Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies with a Cream Cheese Swirl

If you read my Sunday Blessings post last week, you know I made a big life decision recently. What you don’t know is what exactly that decision was.

Until now.

Dun dun dunnn! So dramatic.

So here’s the deal. Last week, I officially submitted my resignation with my current company and accepted a new job offer with a non-profit organization where I used to be an intern during college. Telling my current employer was one of the most difficult things I’ve done in a long time, but I am so excited for the new opportunity. Change is difficult, but change is good. Right?

Right.

Now that I have that news off my chest, let’s talk brownies.

I have yet to make brownies from scratch that are as good as brownies from a box. Hashtag sorry I’m not sorry. If you know of a good one, please share. But I’d be hard pressed to believe Ghirardelli or Betty Crocker don’t put up a good fight. In this particular case, I used a dark chocolate mix from Ghirardelli. 

Another reason why I love using a box mix sometimes is because it allows me to spend more time focusing on ways to add to it and make it my own. Not only did I use the help of a box mix for these chocolatey delights, but our good friend Joe (Trader Joe that is) provided me with Candy Cane Joe Joe’s. If you’ve never had them, just imagine peppermint Oreos.

I actually have my aunt/God mother to thank for the Joe Joe’s. The cookies along with some crunchy cookie butter were her Christmas gift to me this year. She knows me well.

Between Ghirardelli chocolate, peppermint cookies, and an easy homemade cream cheese filling, what we have here is one decadent treat. But don’t worry if that sounds too decadent for you. I subbed Greek yogurt for the oil, so that counts for something! If you made a new year’s resolution to lose weight or eat healthier, this totally counts.

Or if you just need something to warm your soul and make you do a little happy dance, these brownies are for you.

One last thing before I go. Happy, happy birthday to my husband! Greg wouldn’t touch these brownies with a ten foot pole, but I’m making it up to him with a special dinner tonight. Dessert isn’t his thing, but a (spoiler-alert) Mexican style dinner is!

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies with a Cream Cheese Swirl

(Adapted from recipe on back of the Ghirardelli brownie box)

Makes about 16 servings

Ingredients:

1 box Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix (or another mix of choice)
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
25 Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (or another similar cookie)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten (you will only use half of this)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9×9 inch pan with nonstick spray. Gently twist Joe Joe’s apart and cover the bottom of the pan with half of the separated cookies. Set pan aside.
2. Prepare brownie batter by combining mix, egg, water and Greek yogurt. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Add remaining cookies, cream side down, on top of the batter. Pour remaining brownie batter on top of the cookies.
3. Prepare the cream cheese filling by combining cream cheese, sugar, half of the beaten egg, vanilla and peppermint extract in a small bowl (discard the other half of the egg, or reuse for something else). Use a butter knife or spatula to swirl cream cheese mixture across the top of the brownie batter.
4. Bake 32-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares. 

Thanksgiving Weekend: The Food

I spent the past five days soaking in quality time with family and friends. It was fabulous. We had the best Thanksgiving, with Greg and I hosting for the first time as a married couple in our new home. I didn’t take many photos at all, but here are a few that I have of the food. Since after all, besides family and friends, it is alllllll about the food.

Triple Layer Coconut Cake

Joey Bag-a-Donuts

Turkey turkey!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Aged Cheddar Mac and Cheese from Crave

Modified version of this Brussels Sprouts Saute from Bev Cooks

I am so blessed for the gifts God has given my family and me. Thankful doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling. Praise the Lord for times like these, food this delicious, and big wins by OSU and Auburn this weekend 😉 Go Bucks and War Eagle!!

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Soooo. I know I just told you the other day how I’m over pumpkin, and it’s really not all that great to begin with, yady yady yada…

1. I may not quite be over pumpkin if it’s in the form of these cupcakes. But they hardly count, because like I also mentioned the other day you can’t hardly taste it in the cake anyway. Chocolate is the dominant flavor here. The pumpkin does add an amazing element of moistness and warmth, but overall not a standout flavor.

2. I also neglected to mention there is one more pumpkin item I’m not over yet. Pumpkin pie!! I can easily get caught up in allllllllll of the other choices on Thanksgiving, but when it comes down to it, old trusty pumpkin pie always satisfies. As long as it has a giant dollop of whipped cream on top. I CAN’T WAIT! Two days, two days, two days, two days, two days!

Moral of the story, I have to retract my previous statements about pumpkin just a little bit. I do in fact still enjoy it. Sorry for the confusion. 

Oh, and one other thing. Shortly after publishing the last post, I realized I already have a baked pumpkin donut recipe – Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts made with pumpkin Greek yogurt. My latest version are much prettier. Either that or my photography is getting better (thank goodness), but probably a combination of both. 

These cupcakes though! Have I mentioned yet that I baked them specifically for a bake-off at work last week? Out of the four voting categories, I won two of them – “Yummiest” and “Martha Stewart Would Be Proud.” I came in second place for “Best Looking.”

Not to brag, but… 

Maybe you should make these. They are that good. Award winning! 

I can’t take credit though, because Jenny is the genius behind the rich, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth concoction. 

This is actually another second-timer recipe for me. The reason I made these cupcakes in the first place was because of the rave reviews my family gave it when I made it in a whole cake form two years ago for Thanksgiving. It was just as good as I remembered, if not better, because what’s not better in cupcake form? As with the pumpkin donuts, these pictures give the cake much more credibility than the original post. I am also sharing the recipe below exactly how I made them, since there are differences from Jenny’s version. 

Go make ya some!

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

(Adapted from the Picky Palate)

Makes about 28 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake-
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup almond milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
15 ounce can pumpkin (save two tablespoons for the frosting)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the frosting-
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons almond milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper or silicone liners and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, combine all cake ingredients except chocolate chips. Beat on medium speed until well blended, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Fold in chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed. Pour batter into pan by the 1/4 cup. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.
3. For the frosting, add butter, cream cheese, pumpkin and cinnamon in a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, about a cup at a time until you reach desired thickness. Add milk and mix until completely smooth. Frost and sprinkle as desired!

*Very important to wait until cupcakes are completely cooled to frost, otherwise the frosting will melt and slide right off.

No-Bake Protein Date Bars

Sniff, sniff.

No, I’m not crying. I’m getting sick! Scratch that, I AM sick. Ugh. After waking up with a swollen and sore throat, I have gradually been getting worse all day. You never appreciate how wonderful normal breathing is until you find yourself sniffing every other second, trying to keep snot from running out of your nose. TMI? Sorry. I speak da truth!

It’s like that song, “Let Her Go” by Passenger, you know it right?

“Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low

Only hate the road when you’re missin’ home

Only know you lover her when you let her go…”

Now that I’ve got you singing and thinking about runny noses, let’s just be thankful we can’t spread illness through the interwebs! So stick around for a few minutes longer, won’t you?

These bars. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh these bars. If I could summarize in one word: Addicting. 

These bars were the first thing I have ever made with dates and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. They are the epitome of salty and sweet. The sweet, chewy date filling sits between a salty and crunchy almond oat crust. It’s a true party in your mouth, I promise you that. So. Much. TEXTURE!

This is one of those treats where you start with “just a bite,” then move on to “okay, maybe just half of the bar,” to “well, I might as well finish it now.”

…and maybe just one more. 

Side note – Do you know how difficult it is to search for recipes using dates online? No, Google. I do not want recipes for my date. I want to make something with this box of dates. See the difference? It’s easy to search “pumpkin recipes” or “side dish recipes,” but when you search “date recipes” all that comes up are ideas for food to make for a date night. 

Stay warm and healthy my friends. And eat date bars. Lots of date bars.

No-Bake Protein Date Bars
(Adapted from Oh She Glows)

Makes ~10 bars

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
~20 dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup water

Directions:
1. In a food processor, add oats, almonds, protein powder and salt. Pulse on high until a crumbly mixture forms. Add five of the dates and process again until crumbly.
2. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and pour into food processor. Blend with the other ingredients until entire mixture is just barely moist. Add about 3/4 of this mixture to a medium loaf pan. Press down with spatula or your fingers. Set the rest of the mixture aside.
3. Add the remaining 15 chopped dates to your food processor with the shredded coconut and water. Blend until a paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Spread this mixture on top of the crust in the loaf pan. Top with the crust you had reserved earlier. Gently press down on top. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Cut into bars and enjoy!

*Store in refrigerator for up to one week

Apple Pie with an Oatmeal Crumble

I like to think of myself as a relatively happy, optimistic person. I haven’t always been that way, but throughout the past few years, I have grown closer to God and really noticed a difference. Looking on the bright side of things and having a glass half full attitude does wonders for my soul. It’s such a better way to live life. 

Of course there are times when I get upset and am not so smiley. Greg can attest to this more than anyone. He can handle it though. That’s why I have him around.

Then there are times when the silliest things just make me angry. Little things that are so annoying I can’t even take it, like:

1. You remember how we moved recently, right? Well I quickly discovered that at 8:15 every morning, right when I’m leaving for work, the sun shines through onto our street just perfectly through the trees so that for about five seconds of my drive I am absolutely BLINDED by the light (sorry for just writing the longest sentence ever). I seriously cannot see a thing for those few seconds, and it’s while I’m driving along a curve to make matters worse. Every morning I’m praying that there’s nobody in the road or a car coming from the other direction. It’s so dangerous, but there isn’t anything I can do. Sunglasses on, visor pulled down…I still can’t see anything. I get so angry at the sun during that time. Sorry, Sun. I love you, but I don’t always have to like you. 

2. When people have the car blinker on when they aren’t actually trying to change lanes or turn. I know it happens to everyone, myself included, but it still drives me crazy. I just want them to TURN IT OFF! I can’t wait to get around the car so I don’t have to see it flashing unnecessarily anymore. 

3. Wind. I have long hair. I like to wear it down sometimes, is that a crime? The wind thinks so.

And with that, I’m off to yoga to fight off these negative energies (well, I actually already went to yoga, but originally typed this post early this morning beforehand). Another solution to put yourself in a good mood: Make this apple pie, add a big scoop of ice cream and just see if you can keep a smile off your face. I bet you can’t. Take that, negative energy!

Apple Pie with an Oatmeal Crumble
(Adapted from my Baked Apple Pie and How Sweet It Is)

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (I used a store bought crust)
4 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the crumble topping-
1 cup oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

+Vanilla ice cream for serving, highly recommended

Directions:
1. Roll out the pie crust and lay in 9-inch pie pan. Press down around the sides of the pan and trim any crust hanging over the sides. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a large bowl, combine sliced apples, sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. Pour mixture into pie crust and set aside.
4. In a bowl (I use the same one used for the apple mixture to reduce clean up), add oats, brown suga, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir well and shake over top of the apple mixture in the pie pan. Distribute butter pieces evenly on top.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Be sure to check on pie after 20 minutes of baking – cover with foil if the crust is becoming too brown for the remainder of bake time.
6. Remove from oven and let cool 10-20 minutes. Slice and serve with a BIG scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Mac Off and Menchie’s

On Saturday afternoon, we got together with a group of friends for a good cause. A cause near and dear to my heart. 

This is very serious.

But not really.

The annual Charleston Mac Off! Mac and cheese, that is. 

Did you catch that? There, on that sign…White chocolate s’mores mac and cheese?! You know my eyes went big and my sweet tooth went crazy when I read that. It sure sounded strange, but I HAD to try it. Well, turns out it was just as weird as you would think. I love Graze and give them all the credit for taking a chance with that one, but it simply was not good. Sorry, Graze 😦

Once I got that out of my system, I tried all kinds of more traditional mac and cheese. You may have also noticed Crave listed on that chalkboard sign. And yes, they had won the competition for three consecutive years prior to this year. Wouldn’t you know it, but Crave won again! 

Here I am with a sample of the mac from Poogan’s Porch, complete with scallions, country ham and smoked gouda. This was one of my faves. 

Of all of the delicious mac and cheese I ate (way too much, but that was to be expected I suppose), this butternut squash ravioli in a brown butter sauce was the best part of my day. Rio Bertolini’s makes fresh pasta, which I’ve bought from local farmer’s markets before. They know how it’s done. I bought some lobster ravioli, butternut squash ravioli and whole wheat pizza dough to bring home for dinners this week. 

I needed something cool and refreshing as the heavy cheesy pastas quickly got the best of me. I’m not much of a beer drinker, or a day drinker for that matter, so this sparkling lemonade was perfect. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch watching football with friends, taking a nap and recovering from the mac overload. Somehow I managed to be hungry by dinnertime. I ate a salad at Moe’s then loaded up on a heavenly bowl of Menchie’s – Pure Chocolate, Cake Batter, Praline Pecan, and Peanut Butter yogurt topped with peanut butter cups, whipped cream and caramel sauce. 

What a day!

Weekend Recap – A Wedding, Family Time and a House

This past weekend I flew to Columbus for one of my best friend’s weddings. Between taking off a lot of work for Greg and I’s wedding/honeymoon earlier this year, and still a few more out of town weddings in the coming weeks, we’ve had to strategize our vacation time. That meant Greg stuck behind in Charleston while I made the quick weekend trip. I wasn’t even in Columbus for 48 hours, so I had to make the most of my time.

After my brother Austin picked me up from the airport around noon on Friday, we headed straight to Chipotle for lunch. Mmm, mmm. We do have one Chipotle in Charleston now (technically North Charleston), but it’s not the most convenient. I make the trip occasionally, but not often enough. Chipotles are all over Columbus so it’s a frequent stop when I’m there.

After catching up with my mom and lounging around her house with Austin, we got dressed up and headed to the wedding.

Being only about a year and a half apart in age, Austin and I have always been super close. If Greg couldn’t be my date, Austin made a great stand-in.

And later at the reception, I was finally reunited with the beautiful bride! I couldn’t get over how gorgeous and happy Alyssa looked. I also couldn’t believe it had been three years since I last saw her. Congratulations Alyssa and Mark!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to grab a cupcake at the wedding. So I (easily) convinced Austin to stop for ice cream on the way home. Chocolate chip cookie dough in a waffle cone for me!

Saturday morning started bright and early at the gym with Austin, followed by a run with my step-dad and his and my mom’s two border collies. I had plans to meet up with Diane at Northstar, but unfortunately we weren’t able to make it happen (next time, Diane!!). Although we couldn’t go together, I was determined to get my fix while in town, so stopped by for a praline scone and coffee to-go on my way to my grandparents’ house. 

It was an amazing day filled with nothing but family time…and more delicious food. 

My step-dad picked up fresh pasta and marinara sauce from a local Italian restaurant. He’s friends with the restaurant owner (and has been for many years), so we were hooked up with the best stuff. Thom cooked us all pasta primavera, full of peppers, onion, broccoli, mushrooms, squash and garlic. Seriously, to die for. 

I added sweetness to the night by making a rich and decadent dessert. I don’t know what you call it, but I’ll tell you the star ingredients: Chocolate, peanut butter, Reese’s cups and Oreos. Can you ask for anything more?

By Sunday, it was time to get back to clean eating. My flight home to Charleston brought me through LaGuardia Airport (so random), but was pleasantly surprised to find a salad bar in the food court. I loved it and I love whoever was in charge of making an airport salad bar happen. 

I arrived home in the afternoon, shortly before Greg received a very exciting phone call. I haven’t talked much about it, but we had put an offer in on a house. Andddddd….the sellers accepted our offer! Although it’s not technically official, I can confidently say we will be moving into our first house next month! 

You can say it was a fantastic weekend 🙂

July Blog-A-Day #25: A Day in the Life

I love a good schedule and routine in my daily life. Like everyone else, each day slightly varies day to day, but it usually looks something very similar to this…

6:15am

Alarm goes off. I think, “Nooooo.” And hit snooze once, sometimes twice. I roll out of bed, get dressed for a workout, and head downstairs. By this time Zoey has heard me moving about and is ready to get out of her crate. We go outside to ‘go potty’ then come back inside to feed her breakfast. I take Zoey upstairs to take a nap with Greg while I go get my workout on. Sometimes this done in our condo’s fitness center, sometimes outside. 

7:30am

Back home, I shower and get ready for work. Greg and I take a few minutes to give Zoey some attention before we have to leave. Sometimes I eat breakfast before I leave, sometimes I bring it with me to eat at my desk. 

8:30am 

Time to work away! With a hot mug of coffee nearby, the first hour or so of work flies by. 

1:00pm

I leave the office to go home for my lunch break. I go home every day to take care of Zoey. Between letting her outside, walking around for a few minutes, making and feeding myself lunch, this break goes way too quickly. 

2:00pm

Back to work for the rest of the day. 

5:30pm

Leave work and head home to my little family. 

6:00pm

Greg and I walk Zoey to the park. Unfortunately, this has been eliminated from my routine this past week while Zoey recovers from her surgery. 

7:00pm

Home and hungry! Sometimes we cook a real meal, sometimes we throw together an assortment of random things. Occasionally we go out to eat, but it’s rare for a weekday. Thankfully, Friday evening counts as the weekend where eating out is much more common. Chipotle here we come!

8:00pm

The thing I have been thinking about all day has arrived. Dessert. Publix frozen yogurt to be exact. Duh. Tonight I came up with a fantastic combination. One scoop of the Roadrunner Raspberry and one scoop of the Chocolate Fudge Brownie, topped with whipped cream. And red wine 😉 I usually enjoy my dessert in front of the TV with Greg. This is where we hang for the rest of the night. 

10:00-10:30pm

I love a (relatively) early bedtime. Staying up too much later than this on a weeknight is not my thing. I can be a big girl on the weekends and stay up later, but even then midnight is typically my limit. I’m an old married woman now. Ha. 

What’s the highlight of your daily routine?

July Blog-A-Day #21: DI Yogurt and Blueberry Cheesecake

Oh no! I’ve gotten behind on this blog-a-day thing. Whoops! It’s only one day though, so hopefully I can make up for it before this month is said and done. 

I’m just popping in tonight to highlight two delicious parts of my weekend.

1. DI Yogurt.

FINALLY! A frozen yogurt place opened on Daniel Island last week and I could hardly wait to get there. It did not disappoint. Better than Menchie’s?? Better than Di’lishi?? 

…You didn’t hear it from me.

I first went on Saturday night and filled my cup with some cake batter, dark chocolate and plain old vanilla. Then topped it with walnuts, peanut butter cups, whipped cream and sprinkles. While out for a bike ride on Sunday evening, I talked Greg into stopping for a cold treat. I am thrilled to have the fro yo right next to home, but I can see it becoming dangerous as well.

The yogurt was soooooooo creamy. Many of the toppings were comparable to the other fro yo joints around, but I noticed some of the fruit may have been sitting out a bit too long and they didn’t have chunky Oreo pieces that I usually like. Instead, the cookies were finely ground. The yogurt itself made up for it though. I will definitely be a regular.

2. Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Since the fro yo stop on our bike ride was technically only a “snack,” I needed something for dessert later that night after dinner. I baked Bridget’s Blueberry Cheesecake Pie, which became the perfect ending to my weekend. 

It was my co-worker’s birthday today so I knew I wanted to bring the cheesecake into the office to share with her. It was a good thing I had that excuse, otherwise Greg and I easily would have eaten the entire thing this week. 

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

July Blog-A-Day #19: Food from the Archives

We finally made it to the end of the week. I think we all deserve a congratulations. It wasn’t an easy one.

Looking forward to the next couple of days off, I wanted to dig into the archives and give you some ideas to make this weekend extra sweet.

Need something for breakfast?

Apple Butterscotch Muffins

Baked Buttermilk Cake Donuts 

What are you having for lunch?

Italian Pasta Salad

Southwestern Style Bean Burritos

It’s the middle of the afternoon. Time for a snack!

Spicy Peach Salsa

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Dinner time!

Grilled Cheese and Bean Sandwiches

Zucchini and Spinach Spaghetti Marinara

The best part. Dessert.

Warm Apple Crisp

Dessert Quesadillas

So, what will it be?

I hope you make something extra tasty this weekend!