A Recipe Rarity!

I know that I NEVER post recipes. It's because I seldom find myself in the kitchen. It's the truth. I loathe cooking. It always seems like such a waste of time to me. It's like, "Gee thanks - I've spent all day slaving away, cooking this dinner for you, and you've just wolfed it down and already forgotten about it." So discouraging. Baking, on the other hand, is something that I will do. I will actually take the time to bake something memorable. (The key word here is "memorable.") If it isn't something worth stopping and saying "Whoa!" then it isn't worth the time to me. I know this is a terrible attitude to take with food, but I have always been the type to eat for survival and not necessarily enjoyment. I honestly could live off of instant mashed potatoes and cold cereal, with an occasional frozen pizza. (Don't worry Mom - Oscar eats better and healthier than I do. Don't send the authorities out on me.)

That being said, I do really enjoy fixing spectacular treats for my kids in my two book groups. It is kind of an ego boost when the kids run in and try to speculate on what I've brought in for the night. I usually try to theme the snack to the book we've completed, which makes it even more special for the kids as they try to guess what it is. Some of the kids tell me that while they are reading the book, they make notes of any food references in the story just so that they have some clues. Now that is wild, right?!? I love these kids.

Well, in one of my latest group meetings, we read the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. And in it there are not many food references, other than at one point, a character named Jamie finds a chocolate bar. Not much to go on. I did happen to have this recipe that my mother-in-law gave me for toffee bars that ended up being PERFECT! It has melted Hershey chocolate bars on top (which you are supposed to smooth out while they melt, but I wanted the kids to know it was covered in chocolate bars, so I left it aux naturale). Anyway, here is the recipe! I gotta say it was a HUGE hit with the kids. One of my little fellas looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said "Mrs. Suzy, are you a cook?" Oh man. Really, I love these kids.

Super Easy Toffee Bars

Ingredients: graham crackers, 2 sticks of butter, 9 Hershey bars, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of chopped pecans

Take a 9x13 pan and butter it (oh yeah). Then put a layer of graham crackers all along the bottom of the pan. In a double boiler, melt the sugar and butter. Stir until melted and add the pecans to the mix. Boil until "soft ball" stage. Then pour the mix evenly over the crackers and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. (While you're waiting, unwrap your chocolate bars for easy access.) Pull out and place the chocolate bars on top. Let them melt and spread evenly.

Easy peesy. Then cut them up and wait for the applause.