Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

I blame this post entirely on my blog friends.  Puppy Chow has been popping up on Aimee’s, Sally’s, and Nikki’s blogs…so what’s a girl to do.  Obviously crave puppy chow like no other!

Want to know a little secret?

I have never made puppy chow.  Oh, I have eaten the good stuff, just never tried to do it myself.  After seeing so many yummy kinds on the web, I got inspired to make some right away.  And of course in true BruCrew fashion, it couldn’t be regular…I had to make it my own.   My kids were so excited when I told them I bought the ingredients to make this Mocha Cappuccino puppy chow.  Turns out they love this stuff too!!!

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

I am kind of in love with the Jif Mocha Cappuccino spread…like “eat it out of the jar with a spoon” kind of love!   But today I melted it down with some chocolate chips and poured it over the cereal, then gave it a generous shake with some powdered sugar.  I found those little espresso cups at the Dollar Tree.  They have some fun little candies there, and you can’t beat the price.

Puppy chow is seriously so easy to make.  I’m not sure why I never made some before.  This won’t be the last time though.  You just can’t beat a no bake snack that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

 Go ahead and make up a big batch of this Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow for all your friends this weekend.  It is the perfect sit and watch football and commercials kind of snack.  Although once you taste it, I’m not sure you will want to take it with you though.  You might want to hide in your closet just for you to munch on later!!!  I can’t seem to get enough of this good stuff!

Just be careful…this stuff packs quite a sugar rush if you consume a big bowl late at night.  Self control?  I have none…because I also ate some of this for breakfast today!!

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

Make sure you don’t miss any of the crazy baking
by following the BruCrew here:

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 9 cups

Mocha Cappuccino Puppy Chow

Ingredients

9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Mocha Cappuccino Jif spread
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 bag Espresso candy cups (I found them at the Dollar Tree)

Instructions

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, Mocha spread, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. The mixture will be very thick. Stir in the shortening and heat for another 30 seconds and stir.
  2. Place the cereal in a large bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and gently stir in. Place the powdered sugar in a plastic bag. Spoon the chex mixture into the bag. Shake until everything is coated. Spread out on a wax paper lined tray and let set. Sprinkle with the espresso cups. Store in a sealed container for a week. Makes 9 cups snack mix.
http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2013/01/mocha-cappuccino-puppy-chow/

Here are a few more of our favorite snack mixes
that would be great for any parties.

chocolate covered popcorn, sweet recipes, dessert recipes

Monster Cookie Dough Popcorn Munch

Sweet and Salty Trail Mix 1
Sweet & Salty Trail Mix

Shared with: Chic & Crafty, I’m Lovin It, Kitchen Fun, One Creative Weekend, Tickled Pink, Inspiration Gallery, Weekend Potluck, Free For All, What’s Shakin, Super Sweets, Weekend Wrap Up, Seasonal Inspiration, Finding the Pretty, Great Idea, Sundae Scoop, Saltree Social, Talent Show,

EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

 Today is the last Monday of the month and that means it is Secret Recipe Club day.  I have met so many great bloggers through this program and have enjoyed my past year of “stalking” new blogs.  I was excited to receive Casey’s blog My Beautiful Disasters for my last SRC post.  This girl is truly amazing!!!  I wish that I had been as dedicated to working out in high school.  I think it is so cool that she runs 5K’s with her dad too.  And her blog has so many fun recipes on it…did I mention she is still in high school?  I am way impressed that she keeps up with her homework all while posting all this delicious food.

[Read more...]

EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Coffee Cheesecake Oreo Brownies

I am declaring today a party day!!  Any excuse to eat some more chocolate right?  This past weekend and the last few days have been just a little stressful for me!  Nothing super important, just computer things that make my eyes glaze over.  All this coding and blog moving and learning has taken a toll on my brain!!!  I am now officially all moved over to WordPress…what do you think of the new site?  Mad props to my blog designer for totally making my blog say, Hello, I’m Jocelyn:-)  I absolutely love it!!!  She is incredible, and I can’t sing her praises enough.  Do you need design work done?  Totally contact her!

I am slowly working my way around WordPress…I have figured out enough stuff to get a post up obviously.  Do not ask me anything else though, because I am so lost at the moment:-)  I am told after a few weeks, I’ll be a pro!  Somehow I am doubting that, since I’m quite the computer challenged person!  But I’m up for learning it.  Thank goodness for Dorothy holding my hand and walking me through stuff step by step as I wrote this post.

[Read more...]

EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Pumpkin Spice Latte Scones

Every couple of months my husband asks for scones.
Now usually he is very specific and wants “non candy” scones.
Apparently I can’t bake with out adding cookies or candies to things…
it’s kind of an obsession of mine.

And he know’s that if he doesn’t specify how he wants them…
there will be crunchy things or chocolatey things added.

[Read more...]

EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Mocha Coconut Monkey Bread

I have a crazy habit of always buying the newest food item.
Hello, yup crazy foodie here:-)

So when Jif came out with their new chocolate spreads,
it was a no brainer that I was going to get some.
I mean it’s chocolate.  It was going in my cart for sure!!!

Since the chocolate one is basically Nutella,  I decided to go with the Mocha Cappuccino.
As soon as I got home, the spoon came out.
What???  It basically begged me to guzzle it right from the jar.
I had to force myself to put it away so there was some left to bake with.

The jar sat hidden in the cupboard for a few weeks…
I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to make from it.
Cookies?  No.  Cake? No. Crescent rolls? No.  Frosting?  No.

Then one day I opened my refrigerator and there right in front of me
sat some refrigerated biscuits that I had gotten for monkey bread.
Monkey bread that I kept putting off making.
And the lightbulbs just started going off.

Monkey bread with a sweet mocha filling and a drizzle of coconut!
This was it!  I knew just how I was going to use the Jif spread!!!
I was drooling just thinking about it.

The first time I made these, I used foil lined cupcake liners.
They were good but I wasn’t wowed!

So a few more weeks went by, and I finally remembered to buy more biscuits.
(yes, I could have attempted to make my own…but I like the convenience of a can)
I had all the ingredients out again…I knew something had to be done differently.
But what could make a cinnamon sugar laden biscuit even better???
Maybe a fun and cute little jar would make the difference.

I knew buying all those different sized canning jars was going to come in handy.
Down to the storage room, I went to dig out the smallest mason jars.
They were the perfect muffin size.

Glass jars meant none of the buttery sugary goodness could escape.
See all of it trapped at the bottom?
Yup, this batch wowed the socks off me!!!
I will never tell now many of the jars I licked clean…nope not gonna tell!

You know you want some of these biscuits filled with mocha filling,
dunked in butter, rolled in sugar, and drizzled in cream coconut…

so, why aren’t you in your kitchen making these now????

Check out more Mocha Coconut goodies:
Mocha Coconut Fudge from How Sweet Eats
Coconut Mocha Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction
Mocha Coconut Monkey Bread

by Inside BruCrew Life
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
6031599
Ingredients
  • 1 can refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuit size)
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1/2 c. Jif Mocha spread
  • 1/4 c. shredded coconut
  • 1/4 c. cream of coconut
Instructions
Spray small glass canning jars with non stick spray and set aside. Stir together the 2 sugars and the cinnamon in a bowl. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Flatten each piece and place a small amount of the mocha spread in the middle. Fold each corner up and over the spread. Pinch the dough closed to keep the spread in. Dip in the melted butter and roll in the sugar mixture. Place 5-6 pieces in one jar. Sprinkle the top with a tsp. of coconut. Continue filling and rolling until all the biscuits have been used.
Place all the jars on a baking sheet. Bake at 350* for 15-17 minutes. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, drizzle the tops of each jar with a little bit of cream of coconut. Let cool slightly before eating. Best served warm. Store sealed. Make 7-8 jars of monkey bread.
Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte – SRC

It’s Monday.
It’s the fourth Monday of the month.

That only means something to you if you are in the Secret Recipe Club.
The club where you are assigned a random blog to read…or stalk in my case.
My blog assignment this month was Farmgirl Gourmet.
A true farm girl at heart, Heather shares fun and easy recipe from her kitchen.
She also is a big fan of buying local and grows many things in her own garden.
Those are two things that I would like to do more of here.
She was a true inspiration to me as I read through many of her great recipes.

I always have the hardest time narrowing down my SRC choice,
and again this month I had a list to choose from.
A few of my favorites that I wanted to try were Mexican Lasagna,
Cinnamon Yogurt Scones, and Pumpkin Challah Pudding.

But then I saw her most viewed recipe from her blog was the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Just the other day, I opened my first can of pumpkin to make these donuts,
and I had the leftover pumpkin in my fridge just waiting for the right recipe.
Since I am now on a true pumpkin kick,
and I love to have a good cup of coffee by my side in the morning when I do some reading,
I knew this would be the recipe for my reveal.

It was so easy to throw everything into a pan and bring it to a slight boil.
I like that you can use whatever milk you normally drink in this.
We drink fat free, so this is even a slightly skinny drink…
well, it was until I substituted caramel ice cream topping for the sugar:-)
At least I tried to get rid of some calories for you, right?
That has to count somehow!

To froth the milk mixture, you use your blender.  That just made frothing so much easier.
Even fat free milk can get a good froth going on that way.
I divided the mixture into two cups, just like Heather said, and poured the coffee right on top.
(One other thing I slightly changed was how much coffee I added.
I wanted a slightly stronger coffee taste, so I double the amount.)

Since I was putting cool whip and extra caramel on top, I didn’t worry about
messing up my cool frothed milk look by pouring the coffee in.
(yes, I know…I completely destroyed the so called skinny factor of this drink now)

Then I sat outside with my new favorite drink and a few books.
Pumpkin Latte, quiet time, good books to study…
now if only the weather would cooperate and get cool!

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte

by Inside BruCrew Life
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
6031489
Ingredients
  • 2 c. fat free milk
  • 4 Tbsp. canned pumpkin
  • 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
  • 2 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 c. strong coffee
  • 1/2 c. cool whip
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin, caramel, vanilla, and spice. Stir until the mixture comes to a very small boil. Remove from the heat immediately and place into a blender. Pulse for about 2 minutes or until very frothy. Divide the milk into 2 large mugs. Pour 1/2 c. coffee into each mug. Top with cool whip, caramel drizzle, and sea salt if you desire.
(recipe slightly adapted from Farmgirl Gourmet)

Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Coffee Toffee Popcorn Munch

It was a sad day on Sunday…
our Keurig coffee maker decided to die.
We have no idea what happened…
my husband made his coffee and everything was fine.
But when I came out an hour later,
nothing was working.
We tried unplugging it for a few minutes…nothing.
We tried unplugging it for over an hour…nothing.
We tried cleaning it out…nothing.
We tried jiggling the plug…nothing.
We tried calling Keurig…nothing…because it has been more than a year:-(
My hubby tried smacking the side of it…there was a flicker and then…nothing.
We think it is dead for good:-(
It is a good thing that I drink decaf, because I am not having huge withdrawal problems.
Although the first night I was starting to feel some crankiness set in towards evening.
(I guess even a small cup of decaf has enough caffeine to keep you a little addicted.)
 
Thank goodness for an awesome hubby who made a Starbucks run for us.
Maybe if I still had some of this yummy coffee popcorn,
I could have munched on that for a caffeine fix.
Chocolate covered coffee beans are a coffee lover’s dream…
especially ones mixed into white chocolate, popcorn, toffee, and marshmallows.
Bring on the caffeinated sugar high!!!  I am all about that!
I totally recommend making large batches of this…
the coffee buzz will get you through just about anything!!
Still need a good coffee buzz…try one of these!
Mocha Cupcakes from Shugary Sweets
Mocha Coconut Frappuccino from Once A Mom Always A Cook
Chocolate Mocha Muffins from Inside BruCrew Life
Coffee Toffee Popcorn Munch

by Inside BruCrew Life
Prep Time: 20 minutes
6031169
Ingredients
  • 8 c. popped popcorn
  • 2 c. miniature marshmallows
  • 3/4 c. toffee baking bits
  • 2 c. chocolate covered coffee beans
  • 1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 Tbsp. instant coffee
  • 2 tsp. shortening, divided
Instructions
Place 1 1/4 c. white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tsp. shortening. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until melted. In a large bowl, combine the popcorn, marshmallows, and coffee beans. Toss with the melted white chocolate. Spread out on a large cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Sprinkle with the toffee chips and toss lightly again. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set up. Remove and break into chunks.
In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the 1/4 c. white chips and 1 tsp. shortening. Heat for 30 seconds and stir until creamy. Set aside. In another small glass bowl, heat the condensed milk for 15-20 seconds. Stir in the instant coffee until dissolved. Stir into the melted white chocolate. Spoon into a small ziplock bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Drizzle the coffee chocolate over the popcorn. Let set for another 5 minutes before eating.  Store in an airtight container.
Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Brownies…Olympic Style

The summer Olympics are just around the corner…
There is something so fun in waiting every 4 years for the summer Olympics to come back around.
My favorite sport to watch has always been the gymnastics.
When I was younger I always dreamed of being a world famous gymnast…
it didn’t help that I watched Nadia over and over and over.
Has anyone seen that movie recently?
I would love to watch it with my daughter after the Olympics are over,
but I can’t seem to locate it.

It’s a good thing I decided to pursue my baking dream instead.
That one has worked out much better:-)

Especially since I never even took gymnastics.
So, since I need to get prepared for hours of Olympic watching,
I made some brownies.
Oh, but not just any brownies.
These got a little bit more fun added to them.
Fun…like being sandwiched between a salty pretzel crust 
and a caramel cheesecake.  
That’s the kind of fun stuff that happens in my kitchen.
Just one bite of this and you might be doing flips down the hall…
even if you have never done them before.
Want to know my favorite part?
The salty pretzel bottom.
And the best part is that it stayed crunchy and salty even after a few days in the fridge.
Gotta love it when that happens.
What are you still doing here? 
You have some baking to do before the Olympics officially start:-)
(don’t let the recipe length scare you…these really are super easy to do)
Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake Brownies

by Inside BruCrew Life
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 53 minutes
6029176
Ingredients

    For the Crust

    • 2 c. coarsely crushed pretzels
    • 1/2 c. butter
    • 1/4 c. sugar

    For the Brownies

    • 1 box brownie mix
    • 1 Tbsp. instant coffee

    For the Cheesecake

    • 2 (8 oz. each) cream cheese
    • 1/2 c. sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 Tbsp. sour cream
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping

    For the Topping

    • 1/2 c. caramel candies (about 12 squares)
    • 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
    • 1/4 c. chocolate chips
    • 1 tsp. shortening

    For the Pretzel rings

    • 2 c. pretzel rings
    • 1 1/4 c. vanilla Candiquik coating, melted
    • blue, black, red, yellow, and green gel food coloring
    • 5 tsp. shortening
    Instructions

    For the Crust

    Stir together the crushed pretzels, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 350* for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

    For the Brownies

    Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the back. Add the instant coffee in with the liquids. Spoon 2/3 of the brownie batter on top of the cooled pretzel crust. Set aside.

    For the Cheesecake

    In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and caramel ice cream topping and mix until incorporated. Gently spoon the cheesecake on the brownie batter in the pan. Drop the rest of the brownie batter by spoonfuls onto the cheesecake. Swirl very carefully with a knife. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Cut into squares or circles. Keep refrigerated.

    For the Topping

    In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the caramel squares and the heavy whipping cream until melted. Drizzle over the cheesecake pieces and let set. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and shortening for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to heat 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time. Drizzle over the caramel.

    For the Pretzel Rings

    In a sauce pan over low heat, melt the vanilla Candiquik coating. Divide it into 5 bowls and stir a little bit of gel color into each bowl. Stir in 1 tsp. shortening per bowl and heat in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Stir. With a fork dip the pretzel rings in the colored coating. Let set on wax paper.

    Note

    Top with cool whip and candy coated pretzel rings right before serving. The color from the rings comes off on the cool whip when they are refrigerated.
    Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
    EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

    Peanut Butter Banana Coffee Milkshakes

    Yesterday was one of those days…

    Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake, coffee milkshake

    one where my attitude and heart just weren’t right all day.
    I had a serious case of the crankies…
    and the sad thing, was that I knew it.
    Did I do anything to change it?
    No, and I let my crankiness out on my family.
    The kids were loud and obnoxious all day…
    and the infernal whistling in the house was getting on my last nerve.
    I have to confess that I raised my voice to them more than once…
    and I’m sure if a mirror had been in front of me, I wouldn’t have liked what I saw.
    Oh, and I made them clean up the many messes that they continued to leave behind.
    Seriously I thought, “How many times do I have to tell them?” and
    “Is summer over yet?”  I may have even let the comment slip that I couldn’t wait for school.
    I let my irritation grow and grow without taking a moment to figure out what was behind it.
    Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake, coffee milkshake
    As I sat there,
    I realized that I can pinpoint where my bad attitude is coming from.
    Since summer has started we have gotten way off schedule.
    Now that isn’t the bad part…I think it’s ok to relax a little when the opportunity is there.
    But getting off schedule means we are up way later than before (me even later doing blog stuff)
    causing us to sleep in until unearthly hours.
    Then I am rushed to get exercise in, make food, clean the house, run errands, play games…
    add in baking, blogging, photography…the list goes on.
    Did you catch something???
    No where in my list did I mention quiet time or Bible reading.
    My heart isn’t right because I haven’t been getting the right food for my heart.
    I spend a lot of my time every day around food, yet failed to miss the most important meal.
    I keep telling myself that I need to get all this other stuff done first and that I will do it later.
    Unfortunately later tends to never come.
    PB Banana Milkshake
    My day feels rushed from all the things that I do…or don’t do.
    Some things are important (like trying to keep a clean house and feed munchkins)
    but a lot of my day is filled with nothingness.
    My priorities have gotten off track, and my attitude has just followed.
    I need to be sitting down with my Bible and devotional and starting my day out better.
    That alone will make me a more pleasant person to be around…
    it will make me a nicer mom.
    I don’t want cranky mom to be the one the kids remember.
    My goal for the rest of the summer…
    make the time each morning to sit quietly, without the distractions of the internet,
    and have some real “breakfast”.
    I think the crankies will disappear pretty quickly when I have the right food.
    Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake, coffee milkshake

    I know this had nothing to do with the milkshake pictures.  I’m sorry!

    When I sat down to write something, nothing came to mind.
    All I could think about was the bad day,
    and how I messed up royally as a wife and mother.
    The Lord prompted my heart and it all just came out as I typed.

    Thank you for letting me share a little bit of what was truly on my heart.

    Now who wants a
    peanut butter banana coffee milkshake:-)

    Peanut Butter Banana Coffee Milkshakes

    Prep Time: 10 minutes

    Yield: 3 shakes

    Peanut Butter Banana Coffee Milkshakes

    Peanut butter banana milkshakes get a jolt of caffeine from the coffee

    Ingredients

    1 whole frozen banana
    3 1/2 c. vanilla ice cream
    1/2 c. peanut butter
    1 c. brewed coffee, cooled

    Instructions

    1. Add everything to a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into 3 glasses and top with cool whip and sprinkles if desired. Serve immediately.
    http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2012/07/peanut-butter-banana-coffee-milkshakes/
    EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

    Mocha Cookie Crumble Cupcakes


    So the other day my daughter and I went out to get groceries.
    And she asked the question she always asks when we go out…
    “Can we get coffee?”
    Since I had it in my head to drag her to at least 3 stores that I was sure of,
    I figured I better sweeten the deal for her.

    “Sure.  Why not, I replied.”
    We got to the coffee shop, parked, and went in.

    I had an ulterior motive for going into the store instead of the drive thru…
    these cupcakes have been swirling around in my head since the last time we stopped at Starbucks.
    So…I knew I had to “pick up” a few extra green straws.
    Oh, all right.
    I was going to steal a bunch when we left.  You got me:-)

    My daughter ordered the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino,
    while I went with my all time favorite, the Mocha Coconut. (so happy it is here again)
    Then on to JoAnn Fabrics to get lost in fun things.
    We picked out paper for birthday invitations, looked at fabric, checked out the clearance,
    and found a jumbo muffin pan that I had been looking for.
    It was a successful trip with no complaining that I had been there too long.
    Thank you coffee!

    We headed to the checkout with our “treasures” and a gift card.
    The girl at the counter was more than happy to help us and
    asked what kind of muffins I was going to be making.
    Being the spur of the moment baker and blogger that I am,
    I replied that I wasn’t sure yet…
    and that I was a baking blogger and bought pans “just because” all the time.

    She was so sweet and even asked the name of my blog.
    Now usually I am shy and don’t mention too much to real life people about my blog.
    They don’t usually understand what I am talking about and
    why I would bake treats for people I don’t know or can’t see.
    Food bloggers, you understand right?

    Fortunately, she seemed to be into blogs and
    we talked about muffins and cupcakes for a few minutes.
    The whole time I was smiling really big because I was brave and shared
    my blogging passion with a real life, oxygen breathing
    human that I could have reached out and touched.

    My daughter and I got back in the van and headed to the next store.
    I was kind of on a high from sharing, and so I was recapping the convo with my girl…
    who really could have cared less that her shy mom gave out her blog name.
    She just looked at me and laughed and said,
    “Dude, you have stuff in your teeth.”

    Are you kidding me?
    Darn you delicious mocha coconut!!!
    You took me down with your delicious floating coconut flakes!

    Yup, yours truly had chocolatey coconut flakes in between my pearly whites.
    No wonder the girl was so sweet and kind.
    She was probably thinking what kind of moron baker walks around
    showing off food in her teeth?

    I wanted to die!
    So much for that sharing high…
    where is that shovel to bury myself with?

    Now I am just hoping she forgets the blog name,
    since I didn’t have any business cards with me to hand out. (thank goodness for procrastination this time)

    My theory…she isn’t going to remember me anyway.
    But just in case, I will avoid JoAnn’s for about a month!

    Baking always helps relieve whatever kind of funk I am in.
    And baking with kids is a really good way to forget embarrassing moments…
    instead you begin to worry about egg shells floating around in the cake batter:-)
    And did they just lick their fingers and then break more cookie chunks?

    Since apparently coconut isn’t my friend right now,
    I decided to make the cookie drink into a fun cupcake.

    Chocolate and coffee…yes, please.
    They were so yummy and made me kind of forget my crash and burn experience.

    Thank goodness my husband took most of the cupcakes to work with him.
    And then kids finished off all the pretty ones in the fridge.

    Oh lookee what I just found in the fridge…a few extra cupcakes hiding in a box.
    It was stressful remembering the traumatic coconut experience…
    don’t judge me for eating cupcakes at midnight:-)

    Want more Starbucks inspired cupcakes?  Check out these.

    by Inside BruCrew Life
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    6026678
    Ingredients

    For the Cupcakes

    • 1 chocolate cake mix (18 oz. box)
    • 1 c. brewed coffee, cooled
    • 4 eggs
    • 1/4 c. vanilla yogurt
    • 1/3 c. butter, melted
    • 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz. box)
    • 2 c. chocolate cookie chunks
    • 1/4 c. chocolate cookie crumbs, reserved for topping

    For the Mocha Butter Cream

    • 1/2 c. butter
    • 1/2 c. shortening
    • 1/8 tsp. salt
    • 1 Tbsp. coffee extract
    • 4 Tbsp. mocha coffee creamer
    • 1/4 c. dark cocoa powder
    • 4 c. powdered sugar
    Instructions

    For the Cupcakes

    In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, coffee, eggs, yogurt, and melted butter. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed and beat on medium for 2 minutes. The batter will be very thick. Stir in the cookie chunks by hand.
    Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Bake at 350* for about 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Top with Mocha Butter Cream. Sprinkle with extra cookie crumbs. Makes 30 cupcakes.

    For the Mocha Butter Cream

    In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, salt, extract and coffee creamer. Slowly add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Whip on medium speed for another minute or until creamy.
    Note: If you like a generous amount of frosting on your cupcakes, double the frosting recipe.
    Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
    EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones

    Hello, Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scone goodness!

    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones
     
    It has been a while since I used caramel and salt together.
    Last weekend I made lots of cupcakes and made these
    I could eat the whole bowl of frosting by myself with a spoon…
    yup, it’s that good:-)
    Ever since last weekend I have been wanting
    to make something else with caramel and salt.
    Fast forward to earlier today, when my husband asks for scones.
    Now he is usually a very picky baked good eater.
    (that translates into boring eater:-)
    I love to add all sorts of things and make something different each time
    and he likes to have plain stuff.
    So, I started giving him some options of ones
    that I have on my many lists.
    It was a NO to everything I suggested.
    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones
    All of a sudden he surprises me by saying how about salted caramel mocha scones?
    Really??? I wanted to say,
    “Who are you? And what did you do with my boring treat husband?”
    But instead I zipped my lips and quickly made these
    yummy scones before he changed his mind and requested vanilla.
    These scones were the perfect thing to quench my caramel and salt cravings.
    And I absolutely love anything with coffee in it.
    (if you don’t like coffee, just leave it out and enjoy the caramel and salt flavor.
    The white chocolate drizzle and sea salt gives it
    just the perfect sweet and salty mix.
    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones
    These are a sure thing to make the beginning of your week more doable.
    If you like caramel and salt that is!
    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones

    Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook Time: 18 minutes

    Yield: 12 scones

    Salted Caramel White Chocolate Mocha Scones

    Mocha scones with caramel bits are topped with a white chocolate drizzle and sea salt...you won't be able to say no.

    Ingredients

    2/3 c. heavy cream
    2 Tbsp. instant coffee
    2 c. flour
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    6 Tbsp. butter, chilled
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1 egg
    1 c. caramel bits
    1/2 white chocolate chips, melted
    2 tsp. sea salt

    Instructions

    1. In a glass mug, heat the cream for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir in the instant coffee and set aside. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With a fork, cut in the butter until it creates small pea like pieces. Make a hole in the center of the flour and pour in the egg, vanilla and coffee cream. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Stir in caramel bits gently.
    2. The dough will be very sticky, so use a spoon to scoop out 12 scones. Press the dough rounds down until they are about 3 inches wide. Bake at 400* for 18 minutes. The caramel melts all over,so immediately transfer to wire racks to cool. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Store in a sealed container.
    http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2012/05/salted-caramel-white-chocolate-mocha-scones/
    EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare

    Almond Joy Krispie Treats

    I have a bone to pick with the video game creators.
    In fact I am down right upset with them!!!
    Pin It
    I do not understand the need to put half naked women into a video game!!!
    My sons are 8 and 12…
    there is absolutely no reason they need to see games and the
    game magazines tainted with these inappropriate pictures!!!
    As parents of 2 boys, we are very careful about the things that
    they see and do. And sadly now it is everywhere!!!
    These magazines have been coming for a few months now,
    and at first there was just a few outfits that I thought were slightly
    distasteful for a game.
    But the magazine that just came today…
    had a lady very terribly dressed right on the back cover.
    And there were quite a few pictures inside of women barely covered!
    What’s a parent to do???
    Rip every single offending picture out and tear them to smithereens!!!!
    And definitely don’t renew that subscription!!
    I know that they are going to see and hear things that are
    very inappropriate as they get older, but
    for now we can shield them from these disgusting displays!!!
    Seriously can’t kids play games without having to worry about
    a video game girl’s chest filling the screen???
    Uuuugggg!!!! So not happy right now!
    Whatever happened to Frogger and the old Mario?
    I might need more of these treats to calm my irritations:-)
    Last week I was able to guest post for my friend Aimee (Shugary Sweets)
    and I made her these awesome rice krispie treats
    because they are like her favorite homemade goodie!!!
    Today is your lucky day
    because now I am sharing them with you here too.
    Do you like coffee?
    Do you like coconut?
    Do you like marshmallows?
    Would you like all three in the best rice krispie treat ever?
    (I know that is kind of presumptuous to claim the best ever!)
    But seriously if you like all these flavors…
    make them this weekend!
    I have a sneaking suspicion that you will agree they are the best!
    Just be careful…
    they are highly addictive:-)
    Almond Joy Rice Krispie Treats

    by Inside BruCrew Life
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    6022287
    Ingredients
    • 3 Tbsp. coconut oil
    • 1 bag (10 oz.) miniature marshmallows
    • 2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
    • 5 c. chocolate rice krispies
    • 1 1/2 c. shredded coconut
    • 1 1 /2 c. extra mini marshmallows
    • 1 1/4 c. Almond Joy chocolate pieces, divided
    Instructions
    In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil. Stir in the instant coffee until dissolved. Add the bag of marshmallows and stir until melted. Pour in the cereal and stir until coated. Add the coconut, the extra mini marshmallows and 1 cup of the Almond Joy pieces, stirring quickly.
    Spoon into a buttered 9×13 pan. Gently press into the pan with buttered hands. (pressing too hard will result in hard krispy treats) Press the extra chocolate pieces into the top. Let set up. Store covered loosely.
    Powered by Recipage
    Thank you so much for reading my blog. If you liked this post, please leave a comment. Comments are a great way for me to see what is a blog hit or miss:-)
    EmailFacebookLinkedInPinterestTwitterBookmark/FavoritesShare