Easy Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Cake Bars

A few weeks back we went to a friends house for dinner. 

I knew about it all week. 

Knew I was going to bring dessert. 

But all three times I went to the store, I forgot to get something to make. 

I can't tell you how often this happens. 

So, I set off in search of a recipe I could make with ingredients I had at home. 

I always keep a variety of cake mix in the house.  

There are just so many options to do with it.  

Thankfully, I found the following recipe on Pinterest and made some changes using ingredients I had. 

The bars took me no time to make and were delicious. 

Peanut butter, chocolate, a thick chewy bar....my kind of dessert! 

                                                          

 Adapted from I'm a lazy mom

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs beaten

5 T melted butter

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup chocolate chips 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. 

Pour into a brownie pan (this one is my favorite) 

Secret Fruit Salad

This past weekend my parents had us over for a BBQ.  My mom and I always talk about the menu a few days before we get together.  Since spring weather has arrived, I knew we had to have fruit salad on the menu.  And I remembered seeing a pin that said adding vanilla pudding to fruit salad was amazing.  So, I added fruit salad and vanilla pudding to the grocery list.  

Results: The pin was spot on.  This is the secret to the best fruit salad.  I didn't really measure the amount of pudding mix I used.  I just added it until I felt most of the fruit was coated.  

All of the guests asked what I added to make it so tasty.  I'll be making it this way from now on! 

Secret Fruit Salad

Courtesy of Rachel Schultz 

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

I'm so glad I got over my salmon fear.  It's becoming a weekly staple in our house and I'm enjoying trying different recipes.  This recipe is supposed to be grilled, but I just cooked it in the oven. I read a few reviews and broiled it. I basted, cooked for three minutes, basted again and cooked for another 5 minutes.   Hubs said the sauce was fantastic, and I would have to agree.  It's the perfect sweet and tangy combination, enjoy!

sorry for the crappy phone pic...i'm missing my nice camera!

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

Courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients
Salmon:

3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
Directions
On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.

Sesame Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

If you aren't receiving emails from Kraft foods your inbox, you are missing out.  This recipe was another one of the fresh spring recipes that was emailed to me last week. 

I'm always up for a fresh stir-fry recipe. If you don't have a stir-fry on your meal plans, you should.  They are easy to make, usually only involve one pot and are healthy.  

This recipe is indeed perfect for spring.  The pineapple along with the crunch of the snap peas made the dish for me.  Next time, I will use red and green peppers. Enjoy! 

Sesame Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry 

Courtesy of Kraft Foods 

time

prep:

25 min

total:

25 min

servings

total:

4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

what you need

1

Tbsp.  oil

1

lb.  boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

2

cups  sugar snap peas, trimmed

1

large  red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

3

cloves  garlic, minced

2

cups  fresh pineapple chunks (1 inch)

1/4

cup  KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1

Tbsp.  lite soy sauce

2

 green onions, diagonally cut into thin slices

make it

HEAT oil in wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, peas, peppers and garlic; stir-fry 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is done.

ADD pineapple; stir-fry 2 min. or until heated through. Stir in combined dressing and soy sauce. Remove from heat; stir in onions.

Peep Brownies

How cute are these?

A friend of mine posted a picture a few days before Easter of this adorable dessert.  

I knew I had to make them.  

Ingredients: 

Brownie Mix

Green Icing

Peeps

Peanut M&M's 

Directions: 

Make the brownies according to the package directions.  

Bake them in a brownie pan (I love my Pampered Chef pan) 

When they're done, let them cool on a cooling rack.

After they are completely cooled, use the green icing to make it look like grass.
I cheated and bought the Betty Crocker Cupcake Icing with tips.
It was so easy, worth the extra few dollars.
After that, place a peep and some M&M's on top.

These treats are sure to be the talk of the party! 

Soy Glazed Salmon

I try and make one fish recipe a week.  Lately, I've been sticking with shrimp because it's quick and easy.  I've only made salmon a few times but this recipe jumped out on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to try it. The recipe was quick and easy to follow.  The salmon was full of flavor, I was surprised with how easy it was.  Will definitely be making it again.

Soy Glazed Salmon

Courtesy of Martha Stewart 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
• 2 pounds salmon fillet
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly.
3. Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Lemon Coconut Cake Mix Cookies

I can't pass up a cake mix cookie. They are just so easy to make and oh so delicious.  When I came across this recipe, I knew it would be the perfect cookie to kick of the start of spring.  

Results: Another successful cookie recipe.  I added an extra half of cup of coconut to the batter along with rolling the cookie in it.  Everyone in my family loved this recipe.  Hubs even kept an extra stash for himself. Enjoy! 

Lemon Coconut Cake Mix Cookies 

Courtesy of Eclectic Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon Dixie Crystals powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, egg and milk in a large bowl. Mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine coconut and sugar. Mix well. Spoon cookie dough by the tablespoon into coconut and roll around. Place cookie on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Continue rolling all cookies. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes, or until coconut has browned and cookie is set. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Adapted from Welcome to the Good Life 

Ingredients:
-1 bag of ready-to-eat spinach
-craisins
-thinly sliced strawberries
-honey roasted pecans (salad toppers) 
-poppy seed dressing (here is the dressing I used, it's also dairy free)


Directions:
1. Pour spinach onto a bowl.  Top it with the rest of the ingredients according to preference, mix, and enjoy!

Spaghetti with Garlic-Shrimp and Broccoli

One of the recent emails I received from Kraft Foods had a ton of healthy spring dishes.  I immediately checked out all the recipes and found a few that I intended to add to an upcoming menu.  This one was the first one I put on the list.  I try to make a fish recipe once a week, lately I've been using shrimp.  It's quick, easy and the perfect pair for pasta.  

Results: A very good recipe.  I used whole wheat pasta and lite dressing to make it healthier.  Next time I will add additional veggies (red pepper and mushrooms) and cut the broccoli a little smaller.  Enjoy! 

Spaghetti with Garlic-Shrimp and Broccoli 

Courtesy of Kraft Foods

time

prep:

20 min

total:

20 min

servings

total:

6 servings, about 1-1/4 cups each

what you need

1/2

lb.  spaghetti, uncooked

4

cups  small broccoli florets

1/2

cup  KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing

1

lb.  uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp

2

cloves  garlic, minced

1/4

cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

make it

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the cooking water for the last 2 min.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until shrimp turn pink.

DRAIN spaghetti mixture; return to pan. Add shrimp mixture and cheese; mix lightly.

Red Velvet Fudge Brownies

Last weekend, we hosted a couples game night at our house.  We asked all of the guests to bring a dish and their drink of choice.  With a baby and with work being really busy, I didn't have time to plan a typical over the top party that I usually throw. I decided to "sign-up" for dessert.  Desserts are always my choice because they are simple and usually a favorite.  I had already made regular brownies and rice krispie treats but needed one more dessert for my 3-tier serving dish.  When I realized this, it was only 3 hours away from party time.  I knew I had tons of red velvet cake mixes in the pantry, so I searched for a recipe I could make with it.  I didn't want a cupcake or cake, so I decided on brownies! 

Results:  I liked these, didn't love them.  I thought they were a bit cake like.  But, hubs LOVED them.  And a lot of the guests at the party said they were good.  Hubs did tell me that the chocolate chips made it.  He said he had one without a lot of chocolate chips and it was so so, but the one he had with loads of chips was amazing.  Next time I make them, I'll add more chips.  Another variation which would put these over the top is adding cream cheese icing! The recipe does have icing with it, but I left it out because I wanted to stack the brownies on a plate.  Enjoy!

Red Velvet Fudge Brownies

Courtesy of Duncan Hines 

Hands-On Time:	10 minutes
Total Time:	55 minutes
Servings:	Varies
Rating:	4.5 stars

Description:

Brownies.

Ingredients

• 1 Duncan Hines box Red Velvet cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter, after melted
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

Marble Frosting:

• 8 oz. butter cream frosting
• 4 oz. triple chocolate frosting

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine egg, butter, water in a bowl. Add box mix, stir until the ingredients are combined, and lumps are gone.
3. Add chips and 1 cup of nuts, and pour mixture into the greased 9x13-inch baking pan.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and place the cake on wire cooling rack.
5. Frost brownie with butter cream frosting. Heat or microwave chocolate frosting for easy pouring. Pour 2 oz. chocolate frosting over butter cream layer.
6. Use a fork to blend two frostings for a marbled appearance, to desired pattern. Sprinkle brownie with remaining nuts.
7. Drizzle remaining chocolate frosting over the butter cream.
8. Put the brownie in the freezer to cool. Allow 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

I'm always looking for simple crock pot meals.  I plan at least two crock pot meals a week and look forward to those days.  It saves me so much time in the kitchen and most crock pot meals provide a good amount of leftovers.  This recipe was found on Pinterest.  

 Results:  As good as some of the pork I've bought at some of our favorite restaraunts.  Actually, better than a recent pulled pork sandwich I had at Smokey Bones.  I only used 4 pork chops so I cut the water down to 1/3 of a cup.  I also used my go to BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Rays.  I was completely surprised at how well the "pulled" method was using my Kitchenaid mixer.  Honestly, I knew this recipe was either going to be a big hit or a flop.  I'm thrilled it was so delicious because it was so easy.  We had this the first night with baked beans and veggies.  Then, two nights later on sandwich buns.  Winner right here!

Easy BBQ Pulled Pork 

Courtesy of S.Winston Lane

Ingredients: 
6 boneless center cut chops
1/2 cup water
Spices-I used a southwestern spice mix and fresh ground black pepper on the chops before putting them in the slow cooker 
Sliced onions
~Half bottle BBQ sauce of choice 


Instructions:
Pour water and some BBQ sauce into slow cooker, stir well. 
Place one layer of chops inside slow cooker. Mine allowed for three across. 
Put some sauce and onions on top of first layer, then add another layer of chops followed by more onions and sauce. I set mine to cook on low for 7 hours. 

At the end of the 7 hours, use a slotted spoon and transfer half of the cooked chops into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater. Mix on low until the pork is shredded to the level you want. Transfer shredded pork into another bowl and shred the remaining chops. 

The end result will need saucing. 
This part actually works great because while the shredded pork does have flavor without adding sauce, this gives everyone at the table the option of adding the kind of sauce they prefer. 

FYI: Using 6 pork chops will yield A LOT of pulled pork. If you have a small family or don't want leftovers, I'd do half. 

Energy Bites

This recipe had been on my to-make list for months now. I've heard so many people talk about how good they are and healthy too!  So this past week I finally made the time to make them.  Honestly, they took 20 minutes.  I wish I had made them sooner! They were amazing.  I followed the exact recipe below, only substituting chocolate chips for dairy and soy free chocolate chips. Not only did I love this snack, but the husband loved it as well. Every single day he has asked me when I'm going to make some more.  Enjoy!   

No Bake Energy Balls

Courtesy of Smashed Peas and Carrots 

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Spring Yarn Wreath

Last year, I made this wreath for spring/ summer.  This year I wanted something different.  I wanted something bright and fun.  Something that made people smile when they looked at my front door.  When I was at the store last week, I picked up the perfect yarn that I knew would make a perfect wreath.  

Materials: 

Foam Wreath

Yarn

Fabric Scraps 

Buttons

Hot Glue

Ribbon

Instructions: 

Wrap the wreath with yarn.  I bought multicolored yard in spring colors. 

Once you're finished tie the ends together in a double knot.  

Next, you make the flowers using coordinating colors.  

Here is the tutorial I used to make the flowers.  

I used two different circles to make two different size flowers.

  When they were finished, I just hot glued them to the wreath.  

From here, you can use ribbon to hang it or hang it just the way it is off a hook.  

I did both and decided I liked the look of the ribbon better.  

That's it.  The entire wreath took me less than an hour. 

It brightens up the front of our house, I love it! 

Egg Garland

This project was inspired by Pinterest.  I remember pinning it last year but never got around to making it.  This year I made sure to add it to the top of my list and gave myself a good amount of time to get it done.  This entire project took me about 20 minutes and didn't cost a thing since I used items I already had at home.  

Aren't those the best kind of projects?!? 

Materials: 

Paint Chips

Yarn

Hole Punch

White Chalk Marker 

Egg Shaped Tracer

Instructions: 

I started out with paint chips I grabbed at WalMart.  

Next, I used an oval/ egg cookie cutter to trace shapes on all of the paint chips. 

Make sure to trace on the back, not the colored side.  

Then you don't have to worry about cutting it perfect. 

After that, I decorated the eggs with a chalk marker.  

You could use paint but the white for the chalk marker shows up best for me.  

To finish it up, I hole punched the top of the eggs and put yarn through the holes.  

I used a scrapbook hole punch, smaller than the regular paper punches. 

The holes were just big enough for the yarn to fit through.  

That is it.  Now find the perfect place to hang it up! 

Spring Banner

Materials: 

Scrap Paper (I used 3 pieces of polkadot) 

Scissors

Glue

Scrap Letters or Printer Letters 

Yarn

Instructions: 

I started with 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper (they came in a pack)

I used 7 sheets, one for a template and 6 for the banner

Next, I made a template with my extra sheet. 

I would recommend using a scrap sheet of paper instead of wasting a good sheet of paper. 

I folded it down the middle first.  

Then, I cut up from the bottom corners until it met in the middle.  

I used this piece to trace the rest for the banner. 

Next, I printed out the word spring on my computer. 

 I created 4x4 squares in Photoshop and my letters were about 3 inches. 

You could easily buy scrap letters or use a Cricut if you have one.  

I find printing it to be the quickest way for me. 

I trimmed the squares to fit on top of each banner piece.  

I made sure all the squares were the same size. 

Then, I took the banner pieces and folded them down about a half inch from the top. 

I glued the letter pieces onto the banner flags. 

To hang it up, I used yarn.  

I measured enough for the entire banner with room at both ends. 

Then, I folded the top of the banner flags over the yarn and hot glued it closed.  

Make sure you are gluing the letters in the correct order.  

I did them backwards the first time!

After you've done this for each flag, you're done. 

Display your work with pride.