Friday's Treat ~ Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie

I thought I would do something special for today since it is Valentines Day. My husband doesn't really care to deliver heart shaped anything to co-workers but this year I did it anyway! :) 

I don't think there is much to say about these. The pictures tell you everything you need to know! They are really, really good! So easy and cute!

I baked these on a sheet pan and then when they were completely cool cut them into strips just wide enough for the heart shaped cutter and place that on a cutting board. It was easier to do it that way then try to dig the cutter out of the pan. :)

We don't really celebrate Valentine's Day but I do try to make  { or bake } something special....just because. Not that I need an excuse but I feel better about eating something like this if it is for a "special" day!

Here is the recipe. Bake some today for someone you love. They will love you back:)

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Brownies:

1 box red velvet cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Topping:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Beat together the cake mix, butter, egg, and water until well combined. Dough will be very thick and sticky. Press the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Beat together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Drop by the spoonful onto the brownie dough.
4. Bake brownies for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and run a knife through the dough to swirl the cheesecake througout. Return to the oven and continue baking for 25 minutes or until set.
5. Cool completely before cutting.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 ~ recipe adapted from Food Fanatic

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I know it's been forever since I have done a post on here. It's been a little crazy since November. It took our oldest awhile to recover from his surgery in November. A few days before leaving the hospital my husband started a new job on the slope. For those outside of Alaska, the "slope" is at the top of Alaska. He works on the pipeline. It's a three week on, three week off rotation. But since November 22, for several reasons, he has only been home for three weeks. He is scheduled to return home on Monday. I can't wait. Pretty much anything that could go wrong has and then some. Also, a week after getting home from the hospital we closed on a house in Sutton, AK. It's a log sided house on 5 1/2 acres on the Mat-Su River. Can I just say we LOVE it there. I have been going back and forth (1 1/2 drive from Anchorage) a couple of times a week painting. Hopefully, we will be out there full time by April.

So, back to the title of this post, homemade dishwasher detergent. I have been using this for awhile now and have no complaints. For me it works great and I save money. I usually only run the dishwasher once a day, after dinner. This recipe lasts me about five weeks and costs about $2.00. The price depends on where I buy the ingredients and if they happen to be on sale. Also, we don't have hard water so sometimes I don't use the citrus shine (that makes a difference in the price). I also use vinegar as a rinse aid (just fill the rinse aid dispenser as normal). I have not had any issues with spots on the glasses, dishes are always clean. The best part is that you haven't used any harsh chemicals and save money. I got my recipe from here.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 1/2 cup Lemi-Shine (used for hard water)
1 1/2 cup super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Sea Salt
Mix it all together and fill your dishwasher soap dispenser as normal.

It's so simple, works great, and it's cheap. It's worth a try.

Christine