two little monkeys sittin' in a chair

(we found this Halloween costume at goodwill for $6.98. Brooklyn was so excited I had to tell her to calm down in the store. I don't know if it will make it to Halloween. She wears it every day, even if its only for a little while. I caught her feeding her baby - and notice the little diaper she swiped to put on him...stinker.)

My laptop is not working. And it stinks!!! On top of that, I have been very busy! I have enrolled Brooklyn in Pre-kindergarten, which is kind of a big deal. I can't believe this is her last year before she starts school. The time just flies right on by.

And now this little girl can sit up all by herself! I took a bunch of pictures of her the day she turned five months old. Oh yes, the time does fly.

I thought I would share this trick with you. I say trick, because it makes me feel guilty to call it a recipe. This is one of our favorites, and it is so simple its ridiculous. If you are making a dinner that takes a lot of work, this is the perfect dessert. It is soooooo good.

This is essentially a peanut butter bar, but I think it looks so much prettier in a round version. You could make the peanut butter cookie part from scratch, or you could do what I do. I buy the bag of Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix...you add a couple of ingredients, stir, and viola! I cook it in a spring form pan. Once you have mixed the dough according to directions, pour it into the pan of your choice. I work the dough around and press evenly into the form of the pan. When adjusting the cooking time, you can refer to the bar recipe on the back of the package. Once this has completely cooled, you smooth on the frosting. I buy a container of the milk chocolate frosting, and I use the whole dang thing. I really, really, really love frosting. I put the frosting on while it is still in the spring form, so the edges look pretty when I take it off. You could dress this up...a row of Hershey's kisses around the edge or shaved chocolate curls (make it easy on yourself, buy a dove milk chocolate bar and use a vegetable peeler :o) I haven't been cooking long enough to begin to think I know what I am doing, but I think I have discovered the secret:

Keep it simple!!!

I like simple. Now, every once in a while you have to challenge yourself, out do yourself, show 'em what your made of...but if you are entertaining guests or cooking a dinner for the new parents to heat up and eat...stick with what you know, keep it simple. Trust me, this "trick" doesn't taste simple!

(The lighting is horrible in this picture, sorry. The cookie part looks almost burnt, but it was really the perfect peanut butter cookie color. On a side note: I looked on ebay to look at cake stands with lids. I found one similar to mine, and it sold for $45.00!!! I love it when that happens!)

Be well!

kali