Quick and Easy Bruschetta

This is a great bruschetta recipe. I got the idea when we were over at my friend Suzy's for dinner and she served up something similar. The recipe is quick and easy and works great for a nice appetizer at a get together or before dinner.

Handful of fresh basil
about 10 - 12 grape tomatoes
1/4 of a small sweet onion
drizzle of olive oil
balsamic glaze
1/2 a baguette of your choice sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup of butter
1 tbsp garlic seasoning (not garlic salt)

Start by chopping your basil up into little pieces. Then cut your tomatoes into little pieces as well, dice the onion up and add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix it up well.

Mix garlic seasoning into your butter, then spread it onto each slice of bread. Toast your bread in an oven heated to 450 F. for about 5 minutes,

After 5 minutes pull the bread out and add about 1 tbsp or so to each slice of bread and pop back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

Once that's done, pull the bread/bruschetta out of the oven and add a drizzle of balsamic glaze to each slice, and ta-da!! Delicious!!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Trifle

I love me a delicious trifle.. the mixture of cake, pudding, whipped cream and candy or fruit is the best of all worlds!! I decided to create a trifle that includes two of my favorite things.. peanut butter and chocolate. Turned out amazing!!

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 boxes of low fat chocolate jello instant pudding
4 cups of milk (as per the pudding directions)
1/4 cup peanut butter (plus 2 tbsp for drizzling)
1 large container of low fat cool whip
1 bag of mini Reese peanut butter cups (chopped into pieces)
1 large bag of Reese's pieces

Bake the cake as per the directions on the box. Let cool completely.

Let cool whip thaw out until it's easier to spread.

Make the pudding as per the directions on the box, at the very end before you let it set stir in the 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Let set.

Crumble the cake into a trifle dish (or bowl), top with 1/2 of the pudding mixture, then add a layer of cool whip (1/2 the container), and then sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped Reese peanut butter cups and 1/2 the bag of Reese's pieces.

Do another layer exactly the same: cake, pudding, cool whip, candy.

Put the 2 tbsp of peanut butter into the microwave for about 45 seconds to melt, then drizzle over top of the trifle.

Enjoy!!!

Brownie Batter Dip

Okay, so I know I'm posting 2 "dessert dips" in a row.. but I had to. They're both delish and both deserve to be tried! :) I served up this brownie batter dip alongside the cookie dough dip posted below and both were a hit. Again this is another I saw on Pinterest (I love that website!).

I loved this dip and will definitely make it again. I served it with graham crackers and nilla cookies, but you can serve it with any kind of cookie you like.

Adapted from: Something Swanky

8 oz. of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter
3 cups icing sugar
5 tbsp flour
5 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and butter, slowly add in the icing sugar 1 cup at a time.

Add in the flour, cocoa powder and vanilla.

Mix until you reach the desired consistency.

*You can add in a couple tbsp of milk if you'd like to thin it out a bit, but I didn't feel like it needed that. I like mine nice and thick and creamy!

Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Dip

My best friend got this recipe off of Pinterest a couple of weeks ago and made it for one of our girls games nights and it was aaaahhhhhmazing!!!

I loved it so much I made it the other night for a Pampered Chef party I had and it was a hit. I think it's impossible to not love this dip!! I served mine with graham wafers and nilla cookies, but you can serve it with anything you like.

Source: Add a Pinch

8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits

Cream together the cream cheese and butter, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

It's just that easy.

Enjoy!!

Cream Soda Cupcakes

So I learned about these "pop" cakes on Rachael Ray, she had a girl called "The Hungry Girl" on there (no I had never heard of her before I made my blog... apparently I live under a rock.. oopsie!) but anyways, this lady does  stuff for Weight Watchers so I'm surprised I'd never heard of her, and she puts together low fat recipes, or just healthy ideas for snacks, etc.

One of these healthier options is a pop cake. It's when you use a box cake mix and instead of adding the eggs, oil, etc. like the directions on the box says to, all you add is a can of pop (diet pop preferably). I guess it will take a cake that's like 500 to 700 calories and make it into something like only 100 calories. So I thought I'd give it a whirl!!

I love cream soda and I figured it would be a nice little flavor for my first pop cake. But you can use any flavor you like (orange or root beer are on my list to try!)

For the Cake 
1 box white cake mix
1 can of cream soda

Preheat the oven as per the instructions on the box. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Put the cake mix into a mixing bowl and add almost the whole can of pop (reserve a couple of tablespoons for the icing). Mix it thoroughly and pour into cupcake liners.

Bake as per directed on box.

Remove from muffin tins and let cool on racks.

For the Icing
1/2 cup butter
3 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp cream soda
1 tbsp vanilla
A couple drops of red food coloring.

Begin by mixing 2 cups of the icing sugar with 1/2 cup of butter. Once it's creamy add in the cream soda and vanilla. Add in the remaining cup of icing sugar.

Once everything is mixed to creamy add in food coloring until icing is pink throughout.

Ice your cupcakes and you're ready to go!

Enjoy!!

Soft and Chewy Gingersnaps

Do you love the Ginger Molasses Cookie at Starbucks?? Me too!! I promise you this recipe tastes (in my opinion) pretty much exactly like the Starbucks one.

These gingersnap cookies are soft and chewy and moist just like the starbucks ones, they're just a little smaller. But hey... if you want you could make yourself a giant ginger molasses cookie with this recipe if you wanted to.

1 1/2 cups butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar (for rolling cookies in)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the molasses.

In a seperate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add this to the creamed mixture (in about 3 or 4 additions). Mix well.

Refridgerate the dough for about 1 hour or until it's firmer and easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roll into 1 inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.

Cool on baking sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!!

Ooey-Gooey Turtle Bars

I made these little babies for our annual Christmas party this year and I've had a few requests for the recipe.

They are absolutely delicious... chocolately, caramely, nutty goodness!!

I got this recipe off the Pillsbury website a couple years back and it's become one of my favorite squares.

When you make these, it's a good idea to let them sit overnight before you cut them into squares. I had made them ahead of time last year and they cut perfectly, I made them the day of our party this year and they didn't cut and hold their form as well as they had after sitting overnight.

1 roll Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Press the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9" x 13" pan.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of the pecans over top of the dough and lightly press them into the dough. Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat, stir in the brown sugar, caramel topping and graham cracker crumbs. Bring this to a boil stirring contstantly. Pour over the crust in the pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of pecans.

Bake 25 - 32 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown and pecans are lightly toasted.

Cool these completely before covering with plastic wrap, then let the squares set overnight, especially if you're planning on cutting them into little squares for a platter or something. (It cuts better if it's left to set overnight).

Enjoy!!