This week...

is flying. Wow, I can see that when your kids start school, the time with them goes too fast. Our weeks just kind of come and go and before you know it, it's the next week!!

I can't believe Lauren has been in school for almost 3 weeks now. CRAZY! She is doing so great and continues to get a GREEN (great job) STAMP in her behavior folder. One day she got in the car and after we asked how her day was, started to cry. We had no idea what was going on...figured she got in trouble for something. Well, she still had gotten a green stamp, but it was outlined in yellow with a note that said she was talking to her friends while the teacher was supposed to be!! She thought we were going to be mad and not love her anymore!! I told her I was glad that she is social and loves to talk (just like mom, Nona, Lala and Papa) but had to be quiet while Mrs. U was talking. She's even gotten brave enough to let us drop her off in the express lane, rather than me having to walk her in and take her to class. YAY. Much quicker that way!!
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We did some family cooking last night. Bella has been quit the little sous chef to Jamie for the last few weeks. She wants to help make EVERYTHING and even loves to watch Food Network with him. She once told me she wanted to be fry cook one time!!! Well...let's hope she's a fancy culinary chef instead :-) Anyway, so Jamie and Bella made a fantastic Chicken Tortilla Soup and Lauren helped me make some Chocolate Revel Bars. Mmmmm...so good! I would give you the recipe to Jamie's soup, but he doesn't follow one...just makes it up as he goes! And if you have never tried these delicious chocolate bars...well here ya go!


Chocolate Revel Bars
Makes: about 75 bars
Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the reserved butter or margarine, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate pieces. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and the 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3. Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2x1-inch bars. Makes about 75 bars.
Make-Ahead Tip: Line the baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan. Prepare and bake bars in foil-lined pan as above. Cool; lift bars out of pan on the foil. Place uncut bars in freezer bag or container. Seal, label, date, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw bars at room temperature about 15 minutes. Once thawed, cut into bars.
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* Bella helping with the soup
* How about that steam shot??

* Lauren really enjoyed licking the bowl!!
* These bars are YUMMO!
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Getting some of my Halloween Decos out today. I LOVE decorating for Halloween. Love it! I even have my pumpkin spice candle burning and it's really making me happy.



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Something kind of funny...to me anyway. Lauren is getting out of school early tomorrow, because they want everyone off of the roads before all of these people start rollin into town to escape "IKE". They're saying that we're going to get rain and lots of wind here. Huh? I think that's what they were expecting for Katrina, and we saw no change in weather, but we did see lots of out-of-towners. Good thing we went grocery shopping yesterday. I have a feeling the grocery stores are going to be packed tonight and tomorrow. It's all very interesting to me. Blizzards and Hurricanes are totally different!
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Something else made me happy this week...
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making the CAT WALK again this week over at SISTV. Here's the layout that was chosen for it.






Hope you all have a wonderful day. Later...