Cafe Escapes Dark Hot Chocolate Muffins and a Birchbox Giveaway

by Kristen on February 3, 2012

Enjoy 15% off Cafe Escapes and free standard shipping within the US at www.GreenMountainCoffee.com by using this discount code:  AM0010-3571.

There are days where by 8am I am ready for an escape.

Do you ever have days like that? I could sit here and run down what most of my mornings are like trying to get four kids plus myself dressed and out the door in time for school, but I’ll save you the belly aching. If you have kids, I’m sure my mornings are just like yours. Something comes over me on those mornings and I turn from nice mom to yelling mom.

And to be honest with you, the yelling doesn’t help at all. It only makes me feel guilty for losing my temper.

What does make me feel better is a mini breakfast escape.  Five minutes locked somewhere away from my children (which is sometimes in the bathroom or sometimes even hiding out in the car in the garage). Five minutes of silence…no yelling… no rushing…just me, a cup of something warm, and my breakfast.

This morning I had an even better escape because I had a cup of Cafe Escapes Dark Chocolate Cocoa along with a Dark Chocolate Muffin I made using another cup of Cafe Escapes Dark Chocolate Cocoa. I felt like it was way too indulgent to be breakfast, but it was just the escape I needed!

Cafe Escapes believes that every day should be an escape… treat yourself to pampering, me time, whatever pleases you. Because of that, they are providing one lucky Dine & Dish reader the chance to receive a little pampering every month for a year through a Birchbox subscription.  With a Birchbox subscription, every month you’ll receive 4-5 hand-picked beauty samples from the best brands around – from the luxe lines you covet to the new and niche companies you’ve yet to discover. Sounds pretty awesome, right?

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you do to escape the everyday stresses of life. For additional entries:

  • Become a fan of Cafe Escapes on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post letting me know you did so.
  • Tweet the following: ” Escape by winning the @CafeEscapes @Birchbox 12 month subscription giveaway through @DineandDish #yourperfectcup http://bit.ly/y7gFdI ” Return to this post and leave a comment letting me know you’ve completed this.

All entries must be received by midnight CST on Saturday, February 11th, 2012. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be notified via valid email address soon after the giveaway close.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Now on to the recipe:

Recipe: Cafe Escapes Dark Chocolate Muffins

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup Cafe Escapes Dark Chocolate Cocoa, brewed
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 12 cup muffin pans by lining with cupcake liners.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, brewed hot cocoa, oil and vanilla.
  3. Continue beating while slowing adding the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda). Mix until well blended.
  4. Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clear. Cool for 5 minutes before removing.



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Man Pleasing Baked Brie {Recipe: Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions}

by Kristen on February 1, 2012

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Do you want a great Super Bowl recipe? How about serving up some Baked Brie?

What’s that you say? Baked Brie is girly food – not manly enough for a Super Bowl party?

First of all, girls like football too, so you need to have some girl food at your party. Secondly, this is a savory Baked Brie recipe kicked up a notch with some delicious caramelized onions. Men won’t be able to stay away once they see the oooey gooey melted cheese piled with crispy edged, sweet, caramelized onions.

Will you get some flack for serving Brie at a Super Bowl party? Maybe. Let the “too manly for Baked Brie” people have one taste and I promise they’ll change their mind.

Thanks to Dine & Dish Facebook Fans for walking through my adventure into a savory Baked Brie experience! You all are awesome.

Recipe: Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  2. Slice the wheel of Brie in half, horizontally, so that the halves are two, flatter wheels of Brie.
  3. Lay the puff pastry on the cookie sheet. Place half of the Brie, rind-side down, onto the pastry dough.
  4. Spoon caramelized onions evenly over the top. Place the other half of Brie, rind-side up, over the caramelized onions.
  5. Fold the puff pastry up and over the Brie, sealing so it is bundled up. Flip entire Brie over so seal is on the bottom.
  6. Bake for 20-25  minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown. Server warm with crackers or baked pita chips.



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Project 365 2012 – A Photo a Day Journey – Week 4

by Kristen on January 29, 2012

Our week four in pictures… enjoy!

As always, additional pictures and outtakes can be found by following me on Instagram and Flickr.

January 22nd, 2012: It always amazes me to watch little kids play with baby dolls… the instinct to be nurturing to little ones is so evident during that special play time.  Although Leah appears to be poking out the baby’s eye in this picture, she was really being a sweetie!

January 23, 2012: 3 out of 4 of my kiddos singing happy birthday to daddy before he blows at the candles on his apple pie!
Taken with my iphone.

January 24th, 2012: I found a website that sells the exact kind of fabric I have been looking for to use in food photography…Shabby Fabrics. These arrived in the mail today and are even more beautiful in person than they were on the website!

January 25th, 2012: I spent my morning doing some baking. Baking, sunlight and coffee…. always equals a great morning!

January 26th, 2012: One of my biggest challenges with Project 365 is remembering that my pictures don’t have to be perfect to share them with you. This picture is anything but perfect… it’s noisy and blurry, but the moment captured was exactly the kind of thing I want to capture in this project. (Leah squeezing Kelly’s cheeks…squishy face!)

January 27th, 2012 – It’s always quite the exciting time when daddy comes home! Taken with my iPhone.

January 28th, 2012: Leah had a fever and wasn’t feeling well on Saturday. She spent a lot of the day looking longingly out through (the dirty) window while her brother and sisters played outside.

That’s it for this week! Thanks for following along!



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Connect Through Reading – 11/22/63 by Stephen King

by Kristen on January 29, 2012

11/22/63 by Stephen King – Easily one of the most fascinating books I have ever read!

As part of my resolution to “Connect in 2012“, I’ve decided I need to include myself in that connection. I want to connect with the me that used to be… the one who made time for things like reading. I read a fair number of books throughout the year but never am very consistent. I’ll read, read, read and then will have a huge dry spell where I’ll be too busy with other things (or more likely, too tired) and stop reading.

I’m making a commitment to myself to always be reading in 2012. I want to pick up a book each day and read at least a few pages. Even if I fall asleep a few minutes later, I want to be engaging my brain with books and setting a good example to my children about the importance of reading.

Reading is one way I hope to connect with myself in 2012, but it is also a great way to connect with others. If you read, it is likely you will find other readers and therefore can have great conversations with other readers about the books you’ve read. Often times, those conversations lead you down a path to connecting with others on a deeper basis about things related to the book.

I’ve started my 2012 off by reading one of the most fascinating, thought provoking books I’ve ever come across. Let me start by saying, 11/22/63 is the first book I’ve ever read by Stephen King. He’s not an author I am typically drawn to. I understand from other Stephen King fans that 11/22/63 is a departure from his normal writing. All I know is that I now understand what a talented writer King happens to be… he is a master of weaving a story together and engaging the reader in a way that makes you connect with the characters. I was sad to see this book end.

In a nutshell, 11/22/63 is a book about a man who has the ability to go back in time and change the events of history. His journey captivates the reader from the beginning and keeps you turning the pages, anxious to find out how how changing one thing in history can effect the future… in good ways and in bad. Love, romance, suspense and more… 11/23/63 is one book that has it all. (A special thanks to my blogging friend, Ron, for recommending it!)

What are you reading now? Follow me on Goodreads so we can share book recommendations with each other. Up next for me is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.



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Now I Get It! {Recipe: Biscoff Biscotti & “Keep Warm” with Frigidaire}

January 26, 2012

Pin It I finally get the love people have for Biscotti. I honestly didn’t understand it before. Why was there such adoration for a crunchy type treat that seemed to be having an identity crisis? Is it a cookie or is it a biscuit? Besides that, all the Biscotti I had in the past seemed [...]

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Banana Sticker Moments

January 25, 2012

When my sister, Kathy, and I were little, we used to take the stickers off of Dole bananas, tear them into tiny pieces and put them all over our cheeks. The one of us who wore the “sticker” freckles got to play Ginger from Gilligan’s Island while the other got to be Mary Ann. We coveted [...]

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The Runner’s Diet {Recipe: Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette}

January 24, 2012

In 80 days, I’ll be running my first 5K – not walking, but R-U-N-N-I-N-G. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve officially gotten off my sedentary butt and have taken to going to the gym 4-5 times a week since the new year. I have also been exercising at home on my off days. I’m working with a [...]

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Project 365 2012 – A Photo A Day Journey – Week 3

January 22, 2012

Week 3 of 2012 has passed and it was a fairly low key week around here, which I always love. Even though it was low key, it seemed to fly by. Is anyone else in awe of the fact that we are entering the last week of January? Crazy, right? Here’s a look back at [...]

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Happy National Popcorn Day {Recipe: Buttery Brown Sugar Popcorn}

January 19, 2012

Pin It Today is National Popcorn Day…who knew, right? When I first started blogging, I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I’d do my blog posts each time it is a National Food day. Oblivious as I was to the fact that every single day is a “national food day” of some sort. [...]

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Oh, Bananas {Recipe: Banana Gelato}

January 17, 2012

Pin It Three ripe bananas were sitting in our fruit basket, taunting me with options. Should I make banana muffins?  How about sour cream banana pancakes? Banana Crumble was a huge hit around here… maybe I should use these ripe bananas to make that recipe. Undecided, I went about my business for the day, still [...]

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