Peanut Butter Swirled Cheesecake Bars

These two little buggers wanted to do some baking.

 So we looked through my pins and settled on this one

for Peanut Butter Swirled Cheesecake Bars.

  

Ruby handled the brown sugar.

She dumped it into a bowl of melted butter,

and then grabbed graham cracker crumbs 

to add in while Walter stirred.

After a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of cornstarch,

the crust was ready to be pressed into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

I lined the bottom of the pan with tin foil, but should have carried it up the sides so I could easily lift the bars out after baking.
It was a little tough to get the bars out
after we packed down the crust so well.
Learn from my mistake!

Moving on, we started in on the filling.

I just used the same mixing bowl to make the filling.

To start, we added sugar to softened cream cheese,

then an egg,

and some vanilla.

Walter whisked everything together,

 

and poured it over the crust.

For the final touch we grabbed some peanut butter,

 

melted it in the microwave,

and poured it out in stripes over the topping.

I just dragged a knife perpendicularly through the stripes
to make swirls, but I had added extra peanut butter on the sides so my swirls weren't the best.

Luckily that has no effect on taste.
Here are the bars right out of the oven.

And this is the only picture of a bar
I managed to nab with my phone
before they all got eaten.

They were easy to make
and that brown sugary, graham cracker crust was to die for!

Peanut Butter Swirled Cheesecake Bars

Crust
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt

Filling
1 egg
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch pan with aluminum foil and allow it to reach up and hang over two sides of the pan. Spray with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, microwave butter to melt completely. Add all remaining crust ingredients and mix with a fork to combine. Turn loose crumbs out into prepared pan and press firmly into a smooth, even layer with a fork. In a large mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients except peanut butter. Whisk until smooth and combined. Pour filling over crust and set pan aside. Melt peanut butter in the microwave for about one minute. Drizzle peanut butter over batter to create swirls. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until center is set with very little jiggle. Allow bars to cool in pan for about 1 hour before lifting out with foil overhang and slicing. Allow to cool and refrigerate before serving. Serve chilled.

Public Service Announcement

So I discovered that it's winter clearance time
at nearly every store I visited today.
It was awesome!
I don't like cold weather any more than the next gal,
but I do like warm fuzzy-lined winter boots
for a fraction of their regular price.
So get out there and take advantage!

The other thing that is great about seeing
winter coats, hats, and boots on sale,
is that it means spring is right around the corner!
The stores are busting out flip flops
and it's already going to be March next week.
Believe me, I'm ready for warmer weather,
but not before I pick up some great finds
that will be so much fun to dig out next winter.

Italian Artichoke Chicken with Pasta

I made dinner the other night,

all by myself!

Usually Adam is around to help - 

or make the whole thing while I take pictures.

But not this time!

So here's a recipe so easy, even I can pull it off, unassisted.

I began by placing some salt and peppered 

chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Then I chopped up some Roma tomatoes
and put them in a mixing bowl.

Next, I grabbed a jar of artichoke hearts 

and diced up some garlic cloves,

before adding them and some olive oil to the mixing bowl.

Walt helped dump in a little sugar,

and flour,

which we mixed all together and added to the chicken.

While the chicken was baking at 350 degrees,

I cooked some spaghetti noodles.

And then right before the chicken was cooked all the way through,

I piled on some mozzarella cheese,

and stuck everything under the broiler for a few minutes more.

This is how it looked when it came out of the oven.

But for the final touch, 

I chopped up some fresh basil -

and sprinkled it on top.

Here it is -

Just serve it up over your noodles for a delicious dinner 

that's not a lot of work!

Italian Artichoke Chicken with Pasta

1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5-6 Roma tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
1 jar artichoke hearts
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sugar
2-3 Tbsp flour
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb spaghetti noodles
Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

Place chicken breast in a large baking dish. Salt & pepper generously. Core and chop tomatoes and place in mixing bowl. Chop garlic and add to tomatoes. Drain jar of artichoke hearts and add to mixing bowl. Add olive oil, flour and sugar. Mix well. Place the mixture in the baking dish on and around the chicken. Place in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. While chicken is baking, prepare spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the package. Bake chicken until cooked almost entirely through. When only a few minutes remain, cover everything with mozzarella cheese and place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with chopped basil and serve over spaghetti noodles.

DL Fun!

It was Emily's first year at the condo.

So while she made herself at home lounging in a sink bath . . .

 

These two took a dip in the pool.

They love swimming!

And this year, 

they also spent some time out on the ice.

 

Ruby got her first pair of ice skates

and Walt recently got outfitted 

with a ton of hockey gear from friends.

He was so proud to put it all on and be out on the ice.

Unfortunately, he learned that just because you look
like a hockey player, doesn't mean
you can skate like one.

He was frustrated at how hard skating was,

but loved playing boot hockey with his dad.

We've been going out to the neighborhood rinks more frequently 

and both Walt and Ruby are progressing in their skating.

It won't be long until this little guy is gliding all over the ice!

Here are Piper and Ruby taking a break from playing in the snow 

to do a little life guarding.

But the most fun thing we did at the condo this year

was hit up Detroit Mountain.

 

They have a tubing hill that is awesome!

You ride up on a little conveyer belt 

and there are 4 runs to slide down.

 

Walter was hooked immediately!

He'd head up on his own,

 

and come flying back down without even waiting for us.

I'm not going to lie,

 Ruby and I were both a little scared at first.

The hill was icy so we went really fast!

But we kept going and had a great time.

Emily stayed in the warming house with 

Grandma and Grandpa snoozing away.

 It was such a fun little family adventure.

 Our kids were just old enough to enjoy it.

 

  We can't wait to take them again!