There’s this huge dog that lives in my neighborhood.  Every time Mom and I walk past his house, he immediately starts barking.

And let me tell you, his barks are completely intimidating.  They’re deep, loud and can make you feel that the earth is moving.  Oh, and you should hear the mean things that would come out of his mouth.  I hated walking past his house.

It’s almost like he wanted to make it clear that I didn’t belong, which is crazy.

And, let’s not forget to mention that he never came outside.  So, I never even met this dog.  He solely barked at me because…well…I was there.

For months, I would walk past his house and not say a word.  I took those unwelcomed barks as a part of my normal walking routine.  I kept telling myself to just ignore it and he would stop.  However, the bullying never ended.  And, ironically, I grew so used to being bullied that I expected it.  How sad is that?

One day, I decided that I had enough.  I wasn’t going to let a bully, especially a pup that I’ve never met, dictate how I viewed myself or the world around me.

So, one morning I got ready for my morning walk with the intention of fighting back.  As I started trotting past this dog’s house, I could hear his deep voice begin to bark.  It got louder and louder the closer I got, but I never wavered.  The moment we got in front of his house, I stopped.

I stared at the house for a few seconds and barked as loud as I could.   I wasn’t going to hold anything back.  This was my time to let this dog know that there was no way he’d be able to bully me again.

When the dog barked, I barked back.  When the dog barked louder, I barked harder.  When the dog barked faster, I barked smarter.  And, eventually the dog backed down.  This dog no longer bullies me anymore.  In fact, we even speak to each other as I pass by his house every morning.

It’s like my Mom always says…

Bullies are the forever villains in this thing called life.  They show up in school, at work, on social media and sometimes even in our neighborhoods.  Ironically, some of these so-called bullies are people or pups who’ve never even met us.  Unfortunately, they tend to pick on pups and people who they feel won’t fight back.

Bullies hide behind their own insecurities and fears while many times bashing you because they wish they had your skills, looks, etc.  And who needs that kind of negativity?

But you know what?  The way to combat that is to fight back with your confidence.  Stay true to yourself and love the beauty that is you.  Set the standard for how you let others treat you.  Bullies only pick on those they feel will let them get away with mistreating them.

Bullying also doesn’t start happening by osmosis.  It usually starts with a chain of little events that we don’t catch in the beginning and then just spiral out of control.  So, set your treatment standards early.  How?  By treating yourself the way you want others to treat you.  And, have the courage to correct anyone who treats you differently.

Trust me.  That one little bully “knockout” completely changed the relationship between me and my dog neighbor.  He would never even think of bullying me now.  Not after our little bark match.

These Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jam Pupcakes are dedicated to standing up for yourself and knocking out that bully with your unwavering confidence.

And of course, we believe that every pupcake has a love story.  So, while your favorite pup is PUPPY LOVIN’ on these pupcakes, we’d love to hear from you.

Have you ever had to find the courage to stand up to a bully?  How did it make you feel after you did?  What did you learn about yourself?

Please share your pupcake story in the box below.

And, after you’ve tried this recipe please share it with us @pupcakesugar on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or all three.  We’d love to see how they turned out for you.

Ingredients

Blueberry Jam

• 3 Cups Blueberries
• ¾ Cup Pure Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jam Pupcakes

• ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ⅓ Cup Plain Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter (unsalted with no added sugars)
• 2 Tablespoons Blueberry Jam
• 1 Egg

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jam Frosting

• ¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (unsalted with no added sugars)
• 3 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt
• 7 Teaspoons Blueberry Jam

Instructions

Yields: 12 – 14 Mini Pupcakes

For Blueberry Jam

1. Put blueberries, honey and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan.
2. Bring pan to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir frequently for 15 – 20 minutes until mixture has thickened.
3. Skim off the foam and the pour the jam into a jar. After using it, the remainder can be stored in a tightly covered jar in the fridge for approximately two weeks.

For Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jam Pupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 12 – 14 1.75-inch mini-muffin pan with paper bake cups and set aside.
2. In small bowl mix together, flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, yogurt, peanut butter, blueberry jam and egg. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients into the mixture and blend for approximately 2 minutes until well mixed.
5. Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of pupcake mix.
6. Bake pupcakes for 12 minutes. Pupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
7. Spread or pipe peanut butter frosting onto the pupcakes.
8. Add approximately ½ teaspoon of blueberry jam on top. 

For Peanut Butter & Blueberry Jam Frosting

1. In large mixing bowl beat peanut butter and yogurt together on medium speed. Mix until creamy.  Frosting should have the consistency of whipped cream.
2. Spread or pipe peanut butter frosting onto the pupcakes.
3. Add approximately ½ teaspoon of blueberry jam on top.

Notes

• This recipe is for a fun treat ONLY. It should not replace your dog’s regular meals.  Please consult with your vet on the best plan for your dog’s diet.