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!!






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Monster Cookies
I made them so a group of my friends and I would have something sweet to eat while hiking on Mt. Madison in NH. As it turns out, there is thing called GORP (good old raisins and peanuts” and these cookies were like that in cookie form. Though we never reached the summit, these cookies kept our hunger at bay and our spirits high!
I have to admit I haven’t made them yet but keep looking at the picture and wanting to: The chocolate chip cookie dough brownies! I love both of those things and the pictures look amazing! I’m afraid if I make them and love them I will eat ALL of them.
Anadama Bread
Love, love, love your recipe for chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting!
My favorite recipe of yours is the Lofthouse-style sugar cookies!! They remind me of home (Pittsburgh!) so much!
Followed on Twitter. @vih5014
Love the Fig Cookie Bars on your site!
I like the no bake cookies and your chocolate chip cookies (I think it’s the Thick & Chewy), but now that I’m poking around, I so want to make the peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
Katy on February 14th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Do it!… they are even better than the thick & chewy CCCs… and they stay soft for DAYS!
I subscribe via email.
I subscribe via RSS feed (Google Reader counts, right?)!
I follow you on twitter (@ julieuliuli)!
I’m a facebook fan
I tweeted about your giveaway.
I would have to say the salted double chocolate peanut butter cookies or the frozen chocolate-peanut butter pie–like you, I love anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter!
Also I “liked” Brown Eyed Baker on Facebook
Hands down the Focaccia recipe for sure…I believe I may have had my first gluten hangover. Simply irresistible!
My favorite recipe is that pistachio gelato. Even though I haven’t made it yet. I know it will be amazing.
Fan on Facebook
My favorite recipe is pineapple upside-down cake. We love it and make it all the time. It comes out great each time and all the guests love it. Thank you so much for the recipe and please continue the good work.
On the email list
I am already a facebook fan.
Subscribed via e-mail….
I just did my first TWEET!
Following you in twitter
I have twitted about the give a way….Thanks….
Your chocolate chip cookies, hands down.
Subscribed with RSS.
Beth Holt on February 14th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
I already follow you on twitter!
Beth Holt on February 14th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
I liked you on facebook.
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Crisp Squares… yum!
I subscribe via google reader
My very favorite recipe from Brown Eyed Baker is the chocolate dipped coconut macaroons. My friends L O V E them and beg me to bring them whenever we get together.
I am a follower.
liked you on Facebook.
My favorite and the recipe I used as my birthday cake this year is the Monkey Bread Recipe. So yummy! Close second is the ginger-tea lemonade.
I subscribe through email.
Became a fan on facebook
Your sugar cookies are the best!
My all-time fave BEB recipe is your peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies… SOOOO good! Second fave is the chewy choc chip cookies.
P.S. “Liked” you on Facebook!
P.P.S. Already following on Twitter!
My favorite is probably the recipe of yours a made most recently, the brownie mosaic cheesecake. I had to share it with my friends and family so I wouldn’t eat it all with it just sitting in my fridge!
I follow you on google reader!
I’m your fan on fb.
My favorite recipe so far is your restaurant style salsa; but I have many more on my list to try!
My favorite recipe of the Brown Eyed Baker is the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars! PB and J is a comfort food from my childhood and I love that this dessert brings these ingredients together for a sweet treat! Thanks for the recipe!
I became a fan on Facebook!
I subscribed to your email list!!!
Tie between the Snickerdoodles/Snickerdoodle brownies and Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yum!
I also subscribed via email!
And like you on facebook!
I love your Beer and Brown Sugar Kielbasa & Sauerkraut
I am subscribed via email.
I like you on fb.
I have way too many favorites to pick one. The ones I revisit the most often are the no-bake cookies (peanute butter/butterscotch with rice krispies and the chocolate oatmeal ones) and the dark chocolate pb cupcakes.
I already follow you on facebook!
My favorite so far is the Margarita cupcake, just pinned it to a new board!
just ‘liked’ your FB page, thanks!
just subscribed to your email.
My favorite is your Tres Leches Cake recipe. It’s easy, yummy, and just gets better after a few days in the frig.
Congrats on the anniversary. It was fun to go back and read your first post. Thank you for the generous giveaway!
I subscribe to your feed via Google Reader.
I follow you on twitter @sharonjo2
I follow you on facebook.
(Sharon O.)
Tweeted here: https://twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/169625893797494785
I love the raspberry streusel bars…
My favorite is the oatmeal peanut butter choc chip cookies.Yummy.
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are insanely delicious!
I love your sweet and sour chicken recipe! I’ve never had better!
I subscribed to your email!
Your ginger bread cookies! Those are genius!
I am a fan on Facebook!
Ooops! I made a comment on your Feb. 14th post. Just found you this evening. Looking to follow you in FB, Twitter and your website. Your cupcake looks good. I’ve tried Ina Garten peanut butter icing for the cupcake last week which you too have in your website.
My fav recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte!
Liked you on Facebook
Subscribed to email
Espresso Frosting!! holy goodness!
Really, really hard to pick one favorite, but the Red Velvet cupcakes are right up there!
I subscribe to your RSS Feed, via Google!
Now a fan on Facebook!! Congrats! Also, I LOVE all you recipes. I make them more frequently then my waistline wants me to.
Subscribed to email!
Congrats on being 5 !
Love all your recipes but if I’ve got to choose one it will be Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies! It’s my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe. Combines two of my favourite ingredient – Chocolate chip and Cranberry.
Thank you for the giveaway
I was searching for Red Velvet (something did so many I forgot) and it lead me to your blog. Pick a favorite recipe? That would be impossible for me to do! I bookmarked a bunch of recipes, mostly desserts, liked your facebook and now I’m going to Tweeter and sign-up for your email. Thank you. Now to start baking. Well maybe not right now causes it’s 1am. And gona share a bunch of your yummies on my Facebook.
LOVE your mocha cupcakes with espresso frosting!
Subscribed via RSS!
Followed browneyedbacker on twitter!
My favorite recipe of yours is the pistachio nut ice cream.
I’m a fan on facebook
My favorite recipe is your Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It’s hands down the best recipe I’ve ever tried. I hope you continue your blog for many, many years!
I subscribed to Brown Eyed Baker thru email.
I also became a fan thru Facebook.
My favorite is your frosting recipe!
I follow your Rss feed
No-bake chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies
Following on Twitter!
Too many recipes to pick just ONE favorite! But I did just make your red velvet cupcakes for my coworkers
I’m a fan on Facebook.
I subscribe via RSS.
I make your Red Velvet Cupcakes for all of my family birthday celebrations. I really enjoy your recipes.
I made the cheddar ale soup that you posted not that long ago. My sister is vegetarian so I had to make some minor changes but it was fantastic! Can’t wait to try it with bacon next time!
Sorry but I’ll have to go with your brownie mosaic cheesecake
i mean cheesecake alone is heaven, brownies alone are heaven so the two combined make paradise
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