Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes are a sweet start to the day. Bursting with banana flavor, the batter mixes up easily in a blender.

I don't think I will ever get tired of buying bananas. They are just so versatile because you can eat them or bake with them. Of course, I'm a total snob when it comes to eating a banana. I just can't eat them after they begin to ripen. Give me a green banana any day!

The other day I wanted a banana for my morning snack, but they were all yellow with brown spots. I thought it was time I got over my ripe banana phobia, so I went ahead and ate one. Well, I ate part of one. After choking down a few bites of mushy banana I had to throw the rest away. Ripe bananas are only good for baking things like banana Reese's cookies or banana bread. Maybe one day, I will like ripe bananas, but this was definitely not that day.

I did find another use for those ripe bananas though. My kids love pancakes for breakfast, so I usually have a big batch of this funfetti chocolate chip pancake mix in a container in the pantry. It is easy to whip up a batch of pancakes from this mix and freeze them for the rest of the week.

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Ten Tips for Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Going to a theme park on vacation can be fun or exhausting. Here are Ten Tips for Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with your family. These tips can also be used for any theme park you visit.

This summer we took our kids on vacation to Florida. After a major life move and adjusting to a new school and job, it was a much needed breath of fresh air to do "nothing" for a few days.

Going to the beach is our family's favorite type of vacation. As we planned our trip to Orlando, we worked a few days at the beach into the plans as well. We flew into Orlando, and then rented a car to drive to Tampa where we spent 2 days lounging in the sand and sun. Palm trees are my jam for sure! There is something about blue skies, clear water, and bright sunshine that just makes everything seem right.

Next stop was Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley wasn't around the last time we had been at Island's of Adventure, so our kids were so excited for the new rides and attractions.

I have to admit, so were we. It seriously feels like you are walking into a secluded world when you walk through the gates into that part of the parks. There is something so magical about it.

As I looked back at our pictures and thought about how relaxing this trip was, I came up with some Harry Potter theme park tips to make your trip easier. I hope you enjoy the pictures and use these tips if you ever plan a trip to a major theme park. You can also check out our family fun at Walt Disney World if you are headed to both parks any time soon.
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Banana Nutella Blonde Brownies

Swirls of chocolate make these gooey Banana Nutella Blonde Brownies a delicious way to use up those ripe bananas on the counter.

CLICK HERE TO SAVE THE RECIPE FOR LATER!

Are you surprised to see more banana treats staring at you? I'm serious about changing the blog name to Bonkers for Bananas because I seem to bake with banana on a pretty regular basis. I mean this zucchini banana cake just happened a few days ago, and here we are with more banana!

Well, except that then I would have to deal with all the changes and SEO and whatever else goes with doing that. Yeah, never mind. I'm sticking with this blog name forever because that means less work and hassle for me.

So, back to the bananas on the counter. It seems like every week I have a few black bananas that get left in the corner of the counter. If my husband had his way, they would get tossed out every time. He still doesn't realized that the blacker the banana, the better it makes your baked goods. I'll convert him one day. [Read more...]

No Bake Lemon Macaroon Cheesecake

You will love the layers in this No Bake Lemon Macaroon Cheesecake. The sweet cookie crust, creamy cheesecake, and tart lemon curd work so well together.

Can you believe that it is August 1st already? Summer has flown by so quickly this year! In fact, the past 7 months have gone by in a blink of an eye. It seems crazy that we have been in TX for that long already.

At least it is still crazy hot here, so it will still feel like summer here when the kiddos go back to school in a few weeks. Hot weather means more no bake desserts around here need to happen.

I have already shared 7 new ones this summer, so what's a few more, right? I mean we can always use more things like Nutella no bake cookies, right? [Read more...]

Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloins

These Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloins are a delicious meal to enjoy from the grill this summer. Lots of gooey, melted cheese is our favorite way to do dinner around here.

One of my favorite things to do is watch cooking shows on tv. I think I enjoy it because I can watch without the stress of having to make something in a certain timeframe.

I like to take my time in the kitchen. Usually taking more time means less mistakes and less food to thow away because of making mistakes.

Of course, that doesn't stop me from watching shows like Chopped where they have a certain number of ingredients they have to use in their dish and have it submitted to the judge's table in a certain timeframe. I love the excitement that comes as they open the basket and find the crazy ingredients they have been given to create with.

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Skinny Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

These Skinny Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes are a great way to get more protein in your breakfast which is the perfect way to start out any day.

After a few different vacations and traveling this summer, I think we are all ready to get back to a good routine. Well, ok, maybe just get back to good heathy eating habits. The first few trips we went on, I did really good with eating ok.

But our last trip we drove 18 hours to visit family and friends. And when you are stuck in a moving vehicle for that long, it can get boring, and mindless eating happens a little too often.

I tried to plan ahead and brought some meal replacement shakes. It was a good thought, but I think we only drank 2 out of the entire 8 days we were gone. Plan gone wrong there.

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Strawberry Rocky Road Fudge

This easy Strawberry Rocky Road Fudge is loaded with marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chunks. It's a great no bake recipe for when it is too hot to bake.

I recently found something I do not like about our new house. My husband found two different kinds of spiders out in our driveway and garage. This is not cool!

We are not just talking little daddy long leg spiders either. One was a black widow and one was a brown recluse...I think it's time to burn down the house.

Ok, so that might be a little dramatic, but seriously spiders like that are not allowed here. Maybe it's time to invest in some bug maintenance for around our property because I don't want to find anymore! [Read more...]

Mini Lemon Donut Muffins

These Mini Lemon Donut Muffins are a refreshing little treat to enjoy in the morning. The little bite size is perfect for grabbing a few on the go.

It's amazing to me how quickly your body gets used to hot weather…and how quickly you forget about humidity. We just got back from a trip up north to visit family and friends, and while we were there the weather was all over the place.

It's crazy for it to be in the 70's in July, but that's what it was for a few days. Of course, that didn't stop our kiddos from swimming in the pool with their cousins. Have pool, will swim is always their motto!

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Chocolate Nutella Bars

These easy Chocolate Nutella Bars have a creamy chocolate center and a white chocolate topping with lots of fun colored sprinkles.

Conversations around our house and in our car this week have consisted of all things Pokemon. The boys have talked non-stop about what creatures they have found and how high their powers are. They were happy when we got stuck in some traffic because that meant the eggs would hatch faster.

Our youngest even tried to convince my husband to take him for a "drive" one afternoon. Yes, the game that was created to get the kids out for exercise has a loophole. Apparently if you drive under 20 mph, you can get in the mileage needed for your new creature to emerge from his egg. No, we didn't give in and go for a drive.

We told the kids to go for a walk or a bike ride if they needed to get the miles in. Of course, that started a stern lecture on the dangers that go along with this game. We wanted them to be aware of their surroundings and of course, not be riding a bike and playing at the same time. [Read more...]

BLT Chicken Alfredo French Bread Pizza

Looking for an easy dinner idea? This BLT Chicken Alfredo French Bread Pizza is loaded with goodness and is kid approved.

One of the things we are enjoying about our move to Texas are the amazing skies we see. Sunrises and sunsets are absolutely incredible. Well, I imagine the sunrises are as incredible as the sunsets…I'm never awake early enough to see those.

Another thing we are enjoying are the crazy storms that pop up out of nowhere. The other day was hot and sunny all day until about 5:45 pm. Then the wind began to blow and these dark clouds swirled in the sky. On one side of the sky it was blue and clear and the other side had tall dark clouds. In front of all that was the longest, lowest rainbow I have ever seen.

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