Mint Brownies

I've been craving a chocolate mint combo, so figured brownies were a good place to start. This was actually my second choice of how to do this, but it won out due to laziness. Good thing it was a success....even though Henry thought they were cinnamon flavored. I think his taste buds were just confused.

Mint Brownies

2 eggs

1/2 + 1/8 c cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbs vanilla extract

1 stick of butter

1 1/8 c sugar

3/4 c flour

1/4 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped Andes mints

• Preheat oven to 350* and grease your brownie pan (8x8).
• Beat the eggs, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
• In a separate bowl microwave to melt the butter, add the sugar, and stir. Microwave a little longer until hot. It should become shiny as you stir. Heat once more (about 1 min) - this will create a shiny top crust on the brownies.
• Add the hot butter/sugar mix to the chocolate concoction and stir until smooth.
• Mix in the flour (in three parts), chocolate chips, and Andes mints.
• Pour into your greased pan, and bake for 35-45 min.

Gone before lunmch = win

"Then I Got Biblical With It"

Marshall had painted his room white and splashed glow in the dark paint on it. He turned the lights off to show me and it kind of looked like a crime scene that also included the phrase "To the window, to the wall." He then pointed out the paint above the doors and windows and said that he "got biblical with it" in reference to putting blood above your door to protect the first born...wonder if he realizes that he's 3rd born? Anyway, it cracked me up.

Let's cover most of my trip with bullet points shall we? (we shall)

• I had made plans with Dad two weeks prior to my arrival. When I showed up at his house for dinner he looked surprised...he totally forgot I was coming. Seriously?
• Went to la Espanol with Dad and his family. Turns out Dad is pretty weird and put honey all over his enchiladas and beans. Who does that? I tried it and it was alright, but I prefer to keep my honey on sophapillas.
• As I was sitting in the living room with Dad's family he told me that Chris (stepbrother) had some news for me. I thought he was going to announce that he'd gotten into the Navy because that was his plan at one point, so I was bracing myself to give an encouraging response...then he drops the bomb that he's going to be a dad. My response? "Ohmygawd? Ohmygawd. Ohmygawd! Ohmygawd. Ohmygawd. Congrats?" Dad: "Jes seems really shocked by this." Umm, yeah, because you totally didn't mention this when we talked on the phone.
• Spent two days baking with my gma and considered retiring so we could do that everyday. Weirdly they didn't want to pay my student loans or car payment, so that dream died fast.
• Ran a last minute 5k and got 2nd in my division. Oh, the perks of small town races. Even when you have your slowest 5k ever  (like ever ever) you might still place and feel like an undeserving champ.  The air is so cold and dry in Dalhart that I feared my insides were going to completely dry up and mummify me from the inside out (I don't think that's how mummies are made...whatevs). My insides burned and my kidneys hurt - first time for everything? I hope it was just the air, but I guess I'll test it out when I get back to Houston.
• Saw one of my best girls get married!
• And had the best date there.
• Spent some time with my Mom. And we went to DQ! Well, what else are you going to do in Sunray?
• Spent my last supper roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. perfection.

• And my grandparents made me a roasting chair - seriously, the perks of living far away.

• donuts.donuts.donuts.

Awesome & Awkward Friday

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving break!

Linking up with From My Grey Desk to share my fave five awesome & awkward things from the week!

Awesome

• Amanda, Sven, and Stacy introduced me to tactical laser tag. New fave thing!
• the soreness I felt after my Monday weight sesh. It burned so good! I might have to force Stacy to stand by me more often because I felt like she did push my weights in a few areas.
• Short week!
• I've been immersed in music all week. Breaking Dawn pt. 2, Lana Del Ray, and Nikki Reed & Paul McDonald have been my soundtrack.
• Got an unexpected black friday deal on TVD season 3!

Awkward

• I've been having bad dreams/nightmares for many days in a row...after watching Dexter they stopped for a few nights. What does this mean?
• My furniture sales guy called me baby instead of using my name. Yeah, I'd been into the store 3 times, but don't act like you know me. It's fine if you forgot my name, but don't call me baby. It's creepy and disrespectful.
• I bought The Office season's 6 & 7. As I opened season 6 I realized that I already have it. ugh. Soooo does anyone want season 6? Seriously, I'll mail it to you.
• I guess I'm pretty fun to stand in line with for over an hour. But should I be concerned that he noticed where I parked?

• I have watched Breaking Dawn 3 times. It's been out for a week. 

Fall Bark

Candy corn and peanuts are this totally random combo that goes perfectly together. The salty helps to offset the basically straight sugar that is the candy corn. The first time someone told me about this I thought they were crazy. Then I went to my grandma's house and she had a bowl of candy corn mixed with peanuts. And I told her she was crazy....until I tried it.

Fall Bark

18 oz (9 pieces) vanilla almond bark

1 bag candy corn (7oz)

1/2 c dry roasted peanuts

• Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper.
• Melt the vanilla almond bark in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until smooth, and pour out onto the cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle the candy corn and dry peanuts on top.
• Once hardened (you can stick it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process), chop into pieces and eat!

Should We Be Concerned That I Book Travel For My Company?

Back in August I booked my flight for Lindsey's October wedding. I was considering flying down Wednesday night but after looking at my calendar I remembered that I would miss the last class before pole graduation. Conundrum? Not really, I just booked a flight for early Thursday morning.

Or so I thought.

October 17 comes around (Wednesday). I get up to snooze my running alarm and notice that I have a text from the airlines letting me know that my 7:10a flight is on schedule. In my sleepy confusion I first thought that it was nice that they are letting me know 24 hours in advance that my flight is on time. Then I realized how odd that was, opened up my email to check my flight details (because I didn't read the reminder I got on Monday)...yeah, totally booked my flight a day early and didn't notice. I managed to get it pushed to the afternoon flight for a fee of $75, so disaster partly diverted.

I popped out of bed and started packing while mentally making a list of everything I had to get done at work in half the time...and how to tell my boss I'm dumb.

I still don't know how I managed this. Part of my job is booking travel, so you would think that I could handle booking my own flight since I know what I want.

As we pulled into Sunray at10:30 Wednesday night, Mom told me that I got to help Marsh with his homework that night. Great! Actually I don't mind helping with math, but I was not down with the science arts and crafts situation he had going on. I don't even know what we were making exactly, just that it involved 40 circles that slightly vary in size. I got through about 30 circles, became way too frustrated with the perfection and accuracy it was lacking, and told Marsh he could finish the last 10 and make it work. He then cut the most deformed circle I've ever seen. I looked at him and asked "Seriously?" I hate that I can't always turn down my perfectionist side, especially when his level of craftsmanship was clearly below mine.

We got it done, I double checked his math (which was actually fun), and then I called it a night because it was way past my bedtime.