Chocolate Brownie Pie

Mmmm chocolate! The moment I realized I LOVE chocolate was the moment I became a woman. Like, I'm talking the moment I became ok with being referred to as "that lady" instead of "that girl". You would have thought birthing children and becoming a mother would have done it for me but nope... it was chocolate.  I just feel like it's such a "woman" food. Women love chocolate! Plain and simple! It's a well known FACT!! 

See?! Maybe I've been so set on this idea because my grandma especially loved chocolate -- although she liked dark chocolate too and I'm definitely going to need many more years of experience and maturity before I can appreciate dark chocolate.  As my 3-year-old would say: "it's bleh to me."

But I used to always opt for vanilla and fruity stuff (sometimes I still do)... So therefore I was still a "girl".  Young.  Carefree.  I may be sounding crazy to you but it's a valid argument, I swear. But alas, now I love chocolate. I think it happened when I turned 29.  Like literally that day.  Weird.

AND the other day chocolate sounded particularly tastey so I quickly whipped this up for a little dessert!  It is fudgy and chocolatey and delish!  Oh - and super easy!

Chocolate Brownie Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 fudge brownie mix (and the stuff to mix it up!)
• 1 large box chocolate pudding
• 2.5 cups milk
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar
• 8 oz cool whip

Directions:

• Prepare brownies in 9x9 pan according to package directions and let cool
• Once brownies have cooled, take a butter knife and slide it along all the edges of the pan and cut in 1 inch(ish) squares but leave it in the pan!  This is the "crust" layer and it stays in the pan but you just want it broken up for easier scooping.  I even took a small metal spatula and ran it under the pieces after I cut them up.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth and add in powdered sugar.  It will probably be kind of dry but will be okay once you add the cool whip.
• Stir in cool whip.  You don't want to beat this too much but you may need to use whatever you're using to beat it (I used my KitchenAid mixer) a little bit to make it a good consistency.
• Spoon this mixture over the brownies, spread it out evenly and place it in the fridge.

• Beat your package of pudding with 2.5 cups milk.  You want this a little thicker than regular pudding.
• Once that's thickened a little pour it over your cream cheese layer.

• Stick it back in the fridge!

You'll want it to set up just a little more before serving but 10 minutes should do the trick!  It doesn't take much!  

Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Covered Pretzels

There's something about the salty and sweet combo of covered pretzels that just does me in.  Well one day my mind was a-brewin' and I came up with this little concoction that's easy peasy and so luscious! (grandma word alert)

Peanut Butter Covered Pretzels

You'll need:

• 1 bag white chips
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3-4 cups pretzels

Melt white chips over low-medium heat in saucepan on the stove.  Stir constantly until smooth.  As soon as it's smooth, add peanut butter and continue stirring over low heat.  Make sure not to over heat because your chocolate will scorch!  Add pretzels one handful at a time and stir until well coated.  Spread out on wax paper or parchment paper to cool.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Rice Pudding

I have been craving rice pudding like you wouldn't believe for the last couple weeks.  It's totally an old-person treat - I totally admit it - but I love it!  It reminds me of my grandma and of being a little girl picking out the raisins.  I kept thinking I need to find a good recipe for some that I can make in my crock pot but never managed to actually do it!  So this afternoon I pulled out my computer and started searching for recipes that I could make work. I casually mentioned to my mom what I was looking for and she jumped on board.  For those of you who don't know... she's an AMAZING cook.  I mean, come on, she was the Home Ec Sterling Scholar at Delta High School.  True story.  Go Rabbits!

Soon we (she) had concocted this recipe and it was brewing in the crock pot!

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Crock Pot Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tb butter
• 2/3 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Put cooked rice in crock pot.  Beat remaining ingredients together well and dump over rice.  Cook on low for 4 hours OR high for 2 hours or until desired consistency.  The point is to have the rice absorb the milk mixture so it's creamy.  You'll want to stir it a few times while its cooking if possible so it doesn't burn to the sides.  You may want to add a little cinnamon to it as well... I'm just a plain jane and like mine pretty boring!

And now I'm sitting here savoring the deliciousness.  And it's all I dreamed it would be... and more. :)

Vanilla Pops

WARNING:  These are totally addicting! They are so simple - just 2 ingredients - but so glorious at the same time!  It's a perfect snack for conference (if you don't mind the risk of acquiring an extra pound while you chill, watch, listen and pop the pops).  But I present to you......

Vanilla Pops

Ingredients:

• 15 oz bag of corn pops
• 24 oz white chips (or morsels, if you will)

Directions:

• Empty 1/2 bag of corn pops into a large bowl.  If you have a GINORMO -sized bowl you can attempt doing the whole thing at once but even my largest bowl, which is 32 cups/7.5 liters, doesn't leave me enough room to mix it up with more than half the bag.
• Melt chips over low-medium heat on the stove or in the microwave.  I usually microwave by putting them in there for 30 seconds, stirring, then back in and stirring every 15 seconds until smooth.
• Pour half the "chocolate" over your pops and stir until well coated
• Spread on wax paper to cool
• Repeat with the 2nd half of the pops and chocolate

They take maybe 15 minutes to cool and set.  These make a great treat for neighbors and kids love them!