Weekend Recap...

This past weekend Momma Linda and I headed out on a little weekend get-away with Miss Charlot. We called it her “Surprise Trip.” You see my dad was on his men’s weekend, where they go to a Mizzou football game each year, which was in South Carolina (one heck of a game by the way). And the hubs stayed back to take care of things at home.

We headed out on Friday afternoon to see some really good friends of ours Sandy and Jim who live near Springfield MO. It was a lovely weekend, we went to the fall festival in Fair Grove (HUGE ), checked out Bass Pro, I made Sandy a new wreath for her front door, and basically we just enjoyed being with them.

 

Charlot loved everything about the weekend and chatted most of the drive home, we thought she would sleep. I am so glad to live close enough to my momma that her and I can go and do these things. I hope that we can make this an annual tradition. When dad’s away with the football men, then it is girls weekend! I know they will be such great memories for Charlot!

Peanut Butter Snickers Bars

Last week a couple guys I work with kind of went out of their way to help me out on a project, something I really appreciated. Well in an effort to show them my appreciation I decided to make them a special treat customized to their likes. One of the guys loves brownies so a pan of rich fudgy brownies it was for him! The other one loves peanut butter cookies but doesn’t get them very often because he has a kiddo that has a peanut allergy. So I thought alright peanut butter cookies it is for him. On the night I decided to make these treats I also had plenty of other baking going on. Four pies, two cakes, plus the brownies and cookies to be exact.

With this in mind I had purchased some of the bagged peanut butter cookie mix to help save myself some time. The cookies were the last thing I was making that night and I was getting TIRED!!! I guess when I am tired my best brain child’s are born. I thought why they heck not make this a bar cookie but not just any bar cookie one stuffed with a snickers candy bar. There could be NOTHING wrong with any of this.

I mixed up the cookies, pressed ½ of the dough into a greased 8X8 pan, topped it with 9 fun sized snickers, and then put the rest of the dough on top. Popped it in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. The gates of heaven opened and amazingness was born! These puppies are good. Not too sweet just enough chocolate to add some interest to the peanut butter, plus a bit of gooey caramel. I need to go make a pan now! Ok my thighs are saying no lady you do not! Let’s just say my co-worker really enjoyed his treat.

Peanut Butter Snickers Bars

1 Pkg Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix

1 Egg

1 TBSP Oil

3 TSP Water

9 Fun Sized Snickers Candy bars

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 8X8 baking pan. Prepare cookies according to package directions. Press ½ the cookies mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top with snickers bars. Cover the bars with the remaining cookie mix. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.

Five Things for Your Friday...

Not a long blog today we are a family going in four million directions!


1. Charlot and I are heading out mid-day today for our weekend adventures! I am heading to SEMO to a have the honor of being a bridesmaid in a dear dear friend’s wedding. On my way there I am dropping my kiddo off for a fun filled weekend with RaRa. I can only imagine the trouble they will get into!

2. The hubs is staying back to keep the home fires burning or better yet put a new roof on our house. Oh loads of fun to be had there!

3. This weekend is our little towns fall festival. It is absolutely one of my favorite things of the year, so I am a little sad to miss it. It did start last night though so we headed out and enjoyed it for a bit.

4. At the fall festival last night my momma and I helped my dado run the Lion’s club pie contest and auction. We hadn’t really planned on having to run quite as much as we did but it was a ball. We also both placed second in our categories with our pies, she made apple I made black bottom banana cream.

5. Harvest is finally getting under way around here and I just need to say for the hundredth time. I love harvest. Love love love it! All except the pink bees wings! If you live in a corn area you know what I mean!

A Girl and Her PAP!!!

My child and her Pap are a force to be reckoned with! They are quite a pair, full of laughter, hugs, kisses, and mischief. He is my biggest assistant when I am trying to work on something with Charlot. HA!!! As well as her favorite person to hit up for foods I normally don’t let her have, Diet Dr. Pepper to be exact! And future teachers take note you will probably just need to go ahead and call him when she says something totally inappropriate, like Turd Hearse. Yes dad she told me last night that you have a turd hearse at your house.


But more than anything they are the best of buddies. When he is traveling she misses him dearly, the week my parents were in Alaska this summer about did her in. I am pretty sure a few days without seeing Charlot about does Pap in as well. Pretty much he is a sucker for her and she is a sucker for him!

She also loves to serve as his assistant…the other night we pulled in and some baby pigs were out and Pap was trying to get them in. I tell you what I could not get my child out of the truck soon enough she needed to help him. Even though he pretty much had it done when she arrived she continued to let him know she was there to help. “Pap I’m here.” “Pap I’ll help you.” “Pap what’s next.” She was all over the place helping! The pictures I got of them watering the hogs together just crack me up. I love them both so much and I am so glad they have each other!

VACA Food…YUM!!!

Ok so I know that I spoke earlier this week about my weight loss and I am really humbled by all your responses and kind words towards my body transformation. So I must begin by saying thank you! I also must tell you that with this lifestyle change I have not cut any one food out of my diet, I fully believe in all things in moderation! I guess I did cut one thing out and it hurt and sometimes I still have to just smell Coca-Cola oh man did I love that stuff. But guess what I love me more!


So the point of all of that was on this vacation I ate and ate and ate some AMAZING FOOD. Seafood in particular. From shrimp and grits to a crawfish po boy, if it was swimming near the coast of Alabama I was eating it! I was a Happy Happy Girl! So was the hubs!

List, Review and Pictures of the restaurants we enjoyed!

1. The Hangout- Loved the Atmosphere, Gumbo was awesome we shared it for an appetizer, I had Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos they weren’t my favorite but the Hubs liked them, he had the Shrimp Po Boy the shrimp were the size of my hand and seasoned perfectly!

2. The Original Oyster House-Shrimp and Grits that would make you slap your momma! That’s what I had! We shared gator tail as an appetizer, Charlot loved it! The hubs had a mixed shrimp plate that had so much variety and so much food he couldn’t even eat it all!

3. The Shrimp Basket- Po Boy’s could have eaten five of them but they were huge and my tummy said NO. I didn’t get any pictures here because I was in such a hurry to get the sandwich in my mouth!

4. Bubba’s Seafood House-Blue Crab Cakes were delish, but I will say this wasn’t our favorite but the service was perfect.

5. Corky’s Ribs and BBQ- Oh The Ribs…Heaven. And the Spaghetti that Charlot had was some of the best I have ever had outside of my kitchen! I think the final picture just sums the trip up perfectly!

Vaca Recap...Finally!!!

The week following Labor Day the hubs and I loaded up the station wagon for a good old family vacation! Ok so we loaded the truck to its gills for a great headed to the beach road trip! We chose to go the Gulf Shores Alabama. If you have never been go! A longtime friend of mine highly recommended this location to us and well we are so thankful she did. White sand beaches, not over crowded, laid back vibe, amazing local restaurants, family friendly, there is so much more this location has to offer!

I will say it is a long drive for us but we have been blessed with a great kid who is a traveling champ! She was so excited to stay in hotels (we have stayed in ones before), she loved the breakfast, they had fruit loops! The above picture is shortly after we left from home. The following are at our hotel on the way in Memphis, and with her fave surprise toy of the trip. I have a whole traveling with kids trips and tricks post planned!

The first day we got there it was later in the afternoon so we mainly got checked into the hotel and relaxed for a bit before heading out to see the beach and eat some dinner. She was amazed by the beach and ocean at first sight. The restaurant we ate at the first night had lovely beach side seating so you could feel the ocean breeze and listen to the sounds as you ate, it was WONDERFUL.

We woke up early the next morning to a little rain so the hubs and Charlot went to find some forgotten supplies while I joined a teleconference for work. Once the rain stopped we played most of the day on the beach. Building sand castles, running into the water, collecting sea shells, it was perfect. That night we headed to another really neat restaurant that had a really fun shopping area around it that’s where we found the alligator and dolphin. (Note: I will be doing a food post from this trip, DELISH)



For our second full day we decided to head to a different spot on the beach that was in the state park. It was so quiet and free of people I could have stayed there all day!!! FYI below there is a picture of me in a swimming suit that would have never happened before and I am still not one hundred percent comfortable but I love the memory I have with my child. Anyway the hubs didn’t quite feel the same about staying at the beach all day so we loaded up and decided to drive around to see what all the area had to offer. Well I was driving and I had no clue where I was going but we ended up in Florida that was fun! Plus the hubs had never been to FL so he can check it off his list of states to visit! HA! While on the drive the hubs was checking out what we could do that evening and decided on a Dolphin Cruise. I would highly suggest it! We chose one that guaranteed seeing dolphins, it lasted nearly three hours and we saw several dolphins pretty up close! Charlot loved it! The house pictured below is the 10 million dollar one the hubs said he would check into for me, I think I bumped my head on this trip! 

Future Thornton VACA Home!!! HAHAHA!!!

On the morning we were heading home we went down to the beach one last time to fill a bottle with sand for Charlot to keep and to take a family picture near the ocean. I love the sight of the hubs and Charlot filling the bottle they both are working so intently! Plus I do believe this is one of the best family photos we have! Hooray!

Over all an amazing trip! Great area, wonderful people, plenty to do! Go and enjoy yourself! A big Thank YOU to Amanda for the recommendation and all the guidance! We will be returning!