Recently in Giveaways!

For several days I've been struggling with what holiday desserts to make.  When I sent it out to my Facebook fan page, many fans had some great ideas!  I wanted to share them with my readers and preserve the recipes for next year... because I'll do this analysis paralysis every year! 

So, here's the deal.... please post your favorite Christmas dessert, cookie or sweet treat recipe in the comments section of this post.  It can be cookies, candy, pies, tart, cake.. doesn't matter.  It can be a recipe, or link... or general description.  But the full recipe is best (if you have it.) Just share your holiday favorite or tradition with us.  To "sweeten" the deal, all recipe entries will be entered in a drawing for a free collection of the best trifecta of cookie cookbooks.... 

and.....

by my one of my favorite blogger friends, Marye Audet of Restless Chipotle

Please go check out Marye's website as she is a master of desserts, cookies and anything sinful and delicious!

So, that's all you have to do... share your recipe!  I'm sure you will enjoy reading all of the other readers Christmas treat recipes just as much as I do... consider this a virtual cookie swap!

Right now, before you get busy and forget... leave your recipe in the comment section below! If you have more then one recipe - then please share it. Either describe the recipe or cut and paste it... or you can also leave a link if it is on another site. Just make sure it's accurate as readers (including me) may use it! 

You will get one entry per recipe.  Also, please share this with your friends - if they win and you don't - at least you can borrow the books!

Mandy is from Seattle Washington and loves to cook with her three daughters at home.  Her blog says it all... www.gourmetmomonthego.com Her passion is to figure out ways to make gourmet inspired meals while managing a busy mom's schedule.

This Oklahoma lady is full of personality and sass!  She and her husband of 17 years love to spend time with their two kids on their boat and have an unbridled love of food and cooking!

KC lives in sunny Florida and is very active in her community of Venice.  In addition to being an avid volunteer, she's also involved in the redevelopment of her downtown area. She spends her time with her husband and daughter as well as in the kitchen!

Sheila is from Washington DC and is very active in addition being a great cook.  Her dream is to switch careers into the culinary world.  I really enjoyed watching her very emotional winning moment that even had Paula in tears!

Here's the fun part! The contest and this fun cooking community is just getting started!  You can submit your own original recipe using Philly Cream Cheese and have the chance to win $500..... not just once.... but one recipe will be chosen each day to win $500!  What's even better is all of the chosen recipes will have a chance to be included in the upcoming Real Women of Philadelphia Cookbook!

Every week for the next 16 weeks... one of the four winning hosts will give you a recipe theme.  This week's theme is Time Crunch - Side Dish.  Your recipe needs to be just right for those moments when you just don't have enough time in the day.  It needs to be prepared in 30 minutes or less with 5 ingredients or less.  You can submit as many recipes as you like!  Just submit them to the website - no need for videos this time!  Be sure to them in before 11;59 pm EST, July 25th.  Visit the RWOP official website for all the details.

In fact... visit the website often!  I've been impressed with the amazing community that is continually growing on the site.  You may even bump into Paula while visiting!  

It's been a good week, I've had some great news that I'll be featured in a new, nationally distributed cookbook so I wanted to provide another great giveaway! Next Friday will be the last day of school here in Colorado.  My 5 year old "graduates" from pre-school and moves into Kindergarten.  Time is truly flying. Next week we'll be busy with all kinds of activities and assemblies as the school year comes to an end.  

This time of year reminds me of my own childhood.  Remember how exciting it was on that last day of school before summer break began?  And the summers were so long when we were kids.  As adults June, July and August are just months.  As children, the months seem to last forever and each day is packed with fun and activity.  Sigh.... oh to be a child again.

For this giveaway, I'd like to take you back to those days just for a few minutes to remember your favorite school's out memory.  I was so amazed at all the incredible "mom" stories with last week's giveaway, I thought I'd ask you to share more stories for this giveaway.

For the last five days hundreds of you have shared your personal and favorite "mom food memories."  I enjoyed reading all of your stories so much.  What started out as a fun giveaway turned into so much more.   And the stories were wonderful . . . I wish I had 603 mixers to giveaway - one for each one of you who shared your memories..... 

This was a chance to share our appreciation, laughter and tears but most importantly our gratitude for all that our mom's have done for us. On that note, I would be neglectful if I didn't share my favorite "mom" stories.... and I'd also be in serious trouble since she's my #1 fan and reads this blog! So . . . you'll just have to be patient and read a little something about my mom before I announce the winner!

My love of good food was inherited.  It's just in my blood.  My mom is still one of the best cooks I know and boy can she throw a party!  I've been told I throw a good party as well and I know where that comes from. . .  Most of my favorite food memories include amazing feasts she put together over my lifetime.  When I was a child, she made my dad dig a BBQ pit for roasting pork shoulders or beef.  When I was in middle school and high school, she did everything from throw a full scale Polynesian inspired party to elegant cocktail appetizers.  And speaking of appetizers - she is the Queen of appetizers!  Dinner wasn't always a large meal with a couple of items... she'd make it fun by making little bites of different appetizers.  During the holidays, the cooking went into hyperdrive as she made the best stuffing you've ever had or her inventive spin on pumpkin pie.  Whether she was making everything herself or directing a chef or caterer, nothing was ordinary.  My mom and I now join forces on July 4th to throw a big party for 3 generations of our combined friends... these photos are from last year's event.  We are creating new memories together.

This website was inspired by and created to preserve those favorite "mom food" memories.  For years I asked her for recipes and tips on how she made things.  She was usually pretty good at giving them to me but when I started this blog, she seemed more inspired to document her creations.  Wherever you see a reference to "Peggy" - that's my mom.

So, thanks Mom for making every moment special and for giving me so many food, fun and family memories that it is absolutely impossible to just select one! I love you and...

This person's name was randomly selected from the list of entries.  I didn't want to "choose" one mom memory over another because they are all equally special and should not be judged.  But here is HER (hint hint) memory.....

And thank you to everyone else for participating . . . there will be many more of these giveaways! 

To enter this giveaway, just answer this Mother's Day inspired question in the COMMENTS section of this post . . .

This can be a story about your mom, or you as a mom.... or someone else's mom... it can be happy or sad or inspirational.... doesn't matter.... Just share a little story in the comments and you'll be entered! Please keep your comments "Mom-rated" We don't like or need profanity.

Although we want to read your comments on the Facebook fan page - stories that are only written on the Facebook fan page won't be entered.  They must be entered here on this comments section of this post to be entered.

Also, please click "like" on the Facebook fan page announcement so we can keep this in the newsfeed.

That winner will be asked to contact me directly via email and the little red racer will be on her way home!  

Ok, so that's it!!