Peanut Butter Striped Delight

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups + 2 tbs cold milk, divided

1 (8 oz) tub cool whip

2 (3.4 oz) pkgs Jell-o instant pudding, Vanilla

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 oreo pie crust (cut recipe in half or a little over except for cool whip) 

OR 

35 crushed Oreo cookies (3 cups)

6 tbs melted butter

IF USING CRUST, SKIP STEP ONE

1. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of 13X9 inch dish. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 TBS milk with electric mixer until well blended. 

3. Add 1 1/4 cups Cool Whip and mix until blended. 

4. Spread over crust.

5. In a large bowl, beat pudding mixes and the remaining milk with a wire wisk for 2 minutes.

6. Add peanut butter and mix well.

7. Spread over cream cheese layer.

8. Let stand for 5 minutes and top with remaining cool whip.

9. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

Gingerbread Cheesecake

1 pouch Betty Crocker Gingerbread cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon water

1 egg

1 14oz can sweetened CONDENSED milk, NOT evaporated. 

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups whipped topping

Heat oven to 375F. Spray bottom and sides of 13X9" baking pan with cooking spray. 

In large bowl, stir mix, butter, water, and egg until soft dough forms.

Make 5 cookies by shaping dough into 5 one-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of drinking glass dipped in sugar. 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are set. Move to cooling rack to cool. 

While cookies are cooling, press remaining dough into baking pan. Bake 8-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and lemon juice with an electric mixer, medium speed, until smooth.

Fold in whipped topping and spread over cookie base.

Crumble the 5 baked cookies and spread evenly over cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Keep any left overs refrigerated. 

Serves 15 people.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

2 (1 lb 3.5 oz) pouches Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

2 large/jumbo eggs

1 cup butter, softened.

Beat together mix, butter, and eggs in a large bowl until soft dough forms.

Pour at once into 9X13 inch pan, greased with cooking spray.

Spread evenly in pan.

Bake at 350 for  20-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool, cut, and enjoy!

Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'mores Bars

Ingredients

1 pouch (1lb 3.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup butter or margarine, melted.

3 cups melted chocolate chips (18 oz)

4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13X9in pan.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let sit 5-6 minutes, then spread chocolate over crust.

Set oven to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil 5-6 inches from heat for 20-30 SECONDS, or until marshmallows are browned. (watch closely)

Cool for 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any leftover bars in airtight container.

To reheat, place individual bars on a microwavable plate. Microwave uncovered on High about 15 seconds or until warm.

Apple Cake

1 (18.5 oz) pkg yellow cake mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups apples

3/4 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13X9X2" pan.

Mix dry cake mix, water, butter, eggs, and cinnamon in large bowl on low speed, scrapping bow frequently, for 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed, scrapping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Fold in apples.

Pour into pan; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan & toothpick (or wooden pick) comes out clean (usually 38-43 minutes, we baked for 40 minutes).

Cool completely.

This cake is very moist. Here are my photos:

Since Livejournal is temporarily down

And I REALLY need to write this review, I will turn to trusty blogspot :)

I've never written a review before, and I really hope I do this correctly.

For the past month, I have been reading Viola in the Spotlight, the squeal to Viola in Reel Life. In this squeal, Viola returns home to Brooklyn after a year in an Indiana boarding school while her parents were filming in Afghanistan, to find that all of her friends have plans (jobs and summer camp) for the summer, so Viola is left wondering what the summer will bring for her.

If you are looking for more Viola adventures, this book will not let you down. Grand helps her get an internship with the revival of Broadway's Arsenic and Old Lace (in which Grand and her boyfriend, George have roles), despite their summer jobs, she and her Prefect friends plan a reunion and a trip to New York for the roommates, and her relationship with Andrew turns to a new level.

All in all, this is a great squeal to the first Viola book, and gave me a few good laughs, and a good cry. This book is a must read for teens and young adults everywhere.