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The year is officially half over and next week is the Fourth of July. It feels like last week that I was in Aruba before Christmas and writing my year end recap and reflections for 2012 and now 2013 is halfway done.
It’s been an incredibly busy month and year, but there’s a light coming at the end of the tunnel. I think.
Here’s what I made this month:
Homemade Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies
Mini Cream Cheese Pound Cakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Clusters (no-bake)
Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins
25 Cookie Jar Favorite Cookies
Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sticks – No butter used
No-Ice-Cream-Maker Funfetti Cake Batter Golden Oreo Ice Cream
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
30-Minute Cheesy Avocado Skillet Pizza Bread (vegan)
No-Knead Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter
Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Sweet with Heat Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts (GF)
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars (no-bake, vegan, GF)
Blueberry Muffin and Buttermilk Pancakes Cake
Noteworthy
1. My cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort, came out this month
Needless to say, writing a cookbook is heckuva lot of work. Harder than anything I’ve ever done from the recipe development to the photography to learning about the publishing industry, but it’s all worth it when I’m holding my book in my hands.
Thank you to everyone who’s bought the book, made something from it, mentioned it on their blogs, in Tweets, Instagram feeds, told me about it on my Facebook page, or simply just made something and savored your peanut butter recipe one bite at a time. Thank you for your support!
If you’ve made something from the book and snapped a pic, feel free to post it on my Facebook Wall. I’d love to see it!
I wouldn’t have a blog or a book without you guys. Thank you for reading and your support!
2. I’ve been doing recipe development for Pillsbury and a recipe of mine is up on their site, Strawberry Jam Sweet Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
They’re the shortcut version using pre-made dough of these Strawberry Sweet Rolls with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
Reflections
I checked a few recipes off my bucket list this month. Namely, tackling making ice cream. I loved that ice cream, and I’m not even an ice cream person. The fact that it’s no-cook, no eggs, and no-ice cream maker necessary, so that it’s accessible to anyone who wants to make ice cream was important.
It was a month of Knockoffs. I’d been wanting to recreate Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies for years, and I finally did it. Not only do I think they’re better than the real thing, it’s my new favorite brownie base and I’ll be using it for future brownie recipes.
I also recreated a Skinny version of Starbuck’s Caramel Frappuccinos. At only 50 calories and just pennies per serving, it’s a big win-win.
It was also a month of Mini Food – Mini Donut Muffins, Mini Pound Cakes, Mini Treats Giveaway.
I worked cream cheese into Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mini Pound Cakes, and frosting for Carrot Cake Cupcakes. And after years of trying to nail Carrot Cake Cupcakes, I can finally check those off my bucket list, too.
I (only) used peanut butter in 3 recipes this month. I try to use it in just 1 recipe per week as to not overload anyone who doesn’t love it quite as much as I do. The No-Bake White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Clusters, Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies, and No-Bake Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars were all wonderful; with the Chewy Cereal Bars being some of the best bars I’ve made all year. I loved them.
The Blueberry Muffin Pancakes Cake was a happy accident of sorts. I loved that cake and in just a few days since the recipe has been up, many people have written to say they’re tried it and loved it, too. It’s always nice when that happens. Thanks to everyone who’s made it, or anything, from my site and comes back to tell me. Feedback is so appreciated.
July is going to be a super busy month for me but with any luck, August should be much more mellow. Here’s to hoping everyone is enjoying their summer.
Previous Recaps:
Thanks for the 25 Buttery and Cheesy Recipes and Kerrygold Giveaway entries
What did you do or make in this month that was memorable?
I’ll need one of everything to get over the fact that we’re half-way through 2013. {How is that possible!}
Anyway, another delicious month of recipes!! Looking forward to July. :D
THANK YOU for “re-capping” your recipes in monthly format!!…I have been shamelessly archiving SO many of your individual recipes…and only now realize that I can “wait” and simply archive each months’ collection….
You are my baking hero.
Thanks for saying I’m your baking hero :) Makes my day!
And I’ve been doing these recaps now for 18 mos. All of 2012 and 13 and was wondering if anyone cares and was almost thinking of dropping them – so I am glad to know they are helpful. Thanks for saying that!
I love your cookbook and all of your recipes are just amazing…outstanding. I can’t believe what you do! It makes me wonder what in the world I am doing with my time! LOL! Beautiful photos and so many yummy things to eat. We have made so many I have lost count! :-D
And I appreciate your support, friendship, and each and every comment you leave and recipe you try. You and one other lady are sort of unofficial taste-testers because I know you make at least 70% of what I post! And usually….within 24 hours :)
Hope you and the fam are having a great weekend, Michele!
oxoxo
Whoa. Those chocolate pancakes look unbelievable. So many great recipes this month, Averie!
Hooray! These are such awesome recipes. Big congrats on your book and also on Pillsbury! I am so happy to be a part of the Pillsbury blogger team with you!
Right back at ya! :)
What another great month! So many yummy recipes to try!
What a great month it was! I ordered your cookbook and cannot wait until it gets here.
Thanks for ordering it, Marcie!! I appreciate your support! Please LMK what you make!!
I love your monthly recaps, and I have to say I think June has been one of my favorite months on Averie Cooks recipe-wise since I started reading your blog four months ago!
I still haven’t bought your cookbook but I plan to, simply on principle that it’s all about peanut butter! I’ll be ordering it soon.
Just looking at these gorgeous photos have me ready to raid my pantry and start baking!!! Happy weekend!
Busy busy, sounds like our June, too :) Congratulations on doing recipe development for Pillsbury, if I didn’t say it already. That’s so exciting!
Hope you’re having a fun and/or relaxing weekend :)
Thanks, Christy! :)
Another great month Averie! I seriously do not know how you do it girl! You work so hard!! Have some fun this month!
There’s a whole other part so no fun this month but hopefully by 8/1. :)
I don’t know where this month went either. I hope I can take a little more time to enjoy the rest of summer. I have been all about pb lately. Before I’d have a jar in the pantry for a month or so but now I’m buying the giant jars at Costco and going through them like crazy.
Ok you’ve gotta try making your own for the eating out of jar moments – but wait I think you do already!. For baking, though it’s gotta be something like Costco, Jif, etc for the texture!
Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes this month! Love them all!
a busy month indeed! hope you get a little rest. But i love all these recipes!!
Another month of tempting goodies!! I am actually trying to decide what to bake today as I go back over everything you posted–it’s between the avocado bread or the PB cheese crackers from your cookbook. June is always my best “salad” month–my little raised garden has been supplying us with rainbow chard, romaine, spinach and leaf lettuce, and my herbs are looking good too. I try to get creative with dressings and add-ins. I can get a little hooked on something for several days at a time, but my husband likes some daily variance.
You made the avo bread already I remember. It’s definitely easier/faster/less tedious than the crackers. They’re not ‘hard’, but it’s like making muffins vs. a pan of bars. One thing you have to deal with individually vs. just slap it all in a pan :) I did love those crackers though.
Your garden sounds amazing! The irony is that I live where everything grows, yet I grow…nothing. Urban condo and need a yard! Your hubs needing variety – he’d die with me. There are weeks where I serve the leftover xyz recipe. And then the remake of leftover xyz recipe. Certain recipes go on, and on, and on. lol But then again, there’s always at least 5+ totally new things made every week too.
Have a great weekend!
I am always DROOLING over your pictures! My favorite thing that we did this month was find an apartment in Hawaii. We are military and the list for on-base housing is 6-8 months long!! Thankfully we don’t mind living a bit smaller (our apartment in Korea was a peanut!!) and we found a gorgeous, airy piece of paradise just for us. I loved unpacking and starting to turn this new house, into a HOME:)
Thanks for the photo compliments. Congrats on finding a place. I just went to your site and saw some beautiful blue water – love that! :)