Happy One Year Blogversary Giveaway

It’s my Blogversary! Happy One Year to me!

Hard to believe it’s been a year already.

A year ago I didn’t know what I was doing, didn’t know much about the blogging world at all and wasn’t really sure where to start. So I just dove in and have been learning ever since.

If I can give you one piece of unsolicited advice about … well, about life in general I guess …. It’s “Just Do It”.

Yes, my great advice is the Nike slogan. How original. :-/ But seriously, it’s true! A year from now you will wish that you started today. So start! Do it! Grab whatever it is that you have wanted to do but have been putting off for one reason or another. Stop making excuses. Live your life!

What does that mean exactly? Well, what does it mean to you? Take a trip? Turn your favorite hobby into a business? Start that screenplay you’ve been meaning to write? Learn an instrument? Sit out in the sun more often? Read more books? Whatever brings you happiness, do it more often. Just do it!!

I’m still learning how to do that myself. Day by day I feel like I’m getting better at it. We live in a city that people come to vacation in and I feel like we are really starting to take advantage of that. It’s easy to get used to your surroundings and take them for granted. I feel like we are just starting to open our eyes and say, “Check this place out! It’s awesome! Let’s go to the beach/go for a hike/walk on the boardwalk/ride the roller coaster at Seaworld just because we can!!” Take a look around at where you live and really try to see if for the first time. You might be surprised at what you find!

I have been so inspired by all the amazing blogs and bloggers and recipes I have found over this past year. In addition to making many yummy desserts (and a few not-so-great ones!) I have learned how to make my own almond butter, brown sugar, and vanilla (post coming soon!). So much good stuff.

And of course, so much chocolate and peanut butter and lemon. Oh my.

It would be hard to pick an absolute favorite recipe from this year, so I will pick a few. Starting with this Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Mousse Cake. This has all the elements of a fantastic dessert: creamy, crunchy, chocolate and peanut butter and brownie. A winner indeed.

I found a recipe for my most favorite chocolate chip cookie ever: The Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie. Even though this recipe is a copy-cat, I am hoping to try out the real thing in the very near future.

“YOU HEAR THAT HONEY??! WE’RE GOIN’ TO NEW YORK CITY!!” Yes, dambit, we’re going! Just do it, right??!! Take your own advice Patti!!

I also found my most favorite Brownie recipe ever – well, maybe not ever, I guess my most favorite Brownie recipe so far: Quinoa Brownies, which I named Fudgey Brownies to trick you into wanting to try them. ”No! They’re not good for you! They’re just the most awesome-ist brownie ever!!”

As far as lemon recipes go, I would have to say that my Lemon Cream Cheese Pie has to be my favorite, partly due to the fact that it’s mostly my mom’s recipe. That I have loved for YEARS. And partly because it’s just the creamiest lemony-est thing you will ever eat! It’s a good one folks, try it!!

So thank you so much for reading!! I love receiving comments, knowing that you’re out there!!

To Celebrate and to say Thank You to you the readers we are having a really great giveaway!! We’re giving one lucky reader a $50 Bakeify Gift Certificate to use to buy anything from the Bakeify store that your little heart desires!

What??!! Yes! Really!!

So what will it be? How about some adorable Baking Cups?

or some cute Sprinkles?