Inside BruCrew Life

bake. eat. repeat.

Nutella Pop Tarts

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These easy Nutella Pop Tarts are a fun breakfast treat.  Using a few ingredients gives you a homemade treat that looks just like the store bought version. Your family will be so impressed with your kitchen skills.

Nutella Pop Tarts - these easy breakfast treats are made with a just few ingredients you have on hand. Great breakfast or snack recipe!
(photos updated April 2016)(post updated June 2018)

Nutella is one of my favorite foods to indulge in!!! Our cupboards are always full of the yummy, creamy, chocolatey goodness in a jar.

I can’t believe it took me so long to get on the Nutella train. It’s some amazing stuff for pop tarts and Banana Nutella Quesadillas.

Or maybe just for eating with a spoon right from the jar. What? You know you do it too!
It is made with skim milk, so it has to be good for you, right?

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Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfaits

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 Layers of streusel, apples, and no bake cheesecake make these Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfaits a fun summer dessert.  Parfaits are an easy treat to make and share at picnics or barbecues

A batch of this Homemade Apple Pie Filling makes these little parfaits taste the best.

Apple Pie Cheesecake Parfaits - layers of homemade apple pie filling and no bake cheesecake make these an easy dessert to make and enjoy!

(post updated June 2018)

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Sometimes I surprise myself with the things I make in our kitchen. These little parfaits were one of those treats that made me stop and smile.

The flavors in all the layers work so well together.  The crunchy streusel, creamy cheesecake, and sweet apple pie filling in every bite was so good.

And of course you can’t have a pie dessert without a pie crust, right? The topper is totally optional, but I think it adds a fun little touch to the apple dessert.
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Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Granola

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This Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Granola is perfect for breakfast or snacking on in the afternoon. Pour it over Greek yogurt for a totally delicious start to the day.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Granola - this homemade granola is loaded with peanut butter and banana taste. Adding chocolate chunks is a great idea. Make this recipe for breakfast or afternoon snacks. #homemade #granola #banana #chocolate #peanutbutter #breakfast #snackmix #snacking

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Homemade granola is so easy to do with ingredients you have in your pantry. We love making a big pan of granola to snack on all week long.

The problem is that it doesn’t last that long.

Until recently I would just buy bags of granola for us to snack on. But then I realized just how easy homemade granola is to make. Plus, I can control the amount of oil and extra sugars that go into it.

Our daughter loves having granola in the house. She usually has a big bowl of it with milk for her afternoon snack.  [Read more…]

Maple Bacon Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake

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Add a pan of this Maple Bacon Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake to your breakfast plans.  Soft apples, crunchy bacon, and maple drizzles all in one pan is a very good idea.

*This post was sponsored by Crunch Pak apples.  I am partnering with them as a blog ambassador creating delicious apple recipes. All opinions are 100% my own.

Maple Bacon Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake - soft baked apples, crunchy bacon, and maple icing makes this breakfast bake amazing. Try this recipe for breakfast or brunch parties! #apple #bacon #cinnamonrolls #maple #easyrecipe #breakfast #brunch #breakfastcasserole #crunchpak

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One of my favorite things to do when we travel is to find different donut shops to try out. Crazy toppings are definitely what I look for in a donut.

Recently, we were in Miami on National Donut Day, so we found a fun donut place.  It must have been a popular shop because the line was out the door. We stood in line looking at their list of flavors and trying to narrow it down.

It was so hard to just choose a few.  Honestly, I would have loved one of each, but that wasn’t the smartest choice for my jeans. So we got a berry buckle, Nutella, and coffee tahini since only two of the five of us really wanted donuts that morning.

Yes, I looked at those three boys like they were aliens. At least my girl is with me on eating the donuts.  [Read more…]

Reese’s Ice Cream Cake

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Layers of fudge and candy make this easy Reese’s Ice Cream Cake a stunning summer dessert for any party! So easy to customize with your favorite candies!

Reese's Ice Cream Cake - layers of fudge, candy, and ice cream sandwiches makes an easy summer dessert. Fun recipe for any party!

(photos updated July 2018)

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This old recipe is such an easy dessert to put together for summer parties. Over the years I have learned so much about photography, so this delicious frozen dessert needed a photo update. You can see the old picture from 2010 at the bottom of the post.

Every year our daughter asks for an ice cream cake for her birthday.  Over the years she has requested this Vanilla Mint Chip Ice Cream Cake and this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake. We have had so much fun making and devouring these easy cakes together.

Layering ice cream sandwiches, hot fudge, Cool Whip, and candy bars makes an even easier cake for summer parties! Plus, they can be customized to your flavor satisfaction.

We like to use hot fudge and peanut butter cups because that’s how we roll around here. But just think of all the combos you could do!  Caramel and Snickers. Marshmallow and Three Musketeers.

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Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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Swirls of chocolate and peanut butter frosting and a hidden peanut butter cup make these Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes disappear in a hurry.

Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes - the hidden candy bar and swirled chocolate peanut butter frosting makes these cupcakes disappear in a hurry. Make this easy recipe for parties! #cupcakes #chocolate #peanutbutter #reeses #peanutbuttercups #frosting

(photos updated June 2018)

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Today I’m bringing you an “oldie but goodie” recipe. This post was originally published eight years ago when I was a new blogger. The photos desperately needed an update, and I was craving chocolate and peanut butter goodness.  So here we are with the same great recipe, but better looking pictures.

A few years ago I made a batch of chocolate cupcakes for our oldest son’s class to celebrate his birthday.

Man, what a birthday he had! First he fell at recess and got a huge bump above his eye. Then after school we were rear ended hard. It was a 4 car accident all caused by the guy behind me.

Then my back hatch wouldn’t even open. Praise the Lord no one was hurt, and we all had insurance. That was definitely a birthday for the kiddo to remember.

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S’mores Cheesecake Fluff Salad

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Make a big bowl of this S’mores Cheesecake Fluff Salad to take to all your picnics and barbecues this summer. Chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker goodness will make it disappear in a hurry.

Love this fluff salad?  Check out this awesome Banana Split Fluff Salad.  All your favorite sundae toppings in one big dessert salad.

S'mores Cheesecake Fluff Salad - this creamy dessert salad is loaded with graham crackers, marshmallows, and candy bars. Make this creamy and delicious recipe for summer parties and picnics! #dessert #fluffsalad #smores #dessertsalad #picnic #chocolate #cheesecake #nobake

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It’s that time of year when all things s’mores reign supreme.  Something about summer just screams s’mores.

I guess it’s because this is the time of year when most people go camping or have picnics and bonfires with the gooey treat. Although, if I’m being honest the only way I enjoy outside s’mores are if children are not around.

We’ve talked about this before. Children waving point sticks with flaming sugar balls is not a good idea. And the problem is that they never seem to grow out of that phase.  My husband still lights up a marshmallow as a torch.   [Read more…]

Best Honey Peanut Butter Frosting

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Swirls of the Best Honey Peanut Butter Frosting will make your cupcakes or cake disappear in a hurry. The sweet and creamy texture is hard to resist.

You will love it on top of this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake.

Best Honey Peanut Butter Frosting - this homemade frosting gets the creamy texture from peanut butter and honey. Try this easy recipe on cakes, cupcakes, or brownies and watch them disappear! #frosting #peanutbutter #honey #homemade #buttercream #sweetandsalty

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If you are looking for the absolute best peanut butter frosting in the world. Stop all the searches because I’ve got you covered. This homemade frosting is seriously my all time favorite. I use it to frost all the things.

Ok, ok, maybe not all the things because it wouldn’t be good on eggs or zucchini.  But you get the point, right?

It’s the number one frosting that I like to make. Seriously! I’ve made this recipe countless times! You will never buy store bought frosting again once you taste this goodness. It’s so fluffy!!!  You know the little girl in the Minion movies who says that about the stuffed unicorn?  Yeah, that’s me about this frosting!!!

Of course, anything peanut butter gets my vote.  Peanut butter is probably one of the most used ingredients in my pantry.

I’d say it’s neck and neck with bananas. I tend to use those two ingredients all the time.  Hope you guys never tire of seeing recipes with them included.   [Read more…]

Salted Caramel Reese’s Popcorn

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Add this Salted Caramel Reese’s Popcorn to your movie night plans.  Two kinds of Reese’s candy and a sprinkling of sea salt creates a sweet and salty treat that will disappear in a hurry. I suggest making  a double batch.

Try this S’mores Popcorn for a fun treat this summer. Perfect way to get your chocolate and marshmallow fix without the work of a fire.

Salted Caramel Reese's Popcorn - this easy snack mix is loaded with salted caramel and two kinds of Reese's candies. Make this recipe to munch on during movie nights! #popcorn #saltedcaramel #peanutbuttercups #reesespieces #snackmix #nobake #sweetandsalty

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Recently we joined a new gym. I thought I was in shape from working out and lifting weights in our garage gym.  Apparently when you work out alone, you don’t push yourself as much because I was dying the first week.

The weight days have been fine. My muscles are pretty strong from keeping up with my 5×5 lifts, but my cardio is totally lacking. I was gasping and breathing so hard on the first couple of cardio days. Who am I kidding? I’m still struggling. But the plan is to keep going and to keep toning my dessert loving body and to eat more lean and green meals.

I would much rather be munching on things like Salted Caramel Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars and Banana Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes instead of being so dedicated to clean eating, but then my shorts and jeans get mad at me. All things in moderation, right? A little dessert and a lot of greens and workouts keep me going strong!  [Read more…]

Milk Chocolate S’mores Fudge

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A batch of Milk Chocolate S’mores Fudge is an easy no bake treat to make when you are craving that chocolate and marshmallow combo.

If you enjoy easy s’mores treats made in the comfort of your home, you are going to love this gooey Chocolate S’mores Pudding Cake.

Milk Chocolate S'mores Fudge - this easy no bake fudge recipe is loaded with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate candy bars. Make this sweet treat when it's too hot to bake this summer. #chocolate #fudge #nobake #smores #marshmallow #easydessert #sweettreat

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We are officially enjoying the lazy days of summer. School is out, and the kids are enjoying lazy mornings sleeping in.

That’s probably need to come to an end soon because they are sleeping in super late, and then just bumming the rest of the day. Time to institute some summer chores and must do’s before those electronic devices come out.

When summer gets here, all I can think about are s’mores. There is just something amazing about that chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker combo. It’s a treat I could enjoy every night.  [Read more…]