My 5-Year Blogging Anniversary & A KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway as a Thank You! (Winners Announced)
UPDATE: The winners of the KitchenAid mixers are:
#1,931 – Janelle Thiessen: “I love your chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting!”
#2,042 – Joanne Quinn: Her comment on following Brown Eyed Baker on Twitter was the winner. As for her favorite BEB recipe:
“Love all your recipes – they’re very dip/party-centric, and they’re the kind I use most when looking for new recipes on the web. My current favorite – and only cuz I just discovered it & can’t believe how easy & delicious it is – is the 3 ingredient Sausage dip. THANKS”
Congratulations Janelle and Joanne! You should have already received an email from me; make sure you reply with your color choice and mailing address so I can get your new KitchenAid mixer out to you!
Thanks everyone for entering and celebrating my five years of blogging with me!

Five years ago today, on February 11, 2007, I hit “publish” on my first blog post – Italian Wedding Soup. It looked like a lot of first blog posts look – a small, far-away picture, a sparse description, and a recipe for one of my all-time favorite “mom” recipes. I decided to start blogging to merge two of my passions – writing and baking. I saw a couple of food blogs pop up and thought that doing something similar would be a good way to keep my writing interest alive, as well as to chronicle my time in the kitchen, and to hopefully challenge myself to try some more advanced recipes.
Five years later, Brown Eyed Baker has turned into more than I could have ever imagined. And it would not be the site it is today without all of you. There aren’t enough words to describe how thankful I am for each and every one of you. For stopping by to check out the recipes, for commenting, for sharing your stories about what you’ve made, for your loyalty, for being the reason I keep making a mess of the kitchen more days than not, and, most of all, for allowing me to be a part of your lives. Part of your holidays, your get-togethers with friends, birthdays, showers, and celebrations.
For all you contribute to this site, each and every day, I wanted to say thank you. And I wanted to say thank you in a way that would pay forward kitchen love. What says “kitchen love” more than a shiny, new KitchenAid mixer??
I am giving away TWO KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers to two lucky readers. Check out the details below on how to enter to win, and note that I am leaving this giveaway open for a full week as a celebration of sorts, so as many of you as possible have the opportunity to enter.
Thank you again for being awesome readers, and for sharing your love of food with me. Here’s to a lot more fun in the kitchen together!

Giveaway Details
Two winners will each receive one (1) KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, in the color of their choice.
How to Enter
To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post and answer the question:
“What’s your favorite Brown Eyed Baker recipe?”
You can receive up to FOUR additional entries to win by doing the following:
1. Subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by either RSS or email. Come back and let me know you’ve subscribed in an additional comment.
2. Follow @browneyedbaker on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.
3. Tweet the following about the giveaway: “RT @browneyedbaker Thanking you for 5 wonderful blogging years with a KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway! http://wp.me/p1rsii-4bV”. Come back and let me know you’ve Tweeted in an additional comment.
4. Become a fan of Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook. Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.
Deadline: Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.
Winners: The winners will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced at the top of this post. If the winners do not respond within 24 hours, another winner will be selected.
Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Brown Eyed Baker.
Good Luck and THANK YOU!!






Your macaroni & cheese casserole is a recipe we make regularly in this house. Simple, delicious and definitely better than boxed ones.
Karan on February 11th, 2012 at 5:37 am
Your mac & cheese recipe IS awesome! Gotta say your chicken and dumplings is my favorite. For years I used chicken with bone in (for flavor) and added mixed vegetables – your recipe is just as flavorful using boneless chicken – and the less is more principal applies to your use of veggies. Congrats on the anniversary!
Karan on February 11th, 2012 at 5:40 am
Subscribed to Brown Eyed Baker thru email…
Jasmin H on February 11th, 2012 at 10:13 am
Followed by emai, RSS and Facebook….congrats on five year!!!
Jasmin H on February 11th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Subscribe/following on via email, viva RSS and Facebook!! Congrats on five years:]
Rachel on February 11th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Oh man, I think that’s one of my favorites. So good!
Kathy on February 11th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
No-bake chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies are my kids favs.
Faye Johnson on February 11th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
My favourite recipe is chewy chocolate chip cookies.. They are simply AWESOME… I make them all the time for ladies in the hair salon and friends. THe bestest receipe ever.
Ashley on February 11th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
I love your margarita cupcakes!! I’ve tried others before but love making these ones!!
Ashley on February 11th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Subscribe via email!!!
Ashley on February 11th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Fan on facebook!!
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 10:07 am
My favorite recipe has to be your new sushi post! as I have an addiction to sushi! before that my favorite post was margarita cupcakes! I’ve been trying to bake those for everyone I know.
My dog Duke loved the Beef and Cheddar post
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 10:13 am
I’ve followed you on twitter since I opened my twitter account
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 10:14 am
I tweeted about your aniversary! I was I could write my blog! Maybe one day
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 10:15 am
I just liked your facebook page!
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 10:16 am
And I subscribed via email!
Andrea on February 12th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
new favorite post cheesecake truffles!
Subscribed to Brown Eyed Baker via e-mail!
paula c on February 11th, 2012 at 11:24 am
subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker Via Email!!
Followed you on twitter!
Mocha cupcakes with espresso frosting!
Tweeted about the giveaway!
subscriber rss
I also am a fan on facebook!
follow on twitter @saramama
I follow on facebook!
I absolutely love the red velvet cupcakes!!! I make them almost once a month!!! Follow u on facebook and email!!
I subscribe!
I already follow you through Google Reader
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/SaraMama/status/168199502862360577
Cranberry Orange Scones are always baking in my house, thanks to you!
FB fan
sara peterson davis
My favorite BEB recipe is (so far) the Peach Crumb Bars! Though I have not been able to try as many recipes of yours as I would like, I am certainly looking forwrd to giving alot more a go!
My absolute favorite recipe is for the Better-than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies . Rich, chocolatey, dense, and chewy- delicious!
I’m subscribed via RSS!
Following on twitter: @cadyelizabeth1
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies ; ) My go-to recipe for life!
paula c on February 11th, 2012 at 11:25 am
Thick and Chewy Chocolate chip cookies are the best!!
Tweeted my love for you!
I am an e-mail subscriber.
Ohh you have a lot of my favorite recipes but the white chocolate coconut brownies were umm umm delish.
Facebook fan right here! ; )
I’m an rss subscriber
Liked ya on FB.
My favorite recipe is peppermint whoopie pies!
I follow you on twitter
My favorite recipe is your red velvet whoopie pie!! It’s so delicious and fun to make!
Makncoop on February 17th, 2012 at 10:59 am
I just made those! So GOOD!!!
I already follow you on google reader!
tweeted
Most def the Red Velvet Cheesecake. Love Cheesecake Factory’s. Thanks for the delectable pics and recipes!
I’m a fan on fb. Happy 5th Anniversary! Please keep doing what you do.
My favorite Brown Eyed Baker recipe is your pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.
my favorite has been the snickerdoodle cupcakes
I have subscribed to your RSS feed.
I am following you on Twitter.
I haven’t made them yet, but I’ve saved the recent Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies and drooled over my keyboard thinking about them!
I have Tweeted about your giveaway.
Favorite recipe are congo bars
I’ve subscribed to your site via my reader for a while now – one of my favorite recipe sites and always look fwd. to new posts!
I really like the King Cake, but I’m trying the malt ice cream tomorrow, could be a new winner=)
I’ve also liked you on Facebook for a while, too.
I’m subscribed to your rss feed.
I follow via RSS
I just made the Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake for my boyfriend’s birthday – it was my first cheesecake and my new favorite recipe! Now I am thinking about a way to make individual cheesecakes in little ramekins for Valentine’s Day
I am your fan on Facebook.
My favorite recipe is your thick and chewy chocolate (and triple chocolate) chip cookies– i will never use another chocolate chip cookie recipe! That said, I’ve tried many of your recipes and pretty much love them all, so it’s a tough choice– I don’t think I’ve baked anything sweet from another blog / recipe collection in almost a year. You are my go to recipe bank!
I have been wanting a kitchenaid stand mixer for about a year now, but it’s still out of my budget, so i have my fingers crossed!
I’m your fan on facebook
Irish Carbomb Cupcakes – my absolute favorite!
I’ve just followed you on twitter!
I think my favorite recipe is the chipped ham, it reminds me of my grandma so I want to try it!
PS – I follow you on FB!
I liked your facebook page.
Following on twitter @OliviaFrescura
I follow you via rss
I subscribed via RSS.
how can I pick just one?! gosh that’s awfully hard…
well I can tell you that your italian wedding soup recipe was a hit with my college roommates
Liked on FB! Olivia Frescura
Following you on twitter!
following you on twitter..
i’ve subscribed by email, followed in twitter, twittered and became a fan on facebook
may i know if the winners can be from any country?
Thanks!!
I love the chewy chocolate chip cookies!
My favorite Brown Eyed Baker recipe is the Red Velvet Cupcake !
Hi, thank you for posting this awesome giveway!
Oh, this is so hard! I frequent your site, and I am constantly trying your recipes!
I think my favorite recipe from here is either the baked brownies, thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies (I brown the butter though, soooo good!) or the loft house style sugar cookies… The’re all rand by’s!
My favorite Brown Eyed Baker recipe hmmmm….if I had to pick one, is the Triple Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Happy Blogging Anniversary!
You have so many good recipes. All brownie recipes! Cant pick one! I follow by email.
I subscribe to Brown Eyed Baker by RSS.
I follow @browneyedbaker on Twitter.
Love the cream cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped jalapeños! To die for!
Love your herb and mushroom mac and cheese
That is a difficult question! As a young wife and mother, I have been inspired by your blog to step out of my comfort zone and try so many new things in the kitchen. I now bake all of my own bread, including English muffins (and hopefully bagels soon!) I now have a “list” of things I want to try my hand at making, and I always check here first to see if you have a recipe for it. I can’t pick a #1 favorite, but we most recently tried your sweet and sour chicken, and it was definitely a huge hit in this house!!
Thank you & congrats on five years!!!
I tweeted.
I also liked you on facebook.
My favorite recipe so far is your cranberry upside down cake, my daughter and I love it and have made it quite a few times with just cranberries and another time with cranberries and apples. Super yummy!!
Thanks for the fabulous giveaway!!
I LOVE your red velvet cupcake! So delicious! Love reading all of your recipes!
I subscribe via email/RSS
I am a fan of Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook.
I follow your rss feed…everyday!
I’m a fan on facebook too
My favorite recipe so far, and my families, is the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. So, so, so yummy!
I follow on twitter.
I am a Facebook fan.
I am a Facebook fan!
Facebook fan.
Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, big hit at christmas time!
I subscribe on Google Reader.
Raspberry crumb bars!
I subscribe by RSS
I’m following you on google reader!
Annnd I’m following you on facebook now. Love the peppermint whoopie pies too!
I follow on Twitter
I tweeted @Tutti_Dolci
Hands down the homemade PB cups! And happy 5 years!
I’m also an RSS subscriber
Snickerdoodle recipe!!! it’s sooo good and my absolute favorite!
The Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream stands out to me as a favorite…now I think I need to go make some more of them, it’s been a while!
Blackberry pie bars!
Follow you on Twitter (@AmericanRNinNZ)
I’m subscribed with Google Reader!
Lori on February 11th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Tie between Irish car bomb, and limoncello cupcakes. Love them both.