Peanut Butter Dump Your Boyfriend Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are AMAZING!! If you have any sorrows to drown or any celebrations, these are your cupcakes.

My husband and I love going to Barnes & Nobles and browsing cookbooks and magazines. Sometimes we take pictures of the recipes with our cell phones....GASP...instead of buying the book. That is where this delectable little recipe came from! So, we did not get a picture of the book cover and I am unable to share the source at this time. That definitely does not take away from the party in your mouth when you take a bite!!

I was very excited that I got the chance to display these cupcakes on the cupcake stand I made!  The project was super easy and turned out very cute. 

Cake:

2 C all purpose flour
2 C sugar
½ C cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 C oil
1 C milk (please do not use skim; use at least 2%)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
1 C hot water

Frosting:

½ C butter, softened
1 C creamy peanut butter
3 T hot water
2 C confectioners’ sugar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line your cupcake tins; makes around 22 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

Add oil, milk, vanilla, beaten eggs; blend well. Stir in hot water; mix well.
Fill lined cupcake tins using 1/3 cup measuring cup. Bake 22-25 minutes. Let cool.

For the frosting: blend the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and hot water (alternating) until desired texture is achieved.

Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Trail Mix Granola Bars

Fay goes to school full time while she also works full time.  She's always on the go and looking for a healthy, filling snack to keep her brain working at the speed of her body!  I make these bars occasionally and pack a container in her car for her to eat at will while she's on the go.  These bars are absolutely phenomenal and you can make them in about a million different ways.

These bars are adapted from a Smucker's recipe.  I've changed it considerably to suit our needs.

3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups Cheerios
1 cup raisins (we prefer the golden raisins)
3/4 cup sunflower seed and pepita mix
1 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1-16oz jar Smucker's Chunky Natural Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cereals, raisins, and sunflower/pepita mix in large bowl.

Combine honey and sugar in medium saucepan; heat over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for one minute.

Add peanut butter and vanilla; stir until peanut butter is melted.  Pour over cereal mixture and mix well.

Spray a 13 X 9 pan with non stick cooking spray.  Press mixture into pan.  Cool and cut into squares.