Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Crumble Bars

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Well it’s certainly been a while since my last post. When I started this blog, I really wanted to focus more on recipes and different restaurants that I tried than my daily life.  Well, sometimes life gets in the way – I have been so busy I haven’t really had time for much of anything.  Needless to say, I have a HUGE backlog of recipes to share with you. I couldn’t think of a better recipe to kick this off other than these delicious Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Crumble Bars.


Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Crumble Bars

Recipe adapted from here.

10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (unpacked)

1.5 cups raspberry preserves

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 cup low-fat granola (without raisins) crushed

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1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Spray 8 x 10 pan with non-stick spray. Beat butter, sugars, salt and vanilla with a mixer on medium until light and fluffy.  Slowly add flour to butter mixture, mix until moist.  Set aside 2/3 cup of mixture.

3. Spread remaining flour mixture into bottom of pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from heat.  Spread preserves evenly over crust.  Top with white chocolate chips.  Combine granola with leftover flour mixture and sprinkle (crumbling large pieces) over white chocolate chips.

4.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.


This bars are seriously amazing.  I love the tartness of the preserves combined with the sweetness of the white chocolate chips.

Question: What is your favorite bar/ cookie recipe? Please share!

Red Velvet Cake Brownies – A Cake Mix Recipe

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Ok – so who doesn’t love brownies?

I think I may have mentioned before that I have a ridiculous love for Red Velvet ANYTHING.

So when I learned that you can EASILY make brownies from a cake mix – I knew I had to try it!  I’m a huge fan of cake mix recipes (cake mix cookies anyone)- heck, I even have an entire board on Pinterest just for cake mix recipes.

This recipe was adapted from several on the internet – so feel free to change and make your own!

Red Velvet Cake Brownies

1 box Red Velvet Cake mix

1/4 cup water

1 large egg

2 tbsp oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8 x 10 pan with non-stick spray of your choice.

2. Combine all ingredients.  Scoop into pan (batter will be very thick – you may have to use a spoon).

3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost and cut.

So good! I used cream cheese frosting – per my usual. A quick, easy dessert that is sure to delight.

Question: Do you have a favorite cake mix recipe?  Please share!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Restaurant Review – Sawasdee Thai – Raleigh, NC

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So recently, I had Thai food for the first time, ever.  I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but I will try ANY kind of food (at least) once.  Nothing is too weird, or disgusting for me to try. However, I was a wee bit (extremely) skeptical about trying Thai food for the first time – considering I’m not really the biggest Chinese / Japanese food fan. I would rather have Mexican food, any day.  Regardless, I sucked it up, and went anyways.

I decided we would go to Sawasdee Thai in Raleigh off Glenwood Avenue.  Interestingly enough, before I moved, I lived less than a mile from Sawasdee for a year and never once went (a shame, really).

After perusing the menu at Sawasdee, I of course, got wine – a delicious unpictured Shiraz from Australia.  We ordered two entrees and split them:

Cashew Chicken – Slices of tender chicken breasts, onions and cashew nuts in a sweet and spicy roasted chili sauce.

Pineapple Curry – Tropical sweetness—pineapple chunks, bell pepper and basil leaves in creamy red curry sauce – served with chicken.

Both were served with rice but I was too excited to take pictures of it.  You better believe after how delicious this meal was that I am DEFINITELY a Thai food fan.  I have already been to Sawasdee twice and really love that place.  The service is fantastic and the food is excellent.  If you live in Raleigh – you should definitely check out Sawasdee.

Question: Are you a Thai food fan? What is your favorite dish?

WIAW – Shrimp Lovers Edition

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Well, it’s time for another WIAW!

Thanks for hosting Jenn!

The day started out with some Tropical Oatmeal – I also added a tbsp of plain Chobani which really kicks it up a notch.

I mentioned on Twitter on Monday that I was craving my Shrimp and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers – and so I naturally made a BUNCH and have been eating them for pretty much every meal since. Because I am that cool – and they are just THAT good.

Lunch was half of a Shrimp & Brown Rice Stuffed Pepper.  Which was absolutely delicious – and I don’t think that I will get tired of them for a LONG time. So good. This is probably my favorite meal recipe ever.

Dinner was the other half. Just as delicious.

For dessert, I ended up having a Deep Chocolate VitaTop which is my favorite dessert of the past two months (seriously).

Question: Do you tend to eat the same things (like I do) or do you change it up? How do you add some variety to your meals?

Can You Get Over A Food?

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So I gave up candy for Lent – all kinds of candy and I did really, really well. Once I got over the withdrawal and started replacing it with clementines, I was fine.

Needless to say, yesterday was Easter – and I woke up pretty excited about getting some candy. After I got to my Dad’s house, I broke into my first candy in 40 days.

Yes – it is huge.

Good, but not irresistible.

What’s crazy, is that some of the 40 days that I went without candy (chocolate), I couldn’t stop thinking about it while other days it never crossed my mind.

Strangely enough, now that I can have candy again, I don’t really want it.  This is really hard for me to say considering I have always eaten SO much of it.

I read somewhere that to make something a habit you have to do it for 21 days, so I’m wondering, did I just make not having candy a habit, or did I actually “grow” out of it?

Question: Can you get over a food?

Foodsession: Chicken and Waffles

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Ok so – have you have heard about the most fabulous breakfast combo ever?

Fried chicken and waffles with plenty of maple syrup.  Heaven, I tell you, heaven.

It’s my newest foodsession – well that and VitaTops.

Question: Have you heard of or had chicken and waffles?

Resolutions Progress Week 12

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Yet again – it’s been a while since my last resolutions progress update.

I’ve been so busy with everything lately – that I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like to. But – I think stuff is finally calming down so I should be able to get to a more regular posting schedule.

Resolution: Go to the gym 3 times a week.

Reality: I have been averaging 4 times a week – and absolutely maxing out my gym time while I’m there.

Resolution: Lose 15 pounds.

Reality: As of Wednesday – I am down 10.4 pounds.  Woohoo.

Slow but steady wins the race I guess. I’m just glad I have been able to get this far and still have several “cheat” days as well as my birthday week and a Vegas vacation.  Only 5 more to go to satisfy my resolution but I think I might actually try to lose a bit more – we shall see.

Question: Are you on track with your resolutions?  Sunday marks 1/4 of the year down (can you believe it).