Chocolate Goodie Bars and Mini Apple Pies

This first recipe I got off of a Betty Crocker brownie mix box a long time ago.

First you make the brownie mix for the supreme brownies that comes with Hershey sauce...

 Spread that in a 9x13 pan...

 Let it cool down...

 Then frost with vanilla frosting and put in the fridge...

 Melt a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and some peanut butter...

 Add some Rice Krispies...

 And spread that over the top.

 This is what you get. This was way too rich for me and had too much going on. Not recommended.

 Next is a Pinterest recipe for mini apple pies...

Cut up some apples into small pieces...

 Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg...

 Then cut out pie shells with a mason jar lid...

 Pinch them around the edges of a muffin pan...

 Fill and add little pats of butter to each one.

 Cover with scraps of pie crust and bake.

 These were really good and tasted just like a big pie...of course I won't try anything with apples again until I find my mom's apple corer, peeler, slicer. Had lots of apple slices go flying across the room trying to cut them myself.

Fruit!

I had a leftover orange and decided to try this project I've been seeing on Pinterest. You cut an orange in half, gut it except for the white center stem. Fill it with oil and light it like a candle. Seems easy, but it was a pain!

You have to hold your lighter on the stem for a long time before it finally burns...then it kept burning out for no reason...and it kinda smelled gross, not like oranges...

But it was pretty while it lasted...not recommended!

 Here is a shot of my pantry after I went shopping for all of the food I would need to get through th holidays...food hoarder much?

 Here is my first purchase from Fruit My Cube. It's from the farmer's market in Belleville, and they will deliver fruit and vegetable cubes to your workplace on Tuesdays...if enough people in your office sign up for it. At least I saw that Wellspring is signed up for it as well, so I can still get them once I start my new job!

 Finally decided to eat the kiwi...which I haven't had in years! Kinda slimy and gross...not a fan.

Quotes Vol. 27

"Wondering where I am lost without you. And being apart ain't easy on this love affair. Two strangers learn to fall in love again. I get the joy of rediscovering you." ~ Journey

"You make me weep, I wanna die. Just when you said we'd try, lovin, touchin, squeezing each other. When I'm alone all by myself, you're out with someone else. Lovin, touchin, squeezing each other." ~ Journey

"The big strong brave men, that we've all been reading about in novels and watching in movies since we've been nine years old, that's a fallacy. They don't exist. Men are not strong. Men are not brave. Men, are afraid." ~ The Ugly Truth

"If I had but an hour of love, if that be all that is given me, an hour of love upon this earth, I would give my love to thee." ~ The Lovely Bones

"There are certain things in life where you know it's a mistake but you don't really know it's a mistake because the only way to really know it is a mistake is to make that mistake and look back and say, 'Yup, that was a mistake' So really, the bigger mistake would be not to make the mistake because then you'll go your whole life not really knowing if something is a mistake or not. And damn it, I made no mistakes. I've done all of this: my life, my relationship, my career mistakes free. Does any of this make sense to you?" ~ How I Met Your Mother

"It was like something from an old movie. Where the sailor sees the girl aross the crowded dance floor and turns to his buddy, and says, 'See that girl? I'm gonna marry her someday'." ~ How I Met Your Mother

"Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours." ~ Baz Luhrman

"Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how." ~ Baz Luhrman

"Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. Follow the three R's: respect for self, respect for others, and responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Learn the ruls so you know how to break them properly. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. Spend some time alone every day. Open your arms to change, but don't give up your values. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. Live a good, honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the curret situation. Don't bring up the past. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality. Be gentle with the Earth. Once a year,go some place you've never been before. Remember the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon." ~ Dalai Lama

"It won't be long girl, till you're alone when you're lover, oh he hasn't come home." ~ Journey

"We sailed on together, we drifted apart. And here you are by my side." ~ Journey

"So here I am with open arms. Hoping you'll see what your love means to me." ~ Journey

"What do you call a man who is a true rock n roll icon? What do you call a man whose songs will live forever in the hearts of millions of fans? What do you call a man who has inspired countless young people to pursue their dream of making a difference in the world? You call that man John Lennon." ~ Lisa Lampanelli

"A bubble bath can matter more than a clean kitchen." ~ Dove Promises

"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you. Tomorrow I'll miss you." ~ The Beatles

"I'll give you all I've got to give if you say you love me too. I may not have a lot to give, but what I've got I'll give to you." ~ The Beatles

"Living without you. Living alone. This empty house seems so cold." ~ Journey

"I've been around for you. I've been up and down for you. But I just can't get any relief." ~ REO Speedwagon

"One thing I can tell you is you got to be free." ~ The Beatles

"The sun is up the sky is blue it's beautiful and so are you." ~ The Beatles

"You got me stealin' your love away cause you never give it." ~ REO Speedwagon

"You said we'd work it out. You said that you had no doubt that deep down we were really in love." ~ REO Speedwagon

"You'll never know how much I really love you. You'll never know how much I really care." ~ The Beatles

"It's just not right when every night I'm all alone. I've got no time for you right now, don't bother me." ~ The Beatles

The Kids and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cake

One weekend, Owen and Cooper came to my house to go play in the big castle at the park and to attempt to destroy my apartment...

 Trying to lift the guitar...

 Wanting to steal the neighbor's bikes...

 This recipe is from Pinterest...mix up the dry ingredients...

 Then mix up some peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar...

 Add an egg and an egg yolk...

 Add some sour cream...

 Then mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips...

 Spread in a 9x13 pan...

 Done and cool...

 Meanwhile get some more chocolate chips...

 Melt some peanut butter with whipping cream...

 Pour on top of the chips and wait 5 minutes...

 Stir it up til it all melts...

 Cut the cookie cake into 3 equal sections and pipe the ganache in between the layers...

The ganache was super runny coming out of the bag, so you just have to slop in on there.

 Layer and done.

 My piece.

This was really good and it's something different to do besides just making chocolate chip cookies...it's kind of like the little monsters that you can get at the Cookie Factory.

 Halloween and the kids would not stand still.

 Barely got in these pics before my camera died.

Memory Tree and Apple Crisp

My BFF Ryan sent me a package from 1-800-Flowers, and when I opened it I discovered a biodegradable pot, a bag of dirt, a bag of moss, and a gift wrapped acorn surrounded by moss and pine needles.

This is a kit to grow your own memory tree from a company called Seeds of Life. So I am now growing an oak tree in memory of my step-dad Mike.

 Here is a shot of the acorn surrounded by moss before it gets covered by the rest of the dirt.

 And the decorative moss goes on top...now just waiting for it to sprout. Should take 8-12 weeks according to a website I found, which means it should be showing by Christmas hopefully! Now all the Linleys just need to decide where we can plant it this spring where everyone can see it.

 I found a recipe for apple crisp in the paper a few months ago...it's actually called Vanilla Bean Apple Crumble. So it took forever to cut up a bunch of apples...and the peels kept flying across the kitchen!

 Mixing up the dry ingredients for the crumble topping, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt.

 And add some butter and you smush it all up with your hands then refrigerate.

 This is some lemon juice and some vanilla...you're actually supposed to squeeze a vanilla bean...but seriously where do you buy one vanilla bean?

 Add some brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon...

 Then add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix it all up with your hands again and put it into a baking dish.

 Spread the crumble mixture over the top.

 And bake! This smelled so freaking good in my house.

 Served with some Cool Whip! This was really good and everyone at work had literally gigantic piles on their plates.