#1,480: Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread

I sure do love Banana Bread, and I often (a little too often) have very over ripe bananas that need to get used up some how.  Most of the time I throw them in the freezer to use in a smoothie but I had about 6 that we never ate and needed to get used.  Then I came across this recipe for a banana-oatmeal bread from AllYou magazine and knew I had to give it a try (and had to make 2 loaves!).

My kids loved this.  It is really good!  The oatmeal gives it a slightly more dense flavor, but the chocolate chips throughout make it really good!

Makes 1 loaf:
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 c chopped walnuts (I omitted)
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, oil, orange zest, and 1/2 cup water until thoroughly combined (about 3 minutes).  Reduce mixer to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. 

Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips and oats.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake until bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (about 1 hour).  (I had to cover mine lightly with flour after about 40 minutes because it was getting very golden in color).  Cool loaf in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely. 

#1,479: Thin Mint (Healthy) Smoothie

Girl Scout Cookie season is just about to come to a close, and a coworker of mine asked if I had ever tried a Thin Mint Smoothie?  Um, no, and why have I not?!?!  So I took to Google to find a recipe that looked easy, and one that I had almost all of the ingredients for.  I have been putting off purchasing a protein powder for a while, but I found a low carb/low sugar/low calorie one at Kroger so I figured it was a good time to try it (in addition to the Thin Mint Smoothie!).  

I actually really, really liked this smoothie.  My kids did too...BONUS!  I think next time I'll omit the rolled oats...I don't think it needs it.  But the rest is quite delicious! 

1 cup frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh)

1 cup almond milk

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I only needed 1 scoop of the kind I used)

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/8 tsp peppermint extract

Combine the almond milk, spinach, protein powder, rolled oats, and peppermint extract in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. 

#1,478: Roasted Greens Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

I was kind of surprised by how much I loved this side dish. It was so super simple to make and was a great way to use up some broccoli and brussel sprouts (which is why the kale was omitted...this time).  This is a definite keeper in my roasted veggie recipe box.  :) 

2 heads broccoli, crowns cut into 2" chunks and stem discarded

3 cups kale leaves, chopped into 3-4" pieces, stems discarded (I omitted)

1 lb small/medium Brussels sprouts, stemmed and halved

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Balsamic Drizzle

1 shallot, sliced

1/2 tsp olive oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey (I omitted)

For vegetables, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl toss prepared veggies with olive oil, seasoning salt, and pepper.  Transfer mixture onto a large baking sheet and spread evenly, placing kale leaves toward the center of the sheet.  Place sheet on middle rack of oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking and flipping vegetables every 8-10 minutes to ensure kale does not burn.  When Brussels sprouts are soft, remove from oven.

For drizzle, add olive oil to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add shallot and saute until softened.  Add balsamic vinegar and whisk in mustard and honey.  Heat to a low boil for 8-10 minutes, until mixture has reduced to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat.

To serve, place roasted greens in a large serving bowl and drizzle with balsamic mixture.

#1,477: Mexican Tortilla Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

2 cans  (14-1/2 oz. each) beef broth

16 oz Chunky Salsa

1 can  (7 oz.) corn, undrained

1 cup tortilla chips (1 oz.), crushed (I omitted)

1 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese (I omitted)

Can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Taco seasoning packet

Onion, diced

Cilantro, chopped
4 oz diced green chiles

Brown ground beef and onion in large saucepan; drain.  I added a packet of taco seasoning and made according to the package.  

Add broth, salsa and corn; stir. This is when I also added the black beans, cilantro and green chiles.  I also added this to a crockpot and cooked on low for about 6-8 hours.  If cooking on the stovetop: Bring to boil; simmer on low heat 5 min. or until heated through.

SERVE topped with crushed chips and cheese if desired.

#1,476: Mini Taco Wonton Cups

This recipe was SO simple and was a huge hit.  I obviously didn't add any additional toppings to this as it was photographed, but I added some guacamole, tomato and black olives to my cups.  I will definitely be making these again.  They were fantastic!

24 wonton wrappers

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (1.12 ounce) package Taco Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons picante Sauce (I used about 1/2 cup)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups.  Bake for 5 min.

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and picante sauce.

Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with cheese. Bake about 8 minutes or until wontons are golden brown.  Serve immediately with additional salsa. Garnish with sour cream and sliced ripe olives if desired. Makes 24 appetizers.

#1,475: Triple Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Holy heck did I love this cake!  It was SO moist and the flavor was seriously fantastic! LOVE, love, loved it!  The recipe reviews noted that it could get ridiculously wet and goopy from the milk mixture being poured over it, so I only used about 1/3 to 1/2 of the mixture.  When I ate this the bottom was nice and wet but it wasn't saturated throughout the whole cake.  I actually liked that and preferred it that way.  

Since I used way more Cool Whip than called for, I just added more cocoa powder to the cool whip and a little bit at at time until it was the right amount of chocolate-y to my liking.  :) DELICIOUSNESS!!

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix (I couldn't find the 2-layer size, so I just got the biggest box I could find)
Additional ingredients needed for the cake mix

8 oz Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

12 oz. evaporated milk

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (I used an entire 8 oz container)

Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 10 min., then pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Melt 7 oz. chocolate as directed on package. Blend milks and sour cream in blender until smooth. Add melted chocolate; blend well. Pour over cake, re-piercing cake if necessary until milk mixture is absorbed. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, make curls from remaining 1 oz. chocolate.

STIR cocoa powder into COOL WHIP; spread onto cake. Top with chocolate curls. Keep refrigerated.

#1,474: Cookies ‘N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies

These brownies are so good, but they are SO not healthy.  The recipe below says to make this in a 8x8 pan, but I bought a family size box of brownies so I made it in a 9x13 pan instead. I will definitely be making these again!  YUM!

1 box Brownie Mix

eggs and oil (as called for by the brownie mix)

Heaping 1/2 cup (6 oz) Cookies and Cream ice cream (I used more like 1 c)

1/4 Cup hot fudge topping 

1 pkg Oreo cookies

Preheat oven according to directions on the box and spray an 8×8 baking dish generously with cooking spray.

Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box, but do not add the water. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine.

Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.

#1,473: Easy Gelatin Salad

As you will see from the instructions below, this was supposed to be a lime jello recipe.  But I was serving this for a family party and needed to use sugar free jello and forgot to get it in lime.  Instead I had a small box of cherry and a small box of raspberry jello (both sugar free) so I just substituted that instead.  This got VERY GOOD reviews at my party and there was very little leftover after lunch!

1 c boiling water

1 pkg lime flavored gelatin (6 oz.) (I used cherry and raspberry)

1 can(s) crushed pineapple in juice (drain and reserve juice)

1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

2 c heavy whipping cream

1 c chopped pecans (I omitted)

In a large bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over gelatin mix. Stir until completely dissolved then stir in 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice. Refrigerate until thickened but not set, about 1 hour. (I only needed to chill mine for about 40 minutes)

Meanwhile, place crushed pineapple and remaining juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  (I honestly have no idea what this did to the recipe since there was very little juice left anyways.  I will totally omit this step next time.)

With an electric hand mixer, blend softened cream cheese into gelatin mixture until smooth. Stir in cooled pineapple. (As you can probably tell from the picture above, I could not get this totally smooth.  It was still super good though!)

In your stand mixer bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin/cream cheese/pineapple mixture, until combined. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour mixture into Jell-O mold (5-6 cup capacity) or a pretty glass serving or trifle bowl. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.

#1,471 and #1,472: Chocolate Cherry Cake and Chocolate Glaze

This chocolate cherry cake recipe has been sitting on one of my pinterest boards for over two years now.  So when I needed to make a dessert for the cake walk at our church, I figured it would be time to make it and try it.  Although I enjoyed this recipe and the cake was definitely nice and moist, it wasn't the greatest thing I've ever eaten.  You have to really love cherry pie filling too (which I generally do).  Would I make this particular recipe again, probably not.

Once my cupcakes were done though, I knew it needed a chocolate frosting/glaze of some sort, so I decided to use this recipe to make it.  I LOVED the glaze!  It was a little thick for my liking, so I used A LOT (probably about a cup or so) of the heavy whipping cream until it thinned out to the consistency I wanted it to be.  I would definitely make the glaze/frosting again!

Chocolate Cherry Cake
1 chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1 C. water

1 can cherry pie filling

Mix cake mix, eggs, water and pie filling together and bake according to the directions on the cake box.

Chocolate Glaze

3 oz Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp butter

Microwave Baker’s Chocolate, whipping cream and butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.

#1,470: Dilly Vegetable Dip

This recipe was SO super simple to make and tasted really, really good.  I am totally in love with this veggie dip and will definitely be making it again for our next family gathering!!

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt

1 Tbsp. dill weed

1 Tbsp. dried onion

1 Tbsp. parsley

Mix all together and refrigerate for 1 hour.

TBT: Mini Pizza Cups

Now here is a recipe that goes WAY back.  It was so long ago, it was the second recipe I posted and tried when I started this blog back in 2010!  I'm pretty sure I haven't made this specific recipe again since.  Oops.  I think it's time to add this to our dinner menu next month because my family loved these!  

Here is the original post from August 1, 2010:

I made these Mini Pizza Cups for book club tomorrow night.  It's a recipe that I clipped out of a magazine (Taste of Home) and have been hoping to make for some sort of gathering.  Ideally, I probably should make these when I'm serving them so I can serve them still warm.  We'll see how they reheat tomorrow.  

The original recipe called for refrigerated dinner rolls.  I had refrigerated buttermilk biscuits so I used those instead.  I think they turned out just fine with the substitution.  

Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Mini-Pizza-Cups

1 tube (11.3 ounces) refrigerated dinner rolls
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Separate dough into eight rolls; cut each into quarters. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. 

Spoon pizza sauce into each cup. Sprinkle with onion, green pepper, pepperoni and cheese. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until crusts are browned and cheese is melted. Yield: 32 appetizers

#1,469: Biscuit Topped Pizza Casserole

I had about 1 lb of ground turkey to use up and a bunch of random ingredients in the fridge, so I decided to create my own meal out of it.  Thankfully the family LOVED it...so much so, the 8x8 pan was completely gone after dinner!  (Literally there was nothing left!)  I will definitely be making this one again!  It's so versatile too...add in whatever pizza toppings you normally enjoy or whatever you have in the house (at least that's what happened in my case!)

1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1/2 onion, diced
12-15 oz pizza sauce
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp dried oregano (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (or get an 8 count and a 4 count one...I just used half of the second can for this recipe and made the extra biscuits for my family to eat)
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)

Additional add-ins (I did not do this b/c I didn't have any pepperoni and my family wouldn't have eaten anything else that I like): diced bell peppers, pepperoni slices, sliced olives, mushrooms, etc. 

In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion and ground meat, breaking up the meat and cooking until it is no longer pink.  Once cooked, add the Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic and pizza sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I added about 12 oz of pizza sauce, but you can definitely add more or less depending on how "saucy" you like your meat.  If you have any other add-in pizza toppings add them at this point too.  

Lightly grease and 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour the pizza sauce meat mixture into the pan. 

Sprinkle the shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on top.  (You could also add mozzarella or whatever you have on hand).
Cut the biscuits into quarters and place on top of the meat mixture, placing the biscuits right next to each other to cover the entire top of the meat.  (See photo on right).

Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.  Sprinkle the biscuits with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until biscuits are browned and cooked through.  

#1,468: Chicken Fajita Unstuffed Peppers

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of stuffed peppers, so when I find a recipe that is for "stuffed peppers" I just dice up the peppers and add it right into the dish making it an "un-stuffed" version instead.  That's exactly what I did for this recipe too.

I liked this recipe, but I didn't love it.  I think it was the fajita seasoning though!  I would make this again but substitute taco seasoning in place instead.  Besides the fajita seasoning though, I did LIKE this.  I ate it over roasted veggies. It would have been good with cheese added on top too.  

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used 12 oz of canned chicken)

1/2 a large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups riced cauliflower (place raw cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until finely shredded)

2 Tbsp Fajita seasoning

2/3 cup of water

6 bell peppers (I used 2)

15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 c chopped kale

Preheat oven to 350 F.  (I lightly sprayed an 8x8 pan since I was making this as a casserole instead).  

I omitted this step: Trim the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds.

Place the bell peppers into the cavity of a muffin tin (regular or jumbo depending on the size of your peppers). And place the muffin tin pan on a baking sheet.

Heat ghee or cooking oil of choice In a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the cauliflower rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken, seasoning, and water then stir to combine. I also added the diced bell pepper, petite diced tomatoes, and kale at this point too. Cook for an additional minute.

Fill the cavities of the peppers with the filling and then top with cheese (if desired).  I put mine all in a 8x8 pan.  Place the peppers in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

#1,467: Oreo Brownie Cupcake

Matthew turns 3 today.  (Big sob)  How is this boy turning three already?!  Wasn't I just pregnant with him?  Sigh....

Anyhow, I decided to make a recipe that I've been dying to try since it combines two of his favorite things...brownies and cookies.  His daddy was more than willing to test these as soon as they came out of the oven too.  The original recipe I found for these were even better because they add peanut butter on top of each Oreo (heaven!).  But Matthew is allergic to peanut butter so we omitted it from this recipe.  I debated about using almond butter but was honestly too lazy to add it.  

These are SO good.  They were super simple to make and I ended up getting 12 cupcakes plus a small cake pan with the leftover cookies and batter.  Stupidly I forgot to spray the cake pan with non-stick spray so I can't get the dang cookies/brownies out, but whatever.

These did stick a little bit to my liners as well so you might want to spray those a bit too.  

1 Box Brownie Mix (plus ingredients listed on box!)

24 Oreo cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line up your 12 cup cupcake/muffin tray with paper liners. 

Prepare your brownie mix according to the directions on the box.

Place 2 Oreo’s on top of each other into the cupcake tray. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brownie batter over the Oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. Bake cookies and brownies between 18 to 20 minutes, until the brownies are cooked through. Let cool, then serve.

TBT: Sopapilla Cheesecake

I love throwbackThursday recipes because it gives me a chance to look back at recipes I haven't made in a while and seriously think about making again.  This would be great to take to any sort of pot luck or as a breakfast or dessert meal to someone else.  This is such an easy and delicious recipe!  Here is the original post I wrote in September 2012:

I was looking for something to make for breakfast for a "camp out" with the in laws.  I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and not worry about reheating.  I decided to make this super easy Sopapilla Cheesecake.  Let me say it again...THIS.IS.SO.EASY.  

This would be a great breakfast OR dessert.  Definitely going to make this again.  Definitely!

2 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls (use crescent sheets!)
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon and sugar

Instructions:
Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

#1,466: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I had A LOT of leftover shredded pork that I made in the crockpot, and we were tired of eating it so I had to find another recipe to use up all that meat.  Then I came across this recipe and knew it would be worth trying.  My family actually really enjoyed these pork sandwiches.  They aren't super saucy, so if you like your meat covered in sauce I would probably double this recipe and really let it thicken up.  I made this with our leftover pork then froze until we were ready to use.  

12 ounces leftover cooked pork, shredded

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 kaiser rolls, halved

In a medium saucepan combine pork, chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Cook 15 minutes, until liquid reduces and sauce thickens. Serve pork on halved kaiser rolls.

#1,465: Sweet Potato Muffins

Well this isn't the greatest photo but my kids ended up loving these muffins.  They helped me make them so I thought maybe they wouldn't like them since they knew it had sweet potatoes in it, but they devoured these.  I ended up making 12 large muffins, and then used the leftover muffin mix in an 8x8 pan.  The kids ate the 8x8 pan almost immediately coming out of the oven.  These are really good!

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used all-purpose flour)

I also added about 1/4 c wheat germ

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

STREUSEL:

2 tablespoons biscuit/baking mix

2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons cold butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger (I omitted)

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, potatoes, water, oil and applesauce. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Coat miniature muffin cups (I used regular muffin cups) with cooking spray or use paper liners; fill two-thirds full. For streusel, combine the baking mix, oats and sugars; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in ginger. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes (for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen mini muffins.

#1,464: Green Flop Jell-o

I made this jell-o recipe for Matthew's birthday mainly because it's been sitting on my pinterest board for a long time and it's green.  :)  This was soooo simple to make and I had my 8 year old helping me in the kitchen.  This filled a trifle bowl about 3/4 full, so if you are making this for a very large crowd you are probably going to want to double this recipe.  I'm thinking of making this again but trying a different flavor of jell-o.  My kids loved this and asked that I make it again already.  

2 cups lemon-lime soda

2 packages (3 ounces each) lime gelatin

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups lemon-lime soda, chilled

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Microwave 2 cups soda on high for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Place hot soda and gelatin in a blender; cover and process until gelatin is dissolved. Add cream cheese; process until blended.

Transfer to a large bowl; stir in chilled soda. Whisk in whipped topping. Pour into a 3-qt. trifle bowl or glass bowl. Refrigerate, covered, 4 hours or until firm. Yield: 16 servings (3/4 cup each).

#1,463: Perfect Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

I have never been very good at making rice krispie treats . Don't get me wrong, I know how to make them but I always thought they came out kind of dense and stiff.  THEN I came across this recipe and my life of making rice krispies has totally changed.  Holy heck are these gooey and soft...and delicious!  I think I'm in love with these.

Oh and for anyone like me who did not know this tip...don't push the rice krispies too hard down/compact into the pan.  The more you condense them the harder they get.  Duh.  (I really didn't know that though!)

5 Tbsp butter

8 cups, plus 2 cups mini marshmallows (This was about 1 1/2 bags)

6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

½ tsp salt

Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large pot over low heat, melt butter. Once butter in melted add in 8 cups mini marshmallows, stirring constantly.

Once the marshmallows are just melted remove from heat and stir in your cereal and salt until just coated in marshmallow mixture. Now stir in the remaining 2 cups of mini marshmallows.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and press in evenly.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Best if served same day. 

#1,462: Vanilla and Brownie Cupcakes

I found these cute little cupcakes made with brownie mix on the bottom and cake mix on top, and the original recipe called for a red velvet cupcake.  I wanted to make some green cupcakes for Matthew and his love of Ninja Turtles, so I just used a white cake mix instead and added some green food coloring.  :)  I do think red velvet would have been delicious though.

Regardless, these little cupcakes are fantastic!!  We all loved the brownie (slightly undercooked) on the bottom.  I will definitely be making these again!  The only thing I would probably do differently next time is to add more cake mix on top of each of the brownies.  I tried to keep it a 50/50 ratio, and I think it would have been even better with more cake batter on top.  

The original recipe gives a recipe for the frosting, but I made my own butter cream frosting so I omitted the frosting ingredients. 

1 box brownie mix -follow directions on box 

1 box strawberry cake mix -follow directions on box (I used a vanilla cake mix and used milk instead of water)

Combine brownie ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Then combine strawberry mix in a separate bowl. Stir until smooth.

Fill bottom of cupcake liners with a spoonful of brownie batter. Then add another spoonful of strawberry mix on top. The cups should be about 2/3 the way full.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Remove from pan and allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.

#1,461: Vanilla Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting

I made this butter cream frosting to go with some cupcakes I made for Matthew's 3rd birthday with my in laws.  I have to admit, I really loved this frosting.  I'm not a huge fan of frosting because it is so ridiculously sweet, but the cream cheese in this really mellowed it out.  I will definitely be making this one again!!!  It was so simple to make.  I also finally broke down and got a re-usable pastry bag and a tip (instead of just using a ziplock bag like I normally do) and I'm so glad I did.  I was pretty afraid of piping frosting, but my goodness not only was that easy, but it did look so much nicer!!  I think it's time I took a class on how to decorate cakes.....

2 Sticks (1 Cup) of Softened Butter (Room Temp.) 

1 lb. Confectioners Sugar

2 oz. Cream Cheese (room Temp.)

1/4 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

2-3 Tbsp Heavy Cream (or Milk)
(I used green food coloring for this recipe too)

In a medium bowl cream together the room temperature butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and the sweetened condensed milk until it is all incorporated.

Slowly add in the confectioners sugar until it is all combined.

To achieve the desired consistency, add in a tbsp of heavy cream (milk works too) until you get to where you like your frosting. Because I don't use a lot of cream cheese in this recipe, the amount I do use compliments the other aspects, creating a creamy, sweet vanilla frosting that is seriously good!

The more heavy cream or milk you add the creamier the frosting is, if it seems grainy or dry, add more. And if you add too much liquid, just add in more powdered sugar until you get the consistency you like!