Recipe Round-Up: Sara's Oatmeal Cinnamon Bliss Bars

Don't worry. I didn't misspell my name. These bars come to you from the delicious kitchen of my fabulous friend Sara. 

She's so rad.

The weekend before Christmas, I invited myself over to Sara's house so she could share this amazing recipe with me. A few weeks prior, her dad (my boss) brought in a pan of these beauties and after the first bite I knew I needed to learn how to make them. 

You guys, these things are UH-MAZING! They are soft, chewy, comforting, and delicious. They are not too sweet, which is the perfect transition food as we slowly detox ourselves from the holidays.

(Yes, there is such a thing as "transition food.")

Plus, they are really, really easy to make. I made two batches in the last week and I already passed on the recipe to Melanie. They are that good.

I am a huge fan of Sara for many, many reasons but one of them would be that she has a lime green mixer.

This makes me want a lime green mixer. Actually, I would like to have a mixer in every color but the impracticality of that is slightly mind-numbing, not to mention a bit out of my budget.

So, grab whatever color mixer you have (or a bowl and a hand-held mixer) and let's bust these out.

First, add sugar and brown sugar.

And a couple of sticks of butter...

...and mix.

SO EASY!

Next, add a couple of eggs...

...and some vanilla and mix again.

SO SO EASY!

After a thorough beating, add your dry ingredients: flour and baking soda.

And...(wait for it)...mix again.

Now add your oats. You can use either old fashioned or quick, but not instant. Just say NO to instant.

And give it a quick turn around the bowl.

Finally, add your cinnamon chips. Now, do not be scared of cinnamon chips. They are the perfect ingredient for this recipe. To be honest, I had never heard of them until this recipe but I found mine at Walmart (naturally) by the holiday baking aisle.

SIDE NOTE: If you cannot find cinnamon chips, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead. You can also add dried cranberries, walnuts or even chocolate chips.

Once the chips are incorporated, scoop dough into a greased pan.

The dough is thick and sticky so you may want to use your hands to spread it out. And as a helpful trick, spray your finger tips with cooking spray so it spreads easier.

And then pop those suckers in the oven and wait for your house to smell DI-VINE!

Oh man. These are so dang delicious!

Once they are cooled, cut into squares and dive in! 

The cinnamon chips melt pefectly into the dough, creating a richly flavored treat that warms your soul and makes you sigh with contentment.

(That should be on a Hallmark card.)

Hot, black coffee goes great with these.

Hot tea is also magical.

And if you add a Diet Coke, you have dinner.

You're the best, Sara!

Sara's Oatmeal Cinnamon Bliss Bars:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2.5 cups oats
6 oz cinnamon chips (can use more if you'd like!)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and two types of sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour and baking soda, add to butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture. Stir in oats and cinnamon chips.
Spread batter into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!

**UPDATE**
I just made this with milk chocolate chips and chopped pecans and it was fabulous!

A Year in Pictures

So...2012 wasn't all bad.

These pictures reminded me of that. Thank goodness for cameras, right?

Thank goodness that scenes and people were captured so I don't sit around thinking that 2012 was a big waste of time.

Thank goodness.

I may have missed something otherwise.

The depths of winter. This is the only big snow I remember from last year. It was perfect for frolicking and staying inside and baking something delectable.

Melanie on her birthday, where we had the most amazing cookie, ever. It had chocolate covered sunflower seeds in it. How genius is that? This fabulous little bakery closed over the summer so now I am on the hunt to find that recipe. And once I do, I shall call it "Melanie's Favorite."

Every girl should have a cookie named after them, don't you think?

I love this picture. It could be my favorite of the year. There's a lot of weight behind this one.

Tunisia.

Beautiful, mysterious, hopeful, persevering. I loved this country. It is a small gem that should not be overlooked.

And neither should Herb. Don't overlook Herb. Hey may spit on you. He's got major attitude.

And then there was Vegas.

Everyone should go to a wedding in Vegas. And if there can be a drive-thru, that's even better.

I love this girl.

The 4th of July is my most favorite holiday. This kid rocked the flag on his helmet and came in second place in the 5K run. As in second overall. AS IN HE BEAT HIS DAD. That's pretty awesome.



These two had a billion shows this year. They are the most famous of the almost famous music groups out there. Way to rock it, Treehouse.

And then there was Hurricane Isaac. Can you even believe we flew into an actual hurricane? And our plane was the last one to land. It's crazy how close we came to missing out on this:

I really hope heaven has beaches.

I went hiking. Miracles are happening all the time.

Sweet Melissa. She rocked my world with her lip gloss tutorial and she (along with a few others) catapulted me into the online dating world. Oh, and I babysat her kids. My ear will never be the same.

And then this happened.

Best. Photo. Bomb. Ever.

Hee hee hee.

This was our theme for Thanksgiving. And it happened, for 48 blissful hours.

Tara and I at the top of the Empire State Building. A completely fantastic trip in every possible way.

And a completely fantastic girl.

She's fantastic too.

And then there's this.

Not bad, 2012. Not bad.





A Brand New Year

It is a brand-spankin' new year, my friends!

I love this day. I love the newness, the freshness, the hope that a new year brings. Hopefully this optimism will carry us right on through the dark days of winter without needing bags of chocolate chips as comfort.

I had thought that I would write a few more posts in 2012 to help close out the year, but I just couldn't do it. I was so ready for the year to be over I didn't have any more words to say about it. It was a long, hard year. I even went to bed before midnight last night.

But today is a new day! The sun is shining, my legs are shaved and I avoided simple carbohydrates for breakfast. We are off to a fantastic start. And I have decided that I am claiming 2013 as the Year of Health. I am thinking I may need theme music for this.

I am striving for financial health: save more, spend less.

I am striving for physical health: move more, eat less.

I am striving for emotional health: laugh more, stress less.

And I am striving for relational health: I think it would be fun to avoid all Textinators.

These are my goals, my resolutions. And I have 365 days to work on them. I have realized that I do not have much control over things in this world, but what I do have control over needs to be healthy.

So here's to a low-stress, cellulite-free, love-filled year!

I hope your 2013 is off to a great start!

The Very Best Gifts

I do not take Christmases for granted.

Nope.

They are too precious to merely expect they will always be the same.

I realized that last year when our world was weird and sad and strained. When we lived in this surreal state of doughnuts and cold, long drives to spend time with the one person who belonged in the that place the least.

I realized that I had years of believing that my little world was impenetrable.

But, God.

God gave us a new memory to make. This year was different, peaceful, full of joy. And we were all together, the whole crazy lot.






















These are the very best gifts.

Sisters, Take 8

When you put Claire and I together with a lot of time on our hands and you give us a camera, the following happens:

Duck Face:



Orthodontia:



Hilarity:



Stink Eye:



Fake Sadness:



Eye Candy:



Uncomfortable Nuzzling:



Seesters:

The Sixth Love Language

I think there should be a sixth love language and I would call it "baking."

I find that I feel the most-loved when my oven is on and some form of chocolate is ready to be devoured.

I have spent most of this day in the kitchen. It has been both calming and chaotic because while I find all forms of baking therapeutic, it is much harder to remain stress-free when your darling nephew is whacking you from behind with a wrapping paper tube.

So, I did what any good aunt would do and called him to a duel.

Unfortunately, I lost. But I blame weak cardboard and not because I am one-handed and a big sissy.

Today is our baking day because tomorrow will be filled with a trip to Alamosa to pick up our favorite member of the community corrections system. He has 48 hours to spend eating all the fudge I can make and relaxing on his very own couch.

I love the thought of this.

So, to make everyone's culinary dreams come true, on the list today is the following:
Vanilla bean cheesecake with fresh cranberry sauce
Walnut fudge
Chocolate coved pretzels
Cheddar and pecan cheese ball
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Magic bars

Speaking of which, while I was in New York, I had one of Magnolia Bakery's Magic bars, which are bars layered with graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.




And let me tell you, they were magical. The kind of magic that you want to stick your face in.

To combat all of this heavenly sugar, we are making shrimp gumbo, my Grandma R's famous recipe, flank steak and bacon and Swiss quiche to round out the other meals.

I guarantee I will gain five pounds this week and I am totally okay with that.

Happy baking.

Recipe Round-Up: Cherry, Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Bark

So...

Yeah.

You should make this. You know, if you are in to that sort of thing.

If you are in to dark chocolate infused with orange zest and cinnamon and covered in dried, tart cherries and roasted pistachios.

If you are in to recipes that only have 5 ingredients and take 20 minutes to make.

If you are, then, this recipe is for you. Merry Christmas!

With only four days to go, we need things that are stress-free and fabulous. Like most barks, this is so simple that it is ridiculous. Heck, I put it together with only one hand so if I can do it, you will do it beautifully! 

Here is what you need:

Oranges zest (I used clementines), dried cherries, pistachios, dark chocolate and cinnamon. That's it!

First up, put your dark chocolate in a sauce pan...

Add cinnamon...

And orange zest.

Oh, how I love that zest. "Zest" could be my favorite word. Well, that and "ganache."

{Sigh.}

While that melts over low heat...

Chop up your pistachios. De-shelling these beauties is the longest process of this entire recipe. It's a good thing they are so easy to crack open. And don't forget to sample a few. It's called quality control, people.

Once the chocolate/cinnamon/orange zest is melted and extremely happy, dump in most of your chopped pistachios and dried cherries and stir.

Pour into a foil-lined jelly roll pan and smooth out.

And then sprinkle the remaining nuts and cherries on top. So so pretty.

Pop that pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Once it is set, pull up the corner and begin breaking it into pieces. You can also use a knife if that is helpful. But remember: this doesn't have to be perfect. It's bark.



Ta-da! You did it! You are a winner!

Now, just dive right on in. A hot cup of coffee would be a most perfect compliment. Put a few pieces in a pretty box or bag and they will make an excellent last-minute gift to friends or family.

Or...they will also make an excellent last-minute gift for you.

Go ahead, enjoy.

You deserve it, rock star.

Cherry, Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Bark:

2 10oz bags dark chocolate (I prefer Ghiradellie 60%)

3/4 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup pistachios, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions:

Line a jelly roll pan with foil or wax paper, set aside. Pour chocolate into medium sauce pan. Add cinnamon and orange zest and place over low heat. Stir frequently until chocolate is melted. Meanwhile, de-shell and chop pistachios. Once chocolate is melted, add cherries and pistachios, reserving 2 tablespoons of each. Mix to incorporate. Pour chocolate mixutre into prepared pan and smooth out. Sprinkle remaining cherries and pistachios on top. Place in freezer for 15-20 minutes or until firm. Remove from freezer and break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container in refrigerator or freezer.