Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Thin Mint Cheesecake

Thin mint lovers! Be prepared to be amazed at this dessert. Layers of creamy mint cheesecake and a chewy brownie crust makes this Thin Mint Cheesecake a delicious and fancy dessert for any occasion.

A slice of mint cheesecake with a brownie crust on a white plate.

Do you have a favorite girl scout cookie? Thin mints and caramel delights are two of my favorites. Thank goodness they are only sold for a few weeks out of the year.

Thin Mints are one of the most popular Girl Scout cookies, so I wanted to make a dessert that would do them justice.

This cake has layers of creamy mint cheesecake loaded with mint cookies on a brownie crust. It is the perfect combination of two classic desserts.

Why This Recipe Works

Making a brownie cake from scratch can be intimidating, but it's actually easier than you think. Plus, you can change up the cookies and flavoring in the cheesecake layer based on your mood or the event.

Our thin mint cheesecake is the perfect dessert. It's easy to make and includes layers of mint cheesecake and a chewy brownie crust.

Serve this cheesecake brownie recipe at your next party and watch it disappear in minutes. Not only is it delicious, but it is fancy enough for any occasion. Your guests will be amazed at your baking skills.

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Bacon Mac and Cheese

This Bacon Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food for any night of the week. The rich and creamy cheese sauce is easy to make in under 30 minutes and will satisfy everyone at your dinner table.

Want more cheesy bacon pasta? Try this skillet ravioli and this chicken bacon ranch pasta bake.

A white plate with a serving of cheesy bacon mac and cheese on it.

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Why You Will Love This Pasta

Craving comfort food? We've got you covered. Mac and cheese is the perfect comfort food. It is creamy, cheesy, and satisfies everyone.

And we kicked up our recipe a notch by adding bacon. Bacon makes everything better, so adding it to our mac and cheese recipe gave it that extra delicious twist. There is a slight smokey and salty flavor that tastes amazing!

The best part is that this pasta recipe is so easy to make. It only takes 30 minutes to prep everything and make it on the stove top.

If you are looking for a fast dinner idea that will please everyone at the table, give our homemade mac and cheese a try tonight! You won't be able to resist a second helping.

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Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Bowls

Fresh fruit and granola on top of these Raspberry Orange Frozen Yogurt Bowls is just the healthy snack you need this afternoon.

Raspberry Orange Frozen Yogurt Bowls - fresh fruit and granola adds a fun texture to this easy snack. Great healthy recipe when you need a sweet treat.

Every so often, a food trend pops up that I'm not sure about. A few years ago, smoothie bowls took the food world by storm. Most people either loved them or hated them. At first, I couldn't get on board with this fad because smoothies are meant to be slurped up with a straw, right?

Oh, how wrong I was! Last year, I made this strawberry coconut smoothie bowl just to see what all the hype was about. It turns out that I absolutely love smoothie bowls. The texture of the mix-ins made my taste buds so happy.

Apparently, not that happy though, because I waited an entire year to create a new flavor with a frozen twist.

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Raspberry Cheesecake Danish

Your morning routine could use an easy Raspberry Cheesecake Danish. These sweet little treats are great for breakfast or after school.

Well, winter and snow found us. This past weekend we woke up to flurries. The kids and my husband were so excited to see the fluffy white stuff coming down from the sky. Me...not so much. I'm definitely the snow scrooge in the house. Bah humbug I say!

I grew up in the northeast and lived in the midwest for many years, so you would think my body would be used to the snow. Oh, no! My feet still freeze and I really cannot handle being cold. Is it possible for your body to adjust that quickly to living in the south because the cold really seems to bother me this winter?

Maybe I'm just being a big baby about all the cold, but I'm seriously glad to see 70 degree weather on the radar for this week. That's more like it!!!

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Italian Veggie Salad

This easy Italian Veggie Salad is made with colorful vegetables, mini pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese. It's tossed in a zesty Italian dressing, comes together in just 20 minutes, and is one of those recipes that is great for any occasion.

If you love easy salad recipes, try this zucchini salad or this broccoli apple salad next.

A small bowl filled with an Italian veggie salad with more behind it.

While baking is my first love, I also love sharing the real recipes that make it onto our dinner table. I've been making this veggie pasta salad since I was a teen. Over time, I've added fun twists, like this pizza pasta salad. No matter how I make it, my family always loves it.

A few years ago, we were invited to a summer party and decided to bring a few homemade pizzas to share. Since both my husband and I were trying to cut out carbs at the time, we needed something we could eat too.

So, my husband took our two favorite salads and transformed them into a carb-free dish. He chopped some fresh veggies, added pepperoni and cheese, then drizzled it all with Italian dressing. Simple and genius!

We have been making and enjoying this salad recipe ever since. The last time I made it, our youngest helped himself to three big bowls. When the kids go back for thirds, you know it's a keeper.

Why You'll Love This Italian Chopped Salad

Zero cooking! All you have to do is chop, toss, and enjoy. This chopped salad comes together so fast.
Loaded with vegetables. A rainbow of colorful veggies makes every bowl pretty and delicious.
A great low-carb option. Watching your carbs? This salad has you covered. It's hearty and delicious, so you won't miss the pasta or grains.
Perfect for any occasion. Make it for potlucks, picnics, barbecues, or a busy weeknight dinner. Trust me, it will get rave reviews everywhere!
Make it your own! Use whatever vegetables you like or have in your fridge right now.

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Top Ten BruCrew Recipes from 2016

Another year of recipes is in the books. Thank you so much for another great year of blogging and good food!! One of my favorite things to do at the end of each year is to look at what ten recipes were your favorites.

Here are the top ten BruCrew recipes from 2016 that got the most views this year. I have to admit some of these were my favorites too, so you guys have great taste in food!

Did your favorite recipe make the list? I would love to hear what recipe was your favorite, what you tried, what you hated, what I should make next...

If you missed any of these recipes, here is your chance to catch up with everyone else because you really should try these ones!

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Merry Christmas 2016

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It has been a year of change for our family, and we are so thankful for everything that God has provided for us as we transitioned to a new place. We are also so thankful for everyone who reads and follows our recipes and adventures here on the blog. You make all this possible, and your support makes it even more fun.

Make sure you enjoy the holidays with your family and eat all the cookies and fudge while you still can. There are only a few more days until it is salads and smoothies all day long. But most importantly, my prayer is that you will remember the reason for the season. God sent His son to earth as a baby, so that He could show us how to live and to become our King. That makes all the busyness and presents seem a little less important, doesn't it? May the joy of Jesus fill your hearts and lives as you celebrate with friends and family.

Luke 2:10-11 "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men."

Eggnog Donuts

Eggnog Donuts are fun and festive, and perfect for your wintery breakfast. Make a triple batch for brunch with friends!

For the past 18 years I have collected snowmen. Every year at this time I pull out the holiday boxes and set up the snowmen collection, and each year I buy a new snowman or snowgirl for the family.

That is until this year. I pulled out the boxes of all the Christmas "stuff" we have accumulated over the years, and I realized that I didn't even want to use most of it. My holiday decorating style has changed. Is it possible to have your style change in just one year?

Last year the snowmen stood proudly in our living room, and this year they are still in a gray tote in the corner of the living room because I got them out and then put them right back away.

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Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars

Change up your holiday desserts with these Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. These sweet oatmeal bars will become one of your new favorite desserts.

A stack of cranberry oat bars topped with frosting.

The other day, my daughter and I went Christmas shopping for some of our nieces and nephews. Buying little clothes and toys is so much fun for those little kids! The only thing more fun would be being there in person to watch them open them. But alas, this year, we are staying put on Christmas Day. Last year, we were in the process of moving states, so the holidays were a blur of madness!

As we came out of the store, I had to stop and think where I had parked the car because these days my short-term memory is not what it used to be. Seriously! It doesn't matter whether I'm in the store for 5 minutes or 50 minutes; either way, I'm going to forget where the car is. Is this what it feels like to get older? My knees are already all creaky and sore in the morning. I don't know if I can handle the forgetfulness, too!

Our daughter just gave me that look. She has definitely perfected that teenage look over the past two years. It was kind of funny to see her look at me like I was crazy for losing the car. I'm cool with it, though. There are plenty of quirks that our kids give us grief for these days.

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Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups

Fluffy pink filling and a fun peppermint pretzel make these pretty Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups the star of every holiday party!

Chocolate cookies cups filled with pink fluff and topped with a white chocolate pretzel.

This past week, I had the opportunity to make desserts for our church youth group's Christmas party. Of course, any time I have to make desserts for real people, I tend to freak out a little because what if they hate them all? The struggle is real.

I wrote down a list of treats that I thought would be good teen food. M&M blonde brownies and peanut butter Rice Krispie treats were two easy and kid-approved treats that I knew would be good to serve. Cheesecake brownies and peppermint cookies and cream fudge were two more desserts that I thought would go over well because every time I make them, they disappear.

The dilemma I was facing was whether I would have enough. I was told to plan for 40 kids and parents, but there could be more. So, after doing all that, I started to question if I had enough dessert. Yes, I know they were having appetizers and dinner, but you have to have lots of desserts, right? The more options, the better, in my opinion.

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