{Almond Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars}

Valentine’s Day is on my mind– so that means I cannot stop thinking about all things red, pink and chocolate!  I know these Chocolate Cherry Almond Snack Bars  are not the decedent Valentine’s day treat you were hoping for but I promise they are delicious!  

  

These little snack bars are studded with tart cherries (red for Valentine's day), packed full of chocolaty goodness and feature Almond Butter one of my all-time favorites (and a great alternative to peanut butter- read about the health benefits of almonds here, and here)!  They are healthy, no bake and quick to throw together – plus you can add any sort of mix ins you like to make them all your own!  I have been enjoying these bars crumbled over my Greek yogurt as “granola” enjoying them plain or even topping one with a little Greek yogurt frosting – (recipe here) for a sweet treat!  They are delicious!

Almond Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars

Brunch N’Cupcakes

Makes 15 Bars

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Dried Cherries – I buy bulk bin cherries by the pound

1/3 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

2 ½ Cup Oatmeal – I used quick cooking

1 1/3 Cup Almond Butter (I used Almond Butter – from Nuts.Com)

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

Directions:

1- Combine dried cherries, and oatmeal together in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

2-  In a microwave safe bowl combine peanut butter and maple syrup.  Microwave for 1 minute (stirring after 30 seconds).  Peanut butter should be melted and easy to stir – if not place in microwave for an additional 30 seconds.

3-  Slowly pour peanut butter mixture into your oat mixture.  Stir until oats and cherries are evenly covered.

4- Stir in chocolate chips.

5- Press dough into a 9x13 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray – place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to allow bars to set. Cut and enjoy!

**Note these bars get soft if they are stored out on the counter.  I store mine in an airtight container either in the fridge or freezer!

Enjoy!

{Super Bowl - 2015 Snack Edition}

One of my favorite things about the Super Bowl, well besides the commercials is prepping and curating a delicious and healthy spread of party snacks! 

So for any of you who are last minute party planners or are still hunting for the perfect super bowl snacks... below are a few of my favorite and go to dishes! 

Dips - 

Marinaded 3 Bean Salad - Perfect for Dipping - Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Skinny Taste 

Slim 6 Layer Dip - Food Network 

Main Dishes - 

Classic Chili (Turkey) - Brunch N'Cupcakes 

BBQ Beer Chicken Sandwiches - Cooking Light

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Tasty Desserts - 

Texas Sheet Cake - Cooking Light 

Enjoy and happy game watching! 

{Crock Pot Italian Chicken over Polenta}

 Oh, Hello All!  It has been a while and I have to say I am glad to be back sharing a recipe with you!  Wedding to do lists are consuming my mind, and the planning meetings are starting up again!  I may or may not be running around like a mad women!   I am moving full steam ahead and fired up and ready to go!  And even though it is a crazy busy time I am excited and jittery (like I have little butterflies in my stomach).  I can hardly wait till April 11th and am thankful that time is moving quickly!  I am even more excited that 2015 is here... It is wedding year!

Lately, (like the entire month of January) I have been looking for the quickest, simplest and  yes healthiest dinner options/recipes!  I find that after working all day, completing a workout and crossing to do’s of my checklist that I just do not have the energy to make a full blown meal! I have been resorting to steamed veggies, grilled chicken, scrambled egg whites and giant yogurt bowls – I know not the most exciting!  But, I have to say that blah boring same old same old dinners took a back seat with this easy Italian Crock Pot Chicken with Polenta!  I got the recipe idea from the recent issue of Cooking Light, but since I am not a huge pork eater I made my own minor (yes, minor) tweaks!

End results… totally drool worthy, tender chicken that packed a flavor punch!   The original recipe (found here) served the stewed meat over a creamy polenta but if you like you can serve the chicken over polenta “steaks” seared in olive oil to soak up all the delicious crock pot juice!  Yum, yum, YUM!  Make this tonight, it might just become your next crock pot staple meal!

Italian Crock Pot Chicken over Polenta

Brunch N’Cupcakes – Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

2 Large Chicken Breast

2 – 15 Ounce Cans Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic

½ Large Onion – Roughly Chopped

½ Medium Red Pepper – Roughly Chopped

8 Garlic Cloves – Minced

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley and Oregano

1 Teaspoon Rosemary and Thyme

1 1/2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth (Low Sodium)

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

3/4 Cup Instant Polenta 

2 Cups Water

1 Cup Milk 

1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese

1 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper 

Salt to Taste

Directions:

1-      In a large crockpot combine canned tomatoes (undrained), broth, onion, pepper, garlic and spices (Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme and Teaspoon of Pepper).  Stir until well combined

2-      Add chicken breast to crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

3-      Once chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken from crockpot and shred.  Add chicken back into crockpot.  Stir to combine.  Stir in Worstershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.  

For the Polenta: 

Combine water, milk and polenta into a medium sauce pan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low add polenta and whisk together.  Cook for 4 minutes.  Remove polenta from heat stir in parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  

For Serving: 

Serve Italian chicken of polenta in shallow bowls - or plates like I did!  

Enjoy! 

Life Lately - 2015

Happy New Year my Friends!  I hope 2015 and well the month of January is off to a fabulous start for you all!  I know I am a little behind in professing that 2015 is here!  But I hope you all had a fabulous time ringing in the New Year and rounding out your Holiday Season!

{Gooey White Chocolate Cranberry Revel Bars}

Christmas is a day away!  And as I sit her humming Christmas Carols to myself (in the wee morning hours) I have a hard time believing that it is Christmas Eve!  

The holidays are an odd thing to me as I get older.  I find myself grasping tightly to old family traditions while embracing new Holiday traditions with Derek and his family.  

So today in light of holding on to the past while embracing the future I am sharing a new holiday bar recipe with you along with a few links to my favorite holiday dishes (including my favorite Chicken Wild Rice Soup that my mom makes every year for Christmas eve)!  I hope you enjoy!  Merry Christmas

Gooey White Chocolate Cranberry Revel Bars

Adapted From This Recipe and This Recipe:

Ingredients: 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bottom: 

1 Stick of Butter

3 Cups Rolled Oats 

2 1/2 Cups Flour 

2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar 

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

3/4 Cup Cranberries

White Chocolate Filling: 

2 Cups White Chocolate Chips

2 Tablespoons Butter 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1- 14 Oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk 

Directions:

1- In a large bowl combine brown sugar and butter, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla into the butter and sugar and mix until well incorporated.  Set mixture aside.  

2- In another large bowl combine oats, flour and baking soda. 

3- Slowly add the wet ingredients into your dry ingredients.  Mix until dry and wet ingredients are incorporated. Gently stir in cranberries and set Aside.

4- In a medium saucepan combine butter (remaining 2 tablespoons), white chocolate, and sweeten condensed milk.  Cook on low heat until white chocolate and butter  has melted, stir occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. 

5- Press two-thirds of the oat mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan.  Spread white chocolate mixture over top of oat mixture.  Using your fingers crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over top of the white chocolate. 

6- Bake bars in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes (until tops of bars are slightly browned and the white chocolate looks glossy).  Completely cool bars before cutting! 

Brunch N’Cupcakes Holiday Favorites:

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup – Brunch N'Cupcakes

Pumpkin Coffee Cake – Brunch N’Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Blossoms – Betty Crocker 

Enjoy! 

{Double Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies}

Hi, Friends! 

My it has been a while since I have posted... like almost a month!  Can you believe that Christmas is next week?  I am still trying to wrap my head around that... I don't even know where the time has gone!  

I feel like Christmas has snuck up on me and I am not prepared at all!  I haven't put up a Christmas tree haven't baked any Christmas cookies and Derek and I just started and finished all of our Christmas shopping last Saturday... Yea, I am a bit behind with the whole Christmas thing this year! 

Ok now lets segue into talking about what these cookies have to do with my lack of preparedness for the Christmas season!  Well, I decided last night that I needed to do a little holiday baking (you know because I haven't done any), which turned into baking about 2 1/2 batches of cookies.  These Double Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (that's a mouthful to say) are the outcome of that said impromptu backing extravaganza!  I think the itch to bake came on after seeing the 6 million mouth watering holiday treats that kept flooding my Instagram news feed yesterday.  Or maybe the itch to bake was because I wanted to get into the holiday mind set!  Who knows!  I do know however that these double chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies are delicious, and I think you should make them!

Double Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies 

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Makes 21 Cookies 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 Cup Oatmeal 

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder 

1 Cup Peanut Butter 

1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1 Egg Beaten
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips 

1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

Directions: 

1- In a large bowl combine oats and baking powder.  Stir to combine. 

2- In a small bowl mix together egg, maple syrup, vanilla and peanut butter until smooth and well combined. 

3- Pour peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture and stir until cookie dough has formed. 

4- Stir Chocolate Chips and dried cranberries into cookie dough. 

5- Roll cookie dough into about 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.  Slightly smash each of the balls.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown! Allow cookies to cook on pan before removing.

Check out these other delicious cookie recipes from around the web: 

Oatmeal Walnut Cookies - Cooking Light 
Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - Averie Cooks 
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars - Cooing Light 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 

{Baked Veggie Egg Cups}

Hi, Friends... I am back! 

Did everyone have a relaxing Thanksgiving?  Anyone shop on Black Friday?

My family and I had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  My sister and I ran our first Turkey Trot (it was freezing, like 0 degrees freezing), and we feasted on some fabulous food!  But my Thanksgiving didn't end on Thursday... nope I feasted again on Saturday with Derek's family, it was lovely!   This time of year is truly my favorite!  I love getting together with family, Holiday Music, Traditions the whole nine yards! 

 I realized it had been a long time since I  had shared a recipe with all of you!  I felt this recipe was perfect to share with you the week after Thanksgiving!  Why?  Well, because these Egg Cups are easy to make (because who wants to cook more after cooking all week for Thanksgiving), packed full of veggies,  and hands down delicious!  These Egg Cups make a great dinner, grab and go breakfast or can even be packed for lunch!  Customize them with any veggies you have on hand! 

Baked Veggie Egg Cups

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

6 Large Egg Whites 

4 Large Eggs 

1/2 a Medium Onion Chopped

1 Cup Broccoli Florets 

1/2 Cup Green Pepper Chopped 

1/2 Cup Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese 

1 Teaspoon Course Ground Pepper 

1/4 Teaspoon Salt 

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt 

Directions: 

1- In a skillet coated with cooking spray saute onions until tender.  Add green pepper and broccoli florets and cook until tender - 7-10 minutes.  

2- In a large bowl whisk together egg whites, eggs, Greek Yogurt and Salt and Pepper. 

3- Stir veggies and cheddar cheese into egg mixture. 

4- Grease muffin tin with cooking spray and divide egg mixture between 12 muffin cups.  

5- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until egg has set. 

6- Serve immediately with your favorite egg toppings - Avocado, Salsa Etc. 

Check out these other delicious egg bake recipes from around the web: 

Mini Baked Frittats- Cooking Light
Farmers Market Overnight Breakfast Casserole - Two Healthy Kitchens 
Potato Egg Bake - Taste of Home 

Enjoy !