So What Wednesday...

Hope your having a great week...Here are just a few things I'm saying "So What?" to this week...

"SO WHAT?" if...

• We have family night every Sunday night.  We watch Dexter and Homeland.  Yes, shows about a serial killer and terrorists.

• I am intimidated by the people who work in the DMV.  I feel like I have to be super nice because they hold ALL the power.

• I went to World Market just so I could use my 'friends and family' coupon.  You gotta spend money to save money.

• I don't have to cook dinner tonight or tomorrow night.  Kids have activities.  Small victories, people.  oh, wait..Friday is pizza night...double score.

•  I sent this to my Big Bad Husband. 

• He was not amused.

Until next week...

Keep a "so what?" attitude in your back pocket.

"Twix"ish bars

Yesterday was my husband's birthday (Happy Birthday Honey!) and I saw these in Coastal Living and I thought I would make them for him because I LOVE shortbread and I LOVE the combo of sweet and salty...they are inspired from a Twix bar, I know it was his birthday, not mine but these looked soo good in the picture I couldn't help it!

Coastal Living

 You start by making the shortbread layer...

then a layer of caramel...

(I had to buy a candy thermometer for this step, I felt kinda like a legit baker!)

and lastly the chocolate ganache with sounds fancy but is really some cream and melted dark chocolate

Now mine are not pretty ( I must have done something wrong, maybe they need some time in the fridge I think to firm them up) but they tasted YUMMY and you literally need a teeny tiny piece to satisfy your sweet (and salty tooth)

Here is the recipe if you want to try...

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream, divided

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

Chocolate Ganache

Flaky sea salt or kosher salt

Preparation

1. Beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl; gradually beat into butter mixture.

2. Press dough into a greased, aluminum foil-lined 9- x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes. Set aside.

3. Combine sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream, corn syrup, and butter in a 2-quart heavy pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 238° (just past soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer.

4. Combine remaining 1/2 cup cream and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; carefully pour into sugar mixture. (Mixture will bubble.) Boil util mixture returns to 238°. Pour over shortbread crust. Let stand at room temperature or refrigerate until caramel is firm.

5. Pour Chocolate Ganache over caramel, smoothing with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let stand in a cool place until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars.

Julia Dowling Rutland, Coastal Living
OCTOBER 2012

Careful because these will add some cushion in your back pockets:)



Mini Ghost Toppers

Here's a festive and easy Halloween toppers!  This ghostly idea comes from Emma of A Beautiful Mess.

You'll need:

Skewers, cotton balls, cheese cloth (or burlap) and thread.

Have a great October weekend, from the sisters of in your back pocket.

Jen's Been A-stencil-len'

Where's my sister, you ask? Being held captive by a new project-- Stenciling her kid's bathroom. We have a ton of inspirational pics of cute wallpapered bathrooms.  Of course we always say "hey I could do that"  when we see all of these talented bloggers transform their space with a little paint and pattern.

The good news is that it's almost finished.  It looks great, from what I can see on "facetime" but i'm sure she would tell you that it is a quite time consuming.  

Here's a few inspiration pics...although these are all wallpapered.

Cottage and Cabin

This Old House

Alla Akimova

Lonnny

Tresham Design

Trad Home

Southern Eclectic

and here are a few stenciled inspirational photos...

tutorial from Decor and the Dog Blog

Curry Kay Designs

A Pumpkin and a Princess

We'll let you see the finished product..it's almost done...

just keep stenciling, just keep stenciling....

Put a little DIY in your back pocket. 

So What?--uglycouches.com

So,  my college son sends me an updated picture of my grand-kitty, Dave, and all I can think of is "wooahhh, , that couch needs to be on uglycouches.com."  Did you know there was such a website?

Dave on hideous couch...

some lovelies from the website...

 And the winner for 2011...

The ugliest post ever.  Have a good day, from the girls of in your back pocket.

P.S. Can Dave be a "grand-kitten" if I've never had a cat?

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies.

We saw a recipe for candy corn sugar cookies in Coastl Living, but found an even easier recipe/tutorial from Sarah and Kate of  Our Best Bites.  It is easy to follow and seems super-realistic.

Go check out full tutorial HERE.

Our Best Bites

Thanks for the recipe, ladies.


Put some Halloween cookies in your back pocket.