Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites or to join in.
So here are five of my favorite things from this past week:
1. Going to a craft show last weekend in the town where I used to live. The show was not nearly as big as it used to be, and they included a lot of commercial vendors (had at least two booths for teeth whitening, with people having it done right there!?! OK, I guess, though I hate to pay the entrance fee for that kind of thing when I am wanting to see crafts). It was interesting to reflect on how crafting has changed over the years.
2. Going to said craft show with my daughter-in-law. It’s nice to have someone to do girl things with. 🙂
3. Getting a couple of cute things there which unfortunately I can’t show you because neither WordPress nor Flickr are uploading my photos today. 😦 It gets partway done and then stops. If I can get them up I will show them later. (Updated: I finally tried Photobucket: itworked, though the images are smaller than I prefer.) But one was a little 8″ or so tree all decorated in pink and silver. The other was a pair of 8″ or so stockings that looked like they’d been made out of quilt scraps.
4. “The Biggest Loser” season finale. I had been rooting for Danny the last few weeks: he worked hard, played a clean game, and there were never any negative interactions with his contestants, at least that we saw. I wish him and his family the best! We also enjoyed the series finale of “Monk.” That’s not a program we watched regularly, but we enjoyed it when we did catch it, and the ending was sad in places but sweet overall. I’m glad he finally found out what happened to his wife.
5. Double Delicious Cookie Bars, which could also be called the Easiest Bar Cookies to Make, Ever. (And yes, the irony of listing these after “The Biggest Loser” is not lost on me…) I did have a photo of them, too, which is not uploading.
Double Delicious Cookie Bars
(Note: These contain peanut butter chips, but they can be omitted and additional chocolate chips used instead if you’re taking this somewhere where someone might have peanut allergies)
1/2 c. margarine or butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter chips
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp. shortening (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass dish). In a 9 x 13-inch pan, melt margarine in oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over margarine. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with 12-ounce packages chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; press down firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and shortening; drizzle over bars. Cut into bars when cool. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
I’ve also used red and green M&Ms for this for quick Christmas cookies for school or some function where I am supposed to bring something, but the candy coating does melt off a good bit. I wonder if the M&Ms could be added just after taking it out of the oven. I’ll have to try that next time.
Happy Friday!
Stray Thoughts 
Those are very very similar to the Magic Cookie Bars I used to make – except mine had coconut instead of peanutbutter chips. They were super yummy though!
I would think that having Mittu to do things with is the greatest benefit of ALL in having Jason marry! They always say – you’re not losing a son, you’re gaining a daughter! And when it works out that way it is a very GOD thing!!!
Yummy. Those bars sound good. I love anything with graham cookies or crumbs and chocolate.
They have a big craft show here every year too. I quit going though when they started charging a ridiculous amount just to get in the door. It somehow irked me that they were charging me money to spend money. LOL.
Linked you.
I say you have had a great week, Barbara. That cookie bar looks RICH!!! 🙂
Have a great weekend.
Oh whew. I was reading along and suddenly you are talking about Monk. We don’t have tv so we’re watching it via DVD. Season 4 is wrapped up underneath the Christmas tree for Jonathan and we’re working our way through. I was told the end was coming but I didn’t realize it was over already! Now to avoid all articles and news related to it as we wait for DVDs. 😉
Love the quilt stockings. So very cute!
This is like Magic Cookie Bars except they have pecans and coconut, no peanut butter chips just semi sweet chocolate ones.
I am so happy for you that you are enjoying your new daughter in law. After a house full of males, it is nice for you to have a girl. I’m sure your relationship will continue to grow and strengthen as time goes by. And as I understand her Mother not living nearby, how nice for her to have you in her life.
I always enjoy this posting.
Mama Bear
I LOVE those little stockings!
We enjoyed the season finale of Biggest Loser too, and we were pleased that Danny won. He’s a good guy, and even my husband was impressed with how different he looked! My husband most definitely does not watch Biggest Loser! LOL
We don’t have a cable station here that gets the current season of Monk. We’d love to watch that last episode; hopefully within the next year or so!
Have a great weekend, Barbara!
LOL…nice to have girl things to do with. It’s about time for you I think 🙂 That cookie bar looks soooo good. Great week and have a wonderful Friday 🙂
Oh, my stars! Do those cookie bars ever look scrumptious. Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m trying to be good over the holidays and probably feeling sugar deprived. But I’ve printed the recipe for future use.
Those cookie bars look absolutely marvelous.
Oh yum! Another cookie recipe. I love cookies!
It is great that you and Mittu are fast becoming friends. Despite all the bad jokes at the expense of mothers-in-law, most of them are really great people!
Hello from Romania ,
please read the blog – My heart His words – at Humbled and convicted , is my friend Tammy Nischan blog,she wrote the story and some pictures of some poors what we try to help them for Christmas .Our LORD will be so proud if we will help them for Christmas .
I love you blog,
sweet blessings ,Violeta
iif somebody want to help some way , please contact ,Tammy !
I love you blog,
sweet blessings ,Violeta
… on July December 11th, 2009
Oh, I meant to go to our town’s craft show this year, but didn’t make it. Maybe next year. I’m sure I would be shocked at the changes since the last time I’ve been (10 years ago?). But you’ve forewarned me. 🙂
Those stockings are so precious as is the tree.
Merry Christmas!
Lisa
#2 is a great one — so nice to have some friendly company. Glad you enjoyed the craft show despite the somewhat incongruous teeth-whitening vendors! Enjoy your weekend!
Ok, the chocolate peanut butter recipe I am going to Have to try! Those look so yummy.
I have a question for ya Barbara on striking through words. How is that done? If you could hook me up with a site that tells how to do that, I would appreciate it. I know it’s probably easy, but I’ve did a word search on it and can’t come up with the right answer…at least one that works.
my email is sunnycjgm@hotmail.com
thanks
I love those stockings! So pretty! Those cookie bars look more like candy than cookies, but yummy 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
love your five faves! those cookies look simply delish!! and the stockings are adorable!!
Loved the little tree! How pretty!! And I enjoy doing things with my daughter-in-law, too, Barbara! We are blessed, hm?
Oh and those cookie bars sound delish! The recipe has been saved!!! 🙂
I only watch the finale of Biggest Loser, too! AND so does my DIL!! 🙂 I guess it just makes us too tired to watch all of the other episodes?!? 🙂
It’s so nice to be able to spend time with your daughter-in-law. Have a great week ahead!
Craft fairs are always fun…I love the little stockings and the pretty tree.
A Daughter in law is a wonderful blessing – especially if you’ve been ‘short’ on females in a household. 🙂 Being a MIL is wonderful (most of the time)
The recipie sounds great….and easy. For sure will try them….and the variations listed in the comments.
I, too, would like to know how to strike through words.
Yum – those bars look delicious. And since I’m just getting ready to start my marathon baking, I think I’ll have to try them out!