Guest Blogger: Maggie from Smashe Peas and Carrots

Today I have a very super special awesome treat for you!  My friend Maggie from Smashed Peas and Carrots has come for a visit.  I found her blog several months ago and I've been hooked ever since.  This lady has flawless taste in recipes.  I have made almost every single thing she has posted about.  In fact last week I made a batch of her brushetta and I had to have more so I made another batch about an hour later.  She is also a crafting wiz.  Oh, I'm warning you-- she's good, very very good.  So may I present to you Maggie.



Why Helloooo there! I'm Maggie and you'll find me in my own little corner of the blogosphere doing my blog thing at Smashed Peas and Carrots. Yup that's them, see my little pea and carrot below, aren't they cute!

I'm so excited to be here today at Leca Unplugged, holla! Okay, so first a little about me before we get into the goods...I'm a momma to two little ones, 3 and 1, with one on the way due in 6 weeks whose gender still remains a mystery to us!!! My blog is full of all sorts of goodies like yummy recipes, crafts, sewing tutorials, projects to do with your little ones, you name it...okay, so don't really...I may not be up for it in a couple months with all those sleepless nights ahead of me ;) Anyhoo, here's a quick pic of me...well-rested...you can see the after picture in a couple months.

Anyways, that's enough about me I say, onwards we go...

Ok, so summer is here...for most of us, right? My fam and I have been loading up on fresh strawberries now that they are in season and ripe for the pickin' (gotta love u-pick strawberry farms!) If you have lots of strawberries in your neck of the woods, grocery stores included, then have I got the recipe for you! Are you ready for this? A Strawberry Upside Down Cake!! Egads...sounds good, right?

Here, let me give you a little sneak peak at what I'm talking about:

Looking good! You know you want a piece!

Ok, so here's the recipe...enjoy it and love it like I do!

• Strawberry Upside Down Cake

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries

1 6 oz package of strawberry jell-o

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1 18 oz package of yellow cake mix (prepare following package directions)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside. Spread your crushed strawberries on the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle the dry jell-o powder mix on top of your strawberries and place the miniature marshmallows on top of the jell-o. Prepare your cake as directed by the package and pour on top of the marshmallow layer. Bake in for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake. Turn the cake onto a serving tray. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Ok, so first grab your fresh strawberries (about 4 cups-ish gives you 2 cups mashed)...

and mash 'em up real good, like so!!

Pour them into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Then, sprinkle your jell-o powder on top.

Next, sprinkle your miniature marshmallows on top of that...

Then, pour your yellow cake batter on top of that layer...whew, we're really doing the layers...your still with me, right!

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes...

Pull it out of your oven when it looks like this, all nice and golden-y brown.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and then take a knife around the edges just to make sure it's nice and loose.

Flip it out onto a serving dish...or if you're like me and just want to dig into all this deliciousness ASAP just use whatever is closest, in my case a jelly roll pan :)

Cut that baby up and serve with some yummy vanilla ice cream (or homemade whipped cream...double yum!)!

So good!

Thank you so much for having me today Leca, it's always fun to visit with you and even more fun to take over your blog! If ya want to see/read more about my little 'ol blog, Smashed Peas and Carrots, hop on over, put your feet up and stay a while! I'd love to meet you!!

 

 

See-- what did I tell you, she's great huh?  You've gotta check out all of her amazing secret recipes.  She will rock your world!  We love you Maggie!!!