TWD: chocolate oatmeal drops

Wow...I have been a bad blogger lately.  And things have been so crazy that I'm quite confused about the days.  I finally got a moment to sit down w/my google reader and saw a TWD post.   My thought was "Oh yeah, that's tomorrow...I guess I could go ahead and schedule my post so it will be up first thing in the morning..."  Then I kept scrolling through reader and saw two more TWD posts--oh crap!  Today IS Tuesday!  So here, even though I baked the cookies five whole days in advance, I am posting towards the end of the day. 

 I made these cookies Friday evening when several of my sweet Bible study girls came to hang out and watch movies :).  They are very much like a brownie in cookie form, and were great warm from the oven, but I must say that I wasn't sure about the oatmeal in them.  I felt kinda like the oatmeal was an add-in like chocolate chips...but to me oatmeal isn't quite special enough to be the special addition to a cookie.  I think maybe I would have liked them better w/more oatmeal or w/chocolate chips instead.  We ate some and then I sent the rest on w/my sister to a friend from high school who has recently had a loss in his family.  I think chocolate cookies are perfect for sad hearts!

For the recipe you can either flip to page 75 of Baking from My Home to Yours (which I know you bought after seeing all the TWD posts right?  right?  well, you should!)  Or you can head over to Caroline & Claire's blog: Bake with Us where they posted the recipe. 

Oh yeah, and when I was really sick a few weeks ago, I actually did make the Great Grains muffins picked by Christine of Happy Tummy, but I never got around to posting about them--or eating all of them for that matter.  Made them on Feb. 1 and took this picture of the remaining muffins yesterday (didn't finish them--they went in the trash after their photo shoot).  They were ok, but I left them completely plain b/c hubs doesn't do fruit or nuts but likes muffins, but then they were too plain.  Oh well...

 

 Don't forget to check out the TWD leave your link post to see who baked along!

Chess bars

aka Paula' Deen's "Gooey Butter Cakes"

I've made these countless times for the Bible study girls and they keep asking me for the recipe but I have failed to post it b/c they are always gone before I can get a picture!  Thankfully one of the girls in the group snapped one for me of a bar she had taken home :)

These are so good and SO easy--I made them the other night in less than 15 minutes!  It's one of those "doctored cake mix" recipes so food snobs will just have to suck it up, but the great thing is that you can also do tons of different variations based on different cake mixes.  I've made it with a chocolate cake mix base and added sifted cocoa powder in the topping for one of the most gooey decadent brownie type creations--you've got to try it!

Here's the basic recipe from Paula Deen:
Cake:
1 (18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan (I use a pyrex pan)
In the bowl of an electric mixer or a medium to large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, & butter until evenly mixed.  Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
In same bowl beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs & vanillla.  Dump in powdered sugar and beat well.  Reduce mixer speed & slowly pour in butter until mixture is evenly combined. 
Pour filling onto cake base & spread evenly.
Bake 40-50 minutes--you want the center to be gooey so don't bake it too long.  I usually go about 45 minutes, taking it out when I can really smell it (your house will smell amazing!).
Remove from oven & cool completely.  (I refrigerate over night)
Cut into squares to serve. (yields 20-24 squares)

sick time necessities

it is sick time season and as i have been sick in bed since last tuesday (miserable stupid non-flu but same symptoms as flu virus) i thought i would give you a list of necessities for surviving the nasty sick times.

i went through and numbered the things in these pictures but as i am drugged up and it is past midnight i did not do it legibly.  You may be able to read it.  may not.  oh well.  also--this is not a sympathy request, i just thought my sick nest was funny looking and wanted to share it, and i may be making bad choices due to the copious amounts of drugs in my system.  as such, please ignore errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and the like.  I'm a bit loopy.

First and most importantly:  kick your spouse out--into the guest room.  no shared germies please.  This can be lonely, but hopefully will save him from misery.  I have barely seen my husband in a week :(.

Alright, this next picture is your necessities for surviving (really just things that are on my right side)



you will need:
1. a trashcan close to the bed.  mine is 100% full of tissues (and one cough medicine bottle...make that 99% full of tissues)
2.  a humidifier.  helps w/the sore throat & dryness and the whirring makes it easy to sleep
3.  magazines.  they make for entertainment
4.  laptop--keeps you somewhat connected to the real world.
5.  nice comfy shoes for those rare occasions when you leave the bed
6. mouse for the laptop--encourages laziness
7.  giant  water bottle--gotta keep hydrated!
8. neosporin.  maybe not a thought for everyone, but it helps heal the cracked nose from all the blowing (see #1)
9.  i like ayr saline gel--put it in your nose and it helps you breathe
10.  contact case...just because sometimes i like to see
11. cell phone: another means of communicating with the outside world
12.  glasses...mine only have one ear piece.  this is why i still prefer contacts even when i'm sick.  maybe i should get new ones.
13.  dosage cup for cough medicine.  IMPERATIVE!!
14.  music.  needed to keep spirits up (and a clock so you don't completely forget what time/day it is)
15.  pillows.  lots of pillows.
16.  nighttime cough medicine.  daytime cough medicine would probably be a good idea too as taking nighttime cough medicine during the day contributes to the confusion of day/night.  (and don't even get me started on how miserable i am that i had to get sick during a recall of my beloved blue medicine!!!!)
17.  bowl w/extras: chapstick, fingernail clippers, ponytail holders, matches...wait, why are there matches??  not really sure.  other stuff is good  though.
18.  box of extras: lotion for hands & face, ibuprophen, vitamins, sleeping pills, ink pens, whatever you need
19.  pop tart wrapper on the floor...huh.  guess i was too delirious to throw it 12 inches to the left into the garbage can.  ok.  we fixed that.
20.  scentsy warmer & scent bar.  well, this was a nice thought until i realized that i couldn't smell.  so you may not need that until you're better.

Now to image #2 (which contains the most important supply of all)

and please ignore the bat leaning against hubs' dresser (of course you will now that i've pointed it out) that is his weapon in case someone breaks in...the vaccuum on the other side of the dresser is my weapon for terrorizing the cat.

okay, back to the list;

1.  purple cooshie pillow.  important for hugging since hubs is quarantined in the other room.  nice & comfy...but it can't be washed so i'm not quite sure how we will sanitize this once i'm better...
2. fleece bulldog print pants belonging to husband.  good for staying warm during the chills.  bad during the feverish sweating times. (which is why they are crumpled on the side of the bed)
3.  Harry Potter books.  VERY important sick time reading.  I had started the series again before Christmas & read the last two over the first few days of sickness.  Then felt lost & depressed that the series was over and started again.  definitely my favorite sick time books--i read them for the first time when I got mono in 2007 so they are my go-to comfort books
4.  tissues.  also VERY important.  I have gone through nearly 2 boxes.  I would recommend getting one box of the lotiony kind though.  I didn't have any b/c I hate how greasy they feel when I'm not sick, but when I am sick the regular ones feel like sandpaper
5. Twilight books.  Haven't started re-reading these yet but have them for an option...another fun guilty pleasure read when my brain is tired & sore.
6. Jen Lancaster books.  LOVE HER.  hilarious...maybe too much so to read now when laughing throws me into a coughing fit.
7.  extra socks.  because your feet might get cold.
8. various & sundry blankets for piling on during chills and then throwing off wildly during sweats.
9.  MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!  a cuddly lazy bulldog to remind you that you are still loved when the rest of the world can't come near you!