Peanut Butter Banana Coffee Milkshakes

Yesterday was one of those days...

one where my attitude and heart just weren't right all day.

I had a serious case of the crankies...

and the sad thing, was that I knew it.

Did I do anything to change it?

No, and I let my crankiness out on my family.

The kids were loud and obnoxious all day...

and the infernal whistling in the house was getting on my last nerve.

I have to confess that I raised my voice to them more than once...

and I'm sure if a mirror had been in front of me, I wouldn't have liked what I saw.

Oh, and I made them clean up the many messes that they continued to leave behind.

Seriously I thought, "How many times do I have to tell them?" and

"Is summer over yet?" I may have even let the comment slip that I couldn't wait for school.

I let my irritation grow and grow without taking a moment to figure out what was behind it.

[Read more...]

Monster Cookie Bars

It's after noon here, and we are all just starting to move around here. But I guess that's what happens when you stay up to the wee hours blowing up your money.

We spent yesterday with family, and hip hip hooray, they have had plenty of rain up north, so no burn bans there.

So of course the boys headed out to buy some fire fun!!! Oh my word!!! I can't believe how much that stuff costs!!!

We saw one big package marked $750!!! Seriously? Who buys those things?

Now we are home after a long night, and it is time to get back into the swing of things.

Well, maybe not a full day swing of things.
[Read more...]

We love a good hot chocolate any time of the year.
But when the temperatures reach 100*...
A hot chocolate just isn't going to cut it.
Cold hot chocolates are pretty good,
but sometimes you just want more to bite into.

Mocha Mallow Fudge - mocha and vanilla fudge layers with marshmallows is a fun twist to a cold hot chocolate https://insidebrucrewlife.com

I always associated fudge with Christmas...
It seems like growing up, that was the only time I ever ate it.
But now I think we need to have fudge more often.

So, to combat my craving for hot chocolate and to get more fudge in my diet,
I decided to combine the two.
And the cookie crust, well it had nothing to do with either...
It just happened.

This just might be my favorite fudge right now.
Soft and marshmallowy...sweet and crunchy...chocolatey and creamy!

Oh, fudge, now I'm craving it all over again.
And of course, I never did buy another mocha packet.
This could be bad...

Recipe

Mocha Mallow Fudge

Yield: 36 squares

Cookie crumbs with mocha and vanilla fudge layers.

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Mocha Layer

2 cups white chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup marshmallow cream
¼ cup hot chocolate mix
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 ½ c. miniature marshmallows

For the Vanilla Layer

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter
pinch of salt
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup marshmallow cream

Instructions

Line an 8x8 pan with wax paper or foil.
Combine the cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a bowl and press into prepared pan. Set aside.
In a saucepan combine the white chocolate chips, butter, salt, condensed milk, and marshmallow cream for the mocha layer. Stir over medium heat until everything is all melted.
Stir in the hot chocolate and instant coffee until dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the marshmallows and pour over the crust. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
In a saucepan, combine the white chocolate chips, butter, salt, condensed milk, and marshmallow cream. Stir over medium heat until melted.
Let cool 5 minutes and pour over the mocha layer. Refrigerate until set. Cut into 36 squares.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

How about some more fudge to drool over?

Cappuccino Fudge - BruCrew Life

Chocolate Fudge with Nutter Butter Crust - Crazy For Crust

Key Lime Pie Fudge - Real Mom Kitchen

Banana Reese's Cookies

Two times the peanut butter candies make these soft Banana Reese's Cookies a delicious choice for the cookie jar.

(photos updated June 2016)

Happiness is...

*cool summer mornings where you need a blanket to snuggle under

*little hands reaching for yours when you go for a walk

*hearing your kids playing and getting along...for a while anyway!

*kissing your husband

*going to Goodwill and finding fun photo props

*making and eating marshmallow Reese's brownies

[Read more...]

Marshmallow Kit Kat Ice Cream

As summer quickly approaches, I love how easy it is to make ice cream to snack on. This Marshmallow Kit Kat Ice Cream is a must have for a hot summer day.

This easy no churn ice cream is loaded with marshmallow and Kit Kat candy bars. Perfect summer treat!

I have been wanting to make some sort of 2 ingredient ice cream

ever since I saw it.

Well, I finally decided with it being summer and 90+ degrees outside,

that it was time to make some ice cream.

Gotta love a cold creamy ice cream cone

after being outside in the hot sun!

This ice cream is so easy to make.

I almost love it more than the store bought stuff.

It is so rich and creamy!

And it only takes about 7 minutes to make

and you don't have to heat up your oven at all for this!

Bonus when it is too sticky outside for baking!

Now obviously I had to find some thing to stir into my ice cream,
so I dug through my baking cupboard...
and pulled out some Kit Kat's and some marshmallow ice cream topping.

Now that sounds like a tasty combo, doesn't it?
The answer to that...YES!
We ate the entire bowl of ice cream in one day!

Now remember that if you are going to make it and eat it the same day,
you need to plan ahead better than I did.
I made it at night.
Bad idea when it has to freeze for like 6 hours before consuming.
Not easy to tell the kids that you are making ice cream,
and that they have to wait until tomorrow to try it out.
I think the wait was worth it though...they loved it!

Now my son keeps asking when I am going to make more.
I have the whipping cream and condensed milk
and an entire cupboard full of mix ins...

so what flavor combo sounds good to you???
(there is a very good chance I have what you are thinking of)

Recipe

Marshmallow Ice Cream

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Inactive Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes

This easy no churn ice cream is loaded with marshmallow flavor! It's a perfect treat for hot summer days!

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 - 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
In a large bowl stir together the sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup marshmallow fluff, and salt. Fold the whipped cream into the milk.
Spoon ⅓ of the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan. Add a few spoonfuls of remaining marshmallow and swirl gently with a knife. Repeat the layers two more times.
Place a piece of wax paper directly on top of the ice cream. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or lid. Freeze 6 hours or until solid.

Notes

Chill the metal bowl and metal whisk attachment for 10-20 minutes before making the ice cream to speed up your whipping time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 110mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 1gSugar: 50gProtein: 8g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches are a delicious and easy dinner for when you do not want to be in the kitchen for long.

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day with my husband.
Now, we didn't do anything extra special.
We went to church, had burgers, played ninja, watched tv and ate strawberry pie.
Pretty much a regular day, but it was with the daddy we love,
and that makes it special no matter what!

[Read more...]

Mocha Cookie Crumble Cupcakes

These Mocha Cookie Crumble Cupcakes are full of chocolate cookie chunks and mocha flavor. They are a perfectly decadent cupcake worth biting into.

So the other day my daughter and I went out to get groceries.
And she asked the question she always asks when we go out...
"Can we get coffee?"
Since I had it in my head to drag her to at least 3 stores that I was sure of,
I figured I better sweeten the deal for her.

"Sure. Why not, I replied."
We got to the coffee shop, parked, and went in.

I had an ulterior motive for going into the store instead of the drive thru...
these cupcakes have been swirling around in my head since the last time we stopped at Starbucks.
So...I knew I had to "pick up" a few extra green straws.
Oh, all right.
I was going to steal a bunch when we left. You got me:-)

My daughter ordered the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino,
while I went with my all time favorite, the Mocha Coconut. (so happy it is here again)
Then on to JoAnn Fabrics to get lost in fun things.
We picked out paper for birthday invitations, looked at fabric, checked out the clearance,
and found a jumbo muffin pan that I had been looking for.
It was a successful trip with no complaining that I had been there too long.
Thank you coffee!

We headed to the checkout with our "treasures" and a gift card.
The girl at the counter was more than happy to help us and
asked what kind of muffins I was going to be making.
Being the spur of the moment baker and blogger that I am,
I replied that I wasn't sure yet...
and that I was a baking blogger and bought pans "just because" all the time.

She was so sweet and even asked the name of my blog.
Now usually I am shy and don't mention too much to real life people about my blog.
They don't usually understand what I am talking about and
why I would bake treats for people I don't know or can't see.
Food bloggers, you understand right?

Fortunately, she seemed to be into blogs and
we talked about muffins and cupcakes for a few minutes.
The whole time I was smiling really big because I was brave and shared
my blogging passion with a real life, oxygen breathing
human that I could have reached out and touched.

My daughter and I got back in the van and headed to the next store.
I was kind of on a high from sharing, and so I was recapping the convo with my girl...
who really could have cared less that her shy mom gave out her blog name.
She just looked at me and laughed and said,
"Dude, you have stuff in your teeth."

Are you kidding me?
Darn you delicious mocha coconut!!!
You took me down with your delicious floating coconut flakes!

Yup, yours truly had chocolatey coconut flakes in between my pearly whites.
No wonder the girl was so sweet and kind.
She was probably thinking what kind of moron baker walks around
showing off food in her teeth?

I wanted to die!
So much for that sharing high...
where is that shovel to bury myself with?

Now I am just hoping she forgets the blog name,
since I didn't have any business cards with me to hand out. (thank goodness for procrastination this time)

My theory...she isn't going to remember me anyway.

But just in case, I will avoid JoAnn's for about a month!

Baking always helps relieve whatever kind of funk I am in.
And baking with kids is a really good way to forget embarrassing moments...
instead you begin to worry about egg shells floating around in the cake batter:-)
And did they just lick their fingers and then break more cookie chunks?

Since apparently coconut isn't my friend right now,
I decided to make the cookie drink into a fun cupcake.

Chocolate and coffee...yes, please.
They were so yummy and made me kind of forget my crash and burn experience.

Thank goodness my husband took most of the cupcakes to work with him.
And then kids finished off all the pretty ones in the fridge.

Oh lookee what I just found in the fridge...a few extra cupcakes hiding in a box.
It was stressful remembering the traumatic coconut experience...
don't judge me for eating cupcakes at midnight:-)

Recipe

Mocha Cookie Crumble Cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 48 minutes

Chocolate cupcakes get a fun twist from coffee and chocolate cookies.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1 chocolate cake mix (18 oz.)
1 cup brewed coffee, cooled
4 large eggs
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz. box)
2 cups chocolate cookie chunks
¼ cup chocolate cookie crumbs, reserved for topping

For the Mocha Butter Cream

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup shortening
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coffee extract
4 tablespoons mocha coffee creamer
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
For the cupcakes, in a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, coffee, eggs, yogurt, and melted butter. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed and beat on medium for 2 minutes. The batter will be very thick. Stir in the cookie chunks by hand.
Fill cupcake liners ½ full. Bake at 350* for about 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
For the frosting, in a mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, salt, extract and coffee creamer. Slowly add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Beat on medium speed for another minute or until creamy.
Top cooled cupcakes with Mocha Butter Cream. Sprinkle with extra cookie crumbs. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Notes

If you like a generous amount of frosting on your cupcakes, double the frosting recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

Want more Starbucks inspired cupcakes? Check out these.

Caramel Caffe' Mocha Cupcakes

Salted Caramel Mocha Brownie Cups

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino Cupcakes

Key Lime Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Layers of creamy tart cheesecake and soft chewy cookies make these Key Lime Cheesecake Cookie Bars a delicious dessert recipe to make and share.

These Key Lime Cheesecake Cookie Bars are some of my favorites to make. For some reason though I haven't made them in forever.

A few weeks ago I was wanting to make my hubby a yummy treat for us to enjoy after the kids went to bed.

He loves cheesecake, and I love chocolate chip cookies. These cookie bars are the perfect mashup of recipes for us!!!

I made and posted these Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars a few years ago.

[Read more...]

Candy Bar Stuffed Rice Krispie Treats

Use the extra candy in your house to make a pan of these Candy Bar Stuffed Rice Krispie Treats. These easy no bake treats get smiles from everyone who finds the hidden center.

There are times when you want a candy bar, and times when you want a rice krispie treat. The struggle is real. What if we combined them into one amazing treat??? Call me crazy, but these are so awesome!!!

Today you can have the candy bar AND the rice krispie treat, and no one will look at you funny for eating 2 treats. These treats are over the top amazing and will definitely make people do a double take when you bring them to your next party.

My mind is going crazy with every candy bar combo possible. In fact, I couldn't stop thinking about them and made these peanut butter cup rice krispie treats and these Oreo stuffed rice krispie treats. Obsessed much?

[Read more...]

Golden Oreo Vanilla Cupcakes

Sometimes you just have to do something that is you...

because no one else is like you.

And that is a good thing.

Golden Oreo Vanilla Cupcakes - vanilla cupcakes to to the next level with golden Oreos

Want to know something?

I get grief for all the craziness that comes out of my kitchen.

People say things like "Oh that is just Jocelyn" while rolling their eyes

or the best one...

"Don't you ever just make plain stuff?"

I like to make fun desserts!

Why? Because that is me.

Sure I can make a plain vanilla cupcake...but why?

Honestly it isn't in me to be plain.

Every part of me screams be different and

don't conform to the norm.

It's why I like to wear funky shoes and carry fun purses.

Different, crazy, wonky...that's me only in a very quiet form.

With my baking I am always thinking outside the box...

or inside the cupcake 🙂

So even a request for plain vanilla gets to be dressed up.

Now let me preface this by saying,

the family that ordered all the cupcakes a few weeks ago

knows my dessert fetish.

They wanted a fun vanilla with no chocolate in sight.

If someone else wanted a very plain vanilla,

I would most definitely make them exactly what they wanted.

But lucky for me...I had cupcake permission to get jiggy.

So how does one go about making a plain vanilla...fun?

You head to the store and wander the cookie and candy aisles

until something jumps off the shelf and into your cart.

Sadly that really does happen to me 🙂

As soon as I saw the golden Oreos I knew we had a winner.

A hidden cookie surprise for the bottom...

and vanilla cookies and cream frosting.

Plain with just a little bit of an edge.

The only thing that would have made this just a little bit better...

sprinkles. How on earth did I manage to forget the sprinkles?

If you try this, please remember to sprinkle more fun on top!!!

Or don't if that is how your baking heart is leading you.

I have finally learned after a few years of comments and looks

to just smile and be proud of my outside of the box creations.

Dr. Suess said it best..."There is no one alive that is you-er than you."

Just have fun and be you!

Wear those zebra shoes with a hot pink scarf.

Bling out your neck with a few layered fun necklaces.

Bake up crazy and wild desserts.

Do it because you can!

Recipe

Golden Oreo Vanilla Cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 48 minutes

Vanilla cupcakes with a hidden golden Oreo surprise and golden Oreo butter cream on top

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 box white cake mix + ingredients on the back of the box
38 Golden Oreo cookies, divided

For the Frosting

½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup finely crushed vanilla cookie crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 30 liners in muffin tins. Place a whole Oreo cookie in the bottom of the liners.
In a mixing bowl, make up the boxed cake mix using the directions on the back.
Fill liners and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool completely.
In a mixing bowl cream the butter and shortening. Add the cream, vanilla, and salt and beat again.
Slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the finely chopped cookie crumbs and beat again.
Frost the tops of the cupcakes. Break the remaining 8 cookies into quarters and place one on each cupcake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 1g

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