Semi-Homemade Cho Brownies // Important LAB Announcement

Today I headed back to work to get down to business…  “Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns!”  Haha sorry, every time I hear that phrase I cannot help but think of the movie Mulan 😛

Source

Business over the weekend had a whole different meaning.  Puppy business such as taking Charlie outside to do his business.  Household business such as cleaning the apartment and going grocery shopping.  Tasty business such as making pancake bowls and baking brownies.  And personal business such as watching movies and getting sweaty at the gym.  If only weekend business could be everyday business…

Speaking of tasty business, I thought I’d share yesterday’s new-to-me brownie recipe.  Over the weekend I picked up a package of brownie mix at TJ’s and originally planned to make Peanut Butter Cup brownies but after eating handful after handful of Peanut Butter Puffins, I decided to do my own thing.

Semi-Homemade Cho Brownies

1 box brownie mix [TJ’s mix is 16 ounces]

2/3 cup plain Chobani

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon stevia

Optional: Peanut Butter Puffins cereal

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the dry brownie mix, Chobani, water, vanilla extract, and stevia.  Mix on medium speed until all the ingredients are combined and there are no lumps.

3.  Evenly distribute the brownie mixture among the cupcake tin to make 12 brownies.

4.  Top the brownies with your desired toppings, I chose Peanut Butter Puffins.

5.  Cook the brownies for approximately 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

6.  Remove the brownies from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Notes:

-A regular rectangular or square baking pan would also work, but the cooking time may need to be adjusted.
-Next time I would crush the cereal before adding it on top for an a more even distribution.
-Other tasty add-in’s or toppings: candy, cereal, chocolate chips, cinnamon, coconut, dried fruit, peanut butter, nuts, or pretzels.

In the past I have baked with applesauce as a substitute for butter and oil, but this was my first time baking with yogurt…  I was delightfully surprised with the result!

And last but not least, blog business…  After weeks of work, I think it’s time to launch the new and improved LAB site [plus a couple of new pages]!  I am super nervous so please bear with me the next few days if there are any technical glitches.  Depending upon when you’re reading this post, the new site may already be up and running but if not, it should be the next time you check-in!

***IMPORTANT:  Despite the fact that my domain name will not change, you will need to resubscribe to my new feed as I will be self-hosted and no longer on WordPress.com.  If you have any confusion or trouble, feel free to send me an email at lifesabowlblog@gmail.com or use the “Contact” page on the new site.  Thanks 😀***

XOXO,

Allison

Question:  Have you ever watched the movie Mulan?

Question:  What’s your favorite brownie mix-in or topping?

Favorite Finds Friday 11.9.12 [Pancake Edition]

I can’t help it, I have a nagging sweet tooth in the morning and I hard-core heart pancakes.  Sweet and fluffy.  Dense and filling.  Hearty and healthy.  They keep my belly full until lunch and they never get boring.  I can pile on the toppings and if I get a little heavy-handed, I can put them in a bowl and have a pancake boat.  Oh yes, that happened 😉

So with all that in mind, I thought it would be fun to have a Favorite Finds all things PANCAKE post!  Surprise, surprise…

Links Above: My Pinterest Boards // Links Below: Picture Source

Good Food: Spinach Lasagna Pancakes by Kiss My Broccoli

Source

My Style: Powered by Pancakes

Source

Sweet Treats: Ice Cream Sandwich Pancakes by Chocolate-Covered Katie

Source

Events: Pancake Breakfast by Design Sponge

Source

Health & Wellness: Cooking Light’s Best Pancake Recipes

Source

Words of Wisdom: Faith, Hope, and Pancakes

Source

Cuties: Pancake Puppy

Source

For the Home: Holiday Pancake Pan

Source

Places to Go: America’s Best Pancakes by Travel + Leisure

Source

Flowers: How to Make Flower Pancakes by not martha

Source

Laughing Out Loud: Holy Crepe!

Source

DIY Projects: Pancake & Pajama Party Printable Invitation by Libby Lane Press

Source

Education & Learning: Pancakes Defined

Source

Wedding Attire: I Do, You Do, We Do Pancakes by Lucy Dylan Weddings

Source

Looking Ahead to Baby: Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle

Source

XOXO,

Allison

Question:  Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts?  Pancakes or waffles?  Scrambled or sunny eggs?  Bacon or sausage?

Question:  When do you prefer to workout?  Morning, afternoon, or evening?

Thankful Thursday 11.8.12

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching and Christmas less than 2 months away, now seems like a better time than ever to take a moment to stop, reflect, and thank.

Jessie from Jessie Loves to Run started hosting Thankful Thursday a few weeks ago and unsurprisingly she has had an overwhelmingly positive response!  For more information about Thankful Thursday, click here.

This is my first week participating, but I know that I will continue to take part in future weeks.  Oftentimes I think that we forget to thank, or rather assume that thanks has been given, to all of those who have helped make our lives a little bit better…  I truly believe that it’s the little things in life that mean the most.

The best is yet to come.  Ever since I wrote that post earlier this week, that saying has resonated with me.  Far too often I get caught up in the little things and have a hard time moving forward unless it’s “perfect” in my mind.  I will be the first to admit that my perfectionist personality can be a hindrance at times, but I will also admit that I am trying to work on it.  Take for example last night’s dinner.  Over the weekend I kept telling Ryan how I want to make more of an effort to cook a hearty, healthy, and satisfying dinner.  At first I was bummed with myself that I opted for boxed soup, but it’s what sounded good at the time.  After I sat down and dug in I was delightfully surprised…  Sometimes the simplest things can be the most satisfying, dinner success!

TJ’s Low Sodium Organic Creamy Tomato Soup topped with a sunny egg + black pepper

Spending time with my BFF.  Last Saturday I met my BFF for a study date.  In between sipping Starbucks and actually working [ahem, the point of our date], we chatted and caught-up since we hardly see each other since she moved downtown.  Anddd I am psyched about our sleepover tomorrow!  We have big plans that include: getting Naked Pizza [get your mind out of the gutter!], watching movies, wearing our most comfortable stretchy pants and slippers, munching on chocolate and popcorn while watching movies, and unwinding from the week.  It should be a stupendously fun night!

throwback to Color Day when we were seniors in high school

Laughing with Ryan.  The past few months have been pretty hectic for both Ryan and I between work, our wedding, and my health-related issues, so I cherish any time we have together.  Regardless of whether we’re out running errands, lazily laying on the couch after work, or playing with Charlie, I love when we spend time together…  Good thing I married him 😉  One of my favorite things about him is that he laughs at his own jokes.  They may not be the funniest joke [most of the time they’re pretty silly], but his chuckle that follows is hilariously cute.

my two favorite guys

Making blends.  What the heck is a blend?  No, I’m not referring to a coffee flavor or a fancy food…  A blend is a blogger + friend = blend!  After coming back from a summer break from blogging, I have truly been blessed to have bumped into so many new-to-me bloggers through link-ups such as Katie’s Marvelous in My Monday or Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday, as well as through Instagram!  Blogging has provided me with a daily dose of motivation, inspiration to try new things, and a chance to share some of my own personal experiences.  I never would have imagined myself feeling so comfortable exchanging information with strangers who now I would consider my blend.

source: check our Tina’s post Why Blog Friends Rule

Zesty Blog Consulting.  I seriously could not thank Cory enough.  I have exchanged messages back and forth with him every day since he started redesigning LAB.  He has made every update that I have requested, has provided me with advice when making tough decisions [such as should the background be green or pink], and even has helped to calm my nerves about the process!  I’m so excited that the new site will be up and running NEXT WEEK [unless y’all got a sneak peek this morning], eek!

XOXO,

Allison

P.S.  This morning I was delightfully surprised and honored that both Jessie and Molly tried my peanut butter pancakes and enjoyed them!  Seeing their pretty stacks of ‘cakes made me feel a bit [pea]NUTTY so I combined my recipes for peanut butter puff pancakes + peanut butter pancakes = PEANUT BUTTER OVERLOAD PANCAKES!!!  Oh my goodness, these were out. of. this. world. AMAZING!

toppings: cinnamon Chobani + coconut bananas + dark chocolate chips + pistachios + dried apricots + honey

Question:  What are you thankful for this week?

Question:  Have you tried Naked Pizza?