Last week, I stopped by CVS for a quick trip to get some cleaning supplies. I’ve just moved into my new office space, and it was pretty dang dirty, so I needed to rush out right away and get cleaning spray, wipes, paper towels, the works. I was only going to pop in for a second.

But you know, CVS has the best stuff. Makeup and hair stuff and gel pens, oh my. And have I mentioned the bags of candy? Yep, I walked out of there with snack-sized Reese’s, Mega M & Ms and yes, fun-sized Snickers. Rather than eat the entire contents of each bag immediately while I cleaned dried-up Jolly Ranchers off a desk in the office, I chose to save them and bake this candy bar brownie cake instead.

This past week, I went to cake decorating class. I originally signed up for this class before my job promotion when summer was supposed to be uneventful and relaxing, and now I just don’t know if I can do it. I was sitting in class at night trying to form a fondant and gum paste flower, and the table was making waves in front of me. I was about two seconds from face-planting onto my sugar daisy.

Fondant is a tricky beast, for those of you who work with it. It’s like play-doh, except it theoretically tastes a little better. I know it looks really nice, and I like making decorations with it. That said, I’ve never been the biggest fondant fan. For one thing, it doesn’t taste as good as frosting. For another, it really gets handled a lot. I know (or hope) that bakers are working with really clean hands, but the image of someone handling something that much before I put it in my mouth is a turnoff.

Also, the stuff cracks really easily, and once that happens, there’s no fix. I know we’re into this whole smooth cake trend, and it’s totally pretty. But I get frustrated sometimes at all the fondant cakes that look alike. Or maybe that’s just me looking for an excuse to drop cake decorating class so I can get more sleep.

For the first time this week, I’ll be making a tiered cake. I’ll let you know how that goes. Send me tips, okay? I’ve chosen to frost it as a mostly-naked cake to keep the work down to a minimum, but boy, I’m scared.

When I’m trying new things in the cake decorating world, it’s nice to make a dessert that it low-maintenance and no-fuss. This brownie cake is exactly that. The base is a fudgy brownie, covered with easy chocolate ganache and topped with my CVS collection of chocolate bars. Could life get any sweeter?

And now I’m off to try and dowel some cake. Wish me luck! I’ll be stopping by here for therapy if things don’t go well. Have a great start to your week, everyone!

Of course you have. But have you ever really thought about it? What does it mean? If I don’t waste the half-eaten banana my kid left on the floor by hurling it immediately into the garbage, then…I’ll eat it? And I won’t be hungry?

I mean, I’ve done that. Eaten scraps my family leaves around. But I gotta tell you, I still want. Food. Of my own. That wasn’t left on the floor. Or in a doll’s bed.

While I do admit (and yes, I’m ashamed) to being pretty wasteful in some aspects of my life, I am very good about using what I have in the kitchen. Last week I made these S’more Brownie Cupcakes and I had brownie batter left over. So what better to do than take the batter, put it in a tart pan, bake it up and make a brownie pizza?

As you know, I’m a peanut butter girl. But I also like lots of fresh fruit in the summertime. So, with peanut butter and jelly in mind (but not exactly jelly, if you catch my drift), I chopped up some strawberries and put them on top of this amazing peanut butter topping.

If you can imagine the consistency of thick caramel, that’s the exact consistency of this peanut butter topping as well. You make it by melting peanut butter and condensed milk on the stove until it combines and thickens. It’s just beyond.

Then you sprinkle on your strawberries, drizzle on some melted milk chocolate chips, and presto! A pizza I can get behind eating.

Wait, what? Who doesn’t love all kinds of pizza? I have no idea. But this kind is pretty amazing. You can have this for dessert after you eat…pizza!

So waste not, want not. Use what you have. And never, ever ever waste brownie batter. It’s a sin and you will be punished.

Brownie Base:

*For this recipe, use the leftover brownie batter from my S’more Brownie Cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Topping:

• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• chopped strawberries
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Using a tart pan with a removable bottom, coat in cooking spray.

Spread the remaining batter in a thin layer onto the pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes until set.

While the base is cooling, make the peanut butter topping. Melt the peanut butter and condensed milk together on the stove over low heat, stirring until smooth.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the brownie base and spread it evenly using an offset spatula or knife.

Press the strawberries into the topping. Then melt the chocolate chips and quickly drizzle the chocolate over the top.

Chill for one hour. Cut into wedges and serve.