Ramblings

Details

Remember me? It’s been a lot of months! I don’t know where the time has gone, but I figured it was time I talk about where I’ve been and some other details. 

The other week my sister dropped my niece of at BYU-Idaho and we met up with them while we were passing through Rexburg. As always, I reminisced about our time there. As of yesterday My Cowboy and I met nine years ago in Rexburg, during my second week of college. Nine years sure doesn’t seem like nine years. 

Details from butterloveandcowboys.com

I was reminded of a few things about the weekend my parents dropped me off at college. I had known for years I wanted to attend BYU-Idaho and was excited to do so. But for months before heading off to start my young adult life, some stressful things happened and NOTHING WAS WORKING OUT! At BYU-I they have what is called a track system. They have this system to accommodate more students on campus than they would otherwise be able to. So once you are accepted, they send you a letter to assign you one of their three tracks- fall/winter, winter/spring, or fall/spring. Mine never got sent. It took months and hours of talking on the phone to get somebody who was authorized to give me the info. Next, my whole apartment/rooming situation got sticky-I was supposed to room with friends, it fell through, the manager had me switch rooms to accommodate another girl, and the confusion kept going! There were all these little things that continued to build up until I was stressed enough I was second guessing my choices.

I tried to remember I had already felt peace that I was doing the right things and going to the right place for me.  One night, shortly after moving to Rexburg, I was wandering the gardens they have on campus. I found a bench that had a quote. It said, “Bloom where you’re planted”. That hit me and I remembered I had the choice to thrive where I was, regardless of setbacks. Then guess what? School started and something pretty great happened. All of those details that weren’t working out had a direct correlation to me meeting My Cowboy. You know, my future husband and the best part of my life! Without a doubt, God was directing me to him and that likely wouldn’t have happened had things worked out the way I wanted them to. And in retrospect, all of those details that seemed like such a big deal, were really insignificant.

Details from butterloveandcowboys.com

Remembering all of this the other week, gave me some me peace and assurance I needed to continue. God is in the details. It’s something I’ve always known, but have forgot to focus on recently. My load has felt heavy and I had been having a hard time coming to terms with it for a few months. I don’t usually have that problem, so it has really bothered me to feel this way. At the beginning of the year, I mentioned I had been having some health problems. Those health problems have escalated. And while my health is declining, we are grateful to finally have a diagnosis. 

After years of doctors visits, followed by this year’s tests, surgery, then more tests, I have been diagnosed with a condition called gastroparesis.  What this means is my body doesn’t digest food normally. It digests it extremely slow, meaning the food sits in my stomach for hours and possibly days longer than it should. While gastroparesis is different for everyone, and symptoms vary, what it looks like for me is nausea, severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, bloating, numerous food sensitivities, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, and malnutrition. 

As of the last five or six months, my quality of life has plummeted. Where the last few years, I have had to spend a few hours in bed each morning, now it is a lot more than that. Because of the nausea and abdominal pain, I generally have to spend at least 2-3 days a week in bed all day, and the other days, I can usually be up around 2-3 in the afternoon if I wait for the nausea to wear off. On days I have things going and can’t wait for the nausea to subside, it can be pretty miserable. Occasionally, I will have a better day and get can do with a couple less hours of rest. And some weeks are better while others are worse.

As far as treatment goes, there isn’t a whole lot that can be done for gastroparesis. There is no cure, only aids to help curb the condition. For now we are working on medications and dietary changes to hopefully improve my symptoms. Thus far, nothing has helped, and while we hope we will find something to aid me, I have had to come face to face with the fact that we may not and I have to be okay with that. My last weigh-in I was at 100 pounds exactly. Food is my enemy. I have to eat it to survive, I love food and am a foodie at heart, but now all foods make me sick. Consequences from what I eat, can be really severe. For years, I was able to keep a handle on my symptoms based off of food. I knew what to eat, what to avoid, what to eat sparingly. And while there are still many foods that make my symptoms worse than others, all foods contribute to them. I feel sick no matter what I eat.

Eating has always been more than just filling my body for me. It is an experience. And while this may sound funny coming from somebody who runs a dessert blog, (I also believe in treating yourself regularly :)) I am very passionate about health and fitness. It is extremely important to me and being told by doctors that I have to avoid some of the healthiest foods because they can make my condition worse has been a really, really hard thing for me to accept. My calorie intake is low, thus the weight loss. I have been sick for years now, but the fact that I am starting to look sick from the weight loss has made it more real. Another hard pill for me to swallow is exercise. Exercise is no longer the pleasure I used to find it. I try to keep up with it and am able to do some, but I generally feel worse after and it often does me in for the day. Because of low appetite, and low caloric intake, my energy level is a big struggle as well. Enough of those details. I hope you aren’t asleep by now, if you’ve even made it this far. I just didn’t know how else to set up the picture. 

While all of these things have been and are a constant battle for me, I’m grateful for the knowledge that God is in the details. Maybe I don’t want to be sick everyday. I wish I could eat more pizza and cheese. I wish I could work out more. I wish I had the energy and felt good enough to do more with this blog. I wish I didn’t have to miss out on so much! I wish we weren’t getting set back even further on having babies. I wish I could weed my garden. I wish I could just get up at 6 am. and function! But the other week was a reminder that while things may not be working out the way I want, just like all those insignificant details causing frustration my first semester of college, I know if it is God’s will for me to be sick, He will use it for my benefit, regardless of the outcome, if I have faith and accept it. He is leading me and guiding me to a better future and blessings than I could ever possibly dream up on my own, having things go my way.

Ronald A. Rasband said, “Looking back, I realized I did not orchestrate any of those moves; the Lord did, just as He is orchestrating important moves for you and for those you love…allow Him to make more of you than you can make of yourself…treasure His involvement. Sometimes we consider changes in our plans as missteps on our journey…He is in the small details of your life as well as the major milestones.”

I am so grateful I can look back and see reminders of how God has guided me throughout my life. It is assuring and brings peace that I can’t find anywhere else. I am also grateful my situation is what it is. Many with gastroparesis are on a feeding tube, face frequent hospitalization, and suffer much more than I do. So, it is a struggle, but I am alive and am coping. And am trying to bloom where I’m planted, in the midst of sickness. Life is still good and there is always happiness and joy to be found along the journey. As I’ve written before- I’ve seen this in my life and the lives of those around me- whenever I am in the midst of something hard, there are more blessings than I can count and God always makes up the difference, even when the details aren’t part of our plans. 

Ramblings

Mountains

Mountains are my favorite. I grew up in north central Montana. Not only did I have ample mountains available to feed my soul, but we had the northern Rocky Mountains close by. Let me tell you a little bit about the northern Rockies. 

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

They are rugged. They are steep. And they are breathtaking. We had really cold winters where I grew up. There was usually lots of cold and a whole lot of snow. Naturally, the higher in elevation you climb, the worse the conditions. Because of this, these Rocky Mountain peaks weather extremely harsh conditions each year.

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

Jagged rocks, loose gravel, and uneven terrain can pull you down if you aren’t careful while hiking up in these mountains. Losing your footing is all too easy. You have to exercise caution by being smart, preparing for, and understanding your surroundings.

We kayak and swim the lakes, hike the trails, and of course treat ourselves to huckleberry ice cream. Plus their huckleberry ice cream has actual huckleberries, which is uncommon, because huckleberries cannot be grown domestically.

Yet somehow in these unfavorable conditions, huckleberries grow. The mountain sides have extremely lush and green vegetation. Both plants and animals flourish. Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, moose, big horned sheep, and mountain goats are some of the larger animals that do well there. Somehow, they survive and even thrive. How is that possible given their harsh surroundings?

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

I have been thinking a lot about these mountains today, because they remind me of the obstacles we all face in life. Everybody has them. And we all experience different ones. But, regardless of who we are, they come. Some days they can fill our lives with intense storms that have no end in sight and others we can step back and feel peace amidst surly surroundings. How can we find calm and stillness when there is so much stormy weather?

I think about this a lot. The year 2020 has presented some obstacles for me. My physical health has taken a dive and often my mental health follows. Sometimes when you look at all your trials combined, they can leave you feeling overwhelmed. I have found that writing is therapeutic for me so I hope this post can bring myself and others hope. I was asked a year ago to share my story and experiences. I committed to doing so and because I have found strength from other’s who share their stories, I know I need to do it too.

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

My favorite book is The Book of Mormon. I have read it many times, but as we have studied it this year as part of our church curriculum called “Come Follow Me”, one family’s particular journey has stood out to me in ways it never has before. Following God’s command, this family crosses the desert, the wilderness, and the ocean to find a safe place to establish themselves. They face many sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles like hunger, thirst, fatigue, and death. Some of the family members spend their days complaining and rebelling against God, while others act courageously and exercise faith in God’s promises. 

Family members on both sides of this equation traveled the same journey and faced many of the same obstacles, but their ability to not only survive, but also thrive had a direct relation to their trust in God. As these family members persevered, they were able to grow as individuals. The mountains they climbed refined them and they reached the top because of them. 

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

This is something that brings me hope and provides me with courage to keep on keeping on. As I lay in bed day after day while my body experiences pain, as that physical pain causes the mental illness to peak, as another year of life passes My Cowboy and I without bringing us a child, we are being refined. We are growing and changing. We are being tutored on how to become the people God wants us to be. Learning the lessons He wants to teach us is never easy. It can be really, really hard. But the amazing thing is how that those very lessons that leave us wondering how we will survive are the very things that teach us to not only survive, but thrive.

I keep thinking of mountain goats. Mountain goats literally live in the steepest, most dangerous part of the Rocky Mountain peaks. They hang out high up and climb crazy steep cliffs. It is so interesting to watch them. Think of a rocky, steep place no living animal would possibly go and you will find them climbing it. Why can they do this? Simply stated, their bodies are built for climbing. Their special hooves provide them with the traction they need to navigate the most dangerous of places. These animals are provided with what they need to climb the mountains on their paths. 

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

I have found the same to be true for me. Maybe my body is unwell, but I have the time and circumstances that allow me to rest. Perhaps my mental health causes severe bouts of depression and anxiety, but I have a husband and other loved ones who help me through it. Maybe I don’t have my own little ones to love and care for, but I have so many children in my life who share their love with me.

Mountain paths are filled with steep cliffs, unstable gravel, dips, deep ravines, and somehow we have to pass through them all to arrive at the top. Once we get there though, it is all worth it. The view is incredible. 

I have to be honest, that view may not always come in this life for every mountain we climb. Answers to why we have to experience certain things may never become apparent, but the knowledge that God will help us bear our burdens, whatever they may be, brings perspective. Perspective brings peace. And peace helps us navigate the hard things with certainty. Certainty that it will all be worth it. None of our suffering is wasted. It is all for a purpose. And even when we don’t understand that purpose, God does. That is a really comforting thought considering He knows all.

Recently, My Cowboy and I watched a movie called “The Shack” for the first time. If you have never seen it, go watch it! The movie is so good and teaches a lot about life and how facing challenges can bring us closer to God if we let them. There is a scene in this movie where Sam Worthington is in a row boat on a lake. As he is rowing, the water turns black, then suddenly the row boat gets a hole and begins to fill with this black water. Terror overtakes him and he begins to panic. Once this happens, Jesus comes to him. 

He tells Him to, “Look at me. Don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the pain. Look at me. Trust me. Just keep your eyes on me. I’m not going anywhere.” The black water symbolized the pain and terror the character had faced. It was causing him to sink and consuming his life. As he set his sights to Jesus, the water returns to its original state and the hole is stopped. This scene teaches that the Savior is always with us. He is there when we don’t know where to go. He is there when we suffer, when we are confused, when others hurt us. He felt that pain Himself so he knows how to help us through it. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Him and let Him in. It is a beautiful message.

Mountains from butterloveandcowboys.com

When we are spent, when our strength is gone, when we don’t know how to press forward, He is aware of us in that moment, in every moment before, and every moment after. When bad things happen to us, He is there. His ability to take our hand and help carry our burdens is amazing, but we have to let Him. 

Maybe your mountains are seeming a little too rugged and high right now. Some days are full of rocky patches, and sometimes we even might slip and fall a ways down them. Days when we can just sit by the lake and bask in the beauty and sun that surrounds us come too though. No matter what a day may hold, we can be certain there is always hope. We can trust in the hope that while the climb is never easy it is so worth it.

Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Cookies are a rich and fudge-y cookie that taste just like a truffle, but in cookie form!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Guys, these cookies! I do not even know where to begin. These are one of those recipes that is the perfect fix for when you are needing something ultra chocolate-y. I found these beauties on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. At first, I don’t know why, but I just didn’t know what to think of them. They looked super tasty, which is why I tried them, but I just didn’t know how it was possible that a cookie could taste like a truffle. Mel’s recipe proved my doubts entirely wrong.

This is one of those recipes that I tried and realized how much I would be missing out on if I had never tried something new. Do you have any recipes like that? The kind that you don’t know where you would be without? These cookies are one of those recipes for me. Chocolate Truffle Cookies have earned an official spot on my Christmas cookie plate for the years to come. If you like chocolate, these are definitely for you. My sister and I were talking the other day and I mentioned this rad cookie recipe I found. She asked me if they were really chocolate-y, because if they were she needed them to curb her chocolate craving and would be making them STAT.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Another great thing about Chocolate Truffle Cookies is they really do taste like a truffle. Of course they are a little different, because they are cookies, but they still have that truffle texture.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Truffle Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Christmas is right around the corner, just a week away! I can hardly believe it. As I look back on our year at this season, I am feeling extremely blessed. This season and the opportunity it gives us to focus on the things that matter most is so refreshing and renewing for me. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies are rich, fudge-y, and taste just like a truffle, in cookie form.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 cups butter, soft
  2. 2 cups powdered sugar
  3. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  4. 1/4 cup sour cream
  5. 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  6. 2 1/4 cups flour
  7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  8. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  9. 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  10. extra powdered sugar, for coating cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Turn mixer or beaters on slowly so you do not create a powdered sugar mess and cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Slowly mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Roll dough into 1- 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake. They shouldn't spread much.
  2. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool five minutes on the pan and then place on a wire wrack to finish cooling. Once cooled, dip the tops in powdered sugar. We enjoy these room temperature or chilled. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
  1. Yields: About 2 dozen
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Ramblings

Pictures and Life

I always have nostalgic tendencies this time of year. Then again, I tend to live life with them. But the particular memories that invoke the emotions I am referring to in this instance relate to when My Cowboy rode into my life. 

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Mid-September is our “meet-aversary” and this year it hit us with an eight year marker. I don’t know how that is possible, but apparently it is. Time passes so swiftly and I realize I still like to think of myself as a nineteen-year-old new bride, but an irritating fact in the back of my mind reminds me that I am significantly closer to thirty than I am to nineteen.

Even though I am still pretty darn young, I am not even near ready to believe those first years of adulthood are such a ways behind me. A month after that fateful night on the dance floor where My Cowboy and I shared our first dance, we shared our first date, and six months after that I officially became his little lady in the permanent fixture of marriage.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Along with all of these happy memories of the past, I decided it was high time we had new pictures this fall. My Cowboy’s cousin, who just happened to be our engagement and wedding photographer, once again captured, not just photos, but us. So I wanted to share. And I wanted to talk about life, because pictures and life definitely coincide. And while these pictures are beautiful, they aren’t necessarily the ones we thought we would be posing for eight years ago.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Life is a wonderful, yet strange thing, isn’t it? Just when you think you know what form your picture  will take, it leads you onto paths along the way that are significantly different than any setup you had planned. This can be hard. It is hard. Sometimes, it is really, really hard.

Like I said, these pictures aren’t the ones I would have guessed we would be taking eight years later. We both planned that they would include more. More of us. An expansion of us. Life didn’t quite set up the scene the way we imagined. Eight years later, there are still only two of us. Our anticipated plans included maybe three, maybe four little ones by now, with more to come. That photo still has some time to develop. We hope it will, but even if it doesn’t take the form we plan, we will embrace it with God’s help.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

My Cowboy has a great job that he loves. Believe it or not, we also live in the area we planned, but we both thought work would shift us towards standing in a different field than we are in are now. My Cowboy is a cowboy through and through though, so he is used to the unexpected changes of the range. The heavy shifts in the wind, the quickly brewing storm, the pleasant sunset that reminds you how to find peace and happiness amidst all of those changes. And also the reminder that sometimes God prepares you to take a different direction than you ever planned.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

That smile. My smile. It is genuine because I am happy. The depth of the love I have for My Cowboy is more fulfilling than I had the capacity to comprehend as a new bride. I knew back then it would be good, but just how good time has told and will continue to tell. This picture portrays that, even though it is more difficult for a picture to depict what lies behind a smile. Behind that smile, in the deep, hidden parts of my mind have come struggles I always knew were present, but never could have known would be so far-reaching that no camera could possibly ever accurately portray them.

Mental illness has afflicted me since I was in grade school. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder raided my mind in ways that would some days, some weeks, and some months, leave me broken. But as life carries on, God teaches us to cope. As I entered adulthood, I had no way of knowing my worst fronts with mental illness were ahead of me and not behind.

My early twenties reworked our picture to include even more severe mental illness behind my smile. Depression and anxiety left me significantly more broken and lost than even OCD did. Life frequently felt void of light, though I try my hardest to cling to light. That smile became less frequent, but still it held on, thanks to God and My Cowboy. The debilitating darkness that clouded my mind changed our picture forever. No longer was that smile usually the truth. At times, it was a mechanism used to hide the pain, the darkness, the stress, and save me from stigmas pronounced by those who may not understand.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Behind the smiles you see here are two people who have had to face mental illness head on. Me, being the direct sufferer, and My Cowboy being the caregiver. Stress and worry were his companion through this unexpected shift in our story just as depression and anxiety were and still often are my overbearing partners. Included in these smiles here is an even deeper understanding of one another. And that is a picture that we are proud of. 

Waves of depression and anxiety surface unexpectedly. Sometimes we may know certain circumstances we face with trigger them, but regardless of what any given day looks like, they may come. One such wave afflicted me today. A wave of sadness and hopelessness. And I felt that though I had no desire to and did not feel like I had the energy in me, I needed something good to come out of this wave. That is why I am sharing this post today. I have intended to share some of these thoughts for a while, but felt that today was the day. Whether it was for my own healing or somebody else’s, I pray it will touch anyone who may need it.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and life are different for everyone. Have any of your pictures developed just the way you thought they would? My assumption is your answer is no, just like mine, but that is a guess :). I think what makes all the difference with pictures and life is the lighting. Any photographer knows that good lighting is crucial to quality photos. Sometimes the outdoors readily present the perfect lighting for us and sometimes we have to work with poor lighting through changing camera settings or other means. There are times when achieving that desired light is filled with unforeseen obstacles.

Regardless, photographers work to create that light. I have found life to be similar. Sometimes the perfect light is easily available and sometimes we have to work a little, or a lot harder to create it. At times, light can be really difficult to come by. Life can overcast us with unexpected storms that hinder our ability to see and grasp light. Fortunately dark days always come to an end. And though it may not always be apparent, dark days have their blessings too. Like the way the light shines out even more brilliantly when we persevere through any dimness we may face. Once we have done that, a greater appreciation for light surfaces.

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pictures and Life from butterloveandcowboys.com

While these photos aren’t exactly how we pictured our life to be, they depict us. They share our story. Finding the best lighting hasn’t happened every day for us.  But we are glad these pictures are proof that we are finding it. We aren’t perfect and we don’t always wear these smiles. But we are finding happiness and richness in life through the light God grants us to see properly the blessings that surround us. Pictures and life gave me some insight today. I hope and pray if needed, they will give you some too.

Since this is the season of gratitude, I want to express how immeasurably grateful I am for all that God blesses me with, and today especially, that He always blesses me with the light I need to accept the pictures that take form in my life. Because He knows what I need to create the picture of who He wants me to be.

Brownies and Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies are an easy bar, infused with favorite fall flavors and loaded with milk chocolate. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Not only do Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies include some of the best fall flavors, but they are moist! Dry blondies and I don’t get along. We never have. I spent years of my life avoiding blondies at potlucks and gatherings, because I don’t like them unless they are moist.

Fortunately, anything made with pumpkin has a tendency to be moist for days. Therefore, as long as you are careful to not over-bake these babies, they won’t require a drink after every bite. In my opinion, that’s just the way a blondie should be. If you feel the same way, then this recipe is definitely for you.

These blondies are similar to my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, because they are moist and chewy, but not cake-y. Cake-y pumpkin treats are good, but then again I just love a chewier, melt in your mouth texture.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Guys, these blondies are bomb! We love them. They go great topped with ice cream and hot fudge, or served on their own with a cup of hot chocolate. My goal with desserts is to not disappoint you, because who wants to waste their calories on something mediocre?! At least in my humble opinion, there won’t be any wasted calories with this recipe. But hey, you never know until you try it :)! 

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies
Serves 16
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies are moist bars, infused with fall flavors and loaded with milk chocolate.
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Ingredients
  1. 3/4 cup butter, melted
  2. 3 cups packed brown sugar
  3. 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 3 1/4 cups flour
  7. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  8. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  9. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  10. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  11. 2 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Stir melted butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and then the salt. Add dry ingredients to wet, then stir until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake 35-40 minutes.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Leftover Halloween Candy Bar Brownies

Candy Bar Brownies are loaded with chocolate, candy, caramel, and peanut butter. The combination of flavors makes for a rich treat that is perfect for using up all of that leftover Halloween candy!

Candy Bar Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

I love Halloween. Love it! It is one of my favorite holidays. Anything spooky and fun has my name written all over it. Apparently I have had a good influence on My Cowboy, because he admits that since I became his Mrs., he loves Halloween almost as much as I do ;). 

Candy Bar Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

So back to these Candy Bar Brownies. They are super tasty! I am a little bit of a brownie-o-holic. Brownies of all sorts speak to my soul, so I enjoy creating fun and exciting versions to vamp up any regular ol’ brownie.  I found several variations on how to use Halloween leftovers to make Candy Bar Brownies and decided it was high time I came up with my own recipe.

Candy Bar Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

What is your favorite type of Halloween candy? Mine is anything chocolate, therefore having enough chocolate candy leftovers can be a little bit of a problem for me. My Cowboy and I could eat all the Reese’s pumpkins in the state. However, if we ate them all, we wouldn’t be able to make these brownies, so I will save a few.

Candy Bar Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

I hope you enjoy your Halloween candy, but I also hope you enjoy these Candy Bar Brownies, so make sure you save some chocolate!

 

Candy Bar Brownies
Serves 16
A delicious brownie bar loaded with candy bars, chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter. A great way to use up all that Halloween candy!
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Ingredients
  1. -1 box brownie mix
  2. -1/2 cup melted butter
  3. -1/4 cup milk (buttermilk is best, but regular milk works fine too)
  4. -2 eggs
  5. -2-3 cups chopped candy bars of choice (I used Snicker's and Reese's)
  6. -1 11 oz bag Kraft caramels or caramel bits
  7. -1/4 cup cream (If you don't have cream, use 2 tablespoons milk)
  8. -2 cups milk chocolate chips
  9. -1 cup peanut butter
  10. -1 cup Rice Krispies cereal (optional)
Notes
  1. Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F. To make the brownie bottom, mix brownie mix with, butter, milk or buttermilk, and eggs. Place in a greased 9x13 pan and bake 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. I prefer my brownies just a little underdone.
  2. Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle the chopped candy bars evenly on top of the brownies.
  3. Once the brownies have cooled for at least 30 minutes, place unwrapped caramels or caramel bits in a microwave safe bowl with the cream or milk. Microwave in one minute increments, stirring between each one until caramel is fully melted. Pour caramel on top of brownies and spread evenly.
  4. Once the caramel layer has cooled and hardened, place peanut butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 second increments until fully melted, stirring between each increment. Stir in Rice Krispies, if using. Pour chocolate/peanut butter mixture on top of the caramel layer and spread. Let topping cool and harden completely. Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies, No-Bake

Avalanche Cookies

Avalanche Cookies are an easy, no-bake treat loaded with peanut butter, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and marshmallows. This Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory copy-cat is sure to please!

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Avalanche Cookies are delicious. That’s it. Enough said. But I will fill you in on them a little bit more :). So Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory sells what they call “Avalanche Bark”. I have been there once, but didn’t actually try it, because years before I had started making these cookies at home and decided that was all I needed. Plus, it is waaaay cheaper to just go and whip up these not so beautiful, but oh-so-tasty cookies myself.

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Many years ago, I discovered that white chocolate and peanut butter make one of the most fantastic flavor combinations. I don’t know what it is, but the sweet of white chocolate and the flavor of peanut butter just make me wanna sing and are thereby the biggest part of these cookies’ success.

It’s June, therefore my kitchen is warming, up so recipes that don’t require an oven are extra handy this time of year. I promise that they aren’t just easy and convenient, they are super yummy, even though they are kind of ugly! I’ve decided that ugly desserts are kind of hard to photograph, but nonetheless some of the ugliest treats I make are some of my favorites.

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Also, these cookies tend to be kind of goopy, but if you feel the need to firm them up, just pop them in the fridge for a little bit. WordPress insists goopy isn’t a word, but I thought it was so I’m using it.

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Avalanche Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Here’s to summer, and no-bake recipes, and peanut butter!

Avalanche Cookies
Avalanche Cookies are an easy no-bake cookie loaded with white chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallows, and milk chocolate.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  2. 2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  3. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  4. 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 3 cups rice crispies
  7. 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Place the milk chocolate chips in a bowl or plastic container and place in the freezer to avoid melting them once they are mixed into batter.
  2. Melt the white chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in the microwave, at 60% power, in 30 second increments. Stir in between each 30 second increment. Once the white chocolate is melted, add the peanut butter and stir to combine. Add the vanilla and combine again. Add rice crispies and combine. Allow this mixture to cool to room temperature or until barely warm. This should only take around 5 minutes or less.
  3. Next, fold in the marshmallows and then the milk chocolate chips. Scoop out about 2-3 tablespoon portions of the mixture to form cookies and place them on parchment paper. Allow to harden. Sometimes I place them in the fridge so they will harden faster. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Makes about 15-18 cookies, depending how big you make them.
Adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies

These 5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies are everything that a brownie should be. They are chocolate-y, moist, fudge-y, and SO easy! 

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

As soon as I saw these brownies, my curiosity was peaked. I have to admit however, my hopes were not too high. I just didn’t think they could possibly be as moist or fudge-y as they were famed to be. However, 5-Ingredient-Nutella-Brownies totally proved me wrong!

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

They are moist and they are fudge-y. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, because Nutella! If you are looking for a quick brownie recipe to throw together in a pinch, these are perfect! I’d even tout that they are easier than using a brownie mix. You could eat these plain, or you could top them with frosting, more Nutella, ice cream and hot fudge, or any other toppings you like.

My Cowboy and I loaded these babies up with edible peanut butter cookie dough (recipe coming soon) and this hot fudge. It was not my normal brownie topping combination, but it sounded good and I have to tell you that it was! 

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Next time you are in a hurry for a quick treat, I double dog dare you to give these tasty and easy brownies a whirl!

5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
Serves 9
5-Ingredient Nutella Brownies are fudge-y, moist, and so easy!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup nutella
  2. 1/2 cup flour
  3. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  4. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  5. 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Place Nutella, flour, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add vanilla and mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread batter in a greased 8x8 pan. Bake about 22-25 minutes. Do not over-bake or they won't be moist!
Notes
  1. We ate these topped with edible cookie dough and hot fudge. It was a great combination!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies

Snicker’s Caramel Monster Cookie Pie

Snicker’s Caramel Monster Cookie Pie is a crowd size cookie, loaded with peanut butter, chocolate, and white chocolate. Don’t forget it is stuffed with caramel and Snicker’s. This dessert is pure decadence!

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

If you don’t know what cookie pie is, you are missing out! You can find my original cookie pie recipe by clicking here. It is made with a chocolate chip cookie base and most importantly stuffed with a center of endless Reese’s. Cookie Pie is one of my favorite desserts and this Snicker’s Caramel Monster Cookie version is so hard to put into words, because it is that good. I have tried many different versions of cookie pie containing various cookie bases and stuffings with a lot of success, but this recipe is one of the best I have had!

Snickers Caramel Monster Cookie Pie starts out with my favorite monster cookie base. In addition to a slice of soft, butter-y cookie, it is loaded with milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Even though I know that technically for a monster cookie to be considered ‘monster’, it is supposed to include not only chocolate chips, but M&M’s as well, sometimes I break the rules. I listed the M&M’s as optional, because to let you in on a little secret, I rarely add them. The milk chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, and oats make this cookie base monster enough in itself, however if you want to add M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces in addition to the chips, by all means go for it! 

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

Let’s talk about the center of this wildly, madly, truly, delightful dessert. It is stuffed with Snicker’s chunks and homemade caramel. Sure, you can use bought caramel, but I promise you that the homemade caramel I link to in the recipe makes Snicker’s Caramel Monster Cookie Pie positively irrefutable. Consequently, I have a hard time saying no!

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.comSo…just look at it! 

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie from butterloveandcowboys.com

Snicker’s Caramel Monster Cookie Pie is a seriously gooey dessert. Furthermore, ice cream and hot fudge top it off inexpressibly well. Therefore, above all, don’t forget the hot fudge! In conclusion, if you love a warm dessert smothered with ice cream and toppings, this recipe is for you!

 

Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie
Serves 10
Snicker's Caramel Monster Cookie Pie is a crowd size monster cookie, loaded with Snicker's, caramel, peanut butter, and chocolate.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup butter, soft
  2. 1/2 cup peanut butter
  3. 1/2 cup sugar
  4. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 1 egg
  7. 1 cup old fashioned oats
  8. 1 1/4 cups flour
  9. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  10. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  11. 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  12. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  13. 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
  14. 1/4 cup M&M's or Reese's Pieces (optional)
  15. 12 fun sized Snicker's, roughly chopped
  16. 1 cup caramel sauce (for my favorite homemade recipe, see note)*
  17. ice cream
  18. hot fudge sauce**
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven @ 325 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugars at least 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Add egg and mix.
  2. In a separate medium sized bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients. Fold in milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips, and M&M's or Reese's Pieces (if using).
  3. Grease a 9 inch cake pan, cast iron skillet, or pie plate. I like how cast iron bakes, but will choose the cake pan or pie plate over it for this recipe, because it takes up less storage space for the leftovers.
  4. Press half of the cookie dough into the baking medium of choice. Pour the caramel sauce on top, followed by the Snicker's pieces. Scatter the remaining cookie dough over the caramel/Snicker's layer by tablespoons. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden. You can try testing the center as well to ensure it is done, but remember there will be caramel. I always bake it so it is just a touch underdone. I like it just underdone enough it is gooey. Let cool at least 10-15 minutes or else it will be a hot mess to scrape out of the pan (which isn't all bad ;)).
  5. Serve with ice cream, hot fudge, and extra caramel sauce! Enjoy!
Notes
  1. *For my favorite homemade caramel sauce, click here: http://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/caramel-sauce/
  2. ** For yummy homemade hot fudge sauce, click here: http://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/decadent-hot-fudge-sauce/
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Peanut Butter Blondies

Peanut Butter Blondies are moist and soft, no dry blondies here! They are full of peanut butter flavor and are stuffed with milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips.

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Blondies have long been one of my go to desserts for feeding a crowd, because they are easy and quick to throw together. On top of that and even more important in my eyes, they are down right delicious. Also as previously stated, they are moist! I love blondies, but they are a dessert that have a tendency to turn out crusty and hard.

However, as long as you follow my instructions, including completely, absolutely, positively, entirely avoiding over-baking them, these Peanut Butter Blondies should turn out every bit as moist as this post claims.

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Let me let you in on a little secret. I have discovered that brownies and blondies generally turn out more moist if I melt the butter to a liquid state (and peanut butter, if using) during the mixing process, rather than creaming them together in their solid state. There must be some science to back up this idea, but science has always been the bane of my existence, so I have no idea what it is ;).

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

If you weren’t aware, My Cowboy and I are peanut butter-o-holics through and through. Especially so if it’s mixed with chocolate! I have also mentioned before that I absolutely adore peanut butter and white chocolate combined. To be honest, it all started with this recipe. My older sister once told me how amazing peanut butter blondies tasted with white chocolate, so when I first started making these Peanut Butter Blondies, I decided to add some. It was one of the best baking decisions I have ever made! I don’t know what it is, but the white chocolate in these bars just sets them over the edge. Therefore, whatever you do, don’t skip the white chocolate chips!

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Blondies from butterloveandcowboys.com

 Peanut butter, together with milk chocolate and white chocolate make up the perfect flavor combination for one delicious blondie. In conclusion, if you love peanut butter and you love blondies, then these are for you!

Happy baking!

Peanut Butter Blondies
Serves 16
Peanut Butter Blondies are moist and soft, no dry blondies here! They are full of peanut butter flavor and are stuffed with milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup butter
  2. 2 cups brown sugar
  3. 1 cup peanut butter
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 2 1/2 cups flour
  7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  8. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  9. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  10. 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  11. 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  12. 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. Quickly remove from heat and add the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir to combine well.
  2. While the wet mixture is cooling, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set that aside and add the eggs to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine. To ensure the chocolate chips don't get melted, make sure the wet ingredients aren't too hot. It's OK if they are warm, but if you think the mixture may need more time to cool down, go ahead and wait a few more minutes. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix well, but don't over-mix.
  3. Finally, fold in the milk chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Bake about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't over-bake or they won't be soft and moist! You can eat these plain or load them up with ice cream and hot fudge! Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/