S'mores Cupcakes

 Can I just share something that I completely fell in love with??

Honestly what's not to love.  It's a s'more in cupcake form.  Uhhhh...yes please!  It made tax day completely do-able.  

A graham cracker crumb base with chocolate pieces melted on top.  Rich and moist chocolate cake topped with graham cracker crumbs.  And marshmallow frosting.  Toasted marshmallow frosting.  

This is the kind of cupcake you make for someone who needs a pick me up.  Like those people who do your taxes.  They need these.

Original recipe here.

Softball Bars

Tracy's softball bars.  Tracy always made these for weekend softball tournaments.  They may have been the only reason I agreed to go with my best friend to all those things.  They are one of my all-time favorite bars.  Perfect combination of sweet with just a touch of salt from the pretzels.  

They are fairly quick to put together, make a large batch (jellyroll pan anyone?) and they hold up well when taking places.  Did I mention how much I love them??  Ryan actually pulled out the, "If you love them so much, why don't you marry them?"  I guess I had been going on about them for awhile.  And he's a cheese ball, so he says stuff like that.  :)  

Softball Bars

{yields 48 bars}

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups quick cook oatmeal

1 bag caramel bits

2 Tbsp water

12 oz's M&M's

1 cup crushed pretzels

white almond bark

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, brown sugar, flour, salt and soda.  Mix in oatmeal. {The mixture should hold together pretty well...not be crumbly.  If it is, keep mixing!}

Spread and press into a jelly roll pan.  Bake for 8-12 minutes.  The crust should just barely begin to change color.  

Over medium heat, combine caramels and water in a saucepan and heat until caramels are completely melted.  Spread over crust.  Sprinkle with M&M's and pretzels.  Melt almond bark and drizzle on top.  

Cool completely, cut and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pudding Cookies

There has been a lot of baking going on at our house.  Thankfully most of it has been able to go to Ryan or I's office...or to my physical therapist.  :)

This is one of those go to recipes that never fails and can quickly be changed up to make new flavors.  With my semi-picky eaters, I keep it pretty basic, but changing the pudding and/or chip flavors could result in a slew of new flavors.

Double Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

{yields 3 dozen cookies}

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white sugar

1 pkg {3.4 oz} instant chocolate pudding

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 cups flour

1 pkg {12 oz} peanut butter and milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter, sugars, dry pudding mix and vanilla until well blended.  Add eggs and mix well.  Gradually add in soda and flour and mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  

Drop by teaspoonful onto un-greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then move to wire rack and cool completely.  

Missing Menu

I know...its only week 2 of my menus...
But my fridge needs to be emptied this week.
We're moving in with my in-laws for a few months while our house gets worked on.  And I do not want to come home to a stinky fridge or messing around with loading everything up to haul to their house.

So the menu this week looks something like this:
Monday - subs
Tuesday - leftovers
Wednesday - ravioli (we didn't get to that last week)
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - pickles/olives/condiments
Saturday - milk and eggs
Sunday - yogurt and jello

I'll try to do better than that...only for my kids though.  If it were just my husband and I...that's totally what we'd be eating.

So since I don't have a real menu to share...I'll share the recipe for the chocolate zucchini bread I made last night.  It was a last ditch effort to use up the zucchini that was dying a slow death in my fridge and it turned out delicious.

Super moist, semi-healthy (yes, I consider something with whole-what to be healthy-er), a full of delicious dark chocolate.

The original recipe comes from my kitchen addiction.  I didn't get pictures, but you can click here to check out   her pictures (they're gorgeous).

Health-ier Double Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
2 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 c. dark cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars and olive oil.  Add the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the zucchini.  Add the dry ingredients, stirring until they are just incorporated and evenly moistened.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs (this will help keep it moist).  Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Enjoy!