Cinnabon Popcorn

I kinda grew up in Europe. Where Reese's peanut butter cups are non-existent, root beer extract is used only in cough medicine, and people are far too refined to consider eating anything resembling Poptarts, Toaster strudels, or Rice Krispie treat cereal.  I'm totally not complaining. Google images of "Gaufre avec chocolat" and I think you'll see why I was very happy there.

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Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

These might be my second favorite cupcakes ever. They are rich and creamy and chocolatey and actually kind of taste like cheesecake. As a bonus, they use a doctored cake mix that ends up tasting homemade. The secret is in adding more cocoa powder to a chocolate cake mix, and sour cream to make them ultra-moist. These are multi-step and take quite a while, but they aren't difficult.

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Cinnamon Roll Cookies

So my mom calls me the other morning and grills me over whether or not I'm eating breakfast. (She loves to advocate breakfast and also eating adequate amounts of protein. Neither of these things do I do on anything resembling a consistent basis.) I said *of course* I was eating breakfast (Because I was. I had a half-eaten piece of licorice in my hand at that very moment.)

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S'mores Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from the same woman who invented the Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookie. Obviously she is a creative genius. This cookie is a nice and surprising change from the regular and makes 12 HUGE cookies.

Like it says on the side of this blog, I truly believe baking can make a difference. Perhaps it won't cure cancer or lead to world peace, but I think in every talent there is a way to help others. Last week I participated in a bake sale benefit for the Utah chapter of Hands &Voices. Hands & Voices is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. These cookies, wrapped individually and tied with ribbon were a fun and unique addition to the table.  Feel free to try them and let me know what you think!

PS- See my brand spankin' new Facebook button on the right?  I'd love for you to follow me!  I promise not to post 15 statuses a day, get annoying songs stuck in your head, or type about my emotional problems in ALL CAPS. 

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Raspberry Lemonade Slushies

These beauties are one of our new favorite drinks. They go wonderfully with anything from the grill and are a great summer cool-off drink. Tangy and tart with just enough sweet. So yummy.

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Strawberry Glaze

Have you ever experienced mommy guilt? I don't mean the "my kid is cooler than yours because he is fluent in spanish, mandarin, and cantonese, and plays the violin, and donates all his lemonade stand earnings to the humane society, and got invited to six birthday parties this month. I mean the big knot in your stomach that won't go away because you know what you did (as a mom) was bad. Really really bad.

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Root Beer Float Pops

I have been on a popsicle kick lately. It may or may not have something to do with picking up these mini popsicle molds at the dollar section at Target. Those darn aisles always get me in trouble. You know you don't really need any of that stuff, but for a dollar, how can you resist? Am I sending mixed messages here? Just to be clear... you do need these. These popsicles may not be the prettiest, but they are delish! This idea had been floating around in my head for several weeks, and they did not disappoint. Let me know what you think.

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