Caramel-Chocolate Mini Bars?! Yes, Please!!

I had a couple friends that were having Pampered Chef parties this past month and felt it was a divine message that I did indeed need new PC stuff. I love PC stuff, but, it's so expensive. But, like I said ---  I love it and it works great. Anywayyyyyyyy, the October dealio was if you spent this big wad of money you get a free cookbook. Yes, you read right a FREE COOKBOOK!! And I always need a new cookbook -- ALWAYS!! Well as I was perusing this book, I found that I want to make everything in it!!  And I mean that. So after torturing the family with the pictures, they ask me, "Well are ya gonna make it?!?" Of course, it was 9:00 pm, so no. But, I made a plan to do it today. And here's what I made --->

"Caramel-Chocolate Mini Bars" from Pampered Chef: Simply Sweet, pg 23.

1 cup quick or old fashioned oats (I used quick.)

1 cup flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 (14 oz) package caramel candies, unwrapped (I used a bag of caramel mini bites by Kraft.)

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (I used half and half.)

1 cup milk chocolate morsels (I melted three Hershey bars.)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in bowl and mix well. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of ungreased Medium Sheet Pan (do not use stoneware). (If you do not have a Medium Sheet Pan, you can use a 9 x 13″ pan.) Bake 20 – 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack.

2. Place caramels and cream in microwave safe bowl and microwave, uncovered, on high 1 – 3 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour over hot crust, carefully spreading to edges. Let stand 10 minutes or until caramel is set then cut lengthwise into 8 rows.

3. Place chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high 1 1/2 -3 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Spoon melted chocolate into resealable plastic bag. Twist top of bag and cut corner off bag to make a very small opening. Pipe a continual loop of chocolate down each row. Let stand until chocolate is set then cut crosswise into 6 rows to make 48 mini bars.

They are definitely not as pretty as pictured in the book. I haven't mastered the plastic bag/piping technique. But, they taste amazing!!!!

I was also chatting with my BFF and she mentioned that she had some divine pumpkin bagels. And lo and behold on my last venture to Sam's Club they had them! WHOOHOO!! And they are quite delicious with cream cheese!!

She also said that brown sugar pop tarts were the best. I haven't tried them yet, but, I found these at Sam's, too!

36 lovely Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts!!

The hubby likes these and I'm sure C#1 and C#2 do, too.

The hubby and C#2 took me out to eat for my birthday. I was hankering for a "bloomin' onion." So off to the Outback Steakhouse we went!  My Mom gave me a coupon and my Dad gave me some bucks to pay for my birthday meal. Win, win, WIN!! It was all very delicious. And I must admit we ate every last bit of that onion!

So there you have it. The last few days of my life.

Till next time...