Hey friends! So if you know me or have followed my blog then you know all about my love and passion for baking. As evidenced of course by the plethora of recipes I’ve shared here over the years lol. Well I’ve been selling my baked goods at a local bookstore/coffee shop in my town for over a year now. And from that, I have been getting really amazing feedback and also lots of orders! This has been so much fun for me and such a huge blessing in my life! My biggest order so far being 100 brownies & 100 cookies for an event called Hope Spoken in Dallas. Okay, so I may have gotten myself in a little over my head with that one lol, but it all turned out great, thankfully! And I’m so grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.
All this to say that I finally decided to create a Facebook to sell my baked goods and to help get my name out there! And after going over countless name ideas and with the help of my family, I finally settled on Sugar Town Sweets & Eats! Naming it after a song by Nancy Sinatra that my sister and I have loved for years called, “Sugar Town”! The song is so happy and cute, it just made sense. Plus, music being my second love affair after baking, I’m always happy when the two can intersect in some way.
On the Sugar Town Sweets & Eats Facebook you can take a gander at the yummy treats I sell and message me if you would like to order! Right now I’m selling a variety of cupcakes/cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins and other pastries. I can also ship certain treats such as cookies, brownies, and muffins, if you’re interested! For a complete run down and price list, click on the “About” page on the Facebook!
(My first ever business cards! I ordered these from an Etsy shop called Seed To Sprout Design. Lovely designs and great service! I definitely recommend them!)
I believe in things that are homemade, handmade, and from scratch. And I believe that the best quality ingredients make for the best quality product. There's nothing that I love more than being in my kitchen, listening to good music, and baking my heart out. It's what truly makes me the happiest!
So please check out and “like” my page… and if you feel so inclined, place an order! I would be happy to bake for you!
Hey my fellow foodies! It’s been so quiet over here on my little corner of the internet lately as I have become the worst blogger ever! Ugh! Seriously, can you hear the crickets? Because I can. But I thought I would break my silence to tell you (if you’re still here, that is) about this awesomely delish Foodie Penpals box I got for June!
Above is a picture of just a few of the yummy treats in my box, taken immediately after I excitedly rummaged through it. And yes, that bag does say Ketchup chips lol. So I was totally spoiled this month by Raina over at The Home Plate! Raina shares her delish recipes as well as other FPP boxes she’s received, so definitely check out her blog!
Raina and I both have a love of coffee, chocolate, and all things salty and sweet… so I knew I was paired with the perfect person lol. In my opinion, the most fun Foodie Penpals boxes are always the ones that are filled to the brim with some of your favorite things as well as a few things that are new to you. Which is exactly what this box was. Here is what it was chock full of:
I seriously did not know where to start lol.
One of the first things I was curious to try were the Ketchup Chips. Raina said that they are her favorites and that even though they sound so wrong, they are oh so right. I’ll admit, I was skeptical lol. But I have to say that she is right! They really are so good! They have a tangy tomato-y flavor that I actually really liked!
The Dill Pickle Popcorn has a light tangy pickle taste and is so good! The Cheerwine Cherry Soda was one of my favorite things! I love cherry soda so this was right up my ally! It was enjoyed along with some of the chips & popcorn during the season premiere of one of my favorite shows, Switched at Birth! Made the perfect snack!
Okay, the coffee with Chicory… oh man, so delish!! How am I just barely discovering this?? Drinking this up fast!
A closer look at all the assorted chocolate treats!!! Think I’ve tried just about everything now. I have a few things left in my chocolate stash but it is quickly dwindling lol.
Some of my favorites were the Goo Goo Cluster, I think it was the first one I ever tried. The nuts, caramel, marshmallow, and chocolate… addicting! Also, the chocolate covered graham crackers & s’mores graham cracker, chocolate bar with maple, the chocolate covered espresso beans, and the chocolate digestives! Yes, this box was all about the chocolate, ha!
I thought the Chocolate Digestives (such an odd name for a cookie, right?) were especially interesting. They’re basically round cookies, that to me taste somewhat like graham crackers, with one side covered in chocolate. They’re simple but good! And from what I hear very popular in the UK.
Here’s a picture of the Cheerwine cherry soda! So refreshing! Wish I could get this in my area!
I want thank Raina for this crazy awesome box! It was such a fun one! If you want to know what I sent her click here! And also thank you to Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean for organizing all this foodie fun! :)
P.S Just realized this is my 11th time participating in Foodie Penpals! lol So that should give you some idea of how much fun this program is and how much I love it! So if you want to join in, get some yummy treats sent straight to your door, and make some new friends in the process, the info is below!
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Here’s some details about FPP in case you want to join in for July:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. -Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.
If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for July, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!
Hey fellow foodies! I’m here with another Foodie Penpals reveal today!
This month I received a lovely package from Ginger over at Mini Me Wannabe! Ginger shares her health and fitness journey with her readers and has some really great tips, so definitely check out her blog! The box of goodies she sent me all came from Trader Joes! I’ve never been to a Trader Joes before as there are none around my area but have heard so many awesome things about it. It was fun to get to sample some of their products!
Included in the box ~
Sweet Potato Bisque – I wasn’t sure about this soup as I’m not a huge sweet potato fan but it was actually really good. It’s really creamy and the warm flavors kind of remind me of fall.
Bruschetta – This looks delish! I already have this recipe in mind to use it in!
Cowboy Caviar – This is so delish!!! A salsa chock full of black beans, corn, and peppers. It’s really flavorful with a little kick and is just a little addicting.
Thai Dry Chili Paste – Haven’t tried this yet but it’s supposed to be a little on the spicy side. It says on the jar that it can be used to season veggies, meats, poultry, and also for dipping crackers when mixed with a little olive oil. Love that it’s so versatile, excited to try it!
Green Tea Infused Mints – Was also a little nervous about these mints but oh my gosh, they’re amazing! I’m usually not much for mints but these babies don’t taste like typical mints. They have a very light tea taste along with other very warm notes. Refreshing and almost soothing flavors.
Onion Dip Mix – Loved this dip! You just mix it with some light sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and let it sit in the fridge for a while and you have a creamy, tangy dip! Though I will say those Green Tea mints sure do come in handy after eating this dip, ha!
Oh and last but not least, seriously how pretty is that peacock card?! Love it!
I want to say thank you to Ginger for all these yummy snacks, I’m really enjoying them! And also thanks to Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean for putting all this foodie fun together! :)
Here’s some details about FPP in case you want to join in for April:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. -Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.
If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for March, please CLICK HEREto fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!
Yes, it’s Foodie Penpals time again! I’m so excited to share my February box with you guys! Let me tell you, I seriously scored!
I received this box of goodies from Rachel over at the Renegade Foodie at Large. Rachel totally spoiled me with some of my favorite foodie items! In fact, this may be my favorite Foodie Penpals box yet!
This lovely package included:
Java Iced Mocha Mix, Venice Chocolate Biscotti, 4 homemade finishing salts (including the recipes), and The Sweet Treats Collection cookbooks!
Of course the first thing I dove into was the coffee and biscotti! I made me a tall glass of Java Iced Mocha, which is smooth and creamy. It has that perfect mix of rich chocolate flavor with a jolt of coffee. And oh the biscotti – chocolate with hazelnuts and orange zest, with a rich layer of chocolate on the top. I love the way the orange flavor comes out in the chocolate. So delish!
Rachel’s homemade finishing salts! How awesome are these?! And yes, that says Bacon Salt! Bacon. Salt. … ‘nuff said. There’s also Herbs De Provence, Vanilla Cinnamon Nutmeg, and Orange Infused Sea Salt. I haven’t tried them yet but I’m already thinking of different recipes to use them in. She even included the yummy recipes in box!!
If you want to know more about Rachel’s finishing salts she just posted a blog about them here!
So this one was a Foodie Penpals first for me and I totally freaked out when I saw it! A cookbook collection!!! The Sweet Treats Collection is full of 3 books with 300 recipes in all!
The three books are: Chocolate Treats, Cupcakes & Mini Treats, and Delicious Cakes! As a baker and a chocoholic these are right up my ally! It was so fun to flip through these books! All the recipes sound and look so delish and I cannot wait to give ‘em a try! Plus, how adorable are the books and the packaging?
I want to thank Rachel for sending me such a fun box! I’m so enjoying it! And a shout out to Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean for organizing all this foodie fun! If you would like to join in, the info is below! :)
Here’s some details about FPP in case you want to join in for March:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. -Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.
If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for March, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.
You must submit your information by March 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!
In my opinion one of the only good things about winter is hot chocolate and lots of yummy soups. This is definitely the season for soup. And especially since Mr. Groundhog saw his tiny little shadow it looks we will be making soup for another six weeks. Thank you Punxsutawney Phil.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we Texans don’t do cold. We simply do not know how to handle it. We ransack the stores to stock up on food, we cancel our schools for a little bit of ice on the road, we have the Red Cross at the ready and shelters open… and it’s only in the 30’s & 40’s. I’m sure all you Northerns probably get a kick out of us but hey, that’s Texas for ya!
But as long as I have a large pot of this Zuppa Toscana simmering on the stove I suppose it’s not so bad. This is a copy cat recipe for Olive Garden’s lovely soup… I swear it tastes just as good if not better. Hope it keeps ya warm! :)
This soup is flavorful, hearty, and creamy. Filled with bacon, Italian sausage, chunks of potatoes, onions, garlic, and kale (though I omitted the kale in mine). Serve it with some garlic bread and you have the perfect winter meal!
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cut into a small dice
1 pound hot Italian sausage, ground or links with casings removed (I used breakfast sausage)
In my humble opinion, no turkey dinner is complete without cranberry sauce. It’s just a holiday must! That sweet & tart taste gives the food layers of flavor.
My family and I used to use the traditional canned cranberry sauce. We would stock up on at least two cans on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well last year I started seeing recipes for the homemade version all over the place and was surprised by how easy it sounded. After tasting this lovely homemade cranberry sauce it’s safe to say my family and I will never go back to the store bought kind again! Now the canned cranberry just tastes fake to me. I’m converted.
Real cranberry sauce made from just 4 ingredients and doesn’t come out in the shape of a can? Who knew?! ;)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce -
This cranberry sauce could not be simpler! You basically add all 4 ingredients in a saucepan and let the magic happen. It also makes your kitchen smell amazing, might I add.
It has the perfect jelly like consistency with some whole cranberries mixed in.
It would make a delicious and impressive addition to your holiday spread! Hope you give it a try!
Ingredients: 1 bag of fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1 cup of orange juice (can use fresh, but juice from concentrate works just fine0 1 tsp. orange zest
Directions: Put all ingredients into a saucepan and mix well. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Boil for about 10 minutes until the cranberries pop. There may be a few light colored ones that don't pop, but don't worry, they soften as the sauce cools.
You can serve the cranberry sauce at room temp or slightly warm.
The sauce can be made up to 2 days before and kept in the fridge.
So I’m a couple days late in posting this but better late than never, right? I’ve missed Foodie Penpals!! I haven’t participated since June so I thought it was high time I jumped back in for November!
I received this lovely box from Nicole in NY! Everything she sent me was so different than what I’m used to that it made it even more fun to sample.
Pocky Chocolate – Staying true to form, I of course, went for the chocolate first. These things are so cool! Thin little chocolate sticks! They taste great and would make the perfect on the go snack or even a great movie snack!
Snow Pear drink – This drink has a very light pear taste and was very refreshing after chilling in the fridge for a while.
Chin Chin – Honestly, I didn’t think these had much flavor. They remind me of cereal though.
Lychee Candy – I’m usually not a fan of hard candy but these have a pretty good sweet slightly sour flavor.
Snapea Crisps – Was a little nervous about these lol, but they’re not bad! They have kind of a tangy flavor. Nicole recommended crushing them up in a salad which I think would taste great!
Shrimp Crackers – Okay, so here’s the thing… one of the reasons I love Foodie Penpals is because you get to try a lot of new foods/snacks that you’ve never tried before. It can be culinary adventure! And I always make sure I give everything a try once. But I have to admit with these shrimp crackers … I just couldn’t bring myself to do it lol. You see, I’m a staunch seafood hater, I’m not proud of this fact, but it’s just the truth. So this was the one thing I just couldn’t try. :/
Other than the shrimp crackers this box was a winner! Thank you Nicole for such a thoughtful box! And also thank you to Lindsay over at the Lean Green Bean for organizing all this foodie fun! :)
Foodie Penpals is taking a break for the month of December, but you’re welcome to CLICK HERE to sign up for January. If you were planning to participate in December, I encourage you to donate the money you would have spent on a box to your favorite charity this holiday season.
Hey lovelies! Well I think the Blogtember challenge must've tired me out a little because I took like a (unintentional) two week blogging break lol. And here I was all jazzed to keep blogging regularly... yeah, typical me. But I'm now back and with a delish recipe for all you foodies out there! Another Italian dish... don't know what is up with me and Italian food, it's kinda all ever I want to cook.
This easy lasagna recipe is one of my favorite meals and has become a staple in my home. It’s lasagna with a twist, chicken instead of ground beef! If you’re a chicken lover like me this is definitely for you! Plus it could not be simpler to whip up!
You might be skeptical of lasagna with chicken but trust me, it actually rivals the traditional version.
Cream cheese, shredded chicken, chicken bouillon, and mozzarella cheese make up the creamy filling for this lasagna.
In the interest of full discloser, the spaghetti sauce I used did have some beef in it, so it wasn’t completely beef free. Thus why you can kinda see it in the picture. But it actually worked really well with it.
Top it off with some more sauce, mozzarella, and a generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning and put this baby in the oven!
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Serve with some garlic bread and dig in! :)
Ingredients: 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 6 uncooked lasagna noodles 1 cube chicken bouillon 1/4 cup hot water 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce Italian seasoning, to taste
Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8-10 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Place chicken in a saucepan and boil for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from saucepan and shred. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve the bouillon cube in hot water. In a large bowl, combine chicken, bouillon water, cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella.
Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with the chicken mixture and top with 3 lasagna noodles. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle on Italian seasoning , to taste. Bake for 45 minutes. Makes 6 - 8 servings.
Hey, or should I say bwon jorno, fellow foodies! My favorite kind of food in the world to eat and to make happens to be Italiano! And my favorite meal is hands down this lovely dish of Stuffed Chicken Marsala!
The first time I ever had Stuffed Chicken Marsala was at Olive Garden (of course) years ago. I wanted something a little different than the manicotti both my sister and I would always order. The second I tasted it, I was hooked! It became my go-to order from then on.
I always wanted to attempt to make it at home but figured it might be a bit complicated, turns out it’s really not. And it’s truly just as good as Olive Garden… if not better. Yep, I said it!
But I will say, in the interest of full disclosure, though I could totally eat this everyday, it’s more of a meal I bring out for special occasions. It’s pretty rich, the ingredients can get a little pricey, and it’s somewhat time consuming. But please do not let that scare you away… trust me, it’s way too delish to pass up! Plus I cannot think of a better dish to impress your guests or especially a date!
So save it for a holiday or special occasion or call up some friends and make tonight a special occasion but just be sure to give it a shot real soon! Yes, you could go to Olive Garden, sure, but there’s something much more satisfying about making it yourself in your own kitchen.
So pour yourself a glass of wine (Okay, in my case it would be Dr. Pepper since I don’t drink but it just sounded right lol.), put on some music and get to cookin’. Ciao lovelies! :)
When you taste this tender chicken filled with 3 kinds of cheeses, sun dried tomatoes, green onions, and garlic (among other things) covered in creamy Marsala sauce full of mushrooms… I swear you’re going to fall in love!
Some of the delish ingredients! Can I just tell you that I’m on a huge mushroom kick right now… love anything with mushrooms. Ooh and cheese, always cheese!
Onions, garlic. mushrooms, heavy cream, and of course Marsala wine make up the most heavenly sauce ever.
Pair this chicken with some mashed potatoes and garlic bread and you’re set! Bon appetite! :)
Cheese Stuffing - 1/2 cup smoked shredded cheese (provolone or gouda) 8-oz package mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato, chopped (drain first if in oil) 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced 3/4 cup sour cream (6 oz) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper
Sauce - 1/2 large red small onion, finely chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups Marsala wine 1 cup heavy cream 1 8oz container of cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 fl oz olive oil for frying 2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350°F and have a baking dish ready.
Combine all the cheese stuffing ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
To prepare the chicken, butterfly the thickest section of chicken breasts to create 2 halves. Place each breast in a large ziptop storage bag and pound it with the flat side of a meat mallet until ¼” - ½” thick. Place the flattened chicken breasts on a plate and add a desired amount of cheese stuffing on one half of each chicken breast. Try not to overfill. Gently press stuffing down and fold over other half of chicken breast; it does not have to seal.
Place flour in a shallow pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge stuffed chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess.
Hey friends! Hope y’all had a lovely Easter! Can’t believe it’s already been over a week ago now! It’s always the holiday that feels like the official start of spring to me.
My Easter Sunday was spent with my family. My dad preached a really good Easter message at our church & after service we had an egg hunt for the kiddos. My mom & I cooked Easter lunch and my aunt and cousin joined us for the feast. And feast we did! We made what has become one of our favorite meals ever, Stuffed Chicken Marsala! Along with mashed potatoes, green beans, and French bread. I meant to take a picture but everyone was pretty starved and I didn’t have time lol. But I did however get a a couple photos of our desserts.
Banoffee Pie and Maple Nut Chocolate Eggs! Neither of which I think turned out especially pretty lol (The pie was supposed to look like this. Yeah, not so much.)…but both were so delish! And that’s what counts, right? :)
Okay, if you’ve never tried Banoffee Pie…do it. Do it now! It was my first time making it and now my family and I are hooked! Graham cracker crust, bananas, thick and rich toffee, whipped cream, & chocolate shavings (was supposed to be chocolate curls but whatever…I apparently can’t curl chocolate). What’s not to love?
The filling for these eggs is unbelievable! I bought a small bottle of maple flavoring from a cupcake place called Bliss while I was visiting my sister in GA and the taste that it gave these eggs was just out of this world. A creamy maple center with chopped walnuts covered in chocolate. Really sweet but amazing.
Colored eggs to use for decoration! I tried to be all fancy and give a couple the “ombre”effect… again, not so much. But I did have a little too much fun with a gold paint pen and while they’re not all fancy and “ombre”… I dig ‘em.
The “sun design” on the purple egg just kinda happened on its own after I used the paint pen. Yay for happy accidents!
Maybe it’s the spring air but I’ve been in an especially crafty mood lately. And have been enjoying days of crafting and listening to music. Not to mention pinning new crafts like cray (Yes, I just said “cray”… too much Family Force 5 & only ff5 fans will get that. Ok, anyways.) These are the projects I’ve been working on lately:
French Script Easter Eggs -
I found the tutorial for these French Script Easter Eggs on Pinterest. They were so easy to make! My mom and I made them with some wooden eggs she had in her closet. After we did a few of the French Script ones we got the idea to cover some in sheet music. I printed out free sheet music of Amazing Grace (that I also found on Pinterest) and covered the rest in that. I love they way they all turned out but I think sheet music eggs are my favorite!
Spring Napkin Rings -
These spring napkin rings actually happened on accident as they originated from a totally different idea. I had seen a tutorial for Burlap Easter Bunny Napkin Rings on Pinterest and thought they were so cute! I had gotten a good amount of burlap from my sister who has tons of it left over from decorating her wedding, so this seemed like a fun way to use some of it.
I set out to make the bunny napkin rings but half way through was just not really feeling it. So my mom had the idea to use some left over fabric we had lying around to make some spring inspired napkins rings instead!
I think they turned out really cute! They were made out of paper towel rolls, hot glue, fabric, ribbon, and fake flowers. Below is a picture of them on our table as well as the one lone bunny napkin ring we made lol.
Spring Bunting -
Using up more of the fabric and burlap, I made this Spring Bunting! It was super simple to make and didn’t require any sewing. I hung it up in my bedroom over my closet and I think it totally brightened up the room! Really loving it!
I think spring inspired crafts are the perfect way to start the season! Like I said, I’ve been in a crafty mood lately so I have a couple more DIY's on the list for this week! Happy spring, lovelies! :)
