Chocolate Fridakus!

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In case you are new or missed a couple of blogs, Friday is dedicated to the art of the haiku.
A haiku is a three-line poem in any language, with five syllables in the first and last lines and seven syllables in the second,
usually with an emphasis on the season or a naturalistic theme. So Friday is Fridaku at Life's Pursuit and It Depends.
My cohort and I have agreed on a subject this week and with many chuckles, here goes.

Chocolate and Chopsticks Dip it, drang and smear In chocolate with chopsticks Lift, lick, eat and smile Chocolate chopsticks Edible fun for hunger Dip, sip, bit and melt The smile begins first At perfection's sweetest kiss Chopsticks, suck, smear, smile.

Chocolate and Tan Lines Smooth divisions soft tracing tanlines with chopsticks Dipped in chocolate Dark, light, same surface Tracing passions while melting Chopsticks on tanlines. Abrupt change, smooth skin Chocolate, ticklish sticks Tracing pleasures's lines.

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All Gassed Out! NO GAS; just Friday Fixins!

It's another cool Friday...right; how could it not be, it's FRIDAY! It's been a great day for getting things done. In spite of being busy, its also a great day for reflections and for thankfulness. I dont know about you; but I have seen some strange things beginning to happen at gas pumps. My other side might not agree by replying..."but its human nature..." Anywhooo, gas seems to be right up front on everybody's wallets.





The only other things running close are politics and the economy. I join the ranks of so many wondering how can we pay more for gas after ....well; thats another blog. Its funny odd how far people will drive for a lower price....which kinda defeats the purpose of saving since it just cost you more gas to go get it for less. Of course, thats providing you can actually find any. It would appear that somebody has found a way to recycle plastic bags...."gas pump sweaters!" [seriously...nobody steal that idea;...except Paris Hilton...]





I passed 3 stations before I could even get ANY gas which was AFTER I waited in line. My wifey will tell you, personally I dont say much about gas prices because my thought is so what! If I want/need it I'm gonna get it anyway, so why complain about something I either cant do anything about or I'm gonna bow to anyway (gas prices). However; just because I CAN pay $40.00 dollars a gallon doesnt mean I WILL. Enough is enough! Its gotten out of hand and 4 years, much less 8, ain't gonna fix it. I'm getting my bicycle out this weekend. Ok...that's all I am going to rant on this issue. Toons say it all.





...so lets just eat; but wait delivery trucks run on gas too....hmmm..I wonder who they will pass along the cost to? Yeah, but I GOTTA eat; so on to the Friday Fixins! Oh this one is really good. What could be better than smooth warm chocolate on a fall day except adding peanut butter (and I PREFER Jif) to the mix. This one is worth all its fat grams!!!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Puppy Chow

Ingredients
7 cups Chex cereal
2 cups golden grahams
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp fine salt
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Butterfinger Marble Mix-Ins*
1/8 cup butterscotch chips, chopped
1/8 cup peanut butter chips, chopped

Directions
1. Combine cereals in a large bowl.
2. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter over low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal, stirring gently with a plastic spoon until coated.
4. Measure the powdered sugar into a large plastic zip bag (or a bowl if you don’t have a bag that’s big enough). Then add the chocolate mixture, Butterfinger Marble Mix-Ins*, butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips into the bag and shake (or invite your kid into the kitchen to shake it up for you).

* If you can’t find this, chopped butterfinger bars would work great too. Great recipes from Chocolate Peanut Butter site, two of my most favorite things.You might also salivate for some Cheesy Ranch Mix

Thats all I got and I gave it to you! Have a great weekend.

YES, not....

Click on the image for a visit to a great site.
Totally Chocolate: Custom Chocolate, Personalized Chocolate Bars and Chocolate Corporate Gifts

Chocolate Sugar....blue pink...hungh????

Who ever heard of such a thing? I dont know...it just came to me. It seems that todays advertising is filled with incorrect messages that take what we know and twist it just a bit. Take the Swiffer mop for instance....by the time you add a nozzel that squirts and magnetic sucking power; isnt it a vacuum cleaner? How about Tropicana's cutline: "...Tropicana Twister® - Flavors Mother Nature Never Intended! Tropicana Twister® is the delicious juice drink...." Could it be that our dabbling with Nature may be what is altering ours? I can hardly make it through a news cast without some debunk of an old thought being recanted in the opposite direction: younger women diagnosed with tumors/heart issues. Obese children heart attacks. Migrane headaches on the rise. Mercer and other new/old diseases on the rise. New pill for this or that. Sooner or later; Nature wont take any more slaps in the face. What it didnt intend it will end and/or demolish. Let's not even get on the "fossil fuels" bandwagon. Meanwhile, you can get more jail/prison time for mistreating animals than people.... go figure. Thats my todays rant. Im done.


It seems hip to be what you arent; to look like somebody you aren't. But what happens when the line in the sand is indistinguishable from the beach? Will we all go down to the parking lot to relax and tan?

Friday Fixins'

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RECIPE: CARAMEL BROWNIES

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INGREDIENTS:
14 ounces caramels
1/3 cup evaporated milk
8 ounces german sweet chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13
baking pan. Combine caramels and evaporated milk in top
of double boiler over low heat. Cover and simmer until
caramels are melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside, keeping warm. Combine German sweet chocolate and butter in 2 quart saucepan. Place over low heat stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Beat eggs until foamy using electric mixer at high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture mixing well.

Blend in cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Spread half of mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and spread caramel mixture carefully over baked layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Stir 1/2 cup of walnuts into remaining chocolate batter. Spread batter by spoonfuls over the caramel layer. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool in pan onrack.

* Refrigerate before cutting into bars or squares - it
will be difficult to cut if not chilled first.

Monster House Projects! ---and Friday Fixins'

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12 It's Friday! In the face of a very busy weekend of monster projects, I am glad I am not doing it all alone. I am listening to Tim and Faith's new song I Need You...great lyrics.
	Tim McGraw F/ Faith Hill - I Need You(Tim) I wanna drink that shot of whiskey I wanna smoke that cigarette I wanna smell that sweet addiction on my breathe I wanna ride across West Virginia in the back seat of a Cadillac You know some cowboys like me go out like that So I need you Like a needle needs a vein Like my uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs a rain And I need you Like a lighthouse on a coast Like the father and the son need the Holy Ghost I need you (Faith) I wanna get lost in some corner booth, Cantina Mexico I wanna dance to the static of an AM radio I wanna wrap the moon around us, lay beside you skin on skin Make love til the sun comes up, til the sun goes down again Cause I need you Like a needle needs a vein Like my uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs a rain I need you Like a lighthouse on a coast Like the father and the son need the Holy Ghost I need you, OOH I need you (Tim) I wanna drink that shot of whiskey I wanna smoke that cigarette You know some cowboys like me go out like that So I need you, wohh I need you I need you I need you I need you, I nee-ed you Source : JHuge.com - Music Lyrics
I am looking forward to a weekend of activity, the least of which is "mulching." I like curb appeal and apparently you do too. We strive to look our best in spite of knowing that in the end, it rarely matters. Of course, "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis followed that one. Reaffirming that latter statement. Life is full of curve balls. IF we are fortunate enough to be surrounded with good relationships, friends, and information; we realize the value of great partners. They are those that tell you your barndoor is open, your nose is occupied or that was really stupid. Those are the people you really want around you. I am extremely thankful for my partner and I ain't much on "needing" people; luckily "me be wrong this time." Either way, we are ready for brave new worlds; it's time to move! We work well together for our common goals. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* RECIPE: S#&t CAKE *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* INGREDIENTS: 1 Chocolate cake mix (aquire ingredients specified on back of box) 3 eggs 3/4 cup of water 1 stick of butter 1 Tub Chocolate frosting 1 microwave safe bowl (I use glass) DIRECTIONS: Open frosting and spread along the inside of the microwave safe dish. According to the cake recipe, mix all ingredients (eggs, butter etc.) for the cake in the frosting covered bowl. [you migt want to be sure your bowl is large enough or put something under it.] Add bowl to microwave and cook for at least 10 mins at full power. Sometimes I will go for one additional minute. Beware, the name will be apparent when you look at it; but NO S#&t!, it’s delicious! Remove, cool and serve or dump into your favorite serving dish. Serve with cold ice cream and maybe even some caramel.