LITTLE BLUE APRON: In honor of Girl Scout Cookie month....

LITTLE BLUE APRON: In honor of Girl Scout Cookie month....: I must tell you that I have found this wonderful new website called Pinterest. I love this site! It allows me to dream, express myself, an...

In honor of Girl Scout Cookie month....

I must tell you that I have found this wonderful new website called Pinterest. I love this site! It allows me to dream, express myself, and encourages my creative side. A little secret...I am addicted. As I was "pinning" as they call it, I came across this recipe for Homemade Samoas recipe from www.bakingbites.com. I have always been a fan of the Girl Scout cookies, especially the thin mints. They are awesome frozen and summer time is the best time to eat them. Oh, I should get back to the Samoas. These are another favorite of mine. So I decided to try the recipe. They were very easy to make and even better to eat!

Homemade Samoas Bars

Cookie Base:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz chewy caramels (1 1/2 cup melted)
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (1 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

So Yummy, everyone enjoyed them! One more thing Pinterest is a bakers dream. It has a ton of recipes and this is only the beginning. Happy baking!

I did it!

I did it! I finally came up with a blog name...after days, and days of trying to figure it out. I love collecting aprons and this little blue apron is one of my faves. So finally I took a great photo and added it to my blog. I think I got it! I am so excited to see where this takes me. This is going to sound a little crazy, but I just keep clicking on this page so I can see it over and over again. Until next time.....

2012 is finally here!

Today is my last day of Christmas vacation. I have a few mixed feelings about this. We definitely need a routine in our house. However, it is nice not to have to worry about getting up at a certain time in the morning, and stay in pj's all day if we choose.
As I look around at all the Christmas decorations still up in every room. I wonder when is the best day to take them down (I feel like I just put them up). The tree is so beautiful and the memories of the children putting on the decorations is still fresh. Then I decided as I look under the tree at all the needles laying there, today is the day that it must come down. So I decided to take one more picture of our wonderful tree. It is pictured above.

Now it is just a memory of another Christmas spent in this house. One more memory of our family coming together and sharing this special time. Just one more memory that we captured on camera, because if it were not for the camera would the children remember the Christmas of 2011. Today was the day that we added another picture to the albums and a memory that will last a lifetime. If I could only pause time....

New year...a new me! To be continued....

Hard to believe that it is almost 2012. Yes, that is what I have been reading on all social networks. I must say that it is just not this year that has gone by so fast, it has been the last several years. It just happens to be a few days before New Years so I hear it more. I have been reading several post on the resolutions for the new year. Not sure why I do any...it seems as if I set myself up for failure. Then I ask my self why do I fail at this task that I have 365 days to accomplish. Hmmm! Once again I have decided on changing ME! Here are some of my resolutions...(the first one I stole, but it suited me).

Not feel so guilty when I eat cake
How I am feeling today will not be determined by others
Enjoy more of my creative side
Try something new...a class, a recipe or a good book
Kiss and hug my kids as much as possible
Pray more
Become more active in my church
Always.... Think positive!

Then there is always the......

lose weight
exercise
eat healthier

blah, blah blah!

Well there you have it...it is done and ready to be reinforced. I did leave out this blog, but I am going to try to keep up with this as much as possible. Yes, I said this before....but this time I am stickin' to it!

Tomorrow night we will be hosting a small gathering of friends. Still to be determined on how many. Oooh, I thought of one more to add to my list. Going up right now to add, before I forget. Just a little hint...it will be the last one. The menu is as follows....chicken wings (luv them), Baked crab dip (yummo), pulled pork on the smoker, and shrimps (just love to say it that way, even though it is not politically correct). Posting of pics soon! My wish for everyone for the New Year is that it be a year of happiness, craziness, a little madness...one filled with friendship, mischief, and kindness....most of all love to the fullest, laugh until it hurts, live like there is no tomorrow....have a memorable 2012. Happy New Year! Cheers!

Thought of the day.....

The brain is an amazing thing! Oh, and mine is constantly flipped to the on button. As I sit here writing this post, I am thinking of the time spent on this computer tonight. Do I really have this much time to spend? My surroundings would say "NO". However, this is my time...time well spent....right?? As I try to convince myself!
So this brings me to my thought of the day.....quit my teaching position (which is only part time) to research and create a fabulous blog. Where was all this "techie" stuff when I was a SAHM? Hmmm, one thing that is great about our thoughts...they are just that, unless you put them into motion. I will not be quitting my teaching job, but on the brighter side...summer is just around the corner! Watch out bloggers....this gal will be up bright an early blogging her little fingers away! Well, maybe not so early :)!

Head spinning, more time and where do I go from here....

Did you ever have one of those days when you thought....hmm, I can do it all today! In reality, I don't even know where to get started. One word PRIORITIES! I really want to start a.....wait lets go back. My dream is to start a great blog, with wonderful pictures and lots of followers. I also have another dream of starting my own bakery. I love making cupcakes just as much as I love searching the web for blogs that have cupcakes in them. Oh, yes...one more dream. I would love to bake all these yummy recipes and 1. have them turn out just like the pictures 2. be able to eat them and not gain any weight 3. not feel guilty eating them! So as I sit here typing and wishing all of this would just magically come true.... reality sets in and I look around the room. Over there is laundry that needs to be put away, next the sweeper needs run. Oh, and I almost forgot I need would like to exercise today. Already this morning, I have spent so much time googling Medifast and Biggest loser diet at the same time looking at "My baking addiction" blog. Then in the back of my head thinking....would love to eat some lemon cupcakes. So here is my thing...can I have everything and be guilt free. Yesterday, was Easter and of course I over ate. I did however, make a scrumptious carrot cake. It has to be healthy right, after all it has carrots in it!! As I am sitting in church listening to the message on "JOY"....I am stunned that it mostly pertains to me. Amazing how that happens! Yes, I depend on food to give me the joy I am looking for..or should I say that I think that it does. Nevertheless, I must come to terms that I just can't eat as much as I would like. At least without spending my life on the treadmill 24/7. In my quest to make all of my dreams come true (I know with the help of God) I will attempt to start this blog. Hey, a dream has to start somewhere right? Just one thing how does anyone loose any weight when they are constantly baking....then again does anyone really care. Maybe the "joy" is something that is within each person...and if you are truly happy with who you are, then you have found all the joy you need! God is taking me on a journey....looking forward to the ride!