Reese's Cheesecake Bars

Oooooooh boy.

Do I have a recipe for you!

I've been absent a lot lately and the food-related posts have seriously been lacking, but now I'm back with a BANG!

Feast your eyes on these babies:

Hello, beautiful. Get in my mouth.

Reese's Cheesecake Bars.

Yes. You read that right. Reeses + cheesecake. Two of my favorite things, and hopefully two of your favorite things too.

If not, you're weird. (sorry)


My only complaint is WHY THE #$%^ DIDN'T I MAKE THESE SOONER?!?

In case you can't tell already, these are amazingly delicious. Probably going to make a batch of these as often as I possibly can (which if I want to still fit in my jeans is not that often).

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!


Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
source: The Sweets Life

Ingredients:
Crust-
-7 whole graham crackers, broken into small pieces
-6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted & cooled
-3 tbsp brown sugar
-2 tbsp all-purpose flour
-1/8 tsp salt

Filling-
-2 packages cream cheese, softened (I used reduced-fat cream cheese)
-2/3 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup sour cream (I subbed 0% greek yogurt)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 bag mini Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped

-1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8-in pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 3-4 inch overhang on each side. Grease foil.
2. Make graham cracker crust by adding crackers to food processor and pulsing until fine. Add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until mixture is combined. Press into the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Bake crust for 12-15 minutes until browning. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in sour cream (or greek yogurt) and vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. After chopping Reese's peanut butter cups, set aside approximately 1/2 cup for later. Stir the remaining chopped candies into the cream cheese batter.
6. Pour batter into baking pan, spreading evenly over crust. Bake at 325F for 35-40 minutes (rotate halfway through), until the edges are set and middle still jiggles slightly.
7. Cool cheesecake for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate 3-24 hours.
8. Remove from fridge and using the foil overhang, remove bars from pan. Melt chocolate in the microwave (stirring every 15 seconds). Drizzle chocolate over bars and top with remaining chopped Reese's cups. Cut into squares and enjoy!

**Ashley's Notes: I had to speed this process along because I made these just a few hours before I wanted to eat them, so there was no time for 24 hours of chilling. Instead, I pulled the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool at room temp for about 1 hour. Then I put the cheesecake into the freezer for about 2 hours (just enough to thoroughly chill but not freeze them). They still turned out great so if you're in a pinch, you can do it the faster way!

Another note, don't freak out if your cheesecake cracks as it cools. This happens. And you're just going to cover it with chocolate and Reese's anyway so it doesn't matter!

Summer Perfection

Just popping in to share my idea of a perfect summer lunch.

A panini made with fresh mozzarella slices, tomato, baby spinach and a schmear of pesto. Plus a side of extra ripe, juicy peaches on the side.

(I use my George Foreman to make paninis and it works like a charm.)


Peaches are so good right now! Yum.

I love summer!

What's your favorite summer lunch?

Images of a Husband-less Weekend

Hubs is a groomsman in a wedding in Texas this weekend so I'm home alone (because it was too expensive for both of us to buy plane tickets).

I decided to make the most of it.

My latest drink obsession.

Nail polish. Duh.

(And yes, I know it's shocking that it's not an Opi brand!)

Girlie movies galore.

Yesterday I rented Love and Other Drugs and Sex and the City 2 and when I went to return them today I couldn't resist renting two more: Tangled and Going the Distance.

Mini Blizzard. YUM.

(It had been over 6 months since my last Blizzard so I decided it was high time to change that!)

There was also an unpictured dinner of an egg sandwich last night. Eggs are the perfect single girl's food!

Sometimes being alone has its perks.

(But I still miss my husband a LOT.)

March Favorites

First, let me preface this post by saying that I PROMISE there are some great food-related posts coming soon to Cupcakes and Combat Boots! I've been cooking as normal, but for some reason I've been procrastinating doing the posts. I've made it my goal to get three or four recipe posts done in the next few days so stay tuned!

Now, moving on, I thought I'd share some of the new things I've been loving lately. These posts always give me great ideas when other people do them, so hopefully they'll do the same for you!

1. Chia Seeds

(Source)

Chia Seeds are a great source of Omega-3's (even better than flax seeds), high in fiber, and have many other health benefits which you can read about here. I'd been wanting to try chia seeds for a while now but could never find them in stores (though I believe they do carry them in Whole Foods), so I bit the bullet and just ordered a package of them through Amazon. Since receiving them in the mail, I've been loving adding them to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, etc.

2. Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

(Source)

In this post back in January I wrote about loving Garnier Moisture Rescue face wash, but I started to change my mind about it after using it for a while. Yes, it did keep my face moisturized, but I couldn't stand the residue that it left behind on my face and the fact that it didn't do a very good job of getting my eye makeup off. I like cleaning my face and having it LOOK AND FEEL CLEAN, not have a layer of gunk leftover. I was on the lookout for a face wash that didn't leave a residue, but also didn't strip my natural oils too much. So I stumbled upon this new Neutrogena Naturals line of products and immediately plunked down the $6.99 to try the "Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover" face wash. And I LOVE IT!!! It's exactly what I was looking for (removes makeup, leaves me feeling fresh and clean but not dry), AND it smells fantastic!

3. Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

(Source)

I love the idea of dry shampoo, but I hadn't been really impressed with the products I'd tried in the past. They left a gummy texture and usually a white residue in my hair that really didn't make my hair look or feel clean. Then I spotted this Suave Professionals version of dry shampoo and decided it was worth the $2.99 price tag to give it a shot. My verdict is: TWO THUMBS UP! I couldn't believe how good it smells (it reminds me of candy) and it doesn't leave any weird texture or white residue in my hair. Seriously, buy this stuff!

4. Intak by Thermos water bottle

(Source)

I've always been bad about drinking enough water, but as part of my new healthy living routine I decided to make drinking water a priority. In order to kick start my new priority, I bought an intak by Thermos water bottle (found it at Target). Turns out having a new water bottle DOES help me drink more water! I love this thing! It has a lid that snaps securely shut and locks so I can toss it in a bag and not worry about it leaking. It also has a "water intake gauge" on it where you can turn the dial each time you fill up the bottle so you can keep track of how much you're drinking throughout the day. Oh and the all-time best thing about it? It's dishwasher safe! :)

5. Tabbed Socks

(Source)

This is kind of a random one, but I swear by athletic socks with the little extra tabs on the back! Why? Because I've always had issues with my ankle socks falling down as I run or workout and then I end up with major blisters on the backs of my heels. Not fun! But these socks solve that problem because the tab causes the sock to stay put above your shoe and not work its way down your heel. I buy my tabbed socks from Target (the ones pictured above aren't the exact ones I wear, just the closest picture I could find) and they're pretty cheap!

There you have it! What are your March favorites??

Oh, and one thing I'm NOT loving lately? This potential "government shut down" that would mean our troops won't get paid for who knows how long (but still expected to report to work as usual). This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE to me. Our troops are putting their lives on the line everyday and they should be the LAST people to have their pay cut off. President Obama needs to get his act together and PREVENT this from happening, instead of continuing to reject solutions.

End of vent.

Things I'm Loving

It has been a while since my last "Things I'm Loving" post. And by "a while" I mean like 6+ months. I guess I haven't been very loving lately.

1. Nail Polish.

Check out my collection! And yes, I'm a nail polish snob. OPI (or China Glaze as a 2nd best option) all the way!

Going for the muted tones this week.

I just can't get enough of it. If you catch me with my nails unpainted, go buy yourself a freakin' lottery ticket immediately because it must be a sign! I seriously don't ever leave my nails unpainted anymore. It just makes me happy to look down and see a little splash of color on my fingertips. Plus, I think I have weirdly shaped fingers so this helps normalize things a bit. :)

2. Arizona Sunsets.

Beautiful. Enough said.

3. White Bean & Basil Hummus from Trader Joe's.

Sooooo freaking good! I love mixing it in with unexpected things too, like eggs.

4. Woohoo by Christina Aquilera (feat. Nicki Minaj)

Yes, it's inappropriate. No, it takes no actual talent to sing this song. But it's just so damn catchy! Great workout tune! "Licky licky, yum yum!"

5. Getting my ass kicked by my husband at the gym.

No pictures to document this (thankfully) but he put me through his Kettlebell workout at the gym 3 days ago and I'm STILL sore. Thanks, husband. (I think he secretly enjoyed seeing me suffer.)

6. Garnier Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam face wash

Moving to AZ did a number on my skin....my face was flaky, dry, itchy, etc. and no amount of moisturizer seemed to help. Then I realized that it might be my face wash was too harsh and drying so I ponied up the money for a special "moisture rescue" face wash and prayed that it worked. Well, it did! I love this stuff! It washes without stripping the moisture.

7. Beckham Signature for Women

Love this perfume! I got it for Christmas from my sister-in-law and it's my new go-to scent.

8. So called "Three Buck Chuck" wine from Trader Joe's.

I'm no wine snob. The cheaper, the better (as long as it tastes good!) and this Sauvignon Blanc certainly fits the bill.

So there you have it! The things I'm loving. Do you love any of these things?

Fake Friday Confessions & Favorites

Today is Friday! That should excite me, but alas, it doesn't because I have to work tomorrow. On a Saturday. And it's already been really freaking long week. Somebody kill me now.

Because of my Fake Friday, I'm feeling venty and super random so I'm gonna throw out some of confessions on here to try to make myself feel better:

1. I'm counting down the days until we move just so I can have an excuse to leave my current job. I do love parts of it and I'm grateful to have had the experience but I am so ready for a break. The non-stop stress really wears on me. And I'm not gonna lie, the thought of being able to be a stay-at-home-wife for 6 months makes me REALLY happy. I am fully aware that I will probably get bored and wish that I had a job again about 1 month into this (maybe less).

2. I wish geckos and giant spiders did not exist. Or at least could not find their way into my house. I found one of each of those things in my house yesterday and just about lost it. ::::shudders:::: Oh also: I don't feel the least bit guilty about killing them. If there is a PETA movement to protect the lives of geckos and/or spiders I should probably be their main target.

3. I don't find it funny when people make fun of me for being pale-skinned. "You're so pale that you reflect" or "I need sunglasses to look at you" is not freaking funny. But now I usually try to deflect those comments by making fun of myself by saying them first. Actually, come to think of it, that's the way I deal with a lot of my insecurities.

4. I judge people who smoke and/or go to tanning beds (I guess this one goes along with the pale comments). I just don't understand why you would willingly do that kind of harm to your body.

5. I often wish I wasn't such a jealous person. It's not a good personality trait and it's not worth it to compare myself to other's situations. I often have to remind myself that no one's life is perfect, despite the way it may appear. One person's life shouldn't affect the way I feel about mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I almost ended my post there but then I decided that it was getting a little too heavy up in here so I thought I'd throw in some Friday Favorites too!

FRIDAY FAVORITES:

-Breakfast for Dinner (which is what I had last night...in case you were wondering)

-People who adopt their pets from shelters, instead of supporting breeders or puppy mills.

-Girls Nights (which I will be having tomorrow night)

-Lindt "A touch of sea salt" Dark Chocolate (just discovered this one and I have been LOVING it as my after-dinner, mini-dessert)


Do you have any confessions or favorites? Do share!

Things I'm Loving

Here are some things I'm loving lately...

Dreyer's Fruit Bars in Creamy Coconut: I don't know what compelled me to put these in my cart the other day but I'm so glad I did! They are refreshing, creamy, sweet and delicious! Also these make a good substitute for the times when I'm craving self-serve {expensive} frozen yogurt and can't justify it {because I've already had my once-a-week quota}. And at 130 calories a pop, they are a nice light option for dessert.


Sabra Hummus: I used to be kind of indifferent to which store-bought hummus I ate. I thought they were all the same...until I tried Sabra hummus. SO FREAKING GOOD. It's wayyyyy creamier and smoother than all other store-bought hummus I have tried. And the flavors options are awesome too! {My favorite is greek olive flavor} I literally scolded my husband when he came home from the grocery store with a different brand of hummus recently. Sabra all the way, baby!



Making my dog wear my shirts: Because it's funny.



Laughing babies: This is my BFF's baby, Audrey. I spent last weekend at the Ranch with her and totally loved seeing her sweet smiles and giggles. Babies are good for the soul!



Fredricksburg Peaches: We drove through Fredricksburg, TX on our way to the Ranch and it just so happened to be peach season! Hellllz yeah! Fredricksburg peaches are the BEST! I've been eating at least one a day since we brought them home. Luckily, we bought a ton so we still have plenty! I might cry when they are all gone...



My Orange nail color: I bought this nail color on a whim the other day and I must say, I'm really liking it! I'm usually an average color kind of gal {various shades of pink mostly} but this little step out of the box is making me rethink that. I literally get happy every time I look at my nails. {Pathetic} I'm not going to share the actual name of the color because I decided to try and cheap out and bought Sally Hansen nail polish instead of my usual Opi or China Glaze. Yeahhhh...that was a mistake. The nail polish was soooo globby and sticky as it was going on. I hated it!

{Yes, that's my actual hand. Why do hands photograph so weird? Mine looks super wrinkly! Guess I need to go moisturize!}

Do you have any favorite things you'd like to share?

You know what's awesome?

It's cherry season!!!


You know what's not awesome?

How stinkin' expensive fresh cherries are!!! Even in season and on sale, my jaw still dropped when the cashier rang 'em up.

Oh well....they're worth it. :-)

My Name is Ashley and I Have an Addiction

It looks like this:


And this:

Oh dear Wallflower, how I love thee and the way you keep my bathroom smelling pretty even after my husband takes a dump in it. :)

And when they go on sale at Bath & Body Works and I happen to have a 20% off coupon, things like this end up happening:

{Not all of these are B&BW candles, FYI}

And, even worse than that, this happens:

I stocked up BIG TIME today! I'm constantly burning candles and I have 3 wallflowers spread throughout the house so I go through these things fast. I refuse to buy them at full price since if you wait a little while they always end up going on sale, like right now.

Wallflowers are on sale for $6 and 4oz. candles are on sale 2 for $10.

Also, here's a 20% off coupon {online or in stores} if you're interested. Unfortunately, it ends today so hurry up and use it ASAP!

Stubb's Chicken

What's for Dinner? 5/6/2010

-Marinated Grilled Chicken
-Roasted Broccoli
-Buttered Toast



We are big, big fans of the Stubb's Chicken Marinade. I've written about it before, but here's a picture so you can look for it in stores.

It's the BEST!!! The chicken turns out so juicy and flavorful. Definitely buy this if you can find it.

New Things I Love

I recently fell in love with a couple of new things, so I thought I'd share them here with you.


First off, greek yogurt. I've discussed before how I don't really like regular yogurt, but I do like greek yogurt. My grocery store recently {finally} started carrying more selection of greek yogurt, so I've been sampling all the different brands.

Well, this one is by far my favorite:

Stoneyfield Organic Oikos Greek Yogurt. This one is nice and thick, creamy and smooth {some of the brands I tried were watery...yuck}. The honey flavor is by far my favorite. I'm not a big fan of the fruit version of any of the yogurts but I loooooove honey mixed in. This Stoneyfield Oikos comes with TONS of honey in the bottom and the serving size is just the right amount. One gripe I had with some other greek yogurt brands was that the portion size was too big or too small. As a bonus, it's organic! I seriously love this stuff!



Another thing I don't really like is juice {of any kind really, but especially pomegranate juice}. It's just too concentrated and sweet for me usually. Plus, I always feel like it's a waste of calories. When I do drink juice, I usually water it down or mix it with club soda to dilute it a bit. That's why when I stumbled upon this I was excited to try it:

Minute Maid Pomegranate Tea. This stuff is GOOD! It's only 40 calories per 8oz serving and it has the added benefit of antioxidants. EXCELLENT!

AWESOME Recipe Website!

So I just discovered SuperCook.com and I'm HOOKED! It's the best thing since sliced bread! Ever found yourself with nothing planned for dinner and no idea what to make with what you have in your pantry/refrigerator? Yeah....me too.

Well this is our answer to this problem! All you do is enter the ingredients that you have on hand and it will automatically search tons of recipe websites and collections and tell you what you can make! The more ingredients you enter, the more results you get!

When I started I put in that I had chicken, goat cheese & sun-dried tomatoes and POOF! It suggested a "Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken" recipe that sounds DELISH!

I also LOVE that it saves your "ingredients" that you enter for each time that you log on. You don't have to keep reentering your "staple" items every time because it remembers what you had before!

Other recipe websites {such as allrecipes.com} have the ingredient search option BUT they don't search other websites too. This is the first one I've seen that searches multiple sites for you.

I'm super excited about this new discovery! What a great website!