Happy Blogiversary to me and a GIVEAWAY for you!

WOW! It has been one year since I started this blog. I can't believe it! I started blogging with the gentle nudging of my friend, Monica. She had suggested it a few times, but I kind of shrugged it off. Then after being sucked into the world of following food blogs, I decided to start one of my own.

It all started with a cooking challenge. I challenged myself to make at least one new recipe per day for an entire month. I ended up making 56 new recipes that month! 56!!!! It was so much fun finally pushing myself to make new things. I have always tried new recipes, but this challenge gave me the chance to chisel away a bit at my "to try" file.

Another wonderful part of blogging has come from the great groups that I am a part of - The Daring Bakers, Tuesdays with Dorie, Cookie Carnival, Cheese of the Month, and Sweet Melissa Sundays. Believe it or not, I will also be joining fellow bloggers in a cupcake baking group! I enjoy being told what to make and discovering new favorites and/or techniques. Plus, I am never short on desserts! :)

I wanted to post about my favorite recipes from the past year, but the problem is that I have too many. I couldn't even begin to narrow it down if I tried. I hope that you have all enjoyed my recipes as much as I have. It always makes my day when I read that someone has tried something I posted about.

Throughout the last year I have enjoyed being a part of this blogging community. I appreciate all the people who stop by and comment on my blog. I am so grateful to everyone who reads my posts. I am looking forward to starting another year and sharing more recipes!

To celebrate one year of blogging, I am going to give away one of my favorite things. Have you heard of Tastebook? It is a fantastic website that allows you to purchase pre-made cookbooks or create your own. My friend, Erica, told me about these earlier in the year. I have made one already and have two more in the works. They are wonderful books and look great! Each book can hold up to 100 recipes and if you don't fill up the book at the time of purchase, you can add more later. Easy, convenient, and super cool!

One lucky person will win their very own Tastebook (25 recipes; shipping not included)! All you have to do is leave a comment here by midnight EST on Sunday, August 2nd. I will announce the winner on Monday, August 3rd.

Good luck and thanks again for making this past year awesome!