Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

Hi!

First, I would like to apologize for disappearing the past few days! Rehearsals are now over, so my afternoons are freed up a bit :) That being said, I know I haven’t posted an actual recipe in a while, but believe me, I have plenty lined up! Anyhoo, I made these over April vacation. I wouldn’t really call them “brownies,” they are more like blondies with peanut butter. Whatever you call them, they are oh-so yummy! I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in cookies, so why wouldn’t they be just as tasty in bar form? These are actually very rich, despite how they may look, and are definitely NOT a dessert in which you can have five at a time. I took Bakerella’s suggestion and made a tent out of aluminum foil to prevent browning the tops, and it worked. You could always make more bars and bake for thirty minutes, as well.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies Adapted from Bakerella

ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder {or if you were silly like me and realized after you started baking that you ran out of baking powder, then substitute baking soda and cream of tartar. That’s what Google is for, right?}
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips

to make

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add the sugars and combine.
3. Mix in the eggs.
4. Add the flours, baking powder, and salt to batter.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Grease an 8 inch by 8 inch pan.
7. Spread batter in pan.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, and then take the brownies out of the oven. With aluminum foil, make a “tent” over the pan, and bake for 8 to 10 more minutes. This completely bakes the center, without turning the top too brown.
9. Delicious!

I was SO very sad when Bopper and Mark got eliminated last night :( Right after he shaved his head! I feel that there is no one team that I am really rooting for anymore. I’m disappointed, to say the least, but I will still tune in next Sunday for the finale. What did you think?

Bella :)

loving >> week 22

Hi!

I’m loving…

stonyfield frozen yogurt

Frozen yogurt is my love! I am one huge fan of this frozen yumminess, and, yes, it is VERY different from ice cream :) It’s perfect for an after school snack or as summer approaches, a dessert following dinner. You can’t go wrong with the basics, such as chocolate and vanilla, but I also like the Fudge Swirl kind. {They discontinued my favorite, Cookies n’ Cream! What’s up with that?!} Anyhoo, I find that yogurt is less heavy and is much healthier for you. Now, who else is a frozen yogurt junkie?

these cutie-patooties

I want to hug these guys again and again every time I see them. My little sister recently purchased Emma {formally known as Corky} and Zig-Zag in the past week, and they are already the main members of her stuffed animal family. Staring in their big, big eyes practically hypnotizes you. Plus, they make perfect cuddling companions! I love them so much, I really want to sneak into my sister’s room and “borrow” them from her. Not that I would do that, Lulu. Not at all ;)

pb teen’s wire wall letters

My friend’s  birthday happened recently, and next Friday, we are hanging out to celebrate. As a gift, I got her one of these letters for her room. Her name is Emily, so, obviously, I got her an “E.” :) Anyhoo, these are super cool, and I actually wish I purchased one for myself. The letters are fairly cheap and are a good size. I *think* you can slide pictures and notes inside, so, really, they are just like a fancy bulletin board. PB Teen is the best, yes?

hannah and carlotta’s new designs

I was reading through my blogroll today when I realized that both Hannah AND Carlotta changed their blogs up! I read their blogs often, so I always love when things switch around a bit. Hannah’s is quite pretty, and I love the mix of black, turquoise, and red. She is such an amazing photographer, so with her photography blog developing, I’m sure we will see even more. Carlotta’s is very simple and elegant, but she still makes it fun to read. Her photos are gorgeous as well! I’m hoping that this summer I will be able to change my blog design too!

  

{via}

one-act play festival!

This week was a tiring one, and after tomorrow, it will be ALL over. We had rehearsal Monday through Thursday this week, with a show on Wednesday as well. We also performed today for my school, and I really do think that we are ready. If you don’t remember, I’m in charge of sound. I spent a good hour and a half looking for an image to fit “acting” or “The Outsiders,” but I couldn’t find a decent one! Anyhoo, I hope a bit of Mary Poppins will bring us luck tomorrow :) We, of course, are going for the gold!

Bella :)

my top ten book characters

Hi!

Once again, I’ve participated in The Broke and the Bookish’s Top Ten Tuesday! This week, you had to choose your top ten favorite book characters. I think anyone who reads regularly will admit that this is HARD. My list is closer to my top nineteen :) Clearly, that’s an improvement from my original one hundred. Anyhoo, you will notice that I picked multiple characters from the same book. For example, with The Hunger Games, I was like, “Oh. I looove Rue!” And then, I was like, “But, wait, I looove Prim too!” So on the list they went. And, as I was writing, I remember how cool Cinna was, so I HAD to add him. Can you see why this took me so long? I think I will stop rambling now. Here’s my favorite characters, in no specific order…

atticus finch Atticus is just one of those characters that you fall in love with. Maybe even marry :) He is smart, kind, and, in other words, practically perfect. How could he not be one of your fave characters?!

rue, prim, and cinna Like I described above, I really couldn’t choose between these three. I don’t know anyone who disliked Rue. She, and Prim, are absolute sweeties. And then Suzanne Collins had to kill them… Oh, and Cinna? He’s rocks.

beth march  I liked all of the March sisters, but nowhere near how much I loved Beth. She made me feel all happy inside!

 bess marvin I bet you thought I was going to say Nancy. Nancy is wonderful – intelligent and kind, but it’s Bess who makes me laugh. Not to mention her sense of style :)

lucy rose Lucy Rose is a favorite from when I was little. I was very hesitant to give them up to my little sister. Emphasis on “very,” guys. I really don’t know what to say. She is one of those people who you fall in love with the minute you start the book.

the penderwick sisters Oh, I <3 these books. Not to be mean or anything, but my favorite sisters would have to be Rosalind, Skye and Batty. I’m sorry to all Jane fans.

emma, jess, megan, and cassidy Heather Vogel Frederick created such realistic and loveable characters, I felt like they could fit right in with my group of friends. I would have to say I’m most like Emma, with hints of the other three.

mr. benedict I don’t think any explanation is needed. You can’t argue with Mr. Benedict. {By the way, I can’t wait to start The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict!}

j.lo For those not familiar with the story, J.Lo is a little robot that becomes friends with the main character. He is AHdorable, and he made me cry more that once because of how bad I felt for him.

matthew and anne All I’m going to say is that I really miss Anne :)

Here’s just one of the many performances from Glee‘s Whitney Houston episode. Isn’t Blaine cute when he cries? Now, I have to wonder where the Kurt-Blaine-New Guy love triangle is going to go…

Who made your favorite characters list? What did you think of Glee this week? Do tell.

Bella :)

The Princess of the Midnight Ball: A Book Review

Hi!

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Summary: Rose, Lily, Jonquil and their other nine sisters have longed for the curse to be unbroken. Their mother had made a deal with the devious King Under Stone, but she died before she could finish her part. Now her twelve daughters have to continue the promise, or the King will be furious with them. The princesses are forced to dance every single night until dawn, and their suitors aren’t even human! When an awful cold strikes the girls, their energy and strength disappears. Still, they must dance through the night, and each morning, their dance shoes are worn out. Their father is to his wit’s ends, but the princesses are unable to tell him the truth. To help uncover the secret, their dad has various princes travel to the palace. If they figure out the truth, they can wed any one of his daughters. Not one of the handsome men can figure out the truth, but could the new under-gardener, Galen help the sisters?

My Thoughts: My lovely sister recommended this book for me, and I’m oh-so happy she did :) Jessica Day George reminds me of anther terrific fantasy author, E.D. Baker, whose books I read in days! This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but it had its twists. The twelve sisters were each different in their own ways. I loved them all, but especially Pansy, Rose, and Iris. I think it was hard for them to be fully “rounded” characters because there was twelve of them, and the book can only be so long, you know? Despite that, the author did her best, and I think it was pretty well done. I would love to see twelve of these books, one for each princess, but I don’t know what George has in the works. This one was definitely focused on Rose, the oldest. She was the ideal example for the perfect princess, if that’s even possible :) She was kind, smart, caring, and down-to-earth. She and Galen were so so cute together! The scenes toward the end were the best. By that point, their chemistry was evident, and their relationship was planned out. Lily and Jonquil were very supportive of their sister, and I was happy that Lily found her true love again. Jonquil was a bit vain, but she had that fiery spirit which I admire. The middle set of sisters were lost, but I hope in the next book, they will appear a bit more. With that being said, the only girls that weren’t lost were the twins. They are SO funny, and I loved how opposite they were from each other. Pansy was totally my favorite. OH. MY. She was adorable! She was a cutie-patootie. Good spirit?! How could you NOT fall in love with her by then? I hated Angier. He reminded me of Effie in every single way. They are as young as five, and you’re accusing them of witchcraft? Uhh, no. Just no.  The King Under Stone was another hated character. Ergh. I laughed when he died. It served him right. And, finally, Galen. Sweet, handsome Galen. You are the perfect prince, to match the perfect princess :) Can I just say that it is very admirable to find a man who can knit? So, yes, the story was a bit predictable, but it was cute, and it’s hard to be original when you are retelling a classic fairy tale. I already have the next book in my TBR pile on my bookcase!

Pros: I loved each character’s personality. They really came out in the dialogue and action of the story. The story moved quickly, and it was enjoyable to read.

Cons: The plot and characters could use a little improvement.

Heads Up: Romance and some violence. {I would say it’s all middle school friendly}

Overall: I give it  4-ish stars {****} and recommend it for ages 10 and up.

Did any of you watch The Amazing Race on Sunday? I was so relieved when Bopper and Mark were saved! I was about to cry.

Bella :)

the cupcake basics | part three

Hello!

Today is the final segment of “The Cupcake Basics!” In the past two parts, we talked about the actual cupcake and batter, and then we discussed frosting. I think it’s time that we covered decorating!

There are thousands of possibilities, from sprinkles to the craziest designs. In my cupcakes above, I simply used cupcake toppers. Since it was around Easter, it was fitting that I used dashing bunnies {clearance at Williams Sonoma}, but there’s a wide selection for you to choose from.

 I like these Snow White characters included in this set…

and these soccer ones in this set.

Homemade toppers take a bit more time, but they have such a cool result. Here, Callye made AHdorable chick cookies and then used icing to “paste” them on her cupcakes. She also used this technique here to make bunny ears for her bunnies :)

Karen Tack and Alan Richardson are the king and queen when it comes to cupcake decorating. Their three cookbooks are chock full of wacky and unique ideas. I love their shoe cupcakes! Not only that, they also post at their blog. Here is an example of one of their posts. Aren’t the lemons fun?!

 Last, but not least, are cupcake wrappers. You could certainly leave them off, but without them they are pretty hard to get out of the pan ;) There are SO many options, you can surely find one to match your cupcake “theme.”

What do you have to say about cupcake decorating? Any tips?

Bella :)