Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Red Velvet Donuts

These Red Velvet Donuts with a sprinkle of candy canes are a fun and festive holiday breakfast treat. Go ahead and make them for Christmas morning.

As I was growing up, one of my sisters and I had a pact every year. If we knew what the other one was getting for Christmas, we would spill the beans to each other. Of course, we knew where our mom hid the presents, too, so we would sneak around and see what we could find in her closet and drawers.

I'm pretty sure if my mom had wrapped presents early, I would have slit the tape to look inside and then taped it back up. Yes, I'm a snoop. I think she knew the kids were not to be trusted, so she never wrapped our presents until the night before.

We have also done this "tradition" of wrapping gifts the night before with our kids. There is something magical about coming out to packages all around the tree on Christmas Day. Plus, I know my kids are just as sneaky as I was growing up, so there is no way I am putting packages out early for them to figure out.

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Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate

Sipping on a big mug of Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate is a delicious thing to drink in the winter. Chocolate, coffee, and peppermint swirl together and make you feel warm and toasty, no matter what it is doing outside.

One thing that I have been doing with my daughter since she was younger is a coffee date. We used to go for coffee and shopping more often, but she started expecting it, and all those coffees start to add up over time.

Now I randomly choose a night every few months, and she is surprised when we go for a cup of coffee and some quality shopping time together.

Shopping and coffee time is definitely the way to my daughter's heart. I'm so glad she enjoys the same things I do. It makes mother/daughter bonding so much easier for both of us. Just the other day she said she wanted to take me out for coffee. I can't wait for that date! Yay for her getting old enough to pay!

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Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Cookie Cups

Hiding little cookies inside these Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Cookie Cups will get smiles from everyone this holiday season. Chocolate and peppermint is a combo that everyone is sure to love.

*This post was sponsored by the J.M. Smucker Company. I am partnering with them this winter as a brand ambassador creating recipes from products they send me.

These easy Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Cookie Cups have a hidden cookie center and are topped with peppermint frosting and candy pieces. Great holiday treat!

Peppermint and chocolate treats are still going strong in our kitchen. I'm not tired of them yet, but I think I'm getting a few looks from my family when they see all the peppermint pieces on everything. I suppose I should make another batch of these Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bars to keep them off my case.

Putting peppermint in everything totally keeps me in the holiday spirit though. Does anyone else feel that way about that festive red and white candy?

Let's just say I hope you are as excited for peppermint treats because I have a lot of delicious ones to share with you this month. Seriously...a lot. I hope you are ready!!!

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White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These jazzed up White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies taste like Christmas in every bite. Peppermint, chocolate chips and a drizzle of white chocolate make them so pretty for the holiday cookie trays.

*I am partnering with Challenge Dairy as a butter ambassador for the year creating delicious recipes.

These White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and peppermint. White chocolate drizzles make them so festive!

Every Christmas we make a list of about 10 cookies and candies that we want to make for the holidays. This is something that we started as newly weds and have continued on with our kids.

After we make our list of must make cookies, we let the kids choose one cookie from the list that they want to make from start to finish. When they were younger this obviously was a lot messier and time consuming, but it was fun to watch them learn how to bake.

Now that they are older, they can pretty much do all the work alone on their cookie. Although, I do still have to watch for missing candy. Good thing I always buy plenty of extra to account for all the snacking that happens while kids bake.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Cheese Ball

This Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Cheese Ball is just the appetizer you need for those holiday parties and events coming up. The cheese and veggies rolled in nuts is perfect for cracker and pretzel snacking.

*Love these recipes? Sign up for the BruCrew email and have them delivered to your inbox.

Most days my brain thinks in sugar non-stop. It starts first thing in the morning at the gym. Yes, I think about cookies and cake while doing bench presses and pull-ups. Today I couldn't stop thinking about an this easy candy bar cookie treat that I want to make. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Visions of cake and pie fill my head as I get ready for the day. As I do my work, I see more sugary goodness from my friends, and it gets me inspired to make something from my many lists of sugar coated sugar visions.

Then before I drift off to sleep at night, I start to day dream about brownies and chocolate peppermint fudge. Seriously, this is my life. Hello, my name is Jocelyn, and I'm a dessert freak. Please tell me I'm not alone in this sugar madness. Ok, maybe I am, but I'm cool with it. [Read more...]

Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes

I am so excited that it is time to share all the peppermint treats. Believe me, I have some delicious ones you need to make. First up are these Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes topped with marshmallow PEEPS®.

*I am partnering with PEEPS® this December as part of their "24 Days of Peepsonality" program.

Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with Peppermint frosting and a Red Velvet PEEPS® chick. Perfect holiday party treat!

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. We look forward to all the lights, smells, and sounds of the season. Every year we pull out our tree the day after Thanksgiving and put on our Santa hats, while we hang our ornaments on the tree.

I have to admit that I am a little picky about where some of those ornaments end up. (There have been a few that I may have moved the next day.)

As the kids are getting older, they are doing such a good job at spacing out the snowmen and snowflakes for me, so there aren't as many that needed "re-arranged" these days.

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Cheesy Italian Pasta

This Cheesy Italian Pasta is loaded with meat, tomatoes, and cheese. It is an easy pasta dinner to enjoy on busy nights.

*Thank you so much to Best Food Facts for putting together this trip to Chicago, IL to learn more about the food we eat. This trip was sponsored and paid by Best Food Facts, along with this post. This year I am partnering with them as a blogger for their Taste program.

Do you ever stop and wonder where your food came from or how it got to the grocery store? I grew up in the country, so I am just a little familiar with farming and farm life. Our family had a few horses, and we would bale our own hay each summer. Picking up and stacking hay bales is the extent of my farm experience though.

I know that our food comes from farms and that farmers live on the farm 24/7, but I didn't fully understand it until I had a chance to chat with a few farmer's wives this past year.

Last month I had the opportunity to head to Chicago, IL and reunite with the bloggers and farmers that are part of the Taste 15 blogger program through Best Food Facts. We started with an amazing dinner at The Girl and The Goat where we caught up with each other.

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Glazed Apple Cider Muffins

A batch of these Glazed Apple Cider Muffins baking in the oven will make your house smell delicious this fall.

Two times the apple cider makes these an awesome fall breakfast muffin.

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to head out to the apple orchards. There is something about eating a freshly picked apple out in the fields.

I also love making homemade apple pie filling when we get home. When our kids were younger they loved going with us to the orchard. We would fill a big basket with apples, then head to the stand that sold apple cider. Apple cider from the farm stands is so much better than that gallon jug at the store.

Now that our kids are older, they look at me funny when I mention doing trips like these. In fact, I didn't even mention it this year. Partly because things have been crazy busy here, and partly because I knew the family's answer.

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Caramel S'mores Fudge

This easy Caramel S'mores Fudge is loaded with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. It makes a great treat to package up and gift to friends and family.

*This post was sponsored by the J.M. Smucker Company. I am partnering with them this fall as a brand ambassador creating recipes from products they send me.

Fall has officially made its way to the midwest. Wearing jeans and sweatshirts all the time has finally commenced. It has been cooler during the day and very chilly at night. We actually woke up to frost on the ground this morning.

It is the perfect weather for snuggling under a blanket with a hot cup of coffee. My favorite drink of the fall season is a salted caramel mocha latte. Now that I can recreate the coffee shop drink though, I try to drink them all year round, but for some reason they taste the best in the fall.

I think it is all mental. Chilly weather + sweatshirts = hot caramel coffee love. It's just how my brain works. [Read more...]

Butterfinger Reese's Fudge

Using different candies to jazz up an easy fudge is a great way to use up extra candy. This Butterfinger Reese's Fudge has two different candies in an easy white chocolate fudge. It's the perfect little treat to package up for friends and family for the holidays.

This easy white chocolate fudge is loaded with Butterfinger bars and Reese's Pieces. It's a great holiday treat!

For a while I had set out to make fudge every single month because fudge year round should really be a thing.

Have you noticed that fudge really is more popular in the holiday seasons? Why is that? I mean sweet little bites full of candy and cookies should not be limited. Am I right?

Of course when I was looking back, I realized that I haven't shared a fudge recipe here since this robin egg fudge at Easter. Obviously I'm slacking some this year. To make up for it, I have fudge today and more fudge next week. You need to make both. Trust me!

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