Guest Post: Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Rolls

When I asked Hailey from Naked Cupcakes to do me the honor of being my very first guest post, I never could have guessed she would have been so eager! She is a wonderful blogger, cook, cake decorator, and friend. I'm sure you'll be as excited about her recipe as I am. It's a perfect example of a recipe that only gets better when made in the muffin pan! Go check her out. You'll be glad you did!

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Hi Everyone! Hailey here from Naked Cupcakes :) 

How are you doing?

I am so excited to be here and have a chance to share this recipe on this AMAZING blog! I was so honoured when Amy asked if I would be willing to do a guest post for her blog; I couldn't wait to make something worthy of her muffin pan!

Amy and I first met online through our blogs and twitter, but we were lucky enough to meet in real life last August at BlogHer '11. We had a blast at the conference and taking in the best of San Diego - beaches and fish tacos! Amy was such an amazing host, and that weekend is one of my favourite memories of 2011.

But back to the food, right?  You guys don't need me to gush about Amy, you already know how amazing she is!  

Here is an easy and yet impressive dish that you can whip up in your handy muffin pan next time you need a quick breakfast or dessert. It is awesome for when company is over since it is already perfectly portioned when it comes out of the oven!

Using my handy Easy Cinnamon Rolls recipe as a base, I played around with different fillings until this wonderful idea popped into my head. Cream cheese and chocolate! Now that is a delicious combination.  I may have wolfed down 2 as they were still warm, oops.

So please, whip these up and dive right in! And enjoy a couple while they are still warm for me, will you?

26, while I enjoyed many moments, overall, you weren't always so kind.
Thank goodness you're here 27! I have lots of plans for you...Are you ready for me?

27 GOALS FOR 27

• Run three 5Ks
• Get caught up on my taxes *blush*
• Finish the photo-a-day project
• Go to beach more often
• Create a time capsule
• Hit my target weight and stay there
• Find a job that offers me health insurance
• Make improvements on my blog
• Attend 2 blog conferences/events
• Sew a dress
• Take a trip to a place I've never been
• Visit my family back east
• Eat. More. Veggies!
• Make a quilt
• Blog more than once a month *double blush*
• Build something out of wood
• Make more time for "old" friends
• Volunteer for a worthy cause
• Create a photo display for my house
• Paint something
• Read 12 good books
• Call my brother and sister more often
• Plant a garden
• Improve my Spanish
• Bake a loaf of sourdough bread
• Camp on the beach
• Be Happier.
  

  “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

   - Dr. Seuss 

  Happy Birthday ME!
  

26 Favorite Moments

(There were some serious fun moments this past year. I should do a list like this more often. Helps me realize just how fun my life really is!)

26 FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM 26

Spending Memorial Day weekend with friends in Lake Havasu. Oh Lake Havasu. What an amazing time.

Attending my first Blog conference, BlogHer, and meeting so many great people, including Penny de los Santos and Hailey. 

Getting to see my cousins from back east in sunny San Diego.

Receiving my first pair of diamonds for our second anniversary.

Spending time with my family and best friend in San Diego and enjoying a day at Disneyland with them.

Visit from my good friend Jess and spending the day at the Zoo.

Watching the lights on the Vegas strip go out for Earth Day (Plus celebrating my friend Lisa's birthday!)

Participating in the Share Our Strength bake sale and meeting the SD Food Bloggers.

Spending time with both my friends and my students at the SD County Fair.

Getting perfect "seats" for the Sara Barailles/Sugarland concert and having Kristian Bush wave at me!

Lake Tahoe, as always, but especially the hilarious moment this year when both my "cousin" Laurel and I walked into the room with the same dress on... purely by accident.

Cooking Class at Cafe Merlot with Robert.

Dressing up like dorks and Trick-or-Treating at Disneyland. (Have to go next year!)

Watching the 49ers go the play offs. I love SF sports.

Our crazy, yet fabulous, kitchen make-over with new oven and dishwasher.

Completing the first 2 cycles of the 17 day diet and losing my targeted lbs.

An amazing Valentine's day surprise at the Rancho Bernado Inn.

Watching my students kick-butt at the Braille Challenge.

Apple picking with my students in Julian.

Getting my first, very own, DSLR camera to improve my blogging and photo taking skills.

Hanging with my buddy Caitlin at the Academy of Sciences NightLife

Weekend getaway with my friends in Rosarito, Mexico and seeing La Bufadora.

Family Reunion on the east coast and watching the last Harry Potter with my family. Bitter sweet.

Attending/Hosting my first blogger roundtable .

Completing the wings for my Halloween costume which was the biggest sewing project I've undertaken so far!

A simple night out with my sister, brother, and best friend at the local bar. Simple, but so high on the list of favorites nights.

1 more day!

26 Favorite Photos

What crazy person said I had to narrow my favorite photos down to only 26? Like I was ever gonna be able to do that!

With the introduction of the magic that is Instagram into my life this year, plus my fancy new Canon Rebel T3i (I just love saying the whole name of it hehe) I have an abundance of what I think are pretty awesome photos. So I narrowed it down to 52... That's like 26, only twice as good!

Just click play!

Only 2 more days!
 

26 Favorite Recipes I've Tried

I cook a lot.
I bake even more than I cook.

It makes me really happy when I pull something out of the oven or off the stove and it tastes as good as I had imagined.

Even better when others say it tastes great! :0)

So here is a list of 26 recipes I have tried as a 26 year old... and nailed!

1. Guacamummus or Hummamole
2. Zucchini Cheddar Corn Bread Muffins
3. Cake Pops - Go me! Second attempt was PERFECT!
4. Mini Turnip & Sweet Potato Gratin - I like veggies... who knew!?
5. Skinny Green Monster Smoothie
6. Balsamic Glazed Carrots
7. 17 Day Diet BBQ Chicken - I got so many compliments on this chicken. Seriously juicy and flavorful.
8. Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad - I have made this recipe so many times it's becoming "my" dish. Note the photos :0) Usually make it with sweet potato instead of squash. I love sweet potatoes.
9. Kale Chips - Great alternative to potato chips or other snack foods for a snacker like me.
10. Baked Herb Lemon Chicken
11. Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
12. Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies
13. Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet - Another recipe I have done over and over and adore every time. Perfect for crowds.
14. Tortilla and Bean Cups
15. Crack Dip - Otherwise known as Buffalo Chicken Dip. Trust me... it is like crack.
16. Eggplant Parmasean - You don't get a recipe here because... well, it's a secret family recipe. But trust me, we do it up right!
17. Easy Cheesy Potato Cups
18. Asparagus & White Bean Salad
19. S'more Brownies
20. Buffalo Chicken Braid - Perfect for tailgating. Mmm I want some right now!
21. Famous Spinach Dip
22. Strawberry-Pretzel Pie Bites - Seriously addicting. Like eat-the-whole-tray-in-one-sitting good!
23. Coconut Cream Cupcakes
24. Caramelized Onion Mushroom Gruyere Quiche
25. Broccoli Cheese & Potato Soup 
26. Soft Pretzels - My thing with pretzels goes way back. Making my own was life changing. 

3 more days!

26 Favorite Blogs

Here we go. My 26 favorite blogs. 

The hardest part about writing this list was narrowing it down to only 26 hehe.

This list is in no particular order. :0)

1. Pioneer Woman
2. Kevin and Amanda
3. Picky Palate
4. Bakerella
5. Joy the Baker - I love the way she writes. It's real and natural.
6. Annie's Eats
7. Our Best Bites
8. Two Peas and Their Pod - Cookie Queen!
9. Becoming DoughMesstic
10. Ezra Pound Cake
11. bell'alimento
12. 101 Cookbooks
13. Smitten Kitchen - I have too many favorite recipes from this site to count.
14. Naked Cupcakes - Started as a twitter friend and now is real life friend :0)
15. Skinnytaste
16. Recipe Girl
17. How Sweet Eats
18. La Fuji Mama
19. enJoy it - A talented and ambitious lady/crafter/photographer 
20. Brown Eyed Baker
21. Gimmie Some Oven
22. Happyolks - Another talented San Diego blogger. The photos... crazy good!
23. How About Orange
24. The New School Nomad - She wanted to spend a year driving around in a RV...so she is! How's that for setting goals and following them?
25. When Harry Met Salad
26. House of Smiths

4 more days!