Find Some Love Fest

It is finally here! The Find Some Love Fest! This link-up is all about YOU! This is an opportunity for you to showcase your Valentine's Day crafts, home decor, shop items, tutorials, beauty, style, ideas, thoughts, giveaways, you name it-whatever makes your blog about YOU!





 Here are the details:

 Add your link below. The link must be to a specific post, not just your blog. The number of links you can add it not limited. We welcome an unlimited number. Once you link up with ONE of the participating blogs, your link will show up on ALL FIVE blogs! One easy step and you are showcased in 5 different places! Also, don't forget the other amazing part of the Find Some Love Fest! A mega giveaway! Follow the easy instructions below for up to 17 entries! 17!!!

Just now hearing about the Find Some Love Fest? No worries. The link-up is live until Valentine's Day! So if you are just now finding us or if your post isn't quite ready, you have until then to add it! The giveaway closes in one week, and I will let you know, you can Tweet about the Find Some Love Fest daily (read: additional entries)!!

Remember to visit other links in the list! Everyone is looking for some love!

Made From Scratch Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberry cake is probably my favorite cake. Strawberry cake that doesn't come from a box IS my favorite cake. This recipe is a bit time consuming, but the product is well worth it. The additional of real strawberries and whipped egg whites makes this cake batter flavorful and light. Topped with cream cheese butter cream icing, you will be in love this Valentine's Day. (Who's gonna be the first to make fun of me for that??)

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Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Butter Cream Icing
originally from Apron of Grace

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake
• 1 cup Butter
• 2 & 1/2 cups Sugar
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 5 Egg Whites
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 & 1/4 cups Pureed Strawberries
• 3 cups Cake Flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• pinch Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk

Cream Cheese Butter Cream Icing
• 2 - 8oz Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1 cup Butter, room temp
• 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
• 1 lb. Powdered Sugar

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar for 3 minutes.Add egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla, food coloring and strawberries, beat for another 3 minutes. 

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just till combined. 

In another bowl and clean beaters, beat egg whites till stiff and add in an increment of 3 to cake batter, being sure to fold in thoroughly but gently. Bake for 18 -20 minutes 

Icing


In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and butter, whip till light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add liquids and blend. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing, until medium stiff consistency forms. Whip for several minutes.

Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Frosted Strawberry Cookies

Gosh, if I didn't know any better, I might look like I had attended culinary school. Ok, no. I'm sooo bring sarcastic. I found these cookies on Pinterest (of course I did) and given the color and shape, I knew I had to make them. These cookies differ from the chocolate ones I shared. They are a crispier cookie, rather than a chewy one. Watch them once you get them into the oven, there is a fine line between done and burned. 

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Frosted Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients 

1 box strawberry cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 large egg 
several drops of red food coloring (optional)


Store bought ftrawberry frosting or homemade butter cream frosting
Sprinkles (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


In a large bowl, combine ingredients, mixing until dough is uniform in color. 


Roll out and cut cookies into heart shapes. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Let cool completely before frosting. 

Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Baked Cake Doughnuts

Well....I did it, I finally made doughnuts. I don't like calling them donuts. I saw the heart shaped doughnut pan and was sold. They were actually quite easy and bake very quickly. They are a cake doughnut, so they are denser than a fried glazed doughnut, but still airy and sweet. The recipe calls for buttermilk, but I didn't have any on hand. Google told me I could make a buttermilk substitute, and with a 5 star rating, I was all in. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the mixture to the 1 cup line. Let set for 5 minutes. That's it! Use what you need for your recipe! 

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Baked Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients

Doughnuts
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cinnamon Glaze
1 cup powders sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add vanilla, buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Beat until combined well. Fill each doughnut cup approximately 1/2 full. Bake 4-5 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan 2-3 minutes before removing. Repeat with remaining batter. Finish doughnuts with desired toppings and glaze.

To make the glaze:

In a small bowl, stir together choice of glaze ingredients until well combined. Use immediately. Dip one half of each doughnut into glaze. Let dry on wire rack.

Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

As most of you know by now, the Find Some Love Fest is just around the corner! I have several recipes to share (because nothing says love like sitting around and stuffing your face with your Valentine) over the next few days.

 These are a super simple cookie that comes out with the chewy consistency of a brownie. I took most of them to work (read: after I ate 3 4) because I could NOT stop going back for more! I used a variety of sprinkles, but if you aren't a fan of sprinkles, you can totally omit them. I really enjoyed how fun some of the sprinkles looked after baking. 

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Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes 


Bake: 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes


Cool: 10 minutes


Yield: 2 dozen cookies 

Ingredients

1 devil's food boxed cake mix

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sprinkles (optional)

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Use a cookie scoop drop evenly sized potions of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. If using sprinkles, roll dough balls in sprinkles before baking. 

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 

Let cool completely on the sheet.

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

HEY!

Hey!! 

Have you entered the Find Some Love Fest giveaway yet???

Exciting Announcement!

Hello! Happy Monday! Now that the holidays are over, I hope we can all get back to some kind of normal. I packed up Christmas this past weekend and now the house looks a bit bare. It sure does come and go quickly.

I am way too excited to share with you a project I wasn't sure would happen with you all! Link parties have been a direct link to meeting some of my fabulous readers and fellow bloggers. I really wanted to give back to those that host them each week. With the help of Melissa, this really came together in such a short amount of time.

Find Some Love Fest! 

5 blogs, one link party! If you haven't guessed it, this huge link up will be Valentine's Day themed! Grab the button and post it on your blog, then February 1st, come back here and add your link. Links can include Valentine's Day recipes, home decor, DIY's, layouts, shop items, blog posts, crafts, and even giveaways! Once you add your link here (or any of the other hosts blogs), your link will show up on all 5 blogs. 

Pineapple Lily

Hollie Takes Notes

Behind the Scenes

Digging Deeper

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Help spread the word by pinning, tweeting, and sharing the details on Facebook! To thank you for your participation, the linkup will end with a HUGE giveaway from all 5 hosts. See below for details on entering and what the prizes are! 

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