SEA SALT CARAMEL OATMEAL BARS

Sometimes a cookie or bar recipe comes along that just blows you and your diet away!! LOL. This IS that bar! I have often wanted to make Carmelitas but felt they need something else. Here is where the sea salt comes in. Oh man, gives them just that kick and crunch. These are so easy and word of advice: I know you will want to eat them soon after coming out if the oven. W.A.I.T til the next day or after they have been in the fridge at least 8 hours. Yes, we were amazed that night when I cut into a corner after cooling about an hour, but the next morning out of the fridge and into my mouth, I actually yelled "Wow, even 10x's better!"

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!! Yum  

INGREDIENTS

Kraft caramel bits or 35 unwrapped caramel squares

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. course sea salt, divided

3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks, salted or unsalted)
3/ 4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup whole-rolled old fashioned quick oats

1 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks (I used Ghirardelli chips)

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lining your pan is highly recommended for ease of cleanup due to the stickiness of the caramel; set pan aside.
2.  Combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat to melt, stirring nearly continuously, until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in 1/4 tsp. sea salt, Set aside.
3. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 90 seconds.
4. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
5. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be quite thick.
6. Add half of the mixture to the prepared pan, and smooth it with spatula or the back of a spoon, to create an even, smooth, flat layer; set remainder aside.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. 
8. Remove pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle with the chocolate chips.
9. Slowly and evenly pour caramel sauce over the chocolate.
10. Evenly crumble reserved oatmeal mixture over the top.
11. Return pan to oven and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes (I baked 16 ), or until edges are lightly browned and center is bubbling slightly.
12. Bars will seem like they are not done, but trust me, they will be awesome if you let cool for 4 hours, refrigerate at least an hour and then cut into squares. They will keep in the fridge up to a week and can be frozen as well. 

The kind of sea salt I used and good ole' Quaker Oats!

LINKING with THE WEEKEND POTLUCK

xoxo

" It's a sin to waste chocolate. It's in the Bible. Ghirardelli 3:17."

~Terri Guillemets

EASTER MADE EASY

FLOWERS & FANNIE MAY CHOCOLATE!!!

 These two things will make your Easter easy, gorgeous and so very yummy. For me, you cannot go wrong with Flowers and Chocolate. Yes, there is a lot more that goes along with this precious celebration but give me pretty posies and sweet teats and I'm set!!!!

Here are some great and easy Flower Centerpiece ideas that won't cost much.

Come on.... lemons in a jar, perfect. Of course another great use for mason jars. 

Love the simplicity and elegance.

My FAV!! Miss Martha Stewart has done it again!! Stick a inexpensive small flower bunch inside a small glass jar or vase. Put that in a larger clear glass container and fill with small hobby store decorative plastic eggs. Hobby Lobby has bags of these for $1.99

I have been seeing decorative take out containers everywhere. Again, great selection at Hobby Stores and I saw stripped ones yesterday at the Dollar tree! At Christmas I like to buy them to package goodies as love the handles to carry the treats. Stick your tulips in a jar or can and just set down in the container. Easy Peasy.

PEEPS you did it! You managed to make me love you. I do not like your taste but as a centerpiece..true admiration!! Look how easy that is. If you are like me you may save old clear food jars thinking, I may use this someday. Well, there you go, all these clear glass vessels coming in handy. Remember flowers in one smaller jar, stick in another and just arrange a row of peeps!!

Last but not least. These glass vases, cups, pitchers, mugs, etc with chalkboard slates on them are everywhere. Simply write something Easter-ish with chalk and throw in the posies. Good to go!

........................................................

Now, to the Yummo Confections of Fannie May.

I love good chocolate with European brands being my favorite but my Mom and I stumbled upon Fannie May years ago while shopping and fell in love with their milk chocolate vanilla buttercreams.
They are such a rich and decadent treat.

I especially love Fannie May at Easter. They box up cream filled eggs, quadruple the size of the regular cream filled chocolates in adorable packaging and they make the cutest little gifts.

Everything you need to fill baskets or create a dessert tower is beautifully packaged at Fannie May and they will wrap and put together things for you.

Come on, who can resist a Buck Teeth Chocolate Bunny Sucker???

These are a Fannie May Best Seller

For all your Chocolate needs BUY FANNIE MAY HERE

Love this sweet pic and quote......

 HAPPY EASTER

xoxo

HE IS RISEN!!!!!!!!

FAVORITE THINGS FRIDAY

I know, I know, blog after blog divulges their Favorite Things 
and usually on Friday's.

 I'll have you know I was a fan of favorite things ever since I was 5 years old and heard an angel named Julie Andrews sing "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.........brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things."

I love all sorts of things, some more than others. When Oprah did it or Hoda and Kathie Lee do (HodiLee as I like to call them), I am all ears!!I like to try and hear about new things. Why not share some of my Favs and just maybe you'll become a fan too. Now if it happens to be a product they are discontinuing, I may not mention it because I will be at Target or wherever it may be sold, scooping up every last one. Ha! You've got to admit it ticks a person off when you fall in love with say, a favorite foundation makeup, only to have it discontinued when you wanted it for life!! Darn you Max Factor, circa 1991!!

Here are my current obsessions and the inaugural 5: 

I really like Kate Spade, especially her phone cases, bags and now, her jewelry.

This necklace caught my eye when I was browsing Nordstrom's website. It looks so pretty on!

Oh my goodness, this is a party sweet explosion in your mouth! I absolutely love creme brulee and when you mix little pieces of it with rich Lindt milk chocolate. Oh my, what a treat!! Got a couple bars in my mom's "stash" cabinet. I break off one little square, or two, and treat myself every now and then!

For a while I subscribed to a monthly box of samples called a "Birch Box". It was really fun and I liked some of the samples enough to try the full size version. This one was my favorite. I am always on the lookout for a good eye cream and none and I wonder "Is it really working magic on my eyes?" Girls, the skin around the eyes is the first place you start to see aging. Yuck! 

Alas, an eye cream that may starve some of those wrinkles and "puffs" off, for a few years anyway! It is European and 99% natural, which I love.

I go through Bath and Body phases because I think I boycott them mentally when they get rid of a favorite scent. However, my cabinet is filled with tubes of the triple moisturizing cream. The cream is soooo much more moisturizing, in my opinion, than the lotion and lasts a lot longer. This one is topping that list for Spring. The Honey Peach Almond is light, succulent and not too sweet and it reminds me of a smell from childhood. Still trying to pinpoint it & I have had several complements on this scent, so it's a keeper!! Now B&B, never take it away!!

And last, but not least. What I am munching on with my coffee right now. Oh pretzel thin, you've changed my life for the better! When the salty versions came out, I tried every flavor. The garlic parm, in hummus; so tasty! You can imagine my delight when they came out covered in chocolate. So far I have seen them covered in milk, dark, dark with sea salt and these babies....Greek yogurt, but friends, it tastes like white chocolate and they are fantastic. In my neck of the woods, I have only seen them at Kroger. Sure hope they stick around!

xoxo