Double Layer Orange Cream Salad

This one of those traditional (and tasty!) FAMILY favorites that everyone loves. It's a great combination of pudding and Jell-O, and super REFRESHING this time of year. Everyone thinks it tastes like a DREAMSICLE—you know, the orange popsicle with vanilla ice cream in the middle? YUM! The best part is that, just like the majority of the recipes on this blog, its SUPER easy!

Double Layer Orange Cream Salad

1 large box orange gelatin

1 small box Cook & Serve lemon pudding

3 (15-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 small box instant lemon pudding

1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Make orange gelatin as directed on package and then set aside, but do not put in fridge to set. Make the Cook & Serve lemon pudding as directed on box. Gently stir liquid orange gelatin and cooked lemon pudding until smooth.

Place the mandarin oranges in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass dish (if you have an extra deep one use that!). Next pour the gelatin-pudding mixture over top and smooth with a spoon. Refrigerate overnight until set.

Make the instant pudding as directed. Fold the whipped topping into the pudding and then spread over the set gelatin-pudding mixture. Refrigerate 1–2 more hours before serving. Makes 12–14 servings.

TIP: Try using other combinations of the Cook & Serve puddings and Jell-Os to make your own unique dish! Vanilla pudding and raspberry Jell-O would be yummy with a layer of raspberries in the bottom!

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

These have been FLOATING around Pinterest so I just had to try them. They are FABULOUS! The best part is that they really only take MINUTES to make. If you love peanut butter and CHOCOLATE like I do, these are a must-make!

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Mix together the butter, cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter until well blended. Spread in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter and spread over top. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before cutting and serving.

TIP: I prefer creamy pb, but I'm sure crunchy works just fine too. Also, even though you refrigerate these before cutting, I enjoy eating them when they are room temperature. But you can decide which way you like it best!

Southwest Pasta Salad

We love TEX-MEX foods at our house, so this recipe really hits the SPOT. It's great to take to potlucks, or add some CHICKEN and have it for dinner. Either way, it's DELISH! (Sorry for the terrible picture! I really need a nice new camera . . . and maybe some cuter dishes!)

Southwest Pasta Salad
1 (16-ounce) box penne or rigatoni pasta, cooked according to directions
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitas (dark, small pumpkin seeds)

1 bottle Hidden Valley Farmhouse Southwest Chipotle dressing

1/4 to 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

In a bowl, combine the pasta, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, bacon, and pepitas. Stir in about 1 cup of the dressing and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in the lettuce and more dressing to moisten. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TIP: Add some cooked or grilled chopped chicken to make this a main course meal. Another great addition is some sort of cheese. I've added shredded taco blend cheese, and I think cubed pepper jack or cheddar would also be good. For tomato lovers, add tomato. And if anyone decides to add beef (shredded, ground), let me know how it turns out!

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich

I've recently become ADDICTED to hummus over the last few months, enough so that you might often find me standing by my fridge with a SPOON in hand as I sneak scoops out of the big container I bought from Costco. It's soooo GOOD! Anyway, I discovered this TASTY little sandwich that is very filling and great for someone trying to watch their CALORIE intake. I absolutely love it and hope you do too!

Hummus and Veggie Sandwich
Orowheat Sandwich Thin (or wheat bread)
1/4 to 1/3 cup hummus
Matchstick carrots
Sliced red and green bell pepper
Sliced purple onion

2 or 3 tablespoons finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Lettuce

Open up your sandwich thin (or place 2 slices of bread) on a work surface and spread the hummus over top of one side for a nice thick layer. Place a good amount of the carrots, peppers, and onion over top and press lightly into the hummus. Sprinkle the cheese over veggies and then place lettuce over top. Top with the other half of your sandwich thin and enjoy!

TIP: I've made this sandwich for my husband and added turkey to give him an extra boost of protein. He loved it even though he claims he does not like hummus! And as always, feel free to add your favorite veggies. Any variety would be great, I'm sure! :)

Baked Cheesy Taquitos

One night I was DREAMING up some recipes that would be good with GUACAMOLE (I had a huge avocado that needed to be used!). The hard part was that I needed it to be QUICK because we had a lot going on that day. Sooooo, these DELISH crunchy taquitos are the product of my "dreaming" session. Hope you like!

Baked Cheesy Taquitos

8 medium flour tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use Tillamook Medium)

Frozen corn, thawed

1 can diced green chiles

Easiest, Yummiest Guacamole

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Lay tortillas on a work surface and put desired amount of cheese, corn, and green chiles down the center of each (I say the more the better!). Roll up tightly and place seem side down on the prepared cookie sheet. Spray the tops with more nonstick spray and then stick in oven. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned and toasted. Serve with some yummy guacamole (link to my recipe above) and salsa for dipping. 

TIP: You can obviously put whatever you want in these rolls of crunchy goodness! Feel free to throw in some shredded chicken or beef, or even rinsed black beans for some protein. Other veggies would be a great addition too. Just mix it up to your heart's content!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is one of my husbands go-to appetizers. He absolutely LOVES this dip, and I have to tell you, it is SUPER addictive. I got this recipe from a friend of a friend of a friend, or something like that, and adjusted it slightly to fit my family's tastes. It is in my cookbook, 101 Things To Do With Cheese. I do ADMIT it's not necessarily pretty to look at when all is said and done, but it really is DELICIOUS!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 large can chicken, drained (I use the Costco brand)

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 bottle buffalo sauce

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup ranch dressing 

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

In a frying pan, saute the chicken, celery, and buffalo sauce until celery is tender. Stir in the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and 1 cup cheddar cheese until mixed well and cheeses have melted. Pour mixture into a 2-quart glass casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbling around the edges and cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, celery sticks, or whatever you think might be good!

TIP: Try sprinkling some Gorgonzola crumbles on top as well. It makes the whole "buffalo" experience a little more authentic. But be warned that blue cheese does not smell super appealing!

BONUS TIP: I've made this same dip but used it as a filling for wontons instead. I bake them and then we dip them in some chunky blue cheese dressing. YUM!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Back in January I did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 exercise program and also tried doing her MEAL PLAN that goes along with it on most days. Anyway, this is my VERSION of her Mahi mahi tacos. It's super yummy and tastes so FRESH. It's the perfect spring meal if you ask me!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

1/2 to 1 pound tilapia, cut into bite-size chunks

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango, cut into pieces

1 small avocado, cut into pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/3 to 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

Place the fish in a bowl and then combine the lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and seasonings and pour over fish. Let marinate about 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating, combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. (Make sure to toss well so the avocado doesn't brown!)

In a frying pan, cook the fish in about 1 teaspoon olive oil and the marinade until completely cooked through and opaque, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve fish on flour tortillas topped with the mango salsa.

TIP: Another nice addition for serving . . . plain greek yogurt! Try it instead of sour cream for a more tangy taste. Shredded lettuce would also be a great addition.  

Creamy Avocado Pasta

So again, Pinterest is AMAZING! I found 3 or 4 avocado pasta recipes that I liked and came up with my own VERSION. Let me be the first to say that it turned out so YUMMY. Is that bad of me to praise myself like that? Anyway, hope ya like this super SIMPLE dish that is full of FLAVOR! Oh, and this would also be a great GREEN dish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your fam!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

6 to 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 sprig fresh basil
2 small avocados, peeled and pitted (or 1 really big one!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream (I used light)
Thinly sliced green onion, to garnish

Start cooking your spaghetti in salted water in a pot according to package directions.

In a blender or food processor, blend together the lime juice, oil, basil, avocado, s and p, cheese, and sour cream, until mostly smooth.

Drain cooked spaghetti, then put back in the pot. Toss with the creamy avocado mixture and then put in individual serving bowls (or on plates). Sprinkle with more cheese and some green onion. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: This is probably best served right after making. Leftovers may start turning brown and might not look so appetizing. Another addition that might be good—toasted pine nuts!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Here's another soup to keep you WARM! I posted this recipe a year or two ago, but when I made it last week, it was so DELISH that I thought I better share it with you again. I think every time I make this I SWITCH up the ingredients according to whatever I have on hand. I love that it is so VERSATILE!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

3/4 cup wild rice

5 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube

1 to 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4 cup diced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

1 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into chunks

2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Slivered almonds to garnish (optional)

In a large soup pan, combine the rice with the water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, and onion. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more, or until vegetables and rice are tender. Stir in the condensed soup, cream cheese, and chicken. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Thin with water or chicken broth if soup is too thick for your liking. Serve with almonds sprinkled over the top, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can totally change this recipe every time you make it. It's also good minus the broccoli and with a cup of sliced celery instead. Or just add some celery and a little less broccoli. Or throw in a cup of corn. Diced bell pepper would probably taste pretty yummy too. So many possibilities! 

CInnamon Explosion French Toast

We love BREAKFAST foods at our house, and occasionally have them for DINNER. This yummy version of FRENCH TOAST is one of those quick dinners we threw together at the last minute. Boy did it turn out SCRUMPTIOUS. It is just bursting with cinnamon flavor—hence the "explosion" description in the recipe title!

Cinnamon Explosion French Toast

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

(Recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5 ounces evaporated milk

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

French Toast
1 loaf unsliced cinnamon bread (we used Cinnamon Burst from Great Harvest)
2 eggs
Milk
Cinnamon
Chopped pecans

For the syrup, combine the all but the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes and then stir in milk; set aside until ready to use.

For the whipped cream, beat cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon until stiff peaks form. Put in the fridge until ready to use.

For the French toast, heat a large frying pan or electric skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices (or 1 1/2 inches if you prefer); set aside. With a fork, beat together the eggs with a desired amount of milk and cinnamon (just like a regular French toast mixture). Dip bread slices in both sides of milk mixture and then cook until nicely browned on each side. Serve with the syrup drizzled over top and a dollop a the whipped cream. Garnish with the pecans.

TIP: If this is TOO much cinnamon for you, just make regular whipped cream without the cinnamon.

Snickers Hot Chocolate

Oh my, is this GOOD! I've been seeing so many fun HOT CHOCOLATE recipes, I decided to come up with my own version. This chocolatey concoction turned out AMAZING—its very decadent and definitely fulfills any desire for DESSERT.

Snickers Hot Chocolate
1 cup hot chocolate (I used a homemade milk chocolate mix made with skim milk)
Fresh whipped cream*
2 miniature Snicker's, chopped (not the fun-size!)
Caramel ice cream topping

Top your cup of hot chocolate with a scoop of cream, the chopped Snickers, and a drizzle of the caramel ice cream topping. Enjoy!

TIP: I made cinnamon whipped cream to go with some cinnamon french toast (that will be posted in a few days). Since it was already made, I just used some of the leftovers instead of whipping more cream. Try whipping 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. AMAZING!

Nut-Encrusted Chicken

I recently did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 workout DVDs and 30-day meal plan. This recipe was one of my favorites. It was DELICIOUS. I made a few little adjustments to her recipe, but thanks for SHARING Jillian!  (Sorry for the really terrible photo!)

Nut-Encrusted Chicken
1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil, or a little more if needed
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dijon mustard (optional)

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the almonds, oil, lemon zest and juice, a few squirts of Dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped. Put the chicken in a shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and pat the nut mixture over each piece to coat. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness of breast halves.

TIP: I used chicken tenders instead of breast halves and they worked out perfect! Serve with a nice veggie salad for a great rounded and healthy meal.

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

We love SALAD at our house and we love PASTA too, so why not combine them when we can, right? This is the perfect combo of salad—it's FRESH, cool, and crisp. Not to mention, full of FLAVOR!

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

3 cups mini farfalle pasta (little bow ties)

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sliced olives (green, black, or a combo)

1 to 1 1/2 cups cubed pepperoni or salami (or both)

1/4 to 1/3 purple onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup Bernstein's Cheese & Garlic Italian dressing, plus more if necessary

4 to 5 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and cool. Combine all ingredients except the lettuce in a large bowl and chill until ready to serve. Toss in the lettuce just before serving and add more dressing if salad seems dry.

TIP: Just like most pasta salads, this one is easy to customize for your family! If you don't like peppers, leave them out. You could add things like fresh tomatoes or mushrooms, or even cubes of fresh mozzarella (the marinated balls would be delicious!).

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes

Apparently it was National PANCAKE Day on Tuesday this week, so I thought I would add ANOTHER pancake recipe to the mix! These CAKES are so easy and crazy good. That's a recipe combination I always LOVE! (OK, so I see that most of my pancake photos appear to be very similar! Sorry about that—I will try to be more creative in the future.)

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick
2 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a pan and cook the batter like any other pancake batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup on top. Makes about 8 pancakes or so.

TIP: If you like more "thin" pancakes, add more milk gradually to your batter until the desired texture is reached. (I'm a sucker for THICK pancakes!) Also, a nice caramel syrup like they have at Kneader's would be delish on these pancakes though they don't really need it.

Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

Thanks Pinterest! Is everyone else as obsessed with Pinterest.com as I am? I LOVE all the new recipes I'm finding there! I found this recipe through the AMAZING site and just made a few changes to it for my FAMILY. Hope you like it as much as we did! (Original recipe found on How Sweet It Is blog.) 

Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Vanilla Glaze (optional)

1/2 cup store-bought maple syrup

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until somewhat smooth. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup measures of batter on a hot griddle and cook like normal pancakes. Serve hot with syrup or the glaze listed above! Makes about 10 or so pancakes.

To make glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth.

TIP: To make this extra luxurious, try adding some semisweet chocolate chips to the batter. Also, good with cinnamon syrup or other vanilla-flavored syrups.

"Slutty" Brownies

OK, so I've been obsessed with Pinterest and have found SO MANY recipes and fun things I want to try. Well, this recipe seemed SUPER interesting and had to be DELICIOUS, so I just couldn't resist trying it. It's from the blog What's Gaby Cooking. I adjusted the recipe and used a boxed brownie mix instead to make it a little more SIMPLE, but I'm sure hers is just as good!

"Slutty" Brownies
1 box brownie mix for an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan
1 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tesapoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 package Oreos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions and set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips.

Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Press about 2/3 to 3/4 of the cookie dough evenly in the bottom of the pan. (Save the rest to make cookies another day!) Place Oreos over cookie dough to cover. Spread brownie batter evenly over top and then place in oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and then test with a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the brownies are done. If it comes out with wet and glossy brownie batter, cook it 5 minutes longer and test again.

NOTE: It took me around an hour to have it bake completely through, however when I went to use my oven the next day, it wouldn't heat properly, so I'm not sure if it was "going out" while baking the brownies. I just kept baking in 5-minute intervals until they were done. Just be careful because you don't want to burn these bad boys!

TIP: Serve with ice cream to mellow them out, or top the ice cream with hot fudge to make them even more delicious!

Martha's Chocolate "Surprise" Cookies

How about these soft CHOCOLATY cookies to wow your sweetie? Thank you MARTHA STEWART for sharing this great recipe! My husband and I can't get enough of these little beauties.

• Martha's Chocolate "Surprise" Cookies
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• 
  
• Chocolate Frosting
• • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 
    
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
  • Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  • Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Berry Surprise Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

To celebrate my mother-in-law's BIRTHDAY, we made these tasty cupcakes. My 2-year-old really wanted purple CUPCAKES, so this is what I came up with! I have to say that they were super YUMMY. Great Valentine's Day treat? YES!

Berry Surprise Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 white cake mix, batter mixed according to directions
1 small box instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 container Yoplait blackberry yogurt
1 bag Raspberry Hershey's Hugs

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened

6 to 10 blackberries, fresh or frozen, mashed

2 cups powdered sugar

Into to the already prepared cake batter, mix in the dry pudding mix and yogurt until combined. (Batter is slightly thick!) In a muffin pan lined with paper liners, drop a cookie scooper full of batter in the bottom of each liner. Unwrap and place a Hershey Hug in the center of each. Top with another scoop of batter and then bake according to directions. Let cool completely.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the mashed berries and beat until combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar and blend until combined. I added a touch of purple food coloring to get just the right color of purple, but it's really pretty without!

Makes about 24 cupcakes

TIP: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes for a more "cute" look. Top with sprinkles or even some white chocolate chips. If frosting is not stiff enough to pipe, mix in more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. If frosting is too stiff, add a touch of milk to loosen it up.

Blackberry Cheesecake Bread

Sometimes I just want some really YUMMY sweet bread. This recipe totally fills that CRAVING! It's super simple and has just the right amount of TREAT factor to it—especially if you add the white chocolate chips as mentioned in the tip! Maybe you could whip this up for your SPECIAL someone in a couple of weeks . . .

Blackberry Cheesecake Bread
1 yellow or white cake mix
1 small box instant cheesecake pudding mix
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
Dash of cinnamon, optional
3/4 to 1 cup slightly smashed blackberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, applesauce, and cinnamon, if using. Gently fold in the blackberries until swirled throughout the batter. Pour into two loaf pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then completely on a wire rack.

TIP: If your blackberries are extra juicy, you may want to drain them! Also, another great addition to this  recipe would be some white chocolate chips. Yum!

Twix Caramel Brownies

Mmmmmmm! I've been DIETING, ya know, trying to get back in shape after carrying TWINS around all last year. Well, these BROWNIES have been calling my name and I just needed to have one. I found the recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod—a great recipe blog!

Twix Caramel Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped Twix candy bars
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place butter in medium saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Stir in Twix candy bar chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Drizzle caramel evenly over the brownies. Using a toothpick, swirl caramel into brownies. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into squares and serve.