Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Balsamic Caprese Veggie Salad

A big bowl of this Balsamic Caprese Veggie Salad is a refreshing side dish that goes with any meal. It's a great healthy option to bring to all those summer picnics and potlucks.

Drizzle this Homemade Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette on top right before serving and watch it disappear.

Balsamic Caprese Veggie Salad - this fresh and easy veggie salad is a healthy option to enjoy all summer long. Make this recipe to have with chicken or burgers. #salad #healthy #tomatoes #cucumber #picnic #sidedish #veggies #leanandgreen

At the moment I could eat this veggie salad for every meal and be happy about it. Ok, ok, I would probably not be as happy eating it for breakfast. But you know what I mean, right?

We are still going strong with our healthy eating around here. Well, for the most part. Every so often we indulge and make these Mini Strawberry Pies or these White Chocolate Mochaccino Chippers. The sweet tooth has to have something every once in a while as a reward for hitting it hard in the gym and eating right.

Although, with swim suit season here, I am trying really hard not to eat all the sweets in the house. Trust me, I really do want to hide in my baking pantry and eat chocolate chips by the handfuls. But I'm resisting that urge because I just bought new summer clothes that I want to be able to still fit in.

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Red White and Blue Parfaits

Layers of cookies, white chocolate cheesecake, and fresh fruit make these Red White and Blue Parfaits perfect for 4th of July picnics. This delicious no bake dessert is easy for anyone to make in minutes.

Be sure to add a batch of these chocolate cheesecake parfaits for the chocolate lover in the group too.

Cheesecake parfaits made with a layer of fresh fruit.

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Cheesecake is our go to dessert when we need something fancy and delicious to take to dinner parties. But sometimes it is just too hot to turn on the oven, so that's when no bake desserts come in handy.

No bake cheesecake parfaits are so easy to make because you do not need to have any baking skills. Some of our favorites are these peanut butter and pina colada parfaits.

Since 4th of July is just around the corner, I decided to make a white chocolate parfait using red and blue fruit.

Why Make Cheesecake Parfaits

Red white and blue parfaits are the perfect patriotic treat. They are easy to make, and everyone loves how fancy they look.

Layers of white cheesecake, red strawberries, and blue blueberries are the perfect way to show your American pride at dessert. These cheesecake cups will be the hit of any 4th of July party or picnic.

Chocolate covered strawberries decorated with star sprinkles and a little paper flag add the perfect extra touch to the top of each parfait.

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Visiting Grand Canyon National Park

Visiting Grand Canyon National Park is a must when you travel to Arizona. The vast canyon is one of the world's natural wonders and will take your breath away every time you step up to the edge.

Our family has had the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon twice in the past 6 months. Last fall my husband and I headed to Arizona with our oldest son as he got ready to start his first year in college.

We decided to take a two day detour to see the natural canyon wonder and to do a little hiking with him before we dropped him off.

I can't even begin to describe the enormous amount of awe that comes over you when you see the Grand Canyon for the very first time. It is seriously one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.

One of my favorite things about it was seeing how it changed from different angles and different light. The colors in the layers of rocks could go from muted to vibrant in a short time frame. It all depends on the time of day you get there and how much sunlight is shining down. [Read more...]

Best Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This rich and smooth Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting will satisfy any chocolate lover. It's the perfect topping for cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. You will never buy store bought chocolate frosting again after trying this homemade frosting recipe.

For a decadent dessert, try adding this frosting to the top of a pan of Homemade Chocolate Chip Brownies. It's what dreams are made of!

When it comes to chocolate desserts, I say the darker the better. Of course, that's my personal opinion. I do realize not everyone shares this love for rich dark chocolate goodness.

In fact, I used to be an all milk chocolate kind of girl. Hello, M&M's. Those sweet little milk chocolate candies are still my favorite. But then my husband introduced me to dark chocolate, and my world has been changed.

Dark chocolate does take some time to get used to. The difference in dark chocolate versus milk chocolate is that there is more cocoa bean present in the dark. Milk chocolate has sugars and creams added to it to sweeten the flavor.

Honesty, I'm not picky though. I'll eat any kind of chocolate you put in front of me. [Read more...]

Blueberry Pineapple Slushies

These easy three ingredient Blueberry Pineapple Slushies are a delicious way to cool off on a hot summer day. Frozen berries and sorbet come together quickly in the blender with Sprite or sparkling water to create a fast and refreshing drink.

*This post is sponsored by Wish Farms in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

Summer has officially hit. Ok, ok, so it's not actually officially here because the kids are still in school. But they have made it to single digits in their countdown, so it's almost here.

The weather feels like summer though. This past week it has been hot and humid. I like hot. It's the humid that I'm not a big fan of. Working out in our garage gym isn't as much fun or productive when the humidity is high. I'm kind of nervous for the next few month.

Although, as long as I keep frozen fruit in my freezer, I can whip up these quick and easy fruit slushies in our blender every single day for a refreshing snack. Knowing a frozen treat is just minutes away will keep me motivated to finish doing those squats and burpees. At least I hope so... [Read more...]

Cherry Banana Bread

Add a loaf of this Cherry Banana Bread to your baking plans. This easy banana bread is loaded with chocolate and cherries and makes the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.

Slices of banana bread with cherries and chocolate chips on a white plate.

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A few months ago, I decided to let a few of the bananas sit a little longer on the counter. Spotty squishy bananas really do make the best banana bread!

I had an extra jar of cherries and chocolate chips that I wanted to throw into my favorite banana bread recipe.

The glaze on top is totally optional. The banana bread with cherries didn't need it, but really, why would you pass on a pretty pink glaze like that?

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Lemon Pistachio Crescent Twists

Waking up to a batch of the Lemon Pistachio Crescent Twist is a very good idea. No one has to know that you made breakfast the day before.

I love finding fun ways to change up breakfast treats. If I'm being honest, I actually love finding ways to make breakfast the day before because we all know that I'm not a morning person. At all.

Making Banana Pancakes, muffins, or pastries have to happen the day before, or they won't happen at all. Well, unless it's Saturday when making breakfast after 10 am is acceptable.

Every once in a while our kids can convince me that they need hot fresh pancakes first thing in the morning. Usually that only happens if it is their birthday though.

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Apple Rings

A chocolate coating and peanut butter filling add a fun flair to these Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Apple Rings. They make a fun and delicious no bake treat to share with family and friends.

Use your extra bags of apples to make this easy Crock Pot Cinnamon Strawberry Applesauce this summer. It's a delicious cool snack on a hot summer day.

*This post was sponsored by Crunch Pak apples. I am partnering with them as a blog ambassador creating delicious apple recipes. All opinions are 100% my own.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

I have come to the conclusion that I should not attempt to care for live plants. My thumbs are seriously so black that I have killed multiple cactuses. Yes, plants that doesn't need much water have died on my watch.

Every year at this time, my family likes to buy me plants for Mother's Day. Now most of the plants that we have put in the ground have survived because we used a sprinkler. Most of them lived that is. I actually did really well at keeping the plants we planted in our backyard garden alive last year too.

The cactus on the dining room shelf though didn't have the same fate. And the herbs I purchased earlier this year for our kitchen window died a tragic death too.

Every single time we have purchased live plants for the inside of our home, I have managed to kill them. I'm pretty sure plants know that they are going home to die when I pick them up because they seem to wilt when they walk through our door. Maybe I'm just imagining that though. [Read more...]

Simple Moments

It's the little things that matter most. Those simple moments add up over time to create a life time of change. I want to continue to do the little things in life that matter most. Time spent with family or on others will always trump work and success.

Little things like game nights, Nerf wars, family time, and even family pictures will be treasured moments in our children's life. Maybe not now, but over time they will understand how the little things were important.

It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and the desire to be and do bigger and better things, but sometimes the small things are what we need to be focusing on. Being faithful in the small things brings about change for the big things. [Read more...]

Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls

These Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls are full of lean and green veggies and an easy pork that has cooked in your crock pot all day. Layer it with some Easy Cauliflower Rice and all the toppings for an easy dinner recipe that everyone will love.

Our kids are officially counting down the days until school is out. They are ready for sleeping in and long lazy summer days. I can't believe that we are this close to summer already It's seems crazy that April is almost over.

Of course, if you are like me that gets you thinking about shorts and swim suits. Hmmm. That means hitting the gym and eating right should really move to the top of my to do list.

The number one question I get asked is how we stay trim with all the desserts in the house and on our plates. I know that I share a lot of desserts and treats here on the blog. It's just what I love to make and photograph the most, but we actually eat lean and green meals most of the time.

Eating healthy meals and sweets in moderation coupled with exercise is the key to the lifestyle that we have adapted to over the past year.

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