Birthday Cake Oreo Blondies

It's no secret that I love cookies, so when I was planning what to bake for a treat for my birthday last week, blondies came to mind since they are essentially a cookie in bar form. This cookies & cream blondie recipe is loaded with white chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. I went with the birthday cake flavor to add some extra festiveness, but you could choose any - from the classic to double stuffed to golden Oreos.

ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
16 birthday cake oreos, broken into chunks

directions

{1}
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan, and set aside.

{2}
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well.

{3}
In a large bowl, stir together the dry pudding mix, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the stand mixer until fully combined.

{4}
Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and oreo pieces.

{5}
Pour batter into greased pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Do not overbake - the center should be set but still gooey. Enjoy!

Outfits of the Week

 M O N D A Y

{grey cashmere sweater - bcbg // faux leather leggings - spanx // black loafers - lucky brand // snakeskin bag - rebecca minkoff}

T U E S D A Y

{black leather jacket - bod & christensen (last worn here) // black tank - roxy // skinny jeans - american eagle // leopard mules - target // fringe suede bag - milly}

W E D N E S D A Y

{camel cardigan - abercrombie (also seen here) // white jeans - express // cognac booties - steve madden // red bag - tory burch}

T H U R S D A Y

{cold-shoulder sweater - gifted // black jeans - current/elliott // combat boots - dolce vita // black leather quilted crossbody - zara}

*taking tomorrow off for my birthday - celebrating my 33rd with a long weekend spent with family and enjoying some my favorite hobbies & foods :)

Outfits of the Week

 M O N D A Y

{suede camel jacket - hello molly // black sweater - old navy // skinny jeans - target // combat boots - dolce vita (last worn here) // black leather tassel bag - madewell}

T U E S D A Y

{grey cardigan - express // white blouse - express // green leather pants - current/elliott (outfit from 2013!) // snakeskin mules - target // cream bag - coach}

W E D N E S D A Y

{black leather jacket - bod & christensen // striped tee - zara // grey straight-leg jeans - abercrombie // snakeskin booties - bealls outlet (also worn here & here) // black suede fringe bag - milly}

T H U R S D A Y

{black & white blouse - t.j.maxx // black coated jeans - j brand // black leather block heels - dolce vita // olive green suede bag - rebecca minkoff}

F R I D A Y

{colorblock paisley cardigan - vici // cream crop top - bcbgeneration // jeans - madewell // peep-toe booties - steve madden // cognac bag - dooney & bourke}

Recently Read

{my idea of self-care: an essential oil bath bomb, candle & a good book}

In a previous post, I mentioned picking up reading as a new hobby in February of last year, and have read 30 books since. Also finally downloaded the Libby app and it's already saving me tons of money on my new pastime by offering free books from my local library that upload directly to my kindle. Below I'm sharing a round-up of the novels I have recently read & loved.

It Happened One Summer - Tessa Bailey
I really liked this one - it's marketed as Schitt's Creek fan fiction and it fit the bill. The chemistry of the main characters was delightful and Piper's character arc was reminiscent of Alexis Rose's in the show. The sequel based on her sister is decent too.

Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren
LOVED this book! Beautifully written novel about first love, and really tugged at my heartstrings. Highly recommend adding it to your list.

Carrie Soto Is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Although TJR is one of my favorite authors, I wasn't expecting much from this book based on the synopsis. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! The storyline of a tennis champion returning to the sport to reclaim her title record, with her father as her coach, was a fast-paced read and really shined a light on the internal struggles of a fellow perfectionist.

It Starts With Us - Colleen Hoover
Flew through the sequel to "It Ends With Us" in a few days - such a quick, easy & light read. I actually preferred it to the first book since it was less domestic violence-centric.

The Perfect Marriage - Jeneva Rose

10/10! This murder-mystery is a definite page-turner with lots of twists and an unpredictable ending. I could not put it down, and tore through it within 48 hours.

Outfits of the Week

 M O N D A Y

{white ribbed tank - everlane // coral chunky sweater - gifted // raw hem jeans - madewell // woven mules - target // aviator sunglasses - ray-ban // cream leather bag - coach}

T U E S D A Y

{off-the-shoulder sweater - choies (gifted) // faux leather leggings - spanx // suede wedge combat boots - dolce vita // olive green bag - rebecca minkoff}

W E D N E S D A Y

{quarter zip sweater - target // skinny jeans - american eagle // cowboy boots - rachel zoe // chocolate suede hobo bag - rebecca minkoff}

T H U R S D A Y

{blazer - forever 21 // leopard button down - abercrombie // button front jeans - abercrombie (last worn here) // studded olive green booties - giani bini // black suede fringe bag - milly}

F R I D A Y

{grey jumpsuit - vici // plaid scarf - boutique from my college town // black suede loafers - lucky brand // black bucket bag - madewell}

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatloaf Muffins

 While I am still avoiding red meat, lean proteins such as chicken, fish and seafood have been benefitting me a lot on my health journey. As I've slowly added meat back into my diet, I have been looking for new and different ways to make chicken to keep my meals interesting rather than monotonous. These meatloaf muffins are a healthier version of the traditional comfort food - with lean organic ground chicken, mozzarella cheese (which is naturally low in lactose), and flavorful marinara. Pair a few of these with your favorite veggies for a well balanced & delicious dinner.

ingredients

2 pounds of ground chicken

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp mediterranean blend seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

jar of marinara sauce (RAO brand is my go-to)

3 mozzarella mini babybel cheese rounds

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

directions

{1}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.

{2}

Cut babybel cheeses into quarters. 

{3}

In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, almond flour, olive oil, and seasonings of your choice. Mix thoroughly.

{4}

Using clean hands, scoop a handful of meatloaf mixture, and place one quarter of babybel cheese in the center and cover completely. Put the stuffed meatloaf into muffin tin and smooth the top to flatten. Repeat until all 12 meatloaf muffins are assembled.

{5}

Cover each muffin with about 1 tbsp of marinara. Bake for 30 minutes until edges are browned.

{6}

Remove from oven. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on each muffin. Bake again for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

{7}

Let the meatloaves set in muffin tins for a few minutes before serving and digging in to enjoy the melty-cheesy goodness!