Easy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

First things first: on keeping up with the resolutions - I actually woke up an hour early yesterday morning and this morning to work out. I have also been diligent with taking a vitamin daily. Obviously I have been keeping up with my one post per week goal as well. Lastly, I hit up Amazon for a Photoshop Elements guidebook and have slowly started to read through it (there are seriously like 100 pages of how to crop things - super intimidating!). I realize its only the third week in January, but lets be honest, in years past I have given up by this point already!

So in going through my post topic archive, I came across these Peanut Butter Cup Brownies.

These pics have been in my computer so long I had to look up the date on my calendar to remember what I made them for. We hosted JJ's Christening in late August (after a case of HFM disease forced us to cancel the original date) and while I had our post ceremony lunch catered, I made a couple desserts. The idea came from this original pin:

Source

 

that linked back to Risa's post in 2009 on her blog Baked Perfection. Once again, I failed to read the recipe before starting, and in this case it actually turned out to be so much easier than I thought. I figured I would be making some sort of major adjustments to the brownie batter and then making some fancy peanut butter frosting, but it really just turned out to be basic brownie mix baked into cups, with some peanut butter and chips on top.

 

Mixing up the brownie batter

Brownie "Cups" with their centers smooshed down



Dollop of warmed peanut butter

All finished

 

I decided to use a little chocolate frosting (the canned variety) in case someone didn't want peanut butter. A couple sprinkles finished them off.

 

 

The Verdict: Ridiculously easy. I overcooked them a bit (I always seem to when making brownies in a non traditional form) so they were a little hard, but still tasty. They are the sort of treat that is so easy to pop that you can wind up eating a bunch before you even realize it. And who doesn't love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate??

 

Things to Consider: The middles of my cups never really fell, which I think can be attributed to by overcooking. Other than that though they were pretty foolproof. Now that I am reminded of these - I might have to make them again!

 

 

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, from Baked Perfection
Recipe adapted from Nestle’s Very Best Baking

Makes 40 brownies as adapted

1 box of your favorite brownie mix
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 40 mini-muffin cups.

 

Prepare boxed brownie mix as directed. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon). Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole for the peanut butter.

 

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still warm spoon about half a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.



 

Pretzel S’mores

Still going strong with the resolutions – two weeks in a row with a post! As an aside, Grace and I are both loving Instagram. My username is sborden86. Grace’s is gvk506. Feel free to follow us. We've been taking pictures of pins we’re attempting, among other things.

Okay so back to the business at hand - I pinned these Pretzel S’mores from Love from the Oven last week and couldn't wait to try them out.

Love from the Oven

I thought they looked so yummy & easy. And other people must have too, because the second I pinned it, it was immediately repined 20 times.

Christi had melted her marshmallows in the microwave but mentioned the oven may work as well. So on my first attempt, I tried making them in the oven. I figured I could fit more pretzels on the baking sheet then on a plate in the microwave.  I used Jumbo marshmallows and cut them up. I used half for each pretzel.

Then I put a bit of chocolate on top. I used a Hershey’s dark chocolate bar. I figured I didn't need too much chocolate since I was going to dip them in chocolate anyway.

I put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 minutes. The results were far from ideal.

The marshmallows puffed up way too much and poured over the sides. The chocolate slide right off – it was a disaster.  So I decided to cut down the amount of marshmallow I used for each pretzel and use the microwave. I used a quarter of each jumbo marshmallow and microwaved them for about 15 seconds on medium power. Once I took them out of the microwave, I placed another pretzel on top of each one.

This time the marshmallows didn't puff up too much. However, the chocolate didn't melt enough, making it difficult to place the second pretzel on top.

The next and final step is to dip the pretzel s’mores in chocolate. While I was melting the chocolate for dipping, I stuck the pretzel s’mores in the freezer to harden up for a few minutes. I dipped half the pretzels in milk chocolate and half in dark chocolate.

I threw some Valentine’s sprinkles on some just to make them festive.

Once the chocolate is hardened, you are all set to enjoy!

I was bringing these to a friend’s house so I threw them in a Valentine's Day tin I picked up at CVS.

Isn't this tin cute? I was surprised they sell this stuff in CVS.

The Verdict: I wasn't too impressed. The marshmallow/pretzel/chocolate ratio just wasn't working. It was difficult to balance the chocolate bars on top of the marshmallow before heating them up. Also, the marshmallow didn't taste that great coming out of the microwave. It doesn't have that same great campfire taste. All in all, they were a lot more work then I expected for not great results. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I definitely ate a bunch (can’t let them go to waste after all!) but I probably won’t be making these again. Christi’s looked great though, I was probably doing something wrong (as per usual ha).

Things to Note/Consider: One big mistake I made was not putting wax paper down on the plate I used to microwave the marshmallows on. They were very difficult to remove from the plate when I was ready to dip them. If I was ever to make these again, I would maybe try using marshmallow creme or fluff instead of actual marshmallows or perhaps try them in the oven again but on the broil setting.

Like s'mores? Check out the S'more Cups Grace tried a few months ago.

New Years Confetti Clock Cookies

Well so far, so good with the resolutions! I got my elliptical over the weekend and started using it. And today was day one of eating healthier. I’m even keeping a resolution by writing this post!

Anyway, a few days before New Year’s I tried my hand at these confetti cookies.

repeatcrafterme.com

So I gathered my supplies:

I don’t really like sugar cookies that much –whether home made or from a mix. So I figured I might as well take a short cut and use the Betty Crocker mix.

I whipped up the dough and using a drinking glass, I cut it into circles. Then using a smaller glass I cut the center out of every third cookie.

Once the cookies were baked, I started to layer them up using icing. In the middle layer I poured the sprinkles in.

Then it was time to work on the top. I used the red gel to outline. Then I used the icing to fill it in. (Unfortunately the store didn't have any white icing).

I had to let the icing dry overnight before I could write on it with the food dye marker.

The next morning I drew on the numbers and clock arms. This was the first time I’ve used a food dye marker. It was pretty difficult to write neatly. But I still think they are pretty cute.

However, I went to try one of these cookies before my friends came over on New Year's Eve and they were hard as rock! Almost broke a tooth. I guess I didn’t cover them properly? In any case, I didn’t end up serving them. What a waste!

Now and Later Cookies - A Housewarming Gift

Our cousin Claire just closed on her first house. It is such a cute place and I am so unbelievable excited for her. This past Saturday she moved all her stuff in. Joe went earlier in the day to do the heavy lifting, and JJ and I stopped by in the afternoon to bring some treats and I wanted to bring her a housewarming gift.

I saw a lot of pins in December showcasing frozen cookie dough as a gift. I love the idea because I feel like everyone gets a ton of cookies, but because they get so many a lot go to waste. And lets be honest, I am a cookie lover, but after a week straight of gorging myself on them, I have had enough. The idea is to provide the dough so the recipient can make a fresh batch when all the holiday craziness is over. See example here:

Source: Marci Coombs

I also saw this one:

Source: Write.Click.Scrapbook.

that combined the dough with a cookie scoop. That made me think of using this idea as a housewarming gift and provide the cookie baking supplies. I knew Claire didn't have any cookie sheets so the idea seemed perfect. I also decided to actually bake some of the cookies to provide a snack to the people there, and give a taste of what she can expect when she bakes them up herself.

I bought a couple cookie sheets, an oven mitt, spatula, and a couple freezerware containers while I was at the food store. Once I had the dough made, I froze a little more than half into individual cookies so she can bake just a couple at a time if she wants. Then I packaged it all up, and added a little tag with baking instructions.

The Results:
I think she really liked it. I know all the helpers enjoyed the fresh cookies. Also I didn't realize when I bought it but she also really needed that oven mitt - she didn't have one yet. Honestly though I am not sure if the dough will ever see the inside of the oven - its tempting to eat it right from the freezer!

Things to Consider:
I wish I had thought of this idea a little earlier so I could have sought out some cuter packaging. I love those little tubs I see from some of the pins. A cuter label would have been nice too but I was trying to cram it all in during JJ's nap. I think I will definitely make some of these for Christmas this year as a cute and inexpensive gift.

Looking for another housewarming gift idea? See Shannon's gift basket from last summer here.

Shannon’s 2013 Goals

Grace suggested that we each write out some goals this year – both personal and for the blog. At first I wasn’t too interested because every year I set goals but rarely do they last into February. But then the more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded. My thought is that if I put my goals on the internet that may keep me a bit more accountable. Mine aren’t as specific as Grace’s- just some guidelines.

Personal Goals

Exercise More:

Or really at all. It's terrible that I'm 26 and get winded going up two flights of stairs at work. This summer, I need to fit into a bathing suit for the first time in years. Not only is the family taking a week vacation to Duck, North Carolina but I’m also planning on winning the HGTV Dream Home on Kiwah Island. (I provided the link for the competition but don’t bother entering- the house is as good as mine.) I envision myself on the beach quite a bit this summer.

Anyway, in order to feel comfortable in a bathing suit, I’d like to set the goal of exercising at least three mornings a week. I bought a cheap-o elliptical from Amazon today so hopefully seeing that in my room every day will be motivation.

Eat Well:

There are so many easy, healthy recipes on pinterest that it’s a shame I haven’t tried any of them yet. I never cook and have the tendency to eat junk food for dinner. Yes, for dinner tonight I had half a bag of Wavy Lays and a row of Double Stuff Oreos. It was deliciously gross and I'm ashamed. This year, I would like to at least try to cook a healthy meal one or two times a week. (I'm realizing that if you're reading this and have never met me, you probably think I'm 600lbs and should be on a TLC special - luckily that isn't quite the case yet.)

Easy, healthy 20 minute meals

Read More:

A few years ago, I used to take public transportation to work. During that time, I would read a book a week. Now, I have to drive to work and I no longer have that precious hour each day to get lost in a book. This year I'd like to cut out some of my tv watching and read at night. My list of  books I'd like to read is rapidly growing and I have a few of them pinned so I don't forget. 

Barnes&Noble

Blog Related Goals

My goals in this area are much the same as Grace’s.

Post once a week:

I have the tendency of trying all these different pins and taking pictures throughout but never getting around to typing it up. Right now I about 4 different pins that I’ve tried and have yet to post. One is from over 3 months ago!

Remember to take finished product pictures:

Often times if the pin I’m trying is for a party I’m hosting, once my guests arrive, I forget to take the final picture. I need to remember to snap a quick picture before I get too distracted.

Home (Apartment) Related

Work on the Décor:

When I moved into my apartment I was just two years out of college. I just used whatever I had on hand (cheap Target & Ikea furniture, old picture frames, tired rugs) to decorate. Although I don’t want to spend much money, I’d like to make some improvements to make my apartment look less dorm like and more young adult.

Revamp your Ikea dresser

Vacation Shadow Boxes

Get Organized:

My clothes closet is just a disgrace. I can never find anything in it. As a result I end up wearing the same 3 outfits over and over. I know there’s some cute stuff hidden in there. I just need to find a way to make it so I can see everything.

17 ways to make organizing fun

So there it is -my 2013 goals. Like Grace mentioned, we’ll check back this summer and see how we’re doing. 

Update: Click here to see how I've been doing. 

Grace's 2013 Goals

Resolutions - sounds so old school, doesn't it? Does anyone say "I resolve to organize more!"? Naturally the start of the new year brings promise of change: starting that diet, finally painting that room, cleaning out your closets (and keeping them clean), yada, yada, yada. I am guilty of setting myself up for failure every year with a huge list of things to get done. While I don't plan on giving up on that list idea entirely this year - I love making lists - I am going to try and be a bit more realistic. And maybe putting it out there for the world to see will make me a little more accountable. So without further ado, below are my 2013 (somewhat Pinterest related or inspired) goals:

Personal/Family Goals

Wipe Box Fun Source

Sensory Bin Source

Test out some Toddler Activity type Pins:
Because I work full time, I am usually exhausted by the time the weekend hits. And then I am trying to cram in all the things I need to do: meal planing, cooking, shopping, parties, etc. When we are home, I am guilty of sitting on the couch and watching JJ play. This year I need to put the Ipad down, and test out some of the amazing stuff I have seen out there for kids. Homemade playdough, painting crafts, sensory activities, - all this stuff looks like fun!

Family Yearbook Source

Take more pictures and make Family Yearbooks:
See below for my Photoshop goal, but I definitely want to get all my photos organized and make a nice book for the year. I think its a great idea to get the pics off the computer and out to enjoy. I have to work on the picture taking as well - we tend to take lots of pics of JJ, but not enough as a family and definitely not enough if we are hosting something (like Christmas or a party).

C25K Program

Be more active/Take better care of myself:
Here it is. My obligatory "lose weight resolution". I am to going to lie, I would love to lose 25 lbs. But throwing out that number and starting some crazy diet is only going to set me up for burnout and failure. I want to take this in slow steps and just try and be healthier. Somewhat related to the above, I have gotten super lazy. I mean I can get out of breath giving JJ a bath and putting his pjs on, and no one wants to hear a bedtime story full of huffing and puffing - unless its the Three Little Pigs. I know I get a lot less headaches/migraines when I take care of myself also. So to start, I am going to try and take a multivitamin everyday, drink a lot more water, brown bag my lunches, and stop buying junk (peanut m&m's - I'm looking at you). Once I get into the groove with that, I can set up some bigger plans. I also plan on attempting the Couch to 5k program again when it gets a little warmer. I started it at the end of last summer, but got stuck on week 5 for a couple weeks because I could never squeeze in more than 2 runs a week and then after Superstorm Sandy I never went out again.

Blog Related Goals

Post at least once a week (or on average 4 times a month):
I fall into the habit of trying out all these pins, taking pics, and uploading them to the computer, but then never typing up the post. Before I know it, I have 10 things to post about, and it seems so overwhelming. I think by setting aside one night a week, I can type up one post and take it at a nice slow pace.

Remember to take progress pics:
I don't want to keep typing the phrase "I forgot to take pics of that". I know its going to happen, but I want to make a conscience effort to remember to snap some pics as I go along.

Learn Photoshop Elements:
I was lucky enough to receive Photoshop Elements 11 for Christmas. Let's face it, my pics can use a lot of help. I thought I would be able to install the program, play around a little bit, and come out with these amazing pics and graphics for the blog. I thought that knowing Autocad would help me out and I would be able to use those skills. Boy was I wrong. I am sure its very user friendly, but I have no idea how to even start. I started googling online videos and looking around for some books, but I am not sure I want to drop more money on that right now.

Home Related Goals

Office Idea: Cabinet Refinishing Kit for Built in Desk

Office Idea Source: Paint bookshelves fun color

Work on the office:
I am currently typing this post from our "home office". It is the last room left in our house with the original yellow-oak moldings. We have never painted the walls, put up any window treatments, or done anything design related. Its honestly just a dumping ground for everything. There are piles of crafting stuff, the cards from JJ's birthday party, tons of books, misc video game stuff, etc. Joe and I bought a cabinet refinishing kit for the built in desk like a year ago, but its still sitting in the box. This year, I want to tackle this room and make it a nice office and maybe eventually mini play room. I have lots of ideas, I just need to bite the bullet and start working on the trim.

Organized Pantry Source

Organized Cabinet Source

Keep Closets organized:
I have been slowly cleaning out and organizing my cabinets and closets the last few weeks. I did the pantry, my baking cabinet, a storage cabinet where we keep platters and stuff, a closet in our family room, and the coat closet. They look great. The problem is, they will quickly creep back to their cluttered disorganized states. I hope to keep up with how nice they are now, so I don't have to repeat the whole process all over again in a year. I still need to work on my clothes closet and the office closets, but they are going to take a lot of work.

Hang up some stuff:
I have a gallery wall in my upstairs hallway that's about 60% finished. I need to bite the bullet and go buy the last of the Ikea frames I need. But aside from those pics, JJ's room, and maybe 8 things hung up in the whole downstairs, I have nothing on the walls. Nothing has been hung in our master bedroom in the 4 years we have been here. Nothing in the bathrooms upstairs, nothing in the guestroom. I need to work on getting some nice artwork or photos and get them up. It looks like we just moved in upstairs!

Take on at least 1 Sewing Project:

Book Sling Source

I have Shannon's old sewing machine in my craft closet. Its been here for about 3 years. I once tried to thread it, but every time I went to sew, the thread would snap so I am sure I did it wrong. I would love to make some book slings for the family room and JJ's room (his books are out of control), and know it only involves a straight line, so I just need to google around and figure out how to get this thing working.

So there you have it. Seems like a long list, but I don't think anything is too crazy. I am not looking to remodel our kitchen or build an outdoor dining table (although I would love both), just some things I should be able get too or keep up with over the next year. I have some other things I would like to do like work on the backyard and back porch, perhaps sew some other stuff, but I am not going to beat myself up if I don't get around to that stuff. I plan on "checking in" sometime in June and reevaluate the list. Of course I will wrap it up next January and see how I did overall.

Does anyone out there have any goals for 2013? Can anyone point me in the direction of some basic Photoshop Elements tutorials? How about Sewing 101: How to Thread Your Sewing Machine?

Update: Click here to see how I've been doing.