So like many of you, I’m always trying to figure out how to make my blog better, whether it be studying photography for better pictures or it be learning that scary thing called html, which if you don’t know what you’re doing can get you in trouble :). That’s where my husband comes in to play…
Conversations at our house…. OH CRAP — Me.
Hubby: Um…. what’s up hunny?
Me: I screwed it up. Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!
Hubby: What am I fixing?
Me: I don’t know but I screwed it up!!!!!
Although I am getting better :)… ish. Let’s not brag or jinx myself!
So, one of the things that I read was it looks better to have all your pictures as large as your blog post will allow AND to have them all the same width. I pondered this a while wondering how in the world I go about doing this. Hubby to the rescue and now I’m going to share what I learned with you. You’re welcome :).
Have you ever had days where you just feel like if you could go to bed and start all over it might be better? This morning was a prime example of that for me…
So I had a letter that I needed to mail. Now someone in our neighborhood hates our mailbox and has bashed it a couple times. Right now it is standing, but the flag to notify the mail carrier that there is a letter to be mailed is gone. It’s been gone since 2 days after we put this mailbox up. So I always put my letters in the mailbox at the post office. So I put my letter in the envelope, addressed the envelope, drove to the post office and threw it in the mailboxes in the middle of the road and started to drive off. All sounds good right? Yeah, well the minute I let go of the envelope I realized I didn’t put a stamp on it. OY! Sadly I had a car waiting behind me so I went and turned around and had to go into the post office. The nice people there went and opened the mailbox for me so I could put my stamp on the letter. OY.
So that really has nothing to do with today’s post other than, some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you.
Now if there is one thing I can tell you about my husband, it’s this… he likes Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. With his birthday the day after Halloween, I thought it would be okay to make him a special treat… Enter the Reese’s cup cookie cakes…
It combines lots of loves, Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sugar Cookies!
See, I’m not lying :).
The order of the cookies really doesn’t matter, I just chose to do the chocolate chip on top and the sugar cookie on bottom. You could definitely reverse it. Only thing that has to go in a specific spot… the Reese’s. I’m not sure it’d hold up so well on the top or bottom….
I found it easier to start with the bottom piece first. Now you could use your own homemade dough obviously, just get yourself out about a tablespoon of each. The thing with using the store bought is they are already portioned off, which means you’ll get 24 :). It is best to bring the dough to room temperature as it makes it more pliable. Just cover the Reese’s bottom in the sugar cookie dough.
Then place the chocolate chip cookie dough on top and press over the top. Where the 2 cookies meet up, just pinch the sides together so that the Reese’s is completely covered. When the Reese’s gets hot the chocolate will melt and the cookies will make a barrier.
I put mine in cupcake liners so they were easier to handle and move, etc. Place them in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. My oven worked best at 13 minutes. When they come out of the oven it will be puffed up but as they cool, they will drop. That’s normal :). It is also best to leave them in the muffin pan for a small bit (5-10 minutes maybe) just so they solidify their shape and it’s easier to move them out of the pan and handle them.
And that will get you one happy husband. He might not be as happy about a camera in his face while he’s eating them but he’ll get over it! 🙂
When Pokey heard about them, he wanted me to bring them to Sunday Night Dinner. Tbug had Zebragirl stay the night Saturday night. After Tbug went home to her mom’s Zebragirl “had” to hang out with hubby and me for a couple hours before SND so she and I made these desserts just to take for Pokey. When I walked in, I plopped them down on his lap (don’t worry they were in a carrier)
So Friday was hubby’s birthday. Sadly I had to attend class, especially since I had a test in HEL (History of the English Language) so I didn’t get to spend extra time with him. I’m glad though that D the Man, JT, CL & AL were able to take him to lunch. He works from home on Friday’s so he was able to meet up with them for a quick bite.
On top of the test that I had on Friday, I had a paper due by 6pm on Saturday. No normally we don’t have work due on Saturday’s, the teacher was being nice and gave us an extension. But the point is, after I got done at school I went and met D the Man so he could help me start writing this paper. No it isn’t his job or anything to help me, but I was struggling and he offered to help.
Tbug has cheer on Friday nights so I stayed and worked on my paper until it was time to go pick her up. Toward the end I was talking about having to run to Wal-mart to get a different bag for hubby’s present because the one I got wasn’t big enough for the present. D the Man gave me some brown paper and said, here will this work? I said, heck yeah so I wrapped the present in the brown paper. When I was finished he took it from me and did a wrapping job of his own.
I’m sure most everyone has walked into a store these days and noticed the Christmas displays that have been haunting the aisles for over a month now. We definitely don’t want to jump holidays and forget about Thanksgiving, but Saturday November 2, 2013 we made an exception.
Over the weekend hubby, Tbug and I went to the first ever Newton County Christmas for Kids Bonfire and Chili Cook-off. The event was created as a way to raise funds for the kids of Newton County. Chili cook-off contestants made a pot of their best chili, paid $10 to enter their chili in the cook-off and let the judges do their job.
Hubby was excited to enter his chili. Saturday during the day Tbug went and hung out with my dad and she really wanted to make a chili to enter as well so dad helped her make chili and there were 2 entries from our house.
Tbug’s goal was to beat her daddy in the chili cook-off. I have to say, she accomplished her goal. And at the end of the night she just had 1 spoonful left. When she was going around telling people she made the chili, they’d look at me like did she really? I was like, yup. All my dad did was tell her how to do it and cut up her onions.
10 Contestants took their chance at winning the Gold, Silver and Bronze Spoons.
Once all the entries made their way to the table it was time to let the judges do their thing.
While the judges were judging, Grady and Jrod saddled up the horses and everyone took turns taking their ride around the pasture. There was also a bonfire set up so you didn’t have to worry about getting chilly on this wonderful cool fall evening. Although you couldn’t have asked for better weather!
Those who didn’t want to enter the contest for prize winning Chili could buy raffle tickets and take their shot at a bunch of choice prizes. Hubby won a gift certificate and a KC Chiefs sticker (btw, after Sunday they’re 9-0). I won a Tshirt (and I didn’t even know my name was in there). Tbug won hot chocolate. Perfect things for all of us :).
And don’t worry, after the Chili was judged, we got to eat. What can I say, we know how to eat. There was also stuff to make Frito or Tortilla Chip Pies, Corn Bread, stuffed jalapeno peppers and Desserts galore. If you left hungry, well it was your own fault.
At the end of the night the winners were announced. Earl got first, Jerry got 2nd and Rachele got 3rd (although she was at work so her husband had to accept for her!)
In the end, it is the kids who ultimately win! This was an event that was thought up and put together in 3 weeks. The goal was to raise $500. I’m proud of all the people who came out because with all the supporters, we raised $530 to go toward Christmas for the Newton County kids who deserve so much.
I’m so excited that hubby, Tbug and I were able to go and participate and it was awesome that Tbug’s chili beat out hubby’s. I know this because helped double check the tally’s and I promise, I was honest and truthful, otherwise my 2 would have won… lol. I’m just pointing out I didn’t rig it.
So today is Hubby’s Birthday! I’m stuck at school (paper due today and a test ugh!) and he has to work today, so tonight is the celebration. Nothing like he got last year though. Then Tbug has cheer she can’t miss so celebrating later at night it is.
