As many of you know, I recently returned from San Francisco where I attended a food blogging conference. I’m not going to write a whole recap. I’m not going to gush about all the wonderful people I met and got to see again. Connecting with those friends was a wonderful experience, but I’m honestly just not up for that. What I am going to do is get something off my chest that has been bugging me since I returned home.

Blogging has changed a lot since I began doing it 4 years ago. Success has been defined in so many different ways, even though I firmly believe that success, when it comes to something like blogging, is extremely subjective….

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The post Defining Success (Recipe: Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Tabitha is a mom of four kids. She works part-time, volunteers for everything under the sun, and is a very involved mom. Well, of course she doesn’t have it all together, dude. She is soooooo busy, how could she possibly have it all together? I think I took such offense to his judgment on Tabitha because I am sure that is what people say about me sometimes. To be honest with you, before having kids, I probably would have thought the same thing about her, but now? Now I do not judge anyone for the things they do/don’t do as a mother. (I’m not talking about abuse here… just various parenting styles).

Have you ever fed your kids crackers for breakfast because you forgot to buy milk the night before and you are running late and there is nothing else in the house that is portable to feed them? I won’t judge you. Have you bribed your kid with a cookie to get them to stop having a fit? No judgment from me! Do you have a kid who is addicted to french fries and won’t eat much else at all so you always make sure to have some form of the spud on your dinner table just so they get something in their belly? I can absolutely relate and therefore, will not judge.

My three year old is my french fry addict and this whole not eating out thing is causing her to have some serious withdrawal. Not that its a bad thing that she isn’t getting her weekly dose of fries, but the girl LOVES her fries. Loves them. I don’t like to fry foods at home, but baked fries are quite tasty, so we have been having a lot of baked fries over the past couple of weeks. I wanted to share a recipe for a rib rub that we actually like to put on a lot more than ribs. It is called “Rib Rub That Rocks” and my husband mixes it into hamburger before he grills them, we sprinkle it on chicken breasts, mix it with mayo to make a zesty sauce and more. The other day I thought to try it on our baked fries and it was so good, I just had to share it with you! Just don’t judge me if I tell you these fries are all my kid had for dinner that night. Okay?

Rib Rub That Rocks (from Recipezaar)

10 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 32 , 2 cups

For instructions on how to bake the fries, head over to this post

The post Thou Shalt Not Judge (Recipe – Rib Rub That Rocks) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

QUICK UPDATE 4/14 1:30CST – Adopt-a-Blogger is officially closed to new bloggers. If any additional experienced bloggers come forward willing to mentor someone, I will update my Twitter status to announce that additional space is available.  Matches will be posted next week!

I clearly remember the first time I made this bread for a couple of friends of mine. We had a meeting at my house and I decided to make some homemade bread. I was fairly new to the whole bread making thing, so choosing to make homemade bread was a stretch for me. When they came over, I brought out my fresh loaf of Honey I’m Home Bread along with some whipped honey butter. They oohed and ahhhh’d and later insisted that I teach them how to make bread. A couple of weeks later, they came over again and I showed them how simple bread baking was.

They both have since become really, really great bread bakers (and unlike me, have stayed skinny, which kind of ticks me off!). That experience was the first time I remember really teaching someone how to do something that I once had thought was difficult to do. I couldn’t believe that I was the one teaching someone else how to make homemade bread!

Having a mentor to turn to when you want to learn something new, improve upon what you are currently doing, or just share an experience with someone is so important. That is why I created Adopt a Blogger in the first place a few years ago. It seemed like so many of us had talent and skills we could share with others, but there wasn’t any formal way for us to do that.

I’m excited to kick off yet another round of Adopt a Blogger. Thank you so much to all of you who have made this blog event a success! I appreciate your participation and commitment to making our food blogging community a friendly and helpful one.

Now for the details on how you can participate!

If you were adopted in one of the previous adopt a blogger events, consider adopting someone this time around. If you adopted before, you can adopt again. I am limiting the number of potential adoptees to 20 for this round. So, I am looking for 20 newbies and 20 experienced food bloggers. First come, first serve basis. If you miss it this time around, we’ll get you next time! (Note – I will increase the number of slots *if* I get enough interest from the experienced bloggers to adopt the newbies!)

• Newbies – Newbies are food bloggers who have a blog that has been up for a year or less. If you are just starting out, you must have had at least 1 month worth of consistent posting on your blog.
• Experienced Bloggers – Anyone who has maintained an active food blog for over 1 year. If you have a blog that is younger than a year old, but feel like you have the whole food blogging thing down and could provide some expertise to someone just starting out, then please feel free to sign up as a veteran.
• Newbies will commit to writing one post about their Veteran. Veterans will commit to doing the same. Trying a recipe out and posting this on your blog would count as well, as long as you are introducing each other and the blogs.
• You will each add each other to your respective blogrolls.
• At the end of the 3 month mentoring time, where the Veteran will help the newbie find their way, I ask that the Veteran write one post linking back to this Adopt-A-Blogger post with a piece of advice for new bloggers. I also ask that the newbies write one post about what they have learned about blogging during the 3 month mentorship. Please note that by three months, I don’t mean that you have to be in constant contact with each other. Just keep in touch with each other for the three months and be available to ask/answer any questions that might pop up.
• If you are interested in participating, please leave a comment on this post indicating if you are a newbie or a veteran. Please make sure you enter your website information in the form as well as an email address. If that information isn’t included, I can’t get a hold of you which means you won’t be able to participate!
• Once we have reached have reached 20 newbies and 20 experienced bloggers, I will carefully match you all up and the adoption will be official!

Now for the recipe:

Print

Honey I'm Home Bread

Honey I'm Home Bread (from Recipezaar)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Instructions

• Put these ingredients in your bread machine as your model of machine calls for, and let the machine do the work to mix.
• Put in greased loaf pan to rise again.
• When raised as much as you want, put in 325 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let Cool.

The post Adopt a Blogger #3 (Recipe: Honey I’m Home Bread) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I think I am going to do an assortment of pumpkin bread, cookies and something a bit different this year. My closest friends are going to get a pan of Caramel Rolls. I read about this idea last year, but with using your favorite cinnamon roll recipe. Purchase several alumnimum round cake pans and whip up a few batches of your favorite cinnamon roll dough. Roll and slice the dough and place 6 rolls each in the round cake pans. Tightly cover and freeze. When you are ready to gift your cinnamon rolls, take them out of the freezer, wrap in clear plastic wrap, decorate the packaging as you wish and attach instructions for thawing and baking on a card. Your friends will love the idea of having home baked goodness given to them to bake fresh in their own oven. Imagine how nice it would be to wake up to hot cinnamon rolls on Christmas Day without the effort of actually making them.

What food gifts are you giving your friends and neighbors this year? I would love to hear your ideas!

Mom’s Caramel Rolls (from Sidd on Recipezaar)

First, a couple of notes. These are the best caramel rolls I have ever tried! Buttery and delicious and full of sweet ooey gooey caramel flavor. I halved the recipe since it was just for my family and did all of the work in the bread machine. I took out the dough and then followed the rolling and baking instructions from there. I got 10 large rolls.

2½ hours | 2 hours prep

SERVES 18

The post Caramel Rolls – A Welcome Gift appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I am afraid I am passing this same trait on to my kids. If you look at the cereal boxes in our pantry, you will find boxes of cereal with 3/4 of the cereal gone. When I think we are running low on cereal, I go out and buy new cereal. As soon as the new cereal enters the house, the old boxes of cereal lose their appeal for the woo of something new.

This muffin recipe is for those of you with commitment issues, like myself. You can make your neglected cereal feel loved again by using the remaining bits to make muffins that will make you want to have even more neglected cereal so you can make them again and again. In this case, being a non-commiter is actually a good thing!

Along with these muffins, we enjoyed a cup of Cabaret Brewed Chocolate. Sweet, rich, unique… Cabaret Brewed Chocolate is the perfect drink for those of you who may not be fans of coffee but enjoy a warm beverage. Not as sweet and caloric as hot chocolate, this product is one you will want to keep around as the weather turns colder. The folks at Cabaret are giving my readers a chance to win a jar of of their Brewed Chocolate. To be considered, check out the Cabaret website and then please leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite warm beverage is. All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Tuesday 9/16 and the winner will be notified via email the following day. Good luck!

Breakfast Cereal Muffins (from Recipezaar)

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 12 , 12 muffins

Looking for more ways to use up some breakfast cereal? These food bloggers have some great ideas:

• Naboo Nuggets from Little Foodies
• Raisin Bran Bread from Cooking is Medicine
• Peanut Butter Coconut Krispie Cookies from Judy’s Kitchen
• Sweet Chex Mix from This Week for Dinner

• Tomorrow night is the deadline for entering the drawing for the County Bob’s Cookbook! Check out the details HERE
• The Adopt-a-Blogger 2 matches have been made! Make sure to check out and support those people participating. Please make sure to drop by my adoptee’s site, Apples and Butter, and say hi!
• There is a new site for moms out there created by two of my favorite food bloggers. Make sure to check out Voice of Mom

The post Commitment Issues appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I am a big, fat crybaby. I’ll just get that out in the open right now. I can be at a wedding of people I don’t even know well and the music will start, and I am bawling. Someone can tell me a story about something sad that happened, and without even hearing all of it, I’m bawling. Put a bunch of graduating high school seniors in front of me, and tears are streaming down my face simply because I picture my kids there in just a few years. I  apparently was given one of those over sensitive crying triggers.

One thing that brings me to tears without fail is someone singing The National Anthem. The flag is waving, the song is pouring out from someones soul, and I am instantly in tears. I get overwhelmed with emotion… a sense of thankfulness and compassion washes over me. I cannot help but think that the life of freedom we have today is in part due to all of the people who gave (and are still giving) the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our country. Men and women leave the comfort of their homes and families behind to make my world a better place to be in. That is a dedication I will never understand but that I appreciate from the bottom of my gratitude filled heart.

If you live in the United States, please have a safe and happy Independence Day. If you see someone who is in the military, a Veteran who has served our country… or if you even see the family members of one of these brave soldiers… please stop and give them a rightful thank you. It is because of them that we can fly our flags high and be thankful that we live in the U.S.A.

Berry Stuffed French Toast with Vanilla Yogurt Sauce, from Recipezaar

15 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

• 2 cups fresh mixed berries, about 1/2 lb (blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries or blackberries)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (6 ounce) container low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 10 ounces French bread (1 small loaf)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• nonstick cooking spray

The post American Pride appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Do you ever hear of a business idea and think, “That is just genius… why didn’t I think of that?” I do that all the time. In fact, I often have these brilliant ideas and then do nothing with them only to have someone come along later and make millions off of the idea.

I have a new business idea that popped into my head this weekend, and I am going to run with it, finally. I wrote out a plan of sorts today and just need to figure out the next steps. However, figuring out what those nexts steps are is the hardest part. But, this time, I am going through with it. I know I can do this and I have confidence in the idea. I just need to feel the fear of failing and do it anyway. If any of you have any know how in this and know of any resources to use to get started, I would welcome the advice!

Speaking of “Why didn’t I think of that?”, how about this recipe for a ham and cheese rolled omelet? I think it is absolutely genius and it was so easy to make. Mix it up, pop it in the oven, and after a few finishing touches you have a yummy and impressive breakfast on the table. Genius, I tell you… absolutely genius!

The post Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll, from Recipezaar appeared first on Dine and Dish.