, right??

<a href="http://www.momstestkitchen.com/p/let-me-pintroduce-you.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY91viXK6ANaRRK72ujM3f6hlPIUJ6mym6oKO-UwmJbmp-1PhHxP9jc1679e8bLiQNCGhGRV2YD1mv3ATrEo8plTLPEp3pl9aYxJq3iEN4MH5Iwn9t2QDty0W93Rhunv8G9a4wPfhsJ8/s1600/PINTRODUCE.png" border="0"/> </a>

Jaime and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned again on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce You was born! 

We have decided to add a special Bloglovin linky seeing as how Google Reader just announced it's July 1st exit.  So after you have linked up your Pinterest accounts below, be sure to scroll down a bit and add your Bloglovin link as well! Just remember to give your hosts and co-hosts a follow. ;)

While you are here, be sure to check out my Giveaways Du Jour Page! :) Today is the last day to get entered for the Digital Crock Pot giveaway and there is also a giveaway for a 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet from one of my lovely April sponsors!

And speaking of sponsors, I would love to have you join Frugal Foodie Mama in May!  I am now booking ad spots to start on May 1st!  And I am offering 15% off all my remaining ad spots now until April 30th.  :) CLICK HERE for more details and for the 15% off promo code!

This month's party co-host is...

Katie from Clarks Condensed

And for this month's party, Jaime & I would like to have a little giveaway to reward those of you who are linking up! :)  We will be giving away an ad spot on each of our blogs to one lucky partier this week!  Please be sure to link up your Pinterest and/or Bloglovin accounts at the party linkys below (you must link up at least one account to be eligible to win!) and you could be the BIG winner!!  

So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!

• Please follow me (Frugal Foodie Mama) and Jaime (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-host Katie (Clarks Condensed). 
• Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
• Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
• Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages or individual pins.
• Then hop down to the Bloglovin linky & do the same! 
• Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone! (You can use the Tweet entry every day in the Rafflecopter below if you would like! ;) )

*This giveaway is open internationally.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. Each individual blogger that has provided ad space for the giveaway is responsible for awarding the winner their ad spots in a timely manner.  Entries must come from your MAIN social media accounts, not accounts that have been set up separately just for entering giveaways.  Entries from these types of accounts will be disqualified.  Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions.  Good luck, all! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your Pinterest accounts here! :)

Link up your Bloglovin blogs here! :)

Let Me Pintroduce You Party #3 {With a Bonus Bloglovin Link Up!}

Good morning everyone!!  Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen and I are so happy to have you here for our third ever Let Me Pintroduce You Party! :)
Last month we had 83 Pinterest accounts linked up!  Can we reach over 100 for the month of March??

<a href="http://www.momstestkitchen.com/p/let-me-pintroduce-you.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY91viXK6ANaRRK72ujM3f6hlPIUJ6mym6oKO-UwmJbmp-1PhHxP9jc1679e8bLiQNCGhGRV2YD1mv3ATrEo8plTLPEp3pl9aYxJq3iEN4MH5Iwn9t2QDty0W93Rhunv8G9a4wPfhsJ8/s1600/PINTRODUCE.png" border="0"/> </a>

Jaime and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned again on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce You was born! 

And this month, we have decided to add a special Bloglovin linky seeing as how Google Reader just announced it's July 1st exit.  So after you have linked up your Pinterest accounts below, be sure to scroll down a bit and add your Bloglovin link as well! Just remember to give your hosts and co-hosts a follow. ;)

This month's party co-hosts are...

Julie from White Lights on Wednesday   &         Sarah from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

                                  

Frugal Foodie Mama has just a few ad spots left for April!  I have one A Pin-t ad and two A Peck ads left.  Snag your spot for 20% off with promo code nofooling today or tomorrow only! :)  (Psssttt... the A Pin-t ad is a steal for exposure to my almost 5,000 Pinterest followers!)  To apply for your ad spot, just visit my Sponsor Page.


Today is the LAST DAY to enter the ~One Lucky Blogger Giveaway~!!  $70 in gift cards, 12 ad spots on 12 different blogs, & a custom photo watermark are all up for grabs to one very lucky blogger!  Be sure to get entered. :) 

And be sure to check out Julie's recipe for Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies & get entered to win a copy of the Tiny Food Party! Cookbook.

So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!

• Please follow me (Frugal Foodie Mama) and Jaime (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-hosts Julie (Julie Espy {WLOW} and Sarah (Sarah E. {Fantastical Sharing}).
• Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
• Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
• Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages or individual pins.
• Then hop down to the Bloglovin linky & do the same! 
• Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone! (Just use that handy little Tweet button below. ;) )

Tweet

Link up your Pinterest accounts here...

And link up your Bloglovin pages here...

Let Me Pintroduce You Party #2

Good morning everyone!!  Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen and I are so happy to have you here for our second ever Let Me Pintroduce You Party! :)
Last month we had 91 Pinterest accounts linked up!  Can we reach over 100 for the month of February??

<a href="http://www.momstestkitchen.com/p/let-me-pintroduce-you.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY91viXK6ANaRRK72ujM3f6hlPIUJ6mym6oKO-UwmJbmp-1PhHxP9jc1679e8bLiQNCGhGRV2YD1mv3ATrEo8plTLPEp3pl9aYxJq3iEN4MH5Iwn9t2QDty0W93Rhunv8G9a4wPfhsJ8/s1600/PINTRODUCE.png" border="0"/> </a>

Jaime and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned again on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce You was born! 

And I am happy to announce that starting March 1st I am offering a brand new ad spot to my sidebar that is ALL about the Pinterest love!  My brand new A Pin-t ad spot is a 250x175 ad that runs for 30 days and includes organic pins to my Pinterest boards and/or group boards I belong to with Twitter amplification.  This spot is perfect for the food blogger, the DIY blogger, the crafty blogger, not to mention small shop owners!  Pinterest has been the #1 driver of traffic to my blog for the past FOUR months.  And with over 3300 Pinterest followers and counting, you can be sure that your blog or shop is going to get tons of exposure with Frugal Foodie Mama.  Best thing about this ad spot? The price!  Just $6 for 30 days, but for the week of the Let Me Pintroduce You Party you can get it for just $5!  Just visit my Sponsor Page here, click to purchase the Pin-t ad spot, & use promo code pinning at check out to get your discount! :)  I will only be offering 6 of these spots each month, so go grab your's for March before they are all reserved! 

And now, let us pintroduce you to this month's special party co-hosts...

Say hello to Rosie from Craftbotic!  Rosie is not only crafty, but she also gives lots of awesome blogging tips on her blog.  (Psssttt... Rosie was also the winner of the first ever Spiked! Recipe Challenge with her Champagne & Blackberry Cheesecake.)

Our second co-host for this month's party is Lisa from Paintbrush & Screwdriver.  Lisa & her husband have been working on some major renovations on their home, and her blog is chock full of budget friendly remodeling ideas.  She also just may have guest posted on my blog this past week sharing her DIY Glass Tile Mosaic Tray Tutorial & giving away a $15 Starbucks gift card.  (There is still time to enter her giveaway, friends so click on over! :) )

So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!

• Please follow me (Frugal Foodie Mama) and Jaime (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-hosts Rosie (Rosie Quinn) and Lisa (Paintbrush & Screwdriver) on Pinterest.
• Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
• Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
• Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages or individual pins.
• Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone! (Just use that handy little Tweet button below. ;) )

Tweet

Let Me Pintroduce You Party #1

Good morning everyone!!  Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen and I are so happy to have you here for our first ever Let Me Pintroduce Party! :)

<a href="http://www.momstestkitchen.com/p/let-me-pintroduce-you.html"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY91viXK6ANaRRK72ujM3f6hlPIUJ6mym6oKO-UwmJbmp-1PhHxP9jc1679e8bLiQNCGhGRV2YD1mv3ATrEo8plTLPEp3pl9aYxJq3iEN4MH5Iwn9t2QDty0W93Rhunv8G9a4wPfhsJ8/s1600/PINTRODUCE.png" border="0"/> </a>

Jaime and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce was born! 

Say hello to this month's co-host, Terri from Rambling Momma!  She is also my January Friendship Bread sponsor.  Pop on over to her corner of the blog world and say hi! :)

So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!

• Please follow me (Frugal Foodie Mama) and Jaime (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-host Terri (Rambling Momma) on Pinterest.
• Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
• Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
• Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages.
• Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone! (Just use that handy little Tweet button below. ;) )

Tweet

Announcing the Spiked! Champagne Recipe Challenge Winner!!

So seriously.  So many of you brought your A-game to Julie & I's first ever Spiked! Recipe Challenge.  You all definitely did not make it easy for us to crown a champ. ;)

This month's Spiked! ingredient was champagne.  So many of you came up with some very creative (not to mention tasty looking!) recipes.  

So, without further adieu here are the Spiked! Champagne Recipe Challenge runner-ups (in no particular order)...

Mimosa Fudge from Mom's Test Kitchen

Strawberry Champagne Cake from Crazy for Cookies and more

And the winner of the first ever Spiked! Recipe Challenge is...

Blackberry & Champagne Cheesecake with a Champagne Jelly 'Lid' from Craftbotic!!!

Congratulations Rosie!!  What an amazing and decadent use of champagne!  Julie and I will be in touch with you shortly to get you hooked up with your featured ad spots with each of us for the month of February. :)

Julie and I would love to thank each and every one of you who entered this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge.  We had 17 total champagne laced entries for our first challenge.  I created a special Pinterest board for all of the Spiked! recipes, so please feel free to CLICK ON OVER and check them all out (and pin away while you are at it ;) ).  

Julie and I will be back again in March with an all new Spiked! Recipe Challenge!  We will announce that month's libation of choice on the first Tuesday of the month.  (Be thinking St. Patrick's Day, folks. ;) )

If you would like to see more information on the Spiked! Recipe Challenge, please click HERE to view the Spiked! page on my blog. 

Christmas Cookie Swap ~ Thumbprint Twists

I have to tell you all... I had a blast being one of the co-hosts for the Christmas Cookie Swap.  I was super lucky that one of my swap partners was Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen.  Jaime sent me her recipe for Thumbprint Twists.  It seemed pretty straight forward- just 4 ingredients.  Should have been easy, peasy, right?  Well.... almost. ;)

Jaime's Thumbprint Twists

What you will need:

1 package sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 bag of Hershey's Kisses Hugs (don't worry- you won't use the entire bag for the cookies)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a mini-muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie mix, butter, and egg.  

Scoop the cookie dough into the mini muffin pan, filling about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake 7-10 minutes until the edges are starting to get golden and the middle of the cookies are barely done.

While the cookies are baking, unwrap your Hershey's kisses.  You need 1 per cookie.

Once the cookies have finished baking, immediately push the Hugs into the center of the cookies.  

Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  It's easiest to use a spoon to scoop the cookies out of the pan.

Okay, so I deviated from the recipe.  You all know I had to add my own little twists to it.  I first started by dividing the cookie dough into 3 bowls.  Using food coloring, I colored one bowl green and one bowl red.  I left the other bowl of dough plain.

Then I decided to roll half the cookie dough into balls and then roll those into holiday colored sprinkles.  I placed the cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet and baked for about 8 minutes.  (If you scroll to the last photo in this post, you can see how those turned out.  Pretty, huh? ;) )

I decided to stick with the good ole Hershey Hugs, but you could opt for any of the new and fun holiday flavored Kisses.  

For the second batch, I decided to try the mini muffin pan.  I didn't like how flat the first batch turned out.  I was hoping the cookies would hold the ball shape a little better.  I pressed the remaining dough into the muffin pan and then topped some of them with the holiday sprinkles.  I baked them for about 10-11 minutes.  And this is where the whole cookie baking deal took a humorous turn...

This is what happened ^^^ to my second batch.  I couldn't bake them any longer or the tops and edges would have been burnt, but they were pretty doughy in the middle and at the bottom.  Not that this didn't taste amazing, especially warm.  It just wasn't very pretty. ;)

Annnndddd.... here was the issue...

Yep.  HUGE baking fail.  I never turned my oven from Preheat to Bake.  Thus, why I had the  weird uneven baking.  Too bad I didn't realize it until I was finished baking and was turning my oven off!  

And here are the pretty, flat ones! :)  My family actually loved these, so they were a huge hit even if they didn't turn out perfectly.  Even the ones I baked in the muffin tin set up a bit better after I left them in the pan to cool for about an hour.  

I would recommend that you do not press the Hershey Kisses into the cookies immediately after baking.  The cookies were pretty hot and the Kisses melted quite a bit.  I had to let the cookies cool for hours before I could store them in a container because I needed to wait for the Hugs to turn solid again.  I would suggest waiting maybe 3-4 minutes after baking to add the Hugs or Kisses.  You want the cookie to still be warm, but not so hot that it turns the Kiss into a chocolate pudding.

I would also suggest that you ALWAYS check your oven to be sure that it is indeed set on Bake and not Preheat. ;)

Thank you, Jaime for the fun Christmas Cookie recipe! 

When did you last commit a baking fail?  Were you able to salvage the results? :)

My Mom's Test Meal Monday Features #15

I had a lot of fun this past week hosting Mom's Test Meal Mondays with Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen.  This is not my first time hosting this fabulous party with her (and hopefully not my last!), but Jaime asked me to do a little something different this week... She asked me to post  my features- my top 3 favorite recipes- from her link-up party! ;)  Jaime has already spotlighted the recipes that were your all's favorites- CLICK HERE to see the top 3 most viewed recipes from Mom's Test Meal Monday #15.

Ready for my favorites of the Election Day, All American recipes that were submitted?  Drum roll, please....  ;)

Cherry Pie Bars from the Recipe Critic

We got the red and white here, folks! :) And how yummy do these look??

Firecracker Cake from Love Bakes Good Cake

It is no secret that I love me some bundt cakes and how patriotically festive is this one?

Individual Apple Pies  from Back For Seconds

You seriously don't get too much more American than apple pie in my book.  ;) And these little apple pies are too flipping adorable!

If one of your recipes happens to be one of the ones that I featured above, then please be sure to grab Mom's Test Kitchen Feature button below! 

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Be looking for an all new Mom's Test Meal Monday party with an all new recipe theme this Sunday! :)

Co-Hosting the Fabulous Mom's Test Meal Monday Party Election Style!

It's that time again y'all.  We've made it to another Monday.  I'm so glad y'all are back joining me for another week of Mom's Test Meal Mondays!!

Since tomorrow is Election Day, we are going to celebrate America this week!  With everything this country & the Northeast has been through this past week, I think taking a few minutes to remember what we love most about this great land is a pretty good thing!  So lets bring out our favorite red, white & blue dishes and have us a party!!

My friend & co-host Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama has brought an amazing dessert that I know y'all are going to love!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello all! I am Carrie and I blog over at Frugal Foodie Mama about my life as a stay-at-home mom to a baby and a teenager, my family's journey to become a little more eco-responsible everyday, and how I still manage to stay a foodie on our one income budget.  Please stop on over and say hi! 

Blog~Facebook~Twitter~Pinterest

Tomorrow is a big day in this country.  Remember to get out there and vote because the only wasted vote is the vote that is never cast, my friends.  

In honor of the upcoming Election Day, I am sharing my recipe with you all for my Red, White, & Berry Cupcakes.  Now you could make this real fun and make half the batch with red raspberries and half the batch with blueberries, or you could just leave them bipartisan.  ;)

So what will you need to make these?

1 box of white cake mix

1 cup of raspberries

1 cup of blueberries (or blackberries)

2-3 tbsp of sugar

Your favorite white frosting recipe (or you can make it even easier & used canned frosting)

Mix the cake mix according to the directions on the box.  I reduced the water by 1/4 cup since I knew the berries would be adding moisture to the batter.  

Next, mix your berries together in a small bowl with 2-3 tbsp of sugar.  You can use either fresh or frozen berries.  I actually used frozen raspberries and fresh blueberries since it is what I had on hand. 

Mix the berries into the cake batter and then using a small measuring cup, fill your cupcake liners in a muffin tin about 2/3 full each with batter.  Bake according to the directions on the box for cupcakes.

Once baked, let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.  Whip up your favorite vanilla or buttercream frosting (just make sure it is white!). I figured that since I used the cake mix shortcut for the cupcakes that I would at least make a frosting from scratch. ;)  I used a cupcake frosting recipe from the blog, Natasha's Kitchen.  Click here for the recipe.  I divided the frosting into 3 bowls, using food coloring to dye one bowl blue, one red, and left the third one white.  

I admit it- I don't use fancy pastry bags for my icing.  I use a plain old gallon sized food storage bag with a bottom corner snipped off and then just slip my icing tip into the snipped off corner.  I literally just spooned each color icing into the bag side by side, but if you would like to the colors to stay more separate you could put each color into quart sized storage bags with snipped corners, and then set those bags down inside the larger gallon sized bag.  I kind of like the tie-dyed effect I got by just letting the colors mix and mingle. ;)

Just frost your cupcakes and then decorate however you see fit (Or not all, if you prefer. The frosting is pretty enough!).  You may have a hard time finding the star shaped marshmallows this time of year.  I originally first made these cupcakes for the 4th of July.  But I am sure it would not be too difficult to find some American flag toothpicks to adorn them.  ;)

Red, White, & Berry Cupcakes!

Happy Election Day 2012!

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Remember this week's theme is Patriotic Recipes.

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