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Friday, April 16, 2010

Food Fun Friday- Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

ok, this is going to be hard... I REALLLLY wanted to make these bar cookies. I haven't had any sugar for 9 days. But Mr, Produce has been working really hard (physically hard) and caramel is his favorite.. then add chocolate chips.... my mouth is watering... but the question is can I NOT take a bite. we'll see...

Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

*Makes 9X13-inch pan of bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup melted butter

14 ounce bag of caramels
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk (I used milk)
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Mix the first six ingredients together and sprinkle half on the bottom of a 9X13-inch baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, melt the caramels and whipping cream or milk in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power, (I used the microwave on defrost.. took about 6 minutes-stirring often) until the mixture is smooth. When the bars have been removed from the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust
and pour the melted caramel over the top.
Sprinkle the rest of the crust over the top and bake in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling and edges are lightly browned. Cool the bars completely before serving so they can set up properly
ok, Mr. Produce couldn't wait until they set up properly!! haha
THEY looked great and between melting mouthfuls he said that they were yummalicious, ok he didn't say yummalicious he would never say that but frankly I couldn't understand what he was saying, his mouth was full.

ah, success
without taking a bite...
now what am I going to do with a 9x13 pan of delicious goodies?????

POSTSCRIPT

I took a plate to work. They all loved them...but... they said that no one could do any baking this weekend in Sequim be Lisa used all the brown sugar!

well with that, I did have to have a taste. yep TOOOOOO sweet. The whole wheat flour is just heavy enough but I would cut in half OR MORE the brown sugar. I only used milk with the caramels and that is fine (if you were out to break the scale you could use the heavy whip cream and that would probably thicken/stiffen up the caramel) (or you could use the old recipe of heating the can of sweetened condensed milk to make caramel sauce)

WHAT EVER the case they really are good and sweet and certainly fills the need for the afternoon slump! ZING

Thursday, April 15, 2010

blogville- Be different Act Normal

There never seems to be enough time!! Even though I don't have kids running around, working full time seems to be a GIANT KINK in my creative time! (guess we all have to work ...ah... a post for another time)

What I'm getting at is I appreciate a short and sweet and informative blog. This one has it all. Be Different Act Normal here

They take the time to search out all things cute, crafty and yummy!!!! (there is one today: Chocolate Carmel Shortbread) AND they post a couple times a day. If you like it you follow the link and see how it's done. LOVE IT. I've gotten many a good recipe or even craft ideas. AND a couple of times I've found other blogs I like.. That is the good&bad of Blogville. THERE are so many great blogs out there and just not enough time!

Another blog I've talked about before here is by Sue.


I can say that she is my blog friend. I'll even ask her questions AND SHE RESPONDS. She is a fabulous inspirational writer and can quickly judge American Idol and SYTYCD with wit and common sense that is spot on.

I still have one of her posts on my wall... its the one about empty nest syndrome.. LOVE IT
ANYWAY she is up to her 500th post and is having a CONTEST... so ya gotta go over and take a look-see... but don't worry, I'm pretty lucky when it comes to her contests (I've won her book! (yes she's written AND PUBLISHED several) and I've won a special CD collection AND I won a photo shoot from her daughter-in-law (that I gave to my daughter and new grandson).

CONGRATULATIONS SUE!!!
go see her here

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wednesday Wisdom

"It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives, nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success."
--George Washington Carver

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

18 more days

Sunday, April 11, 2010

the best time - the worst time

This weekend had it all.
Saturday was a beautiful day, NO RAIN. It started out a little chili, but turned into a beautifully warm day. I hit a couple of garage sales:
I got this beautiful white punch bowl for a dollar!
Got these great shoes for Kieri
And a boxwood in a great pot.
Then I drove to beautiful Port Townsend and checked out their GW (goodwill) but was so upset that they were charging outrageous prices for junk.
I could get this candlestick for about a quarter at a garage sale (remember.. I make these) and the GW had several of them for .... $1.99 each!!! Outrageous
I also found a GREAT place, Habitat for Humanity. Oh The ANTIQUES they had here. BEAUTIFUL but way.. out of my budget. They had a lot of other things... better than GW but at expensive garage sale prices.
So i just bought a unique (funky) bunch of flowers.
Then drove home, worked in the yard and re-potted a bunch of plants.

THEN... on Sunday, Mr. Produce's mom fell and broke her ankle. She is VERY frail and hasn't been doing well. She is just 3months shy of turning 90. She is a tiny frail little thing. She has congestive heart failure and hasn't 'really' gotten over her bronchitis from last fall. We just drove down to Onalaska last Sunday and brought my mom to visit/meet her. She is now in the hospital and in A LOT OF PAIN. We love you Grandma Katherine!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

A Great favorite video



ok, this is a new one for me.
I am going to try to attempt to upload a video.
I love Michael Buble'
and love this song
and the fact it is in a grocery store (I love you Mr. Produce)
anyway..... enjoy!!! It's a feel good song.

BABY CARSON


It has been So long since I've seen my little grandbaby, 8 weeks (he's 9 weeks today). He's grown up to be a little chub-chub... although the only pics Lauren sends are from her phone... not that I'm complaining..... she sends one about every other day. The above is the latest!!!

May 1st cannot come soon enough.... I'll wear him out holding him and squeezing him and smothering him. ( and his mama too!)