7 Layers of Fun
It's been nearly two years since it dawned on me that some of my most favoritest bloggers (who also happened to be parents) lived close enough for me to stalk in person. A few comments and emails later, 17 of us had a dinner date.
The chaos was so spectacular that we decided to make that dinner date a regular thing. Pretty much every month since, a group of us has gotten together. Some people have joined in on the fun only to fade away soon after, but others have come along to take their places. At any given Burgh Moms and Dads get-together, you'll find twenty or so people.
And then there is our annual cookie swap. When you throw cookies into the mix, amazing things happen. Mostly, you know, cookies, but also HOLY LOT OF PEOPLE. At our house. Because I love love love love love that we finally have a house big enough to entertain, so bring it on!
I don't know how many people were here Saturday, but I know that there are ten dozen cookies in our freezer. Actually, hold on . . . make that nine dozen. I was hungry and there were Buckeyes to destroy.
There were kids EVERYWHERE. You couldn't walk five feet without having to make sure you weren't stepping on tiny, adorable, chubby little fingers. You couldn't see the carpet in the playroom because the toys were strewn about. And then you couldn't walk through the dining room without eating a cookie or ten.
Heaven. That's what it was. Heaven.
I would have photographic evidence of the heaven, but it seems I can't figure out how to use my camera lately. Apparently while Mr. Husband and Alexis were battling the flu a few weeks ago, I came down with an epic case of ForgotHowToTakePictures-itis. Please send a cure.
In exchange for a cure to my disease, here is the recipe for the Seven Layer Bars that I made. Easy and kind of generic, but we've already established that I can't be trusted to finish anything. I had to go that route.
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a 9x13" pan (I use glass). Smother the melted butter with the graham crackers and even it all out. Add the remaining ingredients in layers, making sure to evenly spread the sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly browned.
Make sure to score the sides of the pan once the bars have cooled a little bit, unless you want to have to eat all of the ones on the edge. They kinda suck to get out of the pan if you forget to score them and the edge ones will fall apart, turning way too ugly to be given to other people. Ahem.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Reader Comments (21)
I have never heard of buckeyes. According to cooks.com, (by way of google suggesting that a buckeye is a football player, before I added "cookie", lol), it is a no-bake cookie that always includes peanut butter, chocolate, butter and powdered sugar, and sometimes coconut and graham cracker crumbs. It sounds intruiging. Maybe the person who made them might leave a comment here with a link to the recipe they use?...Pretty Please?
Also, your bars sound like heaven! Do you think they would be still be good without the nuts? The husband in this house doesn't like nuts :(
Oh, and what size can of milk?
I don't know how/why I missed this glorious gathering of moms/dads and especially chubby fingers, but I'm very sad that I did. I'll have to come play with A soon to make up for it. Maybe this coming weekend?
They definitely work without nuts. You just have to call them "6 Layer Bars" then. Heh.
Edited the post to include the can size, and started harassing for a Buckeye recipe to get posted . . .
love. love. love love.
drool. drool. drool.
scooby style lickage commencing :-)
Incredibly upset that we had to miss it. It sounds like it was a great time! Still hoping to meet all those that I haven't, as well as everyone's kids. (At this rate, they'll be in high school before I get together with the group!)
I love Buckeyes. We probably would have brought almond biscotti, buckeyes, and chocolate chip cookies. I have two different recipes for buckeyes, too; one fast & simple, one long & laborious. Both are tasty. I'll either post them and send you a link, or can send you the recipes for you to post.
Glad it was a blast!
The Buckeye cookies I know & love are called that b/c they look like, well, buckeyes (the ones that come from the trees, not the football players. Ahem.) Anyway, this is the recipe I always use:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1910,158178-227192,00.html
Yeah - you failed at photos. I helped you out a little though...
Seven layer bars is one of my Hunny's favorite treats. *shudder* More for you both.
OOH Thank you SO much for the 7 layer bar recipe. THose were ONE of my favorites, but who am I kidding, I LOVED everything. It's not always a good thing to have a sweet tooth. So the Buckeye request has commenced. My daughter and I had fun making them, and sampling them, and if they broke, after coating them, then oops! They had to be eaten. So I will hand over my recipes gladly! :) Here's my link: http://friesontop.blogspot.com/2009/11/ive-got-balls.html
Always jealous of your Pittsburgh meetups. Makes me all the more homesick. :(
aww now i want to have a baby, so i can be a blogger mom in Pittsburgh! this sounds like so much fun!!
way to discriminate against those of us with kids!
although i totally could have brought a dog.
:)
p.s. glad you had a great time!
@Gina--I very nearly posted your "help," but didn't want to scare any little kids. ;-)
Thanks for the recipe! I'm actually eating one of these right now. YUM.
I wanna come play...that sounds like so much fun. and any girl that can have that many people in her house and still call is heaven is my kind of gal!
Was bummed to have missed it. I think I was out last year, too, for the same reason (Flora's bday). May I cast my vote for the 1st or 3rd weekend in November next year?
Glad it was fun. I hope someday to see the Burgh Baby mansion!
ciao,
rpm
Thank you Dina and M! Is it too soon to start the holiday baking? There are apartments around me with Christmas decorations up already (and turned on!) so I say Bring It On!
Darnnit. Missed it. I will be attending the next get-together.
Is that a threat?
I had so much fun! And our portion of the 7-layer cookies was devoured last night. I'll be making some more tonight, because OH MY YUM.
I posted the recipe to the cookies I brough on my blog if you're interested. I brought the Crackles (the chocolate cookies with powdered sugar).
And finally- I have those weird blips of no-photo-taking, too. I'm in one of those ruts right now, actually, which is why I didn't bring my camera.
cut them in bars and then put in plastic wrap and freeze, they taste great chilled........
sometimes, i pretend they are a healthy power bar.