Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I kind of cheated on this week of Whipped. The ingredients to choose from were lettuce, lemon, strawberry and self-rising flour. I decided to make Strawberry Cheesecake Bars. I cheated by using a strawberry cake mix. I was going to make some sort of cheesecake bar and then while I was looking around I saw a cake mix and on the back was a recipe for cheesecake bars and you use the cake mix as the crust and the crumble on top. I decided to use a strawberry cake mix and use the lemon in the cheesecake mixture.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

adapted from Betty Crocker

1 box strawberry cake mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (not melted)

2 packages (8 0z each) cream cheese, softened

1 container cream cheese frosting

juice from 1/2 lemon

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, beat cake mix and butter on low speed until crumbly, reserve one cup of crumbly mixture. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

In same bowl, beat cream cheese, frosting and lemon juice on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs until blended. Pour into pan over crust, sprinkle reserved crumbly mixture on top.

Bake for about 45 minutes (42 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until set. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled.

To make bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.

Store covered in refrigerator. Makes 36 bars.

image source

The view is from my parent's back porch. It's so lovely this time of year. The weather is getting cooler finally and it is amazing. Also, I finally got to get a pumpkin spice latte and it was heaven. Be prepared for many pumpkin recipes soon!

House update: We didn't end up buying a house, long story. We did put up a deposit on a new apartment. We will hopefully be moving into one in a month or so. We believe that everything happens for a reason so we are happy where we are headed right now. Everything will work out for us to get a house someday in the future. No matter what though, as long as my husband and I are together, wherever we are is where home is.

To quote Edward Sharpe, "Home is wherever I'm with you."

Love.