Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Lemon Gingersnap Cheesecake Tarts

Lemon Gingersnap Cheesecake Tarts: crunchy cookie crusts filled with a fluffy cheesecake mousse and topped with a gingerbread cookie is a fun and easy treat to make for holiday parties.

Gingerbread man cookie sitting on Lemon Gingersnap Cheesecake Tart.

This month is my husband's birthday, and all he wanted was to go see the new Star Wars movie with the family. So this past weekend we ordered tickets, bought matching shirts, and went to see the movie at the IMAX theatre. You guys. I grew up watching the old Star Wars, so those ones have a special place in my heart. Nothing beats them.

If you haven't seen the new one yet, just take what I say with a grain of salt. We didn't like it. At all. It was just strange. Almost like they were trying too hard to reach out to multiple generations. My husband said it was like Stars Wars meets Harry Potter meets Space Balls meets Mary Poppins. Yeah, it had all of those elements in it, plus a whiny old Jedi leader. Not worth it in my opinion to see it in the movies. It would be a good $1 Redbox pick.

But we still had fun going as a family in our matchy matchy shirts. Our kids gave us a few eye rolls when I gave them the shirts and told them they had to wear them. We got a few more eye rolls when I said I had matching flannel pants for everyone to wear on Christmas day. Our daughter said, "great, we are THAT family." Bwhahahaha! Yup, we are.

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Peppermint Cream Patties

These cute little Peppermint Patties are a fun and delicious treat to add to your cookie trays this Christmas. The homemade candy recipe is easy to customize with different colored sprinkles and chocolate.

A stack of 4 peppermint patties on a blue and tan towel.

I'm seriously freezing right now, and it's only 57 degrees outside. Yes, I realize a lot of you have all kinds of snow and freezing temperatures and you are probably laughing at me. Your blood definitely thins once you get adjusted to warmer weather. Just last week we were sitting on the beach enjoying 80 degrees and sun, so yes, my body is freezing right now, even if it isn't that cold here.

I'm kind of scared for our trip up north to see family for the holidays. My sister-in-law has been sending me pics of the weather there and laughing her head off at me because she knows I'm a big baby when it comes to cold weather. Trust me...I'm packing an extra bag with all our winter coats and extra layers for me. If you need me, I'll be the snowman inside by the fire trying to warm up.

The only way I like to see snowmen is when they are on a dessert tray and made of sugar. Actually, I was quite surprised to see that I have never done a snowman treat in all the years of sharing recipes. The closest thing I have are these marshmallow frosty hats that I made quite a few years ago. Since I found a bag of snowman eyes and carrot noses at Walmart, I had to incorporate them into a fun little snowman candy.

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No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

Bright colors and lots of sprinkles make these easy No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Bars stand out on your Christmas dessert table. The bright colors make it the perfect dessert for all the elves in your life.

So, I did something scary last night. My husband and I did a live post on my Facebook page. Honestly, I thought I would be more nervous as it got closer to our start time, but it wasn't until right before he pushed the play button that I forgot everything I wanted to say.

The video started sideways, so it totally made me more relaxed because that's just life. Nothing is perfect, and you just have to roll with it, right? We shared some family holiday traditions and then answered some questions about blogging and baking. It was so easy and fun, that we are planning on doing more in the upcoming year. Does that sound good to you?

This fun, bright, colored, crazy cheesecake is another thing I just had to roll with. Earlier this year I made these fun no bake rainbow unicorn cheesecake bars, and everyone has gone nuts for them. The original video got a lot of views, and the pictures have been pinned tons of times on Pinterest. Well, that got me thinking. How could I turn those fun cheesecake bars into a holiday treat?

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Eggnog Thumbprints

These simple Eggnog Thumbprints and a glass of milk or coffee is a great way to end the day. Such an easy sweet to add to your Christmas cookie trays.

Eggnog Thumbprint cookies with white and red sprinkles on a white plate.

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So, I realized today as I was getting ready to share this cookie recipe with you that I missed National Cookie Day on Monday! A day dedicated to all things cookies, and I totally spaced out. I even had this recipe made, photographed, and ready to go. Apparently I wasn't supposed to celebrate cookie day! So today we are celebrating Wednesday with cookies.

I mean, your cookie jar needs some fun right now, right? Please say yes. Please say yes!

How many of you have started your holiday baking already? So far, I have made some frosted mocha shortbread cookie sticks, chocolate Christmas kiss cookies, and raspberry thumbprint cookies. That's just the cookie department. Lots of peppermint treats have been tested and posted too! Trust me when I say you need this peppermint mocha fudge tart in your life ASAP!

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Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Bars

Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Bars will make your whole crew cheer. Say hello to holiday breakfast done right!

A white plate with three gingerbread oatmeal bars drizzled with white chocolate on it

The other day I had a dentist visit for a routine cleaning. The nice lady taking care of me let me know that I was slacking a little bit in my flossing duties.

It's something that I always mean to do each night, but then I don't. I know, I know. Brush, floss, repeat. It's not like it's that hard.

To soothe my ego and my mouth, I headed over to Target for a few items. Hahaha! Did anyone else just laugh at that?

A few items always turns into a cartful. This day was no different. It is Christmas shopping season, and Target has the cutest things to stuff stockings with. Plus, I had to get more candy canes for another batch of peppermint brownie truffles.

Yeah, we'll go with that and not mention that half the items in my cart may or may not have been for me.

Some of the items were actually for the house, but my hubby always says those purchases are for me. I guess no one else cares about pillows and tree collars.

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Peppermint Mocha Fudge Tart

One bite of this Peppermint Mocha Fudge Tart will send you to your holiday happy place. Chocolate and peppermint layers make this easy dessert an impressive dessert to share at Christmas parties.

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Oh, the weather outside is frightful...nah not here. We live in Florida where it's been sunny and 80 degrees all week. In fact, I needed a break after a long week, so the kids and I headed over to the beach for an hour. Yup, it's December, and we went to the beach. I love my life!

It was so relaxing to just sit in the sun without a care in the world. The weather app is showing sunny skies for the next three days. So, I'm very temped to take a break in the middle of the day from all things baking and blogging to sit in the sun for an hour.

I also looked ahead for the rest of the week and the app said it would be in the 60's by Friday. Brrr! That's chilly! I have a feeling I should pull out a few sweatshirts and jeans!

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Chocolate Mint Oreo Fudge

Cookie chunks and mint chips make this Chocolate Mint Oreo Fudge a creamy no bake treat that will disappear off your holiday dessert tables in no time at all.

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3 pieces of chocolate fudge loaded with green mint cookies and mint chips on a white doily.

I'm trying really hard this year to get into the holiday spirit. This is our first winter living in a very warm climate. Not going to lie. It's kind of strange to look over at our decorated tree by the patio door and see the open blue pool and bright sunny skies behind it.

It's also so strange to be driving around town and see all the holiday decorations around the beach and palm trees. We are totally loving beach life, but I think this first Christmas will feel different no matter what we do.

So in order to keep our holiday spirits up, I am taking it upon me to keep the air conditioner blasting cold air while I make tons of festive treats. It's a mission I think I am up for.

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Peppermint Whipped Cream

Trust me and keep a batch of this Peppermint Whipped Cream in your refrigerator at all times this holiday season. It's the perfect topping to just about every Christmas dessert!

Well, it's official. I am completely smitten with all things peppermint at the moment. It's funny how quickly my flavor of the month changes. It seems like just yesterday I couldn't get enough pumpkin.

It's like a switch in my head (or stomach) gets flipped, and my tastes change just like that. Mostly it's just a seasonal thing.

Does anyone else crave specific things at certain times of the year? Of course, since the tree is up and Christmas songs are on repeat, all I want in life is peppermint goodness.

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Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies: layers of homemade brownies, holiday cookies, and peppermint cheesecake will put a smile on your face this Christmas.

Do not forget the swirl of peppermint whipped cream because it adds just the right touch of holiday love!

A square of peppermint cheesecake brownie on a plate with whipped cream.

It's the most wonderful time of year. Christmas decorations are up, and everywhere you go, Christmas music is playing or bells are ringing. I don't know about you, but hearing those ringing bells outside most stores gives me the warm fuzzies. It's the sound of people giving back because they care.

The church we have been attending for the past few months held a large donation drive earlier this month. We participated in shopping for children from other countries with our two youngest children. They had fun picking out items for each box.

They also host various food drives and workdays throughout the year, so we are looking forward to helping out even more. We want our children to see how much it means to help and give back to those in need. My desire is that they remember these giving moments rather than the gifts under the tree each year.

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Frosted Mocha Shortbread Cookie Sticks

These easy Frosted Mocha Shortbread Cookie Sticks are a pretty treat to add to your holiday trays this year. Lots of fun sprinkles make them stand out and disappear first.

*Stevia In The Raw® sponsored this post. I am partnering with them to create recipes for the fall season. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Frosted Mocha Shortbread Cookie Sticks - sweet chocolate cookies topped with white chocolate and lots of sprinkles will stand out on your cookie trays. Easy recipe for holiday parties!

Every year, right before the holidays get busy, I like to make a few lists of treats and sweets that I want to make for the holidays. Some of these desserts get made ahead of time because I like to test each recipe a few times to see if they will make the final list.

Right now I have a list that includes fudge, cheesecake, popcorn, pie, cookies, and a tart. I have a feeling I better get a move on testing recipes because the holidays will be here before I know it.

This past week I decided to test a few cookie recipes. Shortbread cookies always make the final list of treats that we make, and these peppermint snowball cookies are one of my all time favorite cookies for Christmas. They are always on the trays of cookies that we make and give away.

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