Inside BruCrew Life

Name: Cherry Apple Crumble Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Yield: 12 bars
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 egg yolk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup flour; 1 cup quick oats; 1 teaspoon apple pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon ground anise; 1 cup small batch cherry preserves; 3/4 cup finely diced apples; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 Tablespoon water

Cherry Apple Crumble Bars

Jocelyn — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 16:27:03 +0000

The spices and fruit filling in these Cherry Apple Crumble Bars work so well together. Eat it warm with vanilla ice cream for a delicious summer dessert.

CLICK HERE TO SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

The past few weeks we have been slowly packing boxes as we get ready to move across the country again. As I pull things out of closets and drawers I keep asking why. Why do we have so many towels for 5 people? Why did I keep all the jewelry making supplies from when I was in the “make your own” phase? I haven’t made anything new for almost 2 years. Maybe it is time to let go.

Why are there 15 jillion bottles of curly hair product in my closet and under the sink? Oh, yeah curly girl problems. I like to try every single product out there for curly hair because you never know which one might work the best.

The problem with that theory is that you end up with a lot of bottles of product that just sit there because it didn’t make your hair look as good as you hoped. This week I am making myself use the old stuff up. If you see me wearing a hat, you will know why.

Another why that has been plaguing me is why do I have so many clothes? I may have a slight shopping obsession. Lately I’m blaming that on losing 12 pounds. When you drop that much weight and drop 2 pant/short sizes, it’s time to do some more shopping. Yes, I could just wear the baggy clothes, but where is the fun in that? When you lose weight, you want to show off new cute clothes that fit better.

The other day I ran out to the mall for a new dress. I had seen it a few weeks before and couldn’t get it out of my mind, so I went back hoping it was still there. Happy dance because it was still there in my size.

As I walked to the dressing room, I saw a rack of jean capris. Now I had just purged 3 pairs from my closet for being too big, so a new pair was sort of a necessity. Not really, but I was going with it at the time. Plus, they were on sale! So, I grabbed a much smaller size off the rack than I usually wear. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I could fit into that size.

Honestly, I didn’t even think that they would fit. But since they were cute and I was headed to the dressing room anyway, I figured why not. Guys, I put them on and did a double take!! They fit perfectly! There was some more happy dancing going on in that little dressing room! You better believe they came home with me.

Ok, that was a giant rabbit trail. Let’s get back to my why’s and these yummy bars!!!

After taking one bite of these cherry apple crumble bars, I have been asking myself why I never mixed cherries and apples together before. They work so well together!

A few years ago I made these brown butter blackberry crumble bars. I was remembering how good they were, so I decided to make another version this summer. I just happened to have a jar of small batch cherry preserves sitting in the fridge waiting to be used too. It was fate!

As I opened the fridge to get the preserves, I realized I had some apples that needed to be used up too. It was a hasty decision to dice some up and add them to the bars, but I am so glad that I did. Now honestly, you could just do the preserves and the bars would be delicious too. But something about the apple and cherry combo was so good. It was a good mash up of a summer and fall dessert! Did I really just say fall?

That brings me to my last question. Why in the world is summer almost over? Our kids have less than a month before school starts. That is crazy town! Just pass me another square of these bars. This time I’m warming it up and adding ice cream. Just trust me and do the same!!!

Do you still have another bag of summer cherries to use up like me? Check out some of these delicious recipes I found from some blog friends. I love the mix of chocolate and berries in this cherry garcia ice cream. A big bowl of that would be perfect for these hot days! This cherry fritter cake is calling my name for sure! I want a big pan of it for breakfast this weekend! And then a big slice of this rustic cherry galette with ice cream on top would be awesome to finish out any day!

Cherry Apple Crumble Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 12 bars

The spices and fruit filling in these Cherry Apple Crumble Bars work so well together. Try one warm with vanilla ice cream for a delicious summer dessert.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground anise
1 cup small batch cherry preserves
3/4 cup finely diced apples
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick spray.
Mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat again.
Stir together the flour, oats, and spices and slowly add to the butter mixture until it becomes crumbly.
Press half the crumbs firmly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Stir together the cherry preserves and apples and spread over the crust in the pan.
Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top and press down gently. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Whisk together the powdered sugar and water. Drizzle over the top of the cooled bars. Cut into 12 squares.

Notes

*Warm up the squares in the microwave for 10-15 minutes and top with vanilla ice cream for a fun treat.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/cherry-apple-crumble-bars/

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Green Chile Pulled Pork Tacos

Jocelyn — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 16:38:01 +0000

These Green Chile Pulled Pork Tacos are loaded with meat, cheese, and salsa. They are such an easy and delicious dinner for busy nights.

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Are you ready for my current taco obsession? Last year I was all about these Caribbean jerk shrimp tacos, and now I cannot get enough of these easy pork tacos.

It’s funny how your tastes can change in just one year. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to make or order shrimp tacos. But for the time being these tacos have gone to the top of my list.

My hubby and I love to go on dates to some of the local taco places in our town. Our absolute favorite place is Torchy’s Tacos. They seriously have the best tacos, queso, and margaritas. We are going to miss that restaurant when we move later this month. I guess that just means we need to scope out another fun date place in Florida.

At least for now we can make these green chile pulled pork tacos at home. These are so easy to have ready for dinner after a busy day at work.

You just need to make a batch of easy slow cooker pulled pork the day before, or you can put the tenderloin in your crock pot that morning. Either way, dinner can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

There really isn’t an exact recipe for these tacos because you can fill them with as little or as much meat and toppings as you like..

I usually just put bowls of pulled pork, onions, green chile salsa, cilantro, and cheese on the table and let everyone go to town building their own tortillas.

The best thing is if you have leftover pork, you can make this bbq pork pineapple pizza the next night. Score major points with the family for having two delicious homemade meals in a row! Oh, yeah!

I am always on the look out for more fun and delicious taco ideas for our dinner table. These Buffalo baked tacos can be in your oven in about 15 minutes. The spicy lovers in my house are going to flip for them. Then I will make myself happy when I add these crispy baked coconut shrimp street tacos to the list. Shrimp and slaw sounds perfect!

Of course, a dessert taco is a definite must have for taco Tuesday, right? A batch of these chocolate dipped ice cream tacos in our freezer would earn me a gold star for sure!!!

Green Chile Pulled Pork Tacos

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

These Green Chile Pulled Pork Tacos are loaded with meat, cheese, and salsa. Easy and delicious dinner for busy nights.

Ingredients

1 package 6 inch flour tortillas
1 white onion, diced
1 package cotija cheese, crumbled
1 jar green chile salsa
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 batch slow cooker pulled pork

Instructions

Warm the tortillas according to the package directions.
Fill each tortilla with pork, onion, cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Serve immediately while warm.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/green-chile-pulled-pork-tacos/

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Raspberry Orange Slushies

Jocelyn — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 17:11:18 +0000

A pitcher of these easy Raspberry Orange Slushies is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. Fresh fruit, juice, and ice makes such a refreshing drink.

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Last night we went and watched my hubby play in a soccer game. He was invited to play on an indoor team that had most of their players out for vacation. He played in high school, so he felt like he could hang tough with the team. Plus, he felt like all our cross fit workouts surely had him in shape.

Oh, my goodness! It was so funny to watch. Now he did ok and cleared the ball most of the time, but he also had to sub out quite a few times because he couldn’t breathe. And then there was the moment when he kicked the ball and took out a tiny little blonde girl too.

As we were watching the team play, a part of me thought I could still play too. After all, I played soccer all through high school and college. It couldn’t be that difficult to pick back up, right?

I’ve decided that playing soccer after 24 years probably isn’t the best idea after seeing how out of breath my hubby was at the end of the game. Although, we did briefly consider finding a couples league when we move.

We should probably add more sprinting and running to our workouts first…

Although, if I am going to be doing more running in the sun, I’m going to need a lot of different ways to cool off. I’ll stick with water during the workouts, but chilly fruit drinks later in the day are a must.

Last summer I made these strawberry limeade slushies, and they were a huge hit with our kiddos. There is something so refreshing about mixing fruit, juice, and ice in a blender. So when I saw boxes of raspberries on sale at our grocery store, I couldn’t resist picking up a few boxes.

And since I know that the fruit monsters in our house would devour those raspberries if I left them alone for too long, I whipped up a fun new slushie that same day.

One of my favorite morning or afternoon snacks are these raspberry orange frozen yogurt bowls. The creamy yogurt topped with fruit and granola is just so good. Since that combo worked so well in the yogurt bowl, I knew adding orange juice to these slushies was going be amazing!

I did add a little bit of honey to add some sweetness to our raspberry orange slushies. Feel free to leave that out if you like your drinks a little more on the tart side.

You could also use your favorite lemon lime soda pop instead of the water and honey! Or add a splash of vodka or rum for a fun adult drink! The possibilities with this easy drink are endless!

Raspberry Orange Slushies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 3 drinks

A pitcher of these easy Raspberry Orange Slushies is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. Fresh fruit, juice, and ice makes such a refreshing drink.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (2 large navel oranges)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
4 cups ice cubes

Instructions

Set aside 3 raspberries for garnish.
Place the remaining raspberries, juice, water, and honey in the blender and pulse until liquified.
Add ice 1 cup at a time and blend until you reach your desired consistency.
Pour into 2-3 glasses and serve with an orange wedge and a straw with a fresh raspberry on it.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/raspberry-orange-slushies/

Check out these delicious drinks that would be great during the summer as well:

Pineapple Upside Down Milkshakes from Grandbaby Cakes
Almond Iced Coffee Float from Lemons for Lulu
Dirty Coke Slushie from Your Homebased Mom

The post Raspberry Orange Slushies appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Jocelyn — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:29:42 +0000

All you need are two ingredients to have this Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork for dinner tonight. Serve it with barbecue sauce and buns or use it on tacos or nachos.

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Growing up I wasn’t a big meat eater. Give me a big plate of veggies and I was a happy camper. My parents always had me eat at least three bites of meat before I could be excused from the dinner table.

One of my younger sisters was the complete opposite. She would finish her meat and then sit there staring at the veggies left on her plate. I don’t know why we didn’t do a covert trade when our parents weren’t watching.

Over the years though, I have started to enjoy more meats. Well, I don’t know if eating burgers and chicken counts as more meat. I’m still not a big fan of red meat. The texture and taste just aren’t for me. In the past few years, I have come to love pulled pork too. I probably like it because pork is considered the other white meat.

There are a few restaurants in town that I always order the pork tacos or burritos from. It’s become one of my go to choices along with shrimp tacos.

I have to admit that I had no idea how stinking easy it was to make your own pulled pork. You are only two ingredients and eight hours away from having your own slow cooker full of pork amazingness!!!

You read that right. Dinner tonight is just two ingredients. You just need a pork tenderloin and some bourbon brown sugar seasoning! Ok, so if you want it to be dinner you have to add a few more things like buns, barbecue sauce, mom’s potato salad or this easy macaroni salad.

We have been buying a three pound tenderloin and rubbing it with a brown sugar bourbon seasoning because it gives it a delicious and totally easy flavor. Then get ready to devour the meat in about 8 hours!

Honestly, the meat is so tender and delicious on it’s own. My daughter and I like to eat it plain, but it is also absolutely delicious in pulled pork tacos or smothered in your favorite kind of sauce.

I want to make another jar of this honey sriracha barbecue sauce because the sweet and spicy flavor would go so well with the seasoning on this easy slow cooker pulled pork.

If you are planning any picnics this summer, here are a few more recipes that would be perfect for your menu too. These spicy baked beans are an easy dish to throw together and bake. A big bowl of this loaded homestyle macaroni salad is a must make. Creamy pasta salads are my weakness!!! And I can’t wait to try this copycat Chick-fil-A cole slaw! It sounds amazing on its own…or you could top that pork sandwich with it! Yum!!!

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Yield: 6-8 servings

All you need are two ingredients to have this easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork for dinner tonight. Serve it with barbecue sauce and buns or use it on tacos or nachos.

Ingredients

1 - 3 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup McCormick's Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning

Instructions

Trim the excess fat from the tenderloin. Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides and rub it in.
Place in a slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
Use two forks to shred the meat apart. Remove any extra fat.
Serve warm with barbecue sauce and buns. Refrigerate any leftovers.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/easy-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/

*This post contains affiliate links. BruCrew Life may receive a small percentage from sales made through these free links. As always, these do not cost you any extra. Thank you for letting us share products we use and love this way!

The post Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Cherry Sweet Rolls

Jocelyn — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 17:38:25 +0000

These easy no yeast Cherry Sweet Rolls are filled with a homemade cherry preserves and drizzled with a sweet almond glaze. Great breakfast treat for summer mornings!

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Can you believe that summer is on the downward spiral? It feels like summer came and went for us this year. I think that is mostly because we had so much going on at the beginning of the summer. Our oldest graduated high school, we had family come visit, and we went to Florida for a week.

Our next big thing is moving…again! Packing our house and settling all the lose ends here will definitely fill the rest of our month with madness. Schools in Florida start earlier than Texas, so my kids are counting down the next month.

They have hit that summer slump of being bored. I may need to put them to work in the kitchen making some Nutella no bake cookies and cleaning up after. Haha! I think they would quickly become un-bored if I suggest that.

Even in the middle of all the busy and crazy, we are trying to enjoy some down time. This past weekend, we had a bonfire in our backyard since it was cooler after the sun went down. I thought the smoke from the fire and the citronella candle would keep the bugs away, but within ten minutes had welts all over my legs.

They must have been mutant mosquitos from all the rain we have had lately because some of the welts were huge. Apparently I am a bug magnet because any time we are outside after dark, I get attacked.

My hubby usually tries to tell me I am crazy because he doesn’t get any bites. But he couldn’t argue with the evidence this time. We headed inside pretty quickly!

I’m going to stick to doing my relaxing in the morning with a pan of cherry sweet rolls instead. If I stay inside the bugs can’t attack me.

For the past few years I have been making these easy no yeast chocolate chip cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Gotta love a gooey roll that can be on your table in under an hour because who wants to wait any longer for gooey warm breakfast treats, right?

Last week I shared the recipe for this small batch cherry preserves, and I still had one jar left in the fridge. I decided to use the dough from the rolls and fill them with the leftover cherry goodness because that’s how I roll.

Then I drizzled a sweet almond glaze on top. Seriously the best idea ever!!! Just looking at the pictures has me drooling and wanting another pan of warm rolls!!! I guess it is time to make more preserves because I can’t resist the call!

I am also drooling over a few of these breakfast ideas I have found around the web. Look at this breakfast cheesecake!!! The cinnamon swirls are calling my name for sure! Then I saw this blueberry breakfast cake and couldn’t stop staring!!! Love all the fresh berries in it!!! Who wants to join me for some carrot cake breakfast cookies and coffee? Looking at all these I realize that I like sweets for breakfast too. Can you blame me? They all sound so good!

Cherry Sweet Rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 8 rolls

These easy no yeast Cherry Sweet Rolls are filled with a homemade cherry preserves and drizzled with a sweet almond glaze. Great breakfast treat for summer mornings!

Ingredients

For the Rolls

1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter, melted & divided
1 cup cherry preserves

For the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter 10 inch pie plate with 1 Tablespoon butter.
Pour the lemon juice in a measuring cup and add the milk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Create a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Use a fork to stir it until a soft dough forms.
Place the dough on a flour lined table and knead 5-6 times to work a little flour into the sticky dough. Do not over knead or add too much flour or your rolls will be harder.
Gently press the dough into a 10x14 rectangle. Make sure to keep flour under the dough to keep it from sticking.
Spoon the cherry preserves onto the dough and spread out leaving a 1 inch border all around the dough. Roll up gently. If the dough sticks, use a butter knife to gently loosen it and to push flour under the roll.
Cut the ends off each side of the roll, then cut the log into 8 even rolls. Place in the buttered dish. Drizzle the remaining 1 Tablespoon melted butter over the rolls. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk together the glaze ingredients, then pour it on top of the warm rolls. Let sit for another 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Notes

*These rolls are best served warm the day they are made. The glaze will soak into the rolls and the cherry juice will color the dough if they sit overnight. They still taste great but do not look as pretty.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/cherry-sweet-rolls/

The post Cherry Sweet Rolls appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Small Batch Cherry Preserves

Jocelyn — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 11:00:36 +0000

Small Batch Cherry Preserves will harness all the summer flavor you love in one little jar. What are you waiting for? It only takes half an hour!

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

At the moment I can’t stop buying fresh berries. Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries have been making their way right into my cart every time I go grocery shopping.

It’s not a bad problem to have. I guess there could be worse things that could jump into my cart.

Oh, wait. I have a seriously large sweet tooth so there are always cookies and candies jumping into the cart too. I should probably try to stick to the sugar in the fruit instead. Thank goodness all three of our kids love fruit.

Berries don’t stand a chance in our house. Either the kids devour them, or I use them on top of things like this lemon strawberry poke cake.

At least berries don’t have time to turn moldy in our fridge like some of the veggies at the bottom of the crisper do.

Since cherries are in season right now I have come home with a few bags of those lately. Our daughter took one look at the latest bag and announced that she would take care of all of them for me.

She sure does love cherries. Since I was planning on making one jar of this small batch cherry preserves, I told her I could definitely share with her.

She then proceeded to tell me she was just joking about eating them all. How was I supposed to know that? I’ve seen how fast fruit disappears around here.

She and I sat at the table each pitting our pile of cherries. She used the usual method of chewing and spitting out the pits while I went with the easy and slightly messier version with a cherry pitter. It is one of my favorite summer kitchen tools, even if it did spit cherry juice on my shirt this time.

I love how easy it pushes the cherry pits out. Of course, a plastic drinking straw and a plastic pop bottle works just as well if you don’t have the pitter.

Usually when I make homemade pie filling or preserves from fresh fruit, I only use two ingredients. This honey blueberry sauce is one of my favorite ways to use up extra berries. Well, whenever we have any that is.

To make these preserves a little thicker, I stirred some cornstarch into the water before adding the chopped berries. Let the cherries simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. That will give the berries time to release some of their juices.

Once they start to get a little juicy, you can stir in the honey and increase the heat to high and let it come to a full boil. Go ahead and let it boil for 5 more minutes while you stir it every minute. You don’t want the berries to burn and stick to the bottom.

Once the timer has gone off, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for about an hour, then refrigerate until completely chilled and thickened. If your mixture is a little too thick for your liking, go ahead and stir in a little more honey.

This sweet preserve is perfect for spreading on cream cheese bagels or toast. It also works great in different desserts like fruit bars or sweet rolls. Or you could do what I did and go to town with a spoon.

Make sure you head over to Food Fanatic to print this the small batch cherry preserves recipe.

Looking for more ways to use up those cherries? Here are some delicious recipes I think you might like.

This Cherry Fritter Cake from Nutmeg Nanny sounds so good.
I want a jar of this Cherry Habanero Lime Jam from Foodie with Family in my fridge.
These Cherry Red Wine Slushies from Wishes and Dishes sound perfect for a hot summer day.

*This post does contain an affiliate link. Inside BruCrew Life may receive a small percentage from sales made through these free links. As always, these do not cost you any extra. Thank you for letting us share products we use and love.

The post Small Batch Cherry Preserves appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake

Jocelyn — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 17:50:35 +0000

This gooey Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake is best when served warm with vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect summer dessert for serving a crowd.

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Do you ever have those days where nothing goes as planned? This past weekend my hubby was off work for four days because of the Fourth of July. We wanted to clean out some closets, purge some junk, and he also wanted to work on his car. The weekend went fine. We got some cleaning done and had a lazy movie night with the kids.

Then Monday morning our son found a giant wet spot on the carpet. The condensation tube for our air conditioner had gotten blocked and was leaking water everywhere. We have no idea how long it has been like that. Our air conditioner unit is located behind one of our living room walls. No one usually walks or sits back there.

My husband got a rug doctor from our church and got to work on the carpet. After getting a few gallons out, he pulled the carpet back and looked at the padding. It was still completely soaked!

All we could do was pull the carpet back further and take out the soggy padding. My hubby had to cut padding, dry flooring, and go buy new padding. At least we found it before it got any further, right?

One day later and 8 feet of new padding, and we are good to go. Fingers crossed we got that tube completely unclogged because we don’t want to find more water in the carpet again.

Let’s talk about some comfort food. Over the years an easy gooey dump cake or this easy strawberry cobbler have been some of our go to desserts during the summer. I can’t believe that I have never shared one of them on the blog before now.

The name can kind of be a turn off for some people. I don’t know why something so delicious is called dump cake. You literally DUMP everything into the pan and bake it, so that’s where the name came from. No stirring, no mixing, no work. Gotta love easy desserts that taste out of this world, right?

There are so many different ways you could make a dump cake. You could do vanilla cake with blueberry or cherry filling. Or try spice cake with apple pie filling. The possibilities are endless!

While I was cleaning out the pantry this past weekend, I came across some cans of blackberry pie filling and a lemon cake mix. This amazing blackberry lemon dump cake had to happen right away.

I dumped it all in my casserole dish and baked it for about 50 minutes. Let the cake sit for just a little bit to set up, but make sure you serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s so good!!!

Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

This gooey Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake is best when served warm with vanilla ice cream. Perfect dessert for serving a crowd.

Ingredients

2 - 21 ounce cans blackberry pie filling
1 lemon cake mix
12 Tablespoons butter
vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 or 2.8 L casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Pour both cans of pie filling in the pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top.
Cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle over the entire top of the cake.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling. My dish was a little deeper, so I baked it the full 50 minutes.
Remove and let set for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/blackberry-lemon-dump-cake/

Here are some more easy summer cakes from friends that I can’t wait to try.

Creamsicle Orange Poke Cake from Spend with Pennies
Lemon Jello Cake from Oh, Sweet Basil
Fruit Cocktail Cake from Crazy for Crust

The post Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake

Jocelyn — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 17:25:20 +0000

An easy no bake cheesecake loaded with candy bar chunks makes this Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake an impressive dessert to end dinner with.

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

It’s no surprise that I bake a lot. If you have been reading this blog for very long, you know that you are more likely to find a dessert in our fridge instead of real food. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t eat real food. Exercising and eating right are actually pretty important in our life. I just tend to enjoy baking over cooking.

Plus, a stack of M&M blonde brownies is so much easier to photograph than a plate of three cheese macaroni and cheese. Desserts just seem to be more photogenic than a plate of gooey cheese.

Most of our friends and our kids’ friends know how crazy for baking I am. So I wasn’t too surprised when one of our friends asked if I could do some baking with her son. He is 9 years old and totally crazy for baking. My kind of kid for sure. One of these days I totally see him doing a food blog!

The weekend we planned to do some baking was the same weekend as his dad’s birthday. So he wanted to bake something that he could serve his family for dinner that night. Since his dad also loves Snicker’s candy bars I came up with this easy but fun brownie cake using this thin mint cheesecake brownie cake as my inspiration.

We went over basic baking tips such as how to measure flour using a spoon instead of scooping and how important it is to grease your pan before pouring the batter in. I also showed him the proper way to hold a sharp knife and how to chop candy bars.

It has been a while since our kids have baked with me, so I forgot how much longer it takes to bake with kids. But it was fun to be able to share all the fun little baking tips that I have accumulated over the years. I let him do every single step of the recipe because it is easier to learn that way.

He had an absolute blast! Now he wants to bake for every picnic or event that his family goes to. His mom says it is hilarious to listen to him talk about drizzling things and spreading with an offset spatula.

I wasn’t sure how many of the tips he would actually remember, but apparently he remembered all of them. He has been telling a few other people about his fun baking day and what he learned, and now I have another young teen who wants to come over and bake cheesecake.

Would you like to learn how to make your own Snickers cheesecake brownie cake? Here are some easy tips for making one.

Preheat your oven first. You want the oven to be ready to bake as soon as you get your homemade brownie batter ready.
Spray your springform pan with nonstick spray because you do not want the brownie to stick to it later. You can also line it with parchment paper if you like.
Do not over bake the brownie. You want the brownie to stay nice and chewy to compliment the creamy cheesecake. Let it cool completely before adding the cheesecake.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened before starting on the cheesecake layer. I like to set my cream cheese out at least an hour before I start baking. You can also unwrap it and microwave it for 20-30 seconds to warm it up if you forget.
Beat the cream cheese and caramel very well before adding anything else. This helps to get all the lumps out before you add anything else.
Add the Cool Whip and beat it gently. You can also use a spatula and stir it in, but I like to use my mixer for this step before stirring in the candy bars.
Spread the cheesecake on the cooled brownie and top it with more Cool Whip for a pretty layered effect.
Swirl on more Cool Whip, add candy bars, and drizzle some chocolate and caramel on top to make it look like it came from a bakery.
Grab a fork and dive in!!!

Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 10 slices of cake

An easy no bake cheesecake loaded with candy bar chunks makes this Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake an impressive dessert to end dinner with.

Ingredients

For the Brownie

1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup flour

For the Cheesecake

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup caramel topping
1 - 16 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed & divided
1 1/4 cup chopped Snickers bars (10 ounce bag of bites)
caramel & hot fudge, for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk together the melted butter and cocoa powder. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the chocolate butter mixture and beat again.
Stir together the salt, baking powder, and flour and add to the batter slowly. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
Beat the cream cheese and caramel topping until smooth. Fold in 2 cups of Cool Whip. Set aside a few pieces of candy bars for the topping. Stir in the rest of the candy bars gently. Spoon on top of the cooled brownie.
Spread another 2 cups of Cool Whip over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until completely chilled.
Swirl the remaining Cool Whip on top and add the reserved candy. Drizzle with chocolate and caramel before serving.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/07/snickers-cheesecake-brownie-cake/

Here are more fun and easy brownie recipes from friends:

Buckeye Brownies from Brown Eyed Baker
Brownie Oreo Ice Cream Bars from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Brownie Marshmallow Crunch Bars from Valerie’s Kitchen

The post Snickers Cheesecake Brownie Cake appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

Chicken BLT Ranch Pizza

Jocelyn — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 17:20:07 +0000

Tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce add a fun summer flair to this easy Chicken BLT Ranch Pizza. It’s a great appetizer or dinner for summer picnics.

*This summer I am partnering with Red Gold® as a brand ambassador creating recipes using canned tomatoes. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

CLICK HERE TO SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Bright sunshine is pouring through our windows today as I sit here. Summer has quickly become my favorite season. I love all things that come with a bright sunny day. Sunshine, blue skies, pool days, picnics, and BLT sandwiches are just a few of my favorite things.

Can I tell you a secret though? There was a time when I thought I didn’t like bacon. I know! How crazy is that? The only way I could or would eat it was extra crispy and on a BLT sandwich. Eating it plain was never an option.

Although, over the past few years I have been adding it to different pasta dinners, and I have slowly begun to enjoy bacon in other things.

Our family enjoys eating pizza. It is definitely one of the most asked for dinners in our house. Some nights we do take out because it is easy to just order one after a busy day at work. Other nights we enjoy making homemade pizza dough and creating our own custom pizzas.

During the summer we usually do not make as many homemade pizzas because who wants the oven on for an extended time when it is 100 degrees outside.

I was totally craving pizza the other day though, so I decided to take a shortcut on the crust and create a cold pizza. You have had crescent roll pizza before, right? Usually it is covered in veggies and served as an appetizer at showers or parties. The crust only bakes for a short time in the oven, so your house will not get too hot while you make this one.

The past year I have been working with Red Gold® tomatoes creating recipes using their canned tomatoes. Every can I have opened has been filled with bright red tomatoes that are firm and taste delicious. That keeps me reaching for that bright yellow label every time I’m in the store. We love using them in different meals like these cheesy chicken sliders.

Since it is summer and I am craving all things bacon and tomato, I decided to make a cold chicken BLT ranch pizza for dinner. Our kids love cold pizza for breakfast, so why not have it for dinner too, right?

This easy pizza would also be perfect for parties and picnics this summer. It’s easy and light enough to serve as an appetizer if you cut the squares smaller. And it works for a quick and hearty dinner when you make the squares bigger.

Here are some easy tips for making your own cold pizza for dinner:

Bake your crust at least 30 minutes before you want to put the pizza together. You want it to have time to cool off before you add the toppings.
Mix together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and garlic until it is creamy. Stir in some chicken and cheese and spread it all on the cooled crust.
Sprinkle on some shredded lettuce and crumbled bacon. If you really want to save some time, use a bag of all ready shredded lettuce and buy a box of cooked bacon. Short cuts are always welcome in my kitchen.
Drain the can of tomatoes very well. I also placed the tomatoes on some paper towels to remove even more of the moisture so the pizza didn’t get soggy.
Cut the pizza into squares and drizzle with ranch dressing right before serving.
Watch the pizza disappear right before your very eyes!

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Chicken BLT Ranch Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Yield: 18 squares of pizza

Tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce add a fun summer flair to this easy Chicken BLT Ranch Pizza. It's a great appetizer or dinner for summer picnics.

Ingredients

2 packages refrigerated crescent roll sheets
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch dressing + extra for topping
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
3/4 cooked crumbled bacon
1 - 14 ounce can Red Gold petite diced tomatoes, drained really well

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 15x10 pan with nonstick spray.
Unroll the crescent roll sheets and press onto the pan. Fold under the edges if needed. Bake for 14-15 minutes. Remove and cool for at least 30 minutes.
Beat the cream cheese, ranch, and garlic until creamy. Stir in the chicken and cheese.
Spread the mixture on the cooled crust. Top with lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes. Cut into 6 rows by 3 rows.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle ranch dressing on the squares right before serving.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/06/chicken-blt-ranch-pizza/

*Red Gold compensated me for my time in creating this recipe, post, and video. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. Thank you for letting me share the brands and products we use and love.

The post Chicken BLT Ranch Pizza appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.

S’mores Sugar Cookie Bars

Jocelyn — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:47:09 +0000

Gooey marshmallow frosting and chocolate bars make these sweet S’mores Sugar Cookie Bars a fun dessert for summer picnics and parties.

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CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Summer is in full swing here. With all these hot blazing days we have made a few trips to the pool and Bahama Bucks. Gotta love a cup full of shaved ice with all kinds of flavored syrups.

Of course when I think of summer, I think s’mores. Ok, that’s not quite true because I tend to think about s’mores all year long. I have made it my mission to include s’mores in every kind of treat.

Popcorn, cheesecake, cookies, and even breakfast have all been s’mores-itized in our kitchen. Haha! That’s my new word for the month. S’mores-itized! Now to figure out what else I can add chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers too…

Now I know what you are thinking. Why not just go out to your backyard, start a fire, and make a normal s’mores like the rest of us. And don’t get me wrong, I do love a good gooey s’mores.

S’mores were ruined for me after we had children. Sharp pointy objects topped with hot flaming sugar balls being swung around in your face would make you want to run and hide too.

Oh, and don’t get me started on finding sticky marshmallow on everything. The chairs, deck, doors, and clothes always had sticky gooey on them after a bonfire night.

So I found other ways to enjoy the s’mores flavor from the comfort (and safety) of our kitchen. This time I decided to make more cookies.

I briefly thought about doing cut out cookies, and then I just chuckled to myself. You see ever since I made these eggnog sugar cookie bars, I haven’t even opened the cookie cutter box. I love how easy sugar cookies in a pan are because you can bake and frost them in an hour. Gotta love that!

Since those first cookie bars, I have made mint, lemon, funfetti, hot chocolate, salted caramel, pumpkin, peppermint, unicorn, and shamrock.

Sheesh, I’ve made quite a few different versions over the year. But that didn’t stop me from thinking up a few new ones for the summer. Up first are these easy s’mores sugar cookie bars.

Graham cracker crumbs added to the cookie dough make these cookie bars so good. Trust me, you could just eat them plain and be perfectly happy. But…I happen to like frosting, so I added a gooey marshmallow frosting to the top.

I tossed a bunch of chocolate and marshmallows on top of the frosting because it wouldn’t be s’mores without them. Oh, yeah! S’mores without the fire and the mess is how I like my gooey treats!

If you are like me and want more s’mores goodness in your life, please check out a few of these recipes from my friends. I love how gooey and delicious these Grilled S’mores Dessert Quesadillas are. Since I’m totally obsessed with owls, I love these cute little Owl S’mores. And I am totally in love with the flavor combo in these amazing looking Cherry Cola S’mores Brownies.

S’mores Sugar Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 24 cookie bars

Gooey marshmallow frosting and chocolate bars make these sweet S'mores Sugar Cookie Bars a fun dessert for summer picnics and parties.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup mini marshmallow bits
12 snack sized Hershey bars, cut up

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat again.
Stir together the baking powder, salt, flour, and graham crumbs. Slowly add to the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15-16 minutes. Cool completely.
Beat the butter, marshmallow cream, vanilla, and salt until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and whipping cream until it is all mixed in. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cookie bars and top with the marshmallow bits and chocolate bars. Cut into 24 bars. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Notes

*You can also add 1 cup of graham cracker chunks to the top if you want.

http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2017/06/smores-sugar-cookie-bars/

The post S’mores Sugar Cookie Bars appeared first on Inside BruCrew Life.