Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

I must have thought Sabrina really needed a pick-me-up because I also whipped up a batch of brownies to toss into her care package. Warning: These are delicious!

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

www.browneyedbaker.com

Yield: 24 bars

For the Brownie Base:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Toppings:
1 bag (10½ ounces) miniature marshmallows
1½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ cups Rice Krispies cereal

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.

2. For the brownies: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips over medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl , whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

5. Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.

6. Meanwhile, place the milk chocolate chips, peanut butter, and tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly, until completely melted. Remove from heat, add the Rice Krispies and mix well. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.

7. Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.

(Adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody; originally from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel)

Oreo Truffles and Mint Oreo Truffles

Since Sabrina is in Arizona working her butt off getting used to the "fun" life of a working adult and I'm sure missing her family oh so much, I decided I would send her a little care package to hopefully brighten up her day. After having the most delicious oreo cake pop last week, I knew I had to try to make my own. Once I saw the recipe for the mint ones, I knew it was the perfect treat to make for Sabrina. They ar really easy and sooooo delicious! Unfortunatly, I couldn't find the "best" candy coating, so I had to make do with the ones from Michaels. They caused me some problems and don't look as amazing as my prefectionist self would like, but they taste so darn good, I'm hoping I'll be forgiven. ;)

Oreo Truffles

adapted from: www.bakerella.com

35 oreo cookies

1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)

white chocolate bark

1. Crush cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together. (I used my hands)

3. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Refrigerate)

4. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. (I sprinkled mine with sprinkles)

5. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Makes about 36 truffles.

Notes: It helps to freeze the uncoated balls for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart in the melted chocolate. If this becomes a problem, dip them in the chocolate, let dry and then dip again. They are also good dipped in regular milk chocolate bark. And for an extra twist, use the mint oreo sandwich cookies.

Recipe amended from Kraft Food & Family Fall 2006.

*For the mint oreo truffles use 22 cookies with cream centers included and 10 cookies with cream centers discarded

Farewell to Yesenia and Zach

One of my very good friends from high school is moving back east. She had a huge going away party on Saturday July 23rd that Nic and I went to. As I have said many times before, it is always so great to catch up with friends. I am going to miss Yesenia (especially since lately we have been able to hang out so much more), but I am excited for her as she starts this new journey. I wish her and Zach the very best of Luck!!

Lunch with Oma and Opa

On Wednesday, I went with my mom and dad to my Oma and Opa's house for lunch. It was nice to take a little break from work and it was especially nice to see my grandparents. I'm so thankful that they are still alive, but I also get sad when I realize that they probably won't be here much longer. I really want to try and go for lunch once a month. Who knows how much longer I will have with them so I should try to enjoy their company as much as possible. I love you Oma and Opa.

Peaches~n~Cream Ice Cream

Last week, I read a blog entry on one of my favorite blogs www.annies-eats.com about Peach ice cream. When Tracy Tenerelli gave me a bunch of Tenerelli Orchards peaches on Sunday I just new that I had to make it. My first mistake was that I should have followed this tutorial from Our Best Bites on how to peel peaches. My second mistake is not owning a kitchen scale (*hint hint for anyone wondering what to get me for a b-day/christmas present). I guessed how much peach to use and don't think I used enough. Besides that though, this ice cream was divine. It is very creamy, yet light and refreshing. Pefect for a hot summer day. My mom, Nic, Tyler and his girlfriend all tasted it and approve. Although, I did change the name because Tyler said that he expected "Peach Ice Cream" to be more like a sorbet, but when I said it was supposed to taste like Peaches and Cream he said that it tasted exactly like peaches and cream, so there you have it~Peaches~n~Cream Ice Cream.

Peach Ice Cream

From www.annies-eats.com

Ingredients:

1 1/3 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped

½ cup water

¾ cup sugar

½ cup sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Combine the peaches and water in a medium nonreactive saucepan.   Cook over medium heat, covered, stirring once or twice, until the peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the sugar, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Add the peaches and their juices to a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients. Pulse briefly so that the mixture is well combined.  For a smooth ice cream with no chunks of fruit, continue processing until smooth.  Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  Once chilled, transfer to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  

Barely adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Another Fun Weekend

On Friday night, Nic and I went to the Olive Garden in between his basketball games. Later that night we met up with some friends for Happy Hour at the elephant bar. The next morning, we squeezed in a ride on Tatsu at Magic Mountain before I raced up to Acton for a weekend of scrapbooking. It was so fun for my mom and I to catch up with all our Acton friends: Sheri, Sandy, Diane, Kelly, Brenda, Nancy, Tracy, and many more popped in and out too. I got tons of pages done and learned a bit about digital scrapbooking (I think I may have to give in and try it). On Sunday night, my mom, Nic and I grabbed burgers for dinner at Five Guys, then went to see Horrible Bosses. What a fantastic weekend!! Oh, and I almost forgot, while I was off scrapbooking, Nic worked on painting the game room (or the Scrapbooking room, as I like to call it). Don't I have the best husband!?!

Cake Balls

Last Monday, July 11th, I made cake balls to celebrate a work friend's Hawaiian wedding. I decided to use pineapple cake to give the dessert a tropical feel. They were pretty easy to make and a huge hit!

Camp Crop

Over the weekend, my mom and I went to Remember When for another fun crop. The theme this time was Camp, so we had hot dogs for lunch, made camp banners, and even had s'mores. We also met Nic for dinner (he spent the day cleaning the house~Can we say husband of the year award?). It was another really fun weekend!!

Frozen Lemonade Pie

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it always makes me think of summer, so I figured it was the perfect dessert to kick-off Ice Cream Appreciation Month. It is so simple: just mix together softened vanilla ice cream, cool whip, and lemonade concentrate. Pour into a pre-made graham cracker crust, and freeze. How easy is that?!

Delicious Dinners

I know I have already praised Dream Dinners on here before, but I must do it again. Nic and I both work full-time (and Nic has his two basketball coaching jobs), then we try to squeeze in exercise when we can, and let's face it, if it worn't for Dream Dinners, we would be eating fast food every night. Instead we get to have delicious home cooked meals. I get to experience the joy and pride of making dinner without all the planning, shopping, and food prep. Here are a few meals we had last week:

July is Ice Cream Appreciation Month

Since July is ice cream appreciation month I thought I would share a link to teach you the basics of making your own ice cream. Annie's blog is one of my favorites, especially because she loves ice cream even more than I do and shares tons of great ice cream recipes. I hope you enjoy lots of delicious ice cream this month!

4th of July

On the 4th of July, I woke up not feeling too great (must have been a result of all the fun I had the week before) so Nic and I relaxed around the house, went to the pool for a bit and watched a movie. That night we went to the Rose Bowl to meet Yesenia and Zach for the fireworks show. We played some games with them, ate delicious "carnival" food like hot dogs and kettle corn, and ended the night with a spectacular fireworks show.

Huntington Beach

I had been really looking forward to spending the day after the wedding at the beach, but it was really overcast and sort of cold. We made the most of it by meeting Miri and Chris for brunch at Longboards in Huntington Beach. The food was really good and I really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with my friends. Kim even came and met us after church. We walked down to the pier to check out the surf competition, then Nic and I hit the road to head home. We spent the night just relaxing and catching up on sleep.

Ramirez Wedding

On Saturday, June 2nd, Nic and I drove down to Huntington Beach for my sorority sister, Ashley's, wedding. After watching Ashley and Andre exchange their vows we had a few hours to kill before the reception. So, Miri, Chris, Nic and I went to Rebecca and Jerret's place to have some wine and beer. We were all pretty hungry so the boys grabbed a few gourmet snacks from the liquor store and Rebecca whipped up an impressive spread. After a few hours of us girls chatting and the boys playing some drinking game with the neighbors and landing fabulous nicknames: Lilac, Cuffs, and Mormon (can you guess who is who?) we took a cab to the Hyatt Newport Beach for the reception.

At the coctail hour we scarffed down enjoyed delicious appetizers (the breaded lobster was my favorite) and drank more wine. I caught up with a friend, Katie, that I danced with as a kid, which was fun (She and Ashley went to highschool together in Palmdale, which is just north of Acton. She told Ashley to find the tall, blonde dancer and UCI because she knew me. Ashley laughed it off thinking the school was hugh, but we both had a good laugh when she realized she had found me at Tri Delta recruitment. Small world, huh?) While chowing down on all the delicious appys, we got to chat with the bride and Jerret and Nic created "the cognac club."

After cockatil hour we went into the gorgeous room to eat dinner, watch the first dance, listen to the toasts and then dance the night away. It sort of felt like we were back in college, joking around, dancing, drinking and it especially felt like college when we were taking Delta pictures and shots of tequila on the rocks. ;) *Sorry Ashley~we sort of broke your no shots rule* I think it was well worth it though, because what followed was Cognac Club impersonations of Tri Delts, the always succesful belting of Don't Stop Believen', and some crazy dancing!! The night was so fun in fact, that Jerret split his pants and I broke my shoe!

NKOTBSB!

On Friday, July 1st, I went to the NKOTBSB concert! After work, I went to Rachelle's house for some drinks and appetizers witht he girls. Kim and I left a bit earlier to try to catch the last bit of Jordin Sparks who opened the show. Rachelle, Whitney, Natalie and Ashley got to Staples Center just as the boys took the stage. The concert was SOOO good! The show made me feel like a giddy highschool girl again and I still remembered all the words to every Backstree Boy song. Although I was a little young for New Kids on the Block, I remembered a bunch of their songs as well. The atmosphere in Staples Center was one of the best I've ever experienced. Rachelle even said it was the best concert EVER (even though she says this at almost every concert, I agree with her that it was One of the Best we have ever been to). After the show, Rachelle's friend from highschool met us with backstage passes, but it turned out they were only good for before and during the show. I did get to head down to my old stomping ground though, which brought back many great memories. After we said our goodbyes to Kim and realized Brandon was not going to pick us up we caught a cab with Jaime for a rather interesting cab ride. We went to a Karaoke bar for a bit then Brandon, Rachelle and I went back to their place for more snacks and chatting. I got home around 2:30am, but it was well worht it. What a fantastic way to start the holiday weekend!!

We All Scream for Ice Cream

So I have sort of become obsessed with making ice cream! Once I made the chocolate caramel tim tam ice cream I started searching for more ice cream recipes to try. I made s'mores ice cream, which is marshmallow ice cream, with graham crackers, and hersheys chocolate. I made some adjustments to the recipe and think I will make a few more adjustments next time I make it. I also made a mint oreo ice cream, which is our new favorite! This one included egg yolks and involved making a custard (see how advanced my ice cream making has become?). It was a bit more effort, but totally worth it! It was A-maz-ing and Nic said it tasted just as good as anything you can buy.

Rihanna

On June 28th, Celena, Lindsay, Rachelle and I went to the Rihanna concert. We grabbed dinner at Granville first, which has become our pre-concert ritual. Then we headed to Staples Center where we saw Perez Hilton as we were heading into the concert. Rihanna was fantastic and we had tons of fun dancing the night away.

The Aussies and the Artists

On Monday night Nic and I went out to dinner with my LACHSA friends: Jordan, Jeff, Yesenia, Zach, Will and Jessica and Nic's friends visiting from Tasmania: Keiran, Dale, Kali and Dallas. It was a bit tough to table hop between the two, but it was the only night we could meet up with the Australian group and I didn't want to miss the dinner with my art high friends. We ended up having a blast! I was finally able to prove to my LACHSA friends that Nic is in fact a real person and Nic got to catch up with Keiran, his Leaver's Dinner date (the Australian equivalent to our prom). After happy hour at Wokano we grabbed Coldstones for dessert, then gave the Aussies a ride back to LA.

Double Date Night

On Saturday, June 25th, Nic and I went out with Nic's friend and girlfriend. Nic's friend, Nick, is a basketball player who is dating an Australian dancer from Bendigo, Marni. Small world, right? They were both really nice and we had a great time eating dinner at New Moon and playing my favorite game: which words do we Americans say different than Australians, who pronounces the words right, and what embarrassing situations have our accents caused us in the other country. I don't know why, but imitating how Nic says "squirrel" [sqwurr-el]and him imitating how I say "raw" [rah-like a peppy cheerleader] never gets old! It is hilarious every time!! After dinner, we came back to our house and played a few rounds of Scattegories. I won with Nic coming in close behind. I don't think they were quite prepared for how competitive Nic and I are. ;) It was a very fun night and I had a great time getting to know are couple twins.