Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Chocolate Almond Cookies

A sprinkle of nuts and a fresh raspberry make these Chocolate Almond Cookies a pretty little treat to share with friends.

Last week, raspberries were on sale, so I bought 4 boxes with every intention of using them all for something. I really did not know what to do with them. But when raspberries are .99 a box, you buy multiple boxes and hope inspiration strikes soon. Like before, the berries get moldy soon!

Our daughter absolutely loves raspberries. She will gobble down a box in no time at all, so for 2 days, it was pure torture for her every time she opened the fridge. I know what you are thinking. Get your lazy butt back to the store for 4 more boxes since they are only .99! Ok, maybe that's just what I kept hearing in my head.

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Peanut Butter Apple Crisp

This Peanut Butter Apple Crisp tastes delicious when served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's the perfect easy skillet dessert that feeds the entire family.

A bowl of apple crisp topped with ice cream and chocolate candies.

During the summer months, we keep a never-ending supply of ice cream in our freezer.

Some days there are boxes of store-bought ice creams stacked in the back, and other days I make a batch of homemade ice cream that I try to hide behind the real food in the freezer.

Along with our ice cream hoarding, we also like to keep bags of apples in our refrigerator all the time. The small individual packages are great for grabbing on the go or for car rides to the lake.

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Peach Cinnamon Roll Cups

Sometimes you need an easy breakfast that everyone will enjoy without taking all morning to prepare it. These little Peach Cinnamon Roll Cups come together in no time at all. You are only two-ingredients away from having them on your table.

We had to crack down on our kiddos. The sleeping in was getting pretty ridiculous. No one should be in bad until 11 am, unless they are sick or injured. Am I right?

A month of doing nothing is a good amount of time for kids to relax after working hard all school year. At least, that's what we are going with. Now they officially have a wake up time, cleanliness routine, daily chore list, and Bible study to do. If this is done each day, they will be allowed an hour of electronics. We are so tired of hearing them ask all.day.long if they can be on some sort of TV or game unit or phone when nothing else is getting done.

Any guess on how day one went? [Read more...]

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cake

This Caramel Ice Cream Cake has a crunchy brownie brittle crust, a layer of salted caramel ice cream, and a layer of coffee ice cream on top. Finished with Cool Whip swirls and caramel drizzles, it is the most stunning and delicious no bake summer dessert.

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When my kids were little, I used to hide the ice cream behind the green beans and broccoli in the freezer so they wouldn't find it. Despite my best efforts, those little ice cream monsters always found it!

These days I don't really have to hide anything, but I can't help but chuckle whenever I make ice cream and think about it. This week it has been hot, and I was in the mood for something salted caramel. And since coffee is one of my all-time favorite flavors, I used both in an ice cream cake.

I added a crunchy brownie brittle crust to the ice cream layers and topped it with whipped topping and caramel. This easy ice cream cake looks like something from Dairy Queen, but it's quite simple to make at home for special occasions.

Why You'll Love This Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cake

No baking! This dessert is perfect for hot summer days when turning on the oven is absolutely not happening.
A brownie brittle crust. Sweet, salty, and the most incredible crunchy base for the creamy layers. It is so much better than a regular Oreo crust.
Two ice cream flavors. The combination of caramel and coffee will remind you of a caramel frappuccino.
Great for parties! The cake needs to freeze overnight, so it is the perfect dessert to make a day or two before a party or event.
Looks impressive with very little effort. Store-bought ice cream layers, Cool Whip swirls, and a caramel drizzle on top make this cake look fancy. Nobody will believe you made it yourself.

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Surviving Tough Mudder 2015

Last month we survived another Tough Mudder.

Yeah, you read that right. Another...as in second one! Honestly, they are really more fun than you would really think. Just make sure you do some running or working out for a few months before. These events are tough. And when you are trying to walk through mud, they are even harder! But it's doable. If I (who could be classified as a princess) can do two of these runs and a Warrior Dash, you can too. Promise 🙂

Running 10 miles through mud and doing obstacles really is a fun time!

He said: I'm going to sign up to run another Tough Mudder with my brother and anyone else who wants to do it. Are you in?
She said: Are you kidding me? I've already done that once. I'm good. You have fun with that craziness!

He said: So, a few people at church are going to run the race with me. I told one of the girls that you were running, so she is going to do it too.
She said: You did WHAT??? Why would you do that? Now I have to really work out and eat right.

He said: Well, my brother is out for the Mudder. Apparently doing a mud run three weeks after surgery isn't the best thing to do for recovery.
She said: Can I schedule a surgery? Any surgery? I'm not picky about what they operate on.

He said: Someone has an extra bib for the mini...I think I'm going to run it.
She said: That's the week before the Mudder...I don't think that's a good idea.
He said: Whatever. I'll be fine.

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Chocolate Donut S'mores

Adding toasted marshmallows to donuts is a fun way to change up the traditional s'mores. These Chocolate Donut S'mores can be made over a campfire or in your kitchen oven. They are fun little treats to share any time of day.

Have you noticed donuts creeping up all over the place? There are so many different little shops selling crazy, over the top, and completely amazing donuts now.

In our town, we have a small mom and pop donut place. They don’t do the crazy donuts, but they have some of the best chocolate cake donuts and apple fritters I have ever had.

I love making homemade donuts every once in a while too. If we have ripe bananas, I love to put them into these Sour Cream Banana Donuts. The fun part is choosing a topping. We usually do chocolate with sprinkles, but I’m thinking Oreo crumbs would be pretty awesome too. [Read more...]

Frosted Chocolate Banana Scones

Frosted Chocolate Banana Scones are just what your mornings need this summer. Easy to make, full of chocolate, and topped with frosting are just a few reasons why you should try them.

Chocolate chips and frosting make these banana scones an amazing breakfast to start out the day with!

The first week of summer break is always rough. And by rough, I really mean lazy. Our kids have been sleeping in really late after a whole school year of being up early. I have let them sleep until they wake up naturally for that first week. There were a few days they went to bed later, and we had to wake them up before it got too late in the morning.

I have to admit the quiet time in the morning does help me get all my work done easier, so I may have let them sleep longer than necessary.

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Pina Colada Trifle

This easy Pina Colada Trifle has pineapple cake, coconut cheesecake, and fruit layered in a clear bowl. Cool Whip swirls and maraschino cherries add a beautiful and delicious finish to the top. It's a fun twist on the tropical drink and so much easier to make than it looks.

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A few years back, I got hooked on making parfaits and trifles. I bought a clear trifle bowl and started dreaming up flavor combos to layer inside it.

One of the first ones I made was this pina colada cake trifle. It turned out so pretty that I make it every summer now. The layers of cake, cheesecake pudding, and fruit get rave reviews every time!

The best part is that this pineapple coconut trifle uses a cake mix as a shortcut, making it easier than it looks. No fancy baking skills are required to make a stunning dessert. One bite, and you will feel like you are sitting on a tropical beach somewhere.

Why You'll Love This Pina Colada Cake Trifle

The wow factor! The beautiful layers of cake, fruit, and filling through the clear bowl make this the most stunning dessert on the table. It's always the first thing to disappear.
All the tropical pina colada flavors in one bowl. Coconut, pineapple, and cherries make every single bite taste like a little tropical getaway.
Easy cake mix hack. Using pineapple juice in the batter adds a little more tropical flavor to the dessert.
Easy to make ahead. Bake the cake and make the filling the day before, so all you have to do is assemble everything on party day.
Feeds a crowd. This sweet treat is huge and always a hit at summer parties and picnics.

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Gooey Butterfinger Brownie Bars

Adding chocolate and candy bars to gooey brownies always makes a decadent treat worth sharing. These Gooey Butterfinger Brownie Bars are rich, delicious, and totally worth cheating on that summer diet.

Any time we go for ice cream with the kids, I can guarantee that our daughter will come back to the table with chocolate and Butterfinger in her bowl. She has gotten that combo for years now, so it is safe to say it is her favorite!

Although, recently she has been adding mint chips to her vanilla milkshakes, so that combo might slowly be taking over the favorite spot.

We went out to eat the other day, and the kids got coupons for ice cream with their kids meals. Right away my daughter announced that she was getting mint chips on her ice cream, but when dinner was over what do you think she came back with? Chocolate ice cream with Butterfinger sprinkled all over the top!

She is definitely a creature of habit when it comes to her ice cream, so I knew when I made these brownies, that she would go bonkers for them. [Read more...]

BruCrew Top Ten

I hope you guys have been having a great month so far. We have been keeping busy with work, kids, sports, and finishing up the school year strong. Only one week left, so trying to keep everyone one focused on school related stuff is a real struggle. I'm pretty sure we have all checked out. Nice weather and green grass tends to do that.

1. Last week we had a chance to get all dressed up and go to a banquet for our local LifeCare Services. They do a great job of helping pregnant ladies in the community with help and respect. We are honored to partner with them through donations.

2. I get questions all the time about how I can make so many brownies and cookies and still maintain my weight. It's all about moderation...and lots of exercise. We do crossfit a few times a week, and I also try to run a little bit here and there. Consistently using Advocare products also makes a huge difference in our appearance and metabolism.

We know that this dedication to training is what helped us make it through the Tough Mudder we did last week. Although I have to say that running 10 miles through the mud and then getting new shoes does not do well for running the next week. I'm going to have to slowly work back up to it.

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