michelle paige blogs: May 2012

Tuesday

(5 Ingredients) S'mores Bar Cookies

Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day week-end! We did!
I wanted to share with you another quick and easy bar cookie recipe.
This one was a hit over the week-end...
S'mores Bars
Mmmmmm!

You won't believe how fast these are to whip up!
No need to start a bonfire and burn the marshmallows.

Mix together:

3 cups crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Once mixed, divide in half.
Pat half of the mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass dish to make a crust layer.

Sprinkle on 3 cups of mini-marshmallows and 2 cups of chocolate chips.
(You probably don't need to see a picture of chocolate chips and marshmallows...
but really, I couldn't resist!)

Layer on the other half of the graham cracker mixture.

Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

(Can you see the layers?)
This smells soooo good while it's baking! Mmmmm!

You can also make this with regular sized marshmallows.
It turns out a bit more sticky, but still very good!
{I just happen to know this works because there were
no mini-marshmallows in my home (unbelievable!)
when I went to make this recipe...the first time.}

After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and press firmly with a spatula.
Let bars cool, then cut and serve.

These are perfect treats to pack up for any outing...
or 'inning'...or if you need to add on a few pounds. (3 to be exact.)
Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you'll love the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Click here.

S'mores Cookie Bars3 cups crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix together: 3 cups crushed graham crackers, 3/4 cup melted butter and 1/3 cup sugar.
Once mixed, divide in half. Pat half of the mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass dish to make a crust layer. Sprinkle on 3 cups of mini-marshmallows, 2 cups chocolate chips and the other half of the graham cracker mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and pat down with a spatula. Let bars cool, then cut and serve.

Linking up to: FullCircleCreations,

Friday

(5 Ingredients) Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Need a quick treat to give?
Need an easy dessert to serve for the week-end or take to a party?

(Just need some chocolate goodness to enjoy?)

Well, here you go!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soooo incredibly easy and delicious!

(Just so you know, I only share recipes that are easy AND delicious!)

This is one of our family's favorite!

No one says you have to make a double batch, but I usually do (see picture).

(My step-by-step recipe is just for one 9 x 13 dish, but feel free to double if you want.)

Using a glass 9 x 13 baking dish, spray the dish with non-stick cooking spray.

(You'll be sorry if you leave out this step!)

Place a stick of butter in the dish and pop the dish into the cold oven.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

Let the butter melt.

While butter is melting, start crushing your graham crackers.

(I like to get my kids to do this step for me! They love using the chopper!)

Crush about 2 cups.

Get out the rest of your ingredients.

1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

1 bag of chocolate chips.

1 cup of butterscotch or peanut butter chips.

Your butter should be completely melted by now.

Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle on the graham cracker crumbs.

Next, pour on 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Next, sprinkle on the entire bag of chocolate chips.

Last, sprinkle on the butterscotch or peanut butter chips.

Bake in the warm (350 degree) oven for about 25 minutes.

Remove and let cool before cutting into squares.

Now, I challenge you to enjoy just one tiny square.
Yah, impossible.

These treats just melt in your mouth.

It's best to package them up and give away!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
2 cups crushed Graham Crackers
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 bag chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Directions: Place the stick of butter in a 13 x 9 glass dish and place in a 350 degree oven.
Take out of oven when butter is melted and oven is preheated.
Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly on top of the melted butter.
Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk on top of the crumbs. Spread evenly.
Sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips on top, followed by the butterscotch or peanut butter chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool, before cutting into squares.

Don't forget to link up your projects to my Red, White, Blue & You Link Party!
Have a wonderful Memorial Day Week-end!

Thursday

Me, a Pen Snob? Shoplet Sanford Pen Review

It's sad to say that you will totally think I'm a pen snob after reading this post.
(I've never considered myself a pen snob...but now I'm really rethinking things.)

Here's my story...
I received a package in the mail from Shoplet.com.
Have you ever heard of them?

They're an online company that sells basically every office supply
product you can possibly dream of.
(You dream about office supplies, right? I know I'm not the only one!)
They offer great deals and discounted shipping.

Anyway, this package arrives in the mail and the minute I open it,
my kids start battling over who gets the cool, space-age looking Sharpie Premium Pen.

{We're a Sharpie household over here. We LOVE Sharpies!}
We use a Sharpie pen for every craft project, school project, thank you note, birthday card, etc. etc.

My daughter (who is left-handed), immediately decides that the silver Sharpie Premium Pen
should be hers, because it says it's smear resistant.
(Being a leftie, she does have a good 'point'.) Ha.

The permanent marker pen feels smooth and sleek, but it's super thick and heavy!
I don't like pens that give my hand and fingers a workout!
(I promise I'm not a weakling...they did ask for an honest review.)

This Sharpie pen has a lovely fine tip and it's refillable! (How nice to just buy refills.)
The ink color, however isn't a bold black...it's more like a light black--
(I think that's what makes it not bleed?)
I personally, like bold, black pens that you can really see.
(That sounds snobbish, doesn't it? I knew it!)
This pen does write very smooth and doesn't feel like a marker at all.
However, I can pass it up.

I hand the pen to my daughter and let her try it out on her Social Studies project.

The first word she writes, smears on her hand.
I guess Sharpie didn't have lefties try this pen out?
(See, I told you--I'm a pen snob.)

I then open the package of 700RT Ballpoint InkJoy pens by Paper Mate.

(I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much...come on, I'm apparently a pen snob!)
Plus, you never know what you're going to get with ballpoint pens, right? Some work, some don't.

To my surprise, I loved these pens!
They're so slim and lightweight. They feel like air compared to the heavy Sharpie Premium pen.
They have this super comfortable rubber grip. They write like a dream--so smooth and clean.
I love the fine tip and the nice dark colors.
It's always fun to get an assorted pack of colors to try out.
(2 black, 1 blue, 1 red come in this 4 pack.)
Both the blue and red pens have a nice color shade and they click!
I happen to love retractable (click) pens! It's so much easier to click a pen, than to put a lid on a pen.
(I have a problem remembering to put lids on my pens.)

For the record, I will not be sharing these InkJoy pens with the kids...they're my 'joy'.
(Wow, there's no going back on the snob thing, is there?)

The final package I ripped open was the Sharpie Gel Highlighters.

I need to admit something here--I have never been a big highlighter fan.
They always seem to smear and color through on the back side of the paper.
Plus, they always seem so wet.
(It's official- I AM a total pen snob!)

Well...these Sharpie Gel Highlighters are amazing!
They're like a twistable crayon, only they're not a crayon- they're gel.
They won't bleed through the paper and they don't smear your writing!
You can leave the cap off and they won't dry out! (Did you hear that?)
You twist them when the gel runs down.

(In this picture I twisted the yellow one as far as it could go.)
Whoa! I think I'm starting to like highlighters!

I tried them out on my Bible Study notes.

They worked perfectly--no bleeding through to the other side.
No wet mess on my hands. Very cool.

Here's my To Do List for the day...(I wrote it using the InkJoy black pen.)

Notice the highlighting? No smearing my writing! So cool!
I can use the back of this page too...the highlighter didn't bleed through! Amazing!
(Maybe I'm not such a pen snob after all? I like highlighters, I do!)

Well, Shoplet that was fun. 2 out of 3 were a hit for me!
Thanks for the opportunity to try out some new products...
I'm off to work on my To Do list!

Disclosure: I received samples of these products for review. The opinions are (obviously) 100% mine.

Tuesday

Red, White, Blue & You--Holiday Link Party!

Can you believe it? It's time for another
Holiday Link Party!!

It's time to get out your red, white and blue!

It's time to get out those stars and stripes.

It's time to craft up some festive projects for the
4th of July!

Are you ready? I love this time of year!

Come join the party!

*Please link up any project, recipe, craft, idea
that could be used for the
4th of July (or Memorial Day).

*Please link to your blog post, not back to your blog's homepage.

*Please post my button or provide a text link back
to Michelle Paige.

*Please join in the fun by following Michelle Paige.

(There's lots of ways to follow: Facebook, RSS feed, Google FC, Bloglovin, LinkyTools, etc.)

*Please check out other links and leave comments.

By linking up, you give me permission to share your ideas on my blog. (You know I love to do this!)
I will always give you credit and I'll link back to your post.

Oh, I can't wait to see all the creativity and meet some new friends!
Be sure to check in and visit, you'll never know when I'll be sharing your idea!
Thanks for joining in the fun!