Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Cheesecake Love is Here

Woo hoo! It's finally here!

The day when Cheesecake Love is available for purchase in stores! Some of you may have preordered it and may have gotten it in the mail already!! Are you excited to get in your kitchen and cheesecake all the things???

I cannot believe that this day is finally here. It seems like so long ago that I was baking all things cheesecake and writing this book. I can't even tell you how many hours and how many pounds of cream cheese, sugar, and butter went into making this book. Trust me it was a lot!

Now the actual day everyone else can enjoy it is finally here. I was seriously in awe when my copy came, and I got to flip through the pages.

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Brownie Cheesecake Breakfast Tarts

These easy Brownie Cheesecake Breakfast Tarts are a delicious pastry you can make yourself. A sweet brownie center, chocolate frosting, and sprinkles will get the morning started off right.

This post was brought to you by the makers of Promised Land Dairy for the #FarFromOrdinaryMilk campaign. I received compensation to write this post through the Far From Ordinary Milk program. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

I can remember my parents buying us boxes of store bought pastries to grab on our way out the door for school many, many years ago. Back then there were only a few flavors to choose from on the store shelves.

Of course, I always grabbed the chocolate ones. To this day, I will always go for anything chocolate over fruity.

Our kids are no different. If we have strawberry pastries and s'mores pastries in the pantry, can you guess which one will still be sitting there a week later? [Read more...]

Shrimp Zucchini Noodles

These parmesan garlic Shrimp Zucchini Noodles are an excellent choice for dinner when you are eating healthy. This easy, low-carb meal will keep you on track with your healthy eating goals.

Yes, I totally realize that there is a plate of veggies staring you down right now. Yes, you are on the right blog.

For the past few months, we have been doing a different food plan and losing some stubborn pounds by saying no to things like this Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake.

Those pounds are even more stubborn when you hit a certain age and like to hang on. But thank goodness my hubby has found a calling in health coaching.

We both have gone through the food program and dropped about 45 pounds together. Later thunder thighs!

We have adopted healthier eating habits for our main meal of the day as part of our journey to get healthy. Most of our lean and green dinners consist of salad and protein. Sure, I could blog about it, but it would be very boring.

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Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins: ripe bananas, sour cream, and two times the dark chocolate makes these muffins the perfect breakfast or after school snack.

All I want to do is bake with pumpkin and apples right now but, my family would revolt and give me grief if I actually did that. So, I am trying to space the fall treats out with some normal baking.

Although, it is the middle of September, so the fam should know it's game on pumpkin! I even pulled out some of my fall decorations this morning and started putting pumpkins and leaves on our shelves. It's kind of funny though because when you walk inside from 90 degree weather, the last thing you expect to see are pumpkins and scarecrows staring at you.

Oh, well. I'm embracing the hot weather and balancing it out with a cinnamon roll pumpkin cake in the oven and fall scented candles burning all the time. I've got this! [Read more...]

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Roll Cups

A sweet cinnamon roll crust makes these little Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Roll Cups the perfect way to enjoy pie for breakfast this fall.

I am officially head over heels in love with all things fall right now. I don't care that the temperature here in Florida is still a toasty 90 degrees outside with no fall weather in sight for a few months.

This past weekend we escaped the storm and headed north to visit family in Indiana. The little bit of chilly weather we got to experience there put me into full blown fall mode. So, now all I want to do is pull out all my fall stuff and decorate the house while a loaf of this pumpkin chocolate chip bread is baking.

It's ok if I do that while the kids are outside picking up all the branches and leaves that are in the yard, right?

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10 Ways to Use Apple Butter

Today I am sharing 10 Ways to Use Apple Butter in different sweet and savory recipes. It's a great way to spice up a recipe for your dinner parties.

*This post is sponsored by Musselman’s. I am partnering with them this fall to share recipes using apple butter. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

We are quickly headed into my favorite time of year. I love all the things that comes with the changing fall season.

Pumpkin, bonfires, changing leaves, sweatshirts, cooler temps, and of course, apple butter. I grew up eating Musselman's, so I love that I get to partner with them to share delicious recipes and to show you how to eat apple butter.

Have you ever wondered what to do with apple butter? Besides slather it on toast, of course. There are so many different uses for apple butter. And if you are wondering if you can eat apple butter by itself? The answer is yes. A spoonful is quite delicious!

What do I do with Apple Butter?

Spread it on toast
Stir it into oatmeal
Top your pancakes and waffles with it
Use it instead of pumpkin or applesauce in recipes
Set out a bowl with a cheese plate
Swirl it into cakes or cupcakes
Brush it on chicken or pork during the last few cooking minutes

From cakes, to cinnamon rolls, to bacon wrapped shrimp, there is something delicious for everyone in your family to enjoy. Let's get jiggy in the kitchen with these 10 Ways to Use Apple Butter this fall!!! [Read more...]

Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal

Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal is a breakfast full of hearty goodness! Make it ahead of time and have breakfast ready for the week.

Our kids have been back to school for about four weeks now. So far, they are still doing pretty good at getting up on their own and being ready to leave on time. I have to admit that I love the fact that our kids are old enough to be responsible for getting ready on their own.

Don't get me wrong; I have days where I miss those little babies that needed me for everything. Our oldest going off to college really had me wishing those little ones were still here.

I still have moments of sadness, but for the most part I'm doing ok with our kids being big because it means an extra hour of sleep for me on a school mornings now. Making breakfast the day before is another way I give myself permission to sleep in while the kids are getting ready.

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Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake

Swirls of fresh strawberries and graham cracker crumbs give this Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake the prettiest layered look. A graham cracker rim and a striped straw make it look like it came from an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

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Living in Florida, we keep our freezer stocked with frozen treats. After a hot day at the beach, it's nice to come home to something cold to cool you down.

I am always looking for fun ways to incorporate cheesecake into everything we make. These strawberry cheesecake cupcakes are always a favorite treat, so I knew that flavor would be perfect for a milkshake.

Most strawberry milkshake recipes just blend everything together. But mine has a few fun steps that make it stand out. The cups get a Cool Whip and a graham cracker crumb rim before the milkshake is added. Then, strawberry puree and more crumbs are layered inside, creating stripes.

Why You'll Love This Strawberry Cheesecake Drink

Looks like it's from a fancy soda shop. The layers of strawberry puree, graham cracker crumbs, and milkshake, topped with Cool Whip, make a cute summer dessert.
Tastes like cheesecake in a glass. Blending cream cheese into the ice cream gives it a sweet cheesecake flavor.
Ready in less than 10 minutes! Just blend, layer, and add the toppings. Then add a straw and enjoy!
Cheaper than a restaurant. You can make multiple drinks for your family at home for a fraction of the cost.

If you are a fan of frosty drinks, try out this Oreo shake and this mocha fudge shake!

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Letting Go

That fateful day has arrived. The day every parent dreads or can't wait for. It's time for me to learn the art of letting go as my first baby heads out on his own for his first day at college.

When you hold your first born child for the first time, you don't think about the day they are going to leave home. 18 years ago we welcomed our first baby boy into our life. What a journey that started for us.

Nothing can describe the immense love and joy we had as we stared down into that tiny face. Those cute chubby cheeks made the nine months of pregnancy and the c-section all worth it.
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Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Three times the chocolate makes this moist and rich Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake a decadent and delicious way to eat your greens. This chocolate zucchini dessert is the perfect recipe to serve all year long.

About This Recipe

Do you get excited for certain ingredients at certain times of the year? During the summer months, I get excited to use green veggies in my baking.

I know I should enjoy zucchini as a veggie more often, but I seriously love baking it into chocolate zucchini desserts. It gives them such an awesome texture and taste!

This Chocolate Zucchini Cake and this Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread WERE two of my favorite ways to "eat my greens". They were my favorite until I had a slice of this decadent chocolate zucchini bundt cake. This cake is now my favorite zucchini dessert recipe.

A few weeks ago I headed to the grocery store because I was craving more chocolate covered zucchini. I wanted to use the green veggies to make an over the top zucchini bundt cake.

This moist and rich chocolate zucchini cake has chocolate glaze and chocolate chips. One bite and you will agree that this is the best way to eat your greens.

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