I came across this recipe back in the spring on The Pioneer Woman’s website and wanted to try it in the worst way. So, I made this in September for a work friend’s birthday and brought it to work.  Everyone loved it.  I had extra ingredients so I made it again for my little pom babies. They loved it, too.

I also need to preface that you should probably make this when you are on a workout kick because it has about 11, full-size Milky Way bars in it (and that’s not including the buttermilk and other ingredients).  Moral of the story: this is not fat free or anything close to being fat free.  That is probably the reason why it is so tasty.

Anyway, on to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat, melt 8 Milky Way bars together with 1 stick margarine, stirring to combine. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside.

Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Mix baking soda with buttermilk, then add 2 teaspoons vanilla and set aside.

Cream 1 stick of margarine with the 2 cups of granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing after each addition. Add melted candy bar mixture and mix to combine.

Pour into a greased jelly roll pan or 9 x 13 baking pan and bake for 1 hour or until cake is done in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

To make the icing, melt the remaining 3 Milky Way bars with remaining 1 stick margarine (in a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat). Add powdered sugar, dash of salt, milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and chopped pecans and stir over low heat. Add more milk if needed.

Pour over the cooled cake and allow to set. Cake will be very sticky! Don’t expect neat, perfect slices.

If you want, you can serve with ice cream or cool whip (or if you like whipped cream, I don’t).

I could probably have this cake about once a year.  It’s so rich and indulgent that I don’t think I could do it twice a year.  But it is seriously so good, you need to go make it.  Like right now.

I really enjoyed the first few chapters of the book.  Then about six chapters or so in, the course severely changed – I started to get the feeling that the moral of the story was if I wanted to be thin, I should just go live in forest and eat only plants.  I actually got really upset while reading the latter half of the book which partly inspired this post. They are basically trashing the entire meat industry and government and write that all meat is rotting, pus and chemical filled flesh.  Fun fact: vegetables are dead when you eat them, too.  They also start to rot when you do not eat them immediately.

I felt that throughout the book they kept referring to wild animals like lions or zebras.  Okay, do we have similarities? Sure.  But when was the last time you saw a lion curl up on a leather sofa, music playing on their iPhone getting ready to watch Monday Night Football on their 50″ plasma?  Never.  To compare such a technological advanced society like ours to a species that gets to roam the jungle seems a bit ridiculous.

I feel like becoming vegetarian or vegan is the new fad trend that everyone is talking about it.  While I think it’s great for people who thoroughly stick to those types of diets, it just isn’t for me.  I think I’m educated in the gory details of slaughterhouses (especially after this book) and if I decide to still eat meat, that’s my decision and I shouldn’t be judged for it.  It’s like smoking: people know the effects and what’s inside, but they keep doing it.

Also, to say that you can only be skinny if you follow the guidelines in the book is ridiculous.  I know a lot of  tiny people who eat meat, dairy & drink.  As long as everything is in moderation.  This book seemed very “us against the world” and “people will judge you, but only because they know this is the only way to be thin”.

I could go on and on ranting about this book — I gave my boyfriend an earful the other night, thankfully he contributed to my rants…which really only fueled the fire — but I should probably stop.

Was it informative? Absolutely.  Did reading about the slaughterhouses gross me out? You bet.  Am I going to stop eating 50% of the things that comprise of my diet? No way.

Overall, after eating complete junk all summer and feeling gross about myself, the book did open my eyes back up to what I should be eating.  I also did learn some new things about what goes into the food I have been eating.  However, I do not believe becoming a vegan is the lifestyle for me.  They had some good recipes in the back that I’m sure I will try, but I will not give up the occasional Thin Mint, Chubby Hubby ice cream or Reeses.  I will also never give up meat and dairy.  Afterall, Wisconsin = cows = steak and cheese.  I’m not going to tell you to read this book, but I’m not going to tell you to not read it.  I will say this – do I wish I would have rented the book rather than pay $7? You bet.

**Note: I was at the grocery store picking up a few things and I had every intention of buying a large steak to “stick it to the book.”  I couldn’t do it.  Maybe it was because the graphic slaughterhouse images were in my subconscious, maybe I just didn’t have the taste for it.  I’ll try again in a few weeks…

I’ve decided that running is just not enjoyable for me, so I will just stick to the elliptical or speed-walking.

For the rest of the day, my memory goes in and out.  I don’t remember much of that class after the announcement.  I do, however, remember having the TV on during many of my classes and only watching the news rather than learning.  I also remember some teachers refused to turn their TVs on in hopes of getting some normalcy back in our agenda.  I didn’t like that.  Obviously.  I wanted to know what was going on.

I remember the terror I felt walking through the hallways and of the immature 7th graders screaming obnoxious things walking to the next class. I remember how I felt walking from the bus stop to my house.  I remember coming home and crying with my mom as we watched the footage on the TV replay over and over.  I also remember lighting a candle and putting it on our porch to remember those whose lives were lost.  I think I had gotten an email to do that.

It’s a sobering thought that even after ten years my emotions feel just as raw as they did that morning.  I can barely write this post without my eyes welling with salty liquid.  So much has happened and changed in this past decade to our country, to me, to my family, to my friends.  It’s truly amazing how quickly and strongly our country joined together.  I wish I could say our unison as a nation has been a constant throughout the years, but life goes on and people go back to their daily lives and personal opinions.  However, no matter our differences we will always remember and join again when we think about that tragic day when our nation and lives changed forever.  And we will always be proud to be Americans.

Quick post – Just got my living room painting today in the mail and it is fabulous. I am so pleased!!

I officially start my program today and I’m really nervous.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had a full load of classes.  The good thing is that I’ll be with the same people for all them during the next two years and it would be really nice if there are people doing the post-bac certification as well.  I also start my field work at the end of September.  I know I’m really going to like my child literature class.

Sometimes I feel like I’m way behind my peers who finished school in four years, then immediately did grad school or got a full-time job.  I finished in five years, took a semester off and am going back to get my teaching certification.

I know this decision was a good choice, I just hope everything works out.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about pickiness.   This has been brought on by the fact that I have been searching over a year for a picture to hang in my living area.  I have a zebra carpet and my throw pillows are burgundy, rust (or paprika if that better suits you) and a sage green.  So, I’m looking for more of an African theme painting.  Originally I wanted an African sunset, but couldn’t find anything.  Now I’m looking at animals.  I thought I found something perfect at Bed, Bath & Beyond and after over an hour of working with a sales associate (who had fabulous customer service) and finding the matching panel for the picture I was looking for and shipping it to me, it ended up being the wrong one .  Therefore, I am back at square one.

Am I being too picky with this?  Do I sacrifice a naked wall holding out for a picture that I may never find or do I go with something that I do like, but wasn’t exactly what I was looking for?

In life you need to pick and choose your battles…and sometimes, when you choose to not let something pass you by because it doesn’t 100% fit into your expectations, you may be pleasantly surprised.

I have not run (or worked out for that matter) since my 5k back in April.  So, this should be interesting.  I started training this week (I just signed up) and am hoping to run/walk at least 3-4x a week until the race.  My goal is to get a better time than my 5k (I think I averaged an 11.5 mile).  One of my biggest issues is that I can run on a treadmill no problem, but when I have to actually run, I struggle.

I will do a recap post once I complete it, so wish me luck!

1.) Travel out of the state (I may go to back Denver in April)

2.) Continue cooking from scratch

3.) Go skydiving again

4.) Attend a Brewers/Cubs game at Wrigley

5.) Keep up my flexibility

6.) Lower my moodiness (it has been pretty bad this summer)

7.) Keep up better with my blog (post at least once a week)

8.) Be less impulsive with money in regards to shopping

9.) Join a group (book club, organization, etc)

10.) Continue to not over-analyze things as much

I’m really optimistic that I can (and will) accomplish these goals, but only time will tell.

Note: I am not a photographer.  My sister inherited that gene.  So please don’t ever expect my photos to look as good as other bloggers because they just won’t.  I’ve accepted this unfortunate fate and sometimes it makes me rethink if I should even continue posting recipes on here.  Also don’t expect me to do step-by-step photos because half the time I forget that I’m going to blog about the recipe.  Also, my ingredients never look pretty enough for a photo.

I made these bars when I went camping at Country USA back in June (crossed off another one of my 23-in-23 goals).  They were fabulous.  If you know me at all, you know I love peanut butter.  I also love jelly.  Grape jelly to be exact.  I have broadened my horizon to Smucker’s Simply Fruit in black cherry.  But that’s it.  I do not do strawberry or raspberry.  I would maybe do blackberry.  Army boy likes apricot and it makes me cringe.  Just the color itself looks unnatural for a PB&J.  I’m not ashamed to say that I judge him for that.

My dad makes amazing PB&J. In fact, when I was in junior high I always made him make them for my lunch.  Then one day he told me I had to make them myself and I almost cried.  To this day I can’t figure out what proportion he uses of each to make them so good, but it’s perfect.

Anyway…here is the recipe.  Again, it comes from Amandeleine’s site.

PB&J Bars: (Made in a 9×13 pan)

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam 
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts**