Mommyfest is Celebrating It’s Fifth Birthday With a Blog Party!

Mommyfest is celebrating it’s 5th birthday! Yay! Because it’s their 5th year of hosting this Interactive Online Event, they want to do something fun. So they are having a Blog Party!

Mommyfest is May 12-16, 2008 and moms all over the net will be blog hopping through other participating mom blogs. Moms will have an opportunity to meet, learn a bit more, share and chat with other moms in cyberspace.

What is a party without presents and treats? Well, Mommyfest is giving away fun prizes so make sure to join us for all the fun. A list of prizes will be listed in a special post in the Mommyfest blog. Prize drawing will be open to all participants of Mommyfest.

If you’d like to join in on the fun find out how at Mommyfest!

Let me introduce myself! My name is Eleisia Whitney and my family and I live in northern California. Our son is getting married in a few weeks so we are busy helping with the plans and tidying up our house.

I have a Watkins home-based business and am giving away some of my products as a prize for the blog party. In my spare time I like to read, cook, birdwatch, garden, and craft.

Please come in and have some refreshments! How about a glass of lemonade or iced tea? Help yourself to a Strawberry Cupcake or Chocolate Cherry Bar or a piece of Chocolate Malt Ice-Cream Cake or Key Lime Coconut Angel Cake.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups chopped strawberries (about 1-pint basket)
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 cup
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
Garnish:
9 strawberries, halved or quartered
1/4 cup strawberry jelly, melted

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Cupcakes: Mix chopped strawberries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and lemon rind in medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thickened. Spoon into small bowl; let cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
4. Beat together butter and remaining 1 cup granulated sugar in medium-size bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
5. On low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk, and ending with flour. Swirl in cooled strawberry mixture to create a marble pattern. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake in 350°F. oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when gently touched. Let cool in cups on wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Unmold cupcakes onto rack to cool completely.
7. Frosting: Beat together butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in medium-size bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
8. Garnish: Place cut strawberries on large plate. Liberally brush melted jelly over each piece. Set aside.
9. Frost tops of cupcakes. Top each with glazed strawberry piece(s).

Chocolate Cherry Bars
Give your chocolate fudge cake mix a cherry twist by making these scrumptious moist and chocolaty bars!

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract
1/2 bag (12-oz size) miniature semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
Purchased or homemade chocolate frosting

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch or 13×9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, gently mix dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs, almond extract, and chocolate chips with rubber scraper; break up any undissolved cake mix by pressing with scraper. Carefully spread in pan.
3. Bake 15x10x1-inch pan 25 to 30 minutes, 13×9-inch pan 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Makes 48 bars.

Chocolate Malt Ice-Cream Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Watkins Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
1 cup chocolate fudge topping
1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
2 cups malted milk ball candies, coarsely chopped
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 cup chocolate fudge topping
Additional malted milk ball candies, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and side of springform pan, 9×3 or 10×2 3/4 inches, with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until well blended. Immediately pour into pan.
2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Spread 1 cup fudge topping over cake; freeze about 1 hour or until topping is firm. In large bowl, mix ice cream and coarsely chopped candies; spread over cake. Freeze about 4 hours or until ice cream is firm.
4. In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
5. Remove side of pan; place cake on serving plate. Top with whipped cream. Melt 1/4 cup fudge topping; drizzle over whipped cream. Garnish with additional candies.

Key Lime Coconut Angel Cake

1 box white angel food cake mix or purchased angel food cake
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Key lime or regular lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Coconut Extract
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup flaked coconut
Sliced kiwifruit and strawberries, if desired

1. Make cake mix as directed on package, using cold water. Cool cake completely. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom layer, cut side up, on serving plate.
2. In large bowl, beat milk, lime juice, lime peel, and coconut extract with wire whisk until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Spread 1 cup lime mixture evenly over top of first layer of cake. Place second layer of cake carefully on bottom layer; spread evenly with 1 cup lime mixture. Top with remaining layer of cake.
4. Frost top and side of cake with remaining lime mixture. Sprinkle with coconut. Garnish cake with kiwifruit and strawberries.

My Mommyfest Blog Giveaway is a Watkins Vanilla Classic Recipes Cookbook, a 2 fl oz bottle of Vanilla, a 2 oz tin of Cinnamon, and a 4 oz tin of Black Pepper.

Just leave a comment below to be entered to win my giveaway. One winner will be chosen at random at the end of the day May 16. So check back to see if you are the winner!

I’m also giving away a Watkins Hand Repair Gift Set to one customer who places an order during May. Just place an order at my online store http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.

The Hand Repair Gift Set includes
Aloe and Green Tea Hand and Body Lotion
Lemon Cream Hand and Body Lotion
Lemon Cream Shea Butter
Nail Brush with Watkins Logo
A pair of white cotton gloves for softening hands

Thanks for celebrating Mommyfest’s birthday with me and visiting my blog!

More From Eleisia

• Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
• January is National Oatmeal Month - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
• Egg and Bacon Cups
• Stuffed Mushrooms

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