I am NOT a runner-baker.

Last week I was tweeting with some tweeps, and jogblog was tweeting about some peanut butter bars with one of her fellow Brittons. (can I say "Brits"? I mean it respectfully, but am not sure if it is taken that way...I should have asked first.) At any rate, I was fortunate enough to be given the recipe that was being tossed around. Now, as my wife will attest, I am no baker (foreshadowing!), but I doooo like me some peanut butter bars. I printed it out, and made up my mind that I would ask my wife to make them for me over the weekend.

A shopping trip took place today, and after we came back, T took to staining a new book case that Grampa made for B, and I cleaned the kitchen. I told T that I was going to make pb bars politely asked if it would be alright if I attempted the bars. Here is the pile of ingredients:
Seemed simple enough. We didn't have the right sized pan, so T said that I could safely double the recipe and use a 9x9 pan. So I did. Doubling called for 8 Tbsp of PB, and I added that to the pot after a healthy stir. I also needed 8 Tbsp of the next ingredient. Right around 3, T started talking to me from the deck, and I stopped somewhere between 7 and 12 Tbsp of said ingredient. I said, "ummmm, I just lost count counting to EIGHT." I turned on the burner to 3 (ours goes to "11"), and started to stir. T steps in and says, "You are no baker. Let me do this." (Sweet relief! It was actually my plan all along, but shhhhhhh!) So she stirs for about 2 minutes and then says, "hey GENIUS, you turned on the wrong burner!" what the? yep, sure enough..... ok.

Faaaaast forward. First ingredients mixed and melted. Seemed like it took about 6 hours to get to this point, and we still had to add more stuff. AND bake it. I don't bake well. All this adding and mixing and waiting. Gimme some good ol stove top cooking (but not "Stove Top". that ain't cookin'.) So we (she) added in the dry stuff, and we (she) pressed it into the pan.

I was able to busy myself for a few minutes and not dance around the kitchen, impatiently staring at the clock and pining for my delicious treats. If I DID do that, it MIGHT have looked something like this...

But since it didn't, and I was able to get to my pet project of finding a cure for male pattern baldness (for OTHER men. I am very secure with my receding hairline hair just the way it is. If only the forehead didn't shine so much...

When the time came (FINALLY (twss)) and we hauled the snacks out of the oven and I eagerly scored them. I waited until they cooled (spent some QT with the little guy by blasting lego versions of Star Wars bad guys. I love that game! They looked like this. Oh, yes. Keep in mind that I am a Nurse, and NOT a baker (we've established that) and not a food photographer. They are MUCH tastier than the pictures lead you to believe.....

Over all rating is an 8 out of 10. I need to establish some sort of system like Jeff and Jamoosh if I am going to continue to review things (foreshadowing).

I was so close to the light, i added the hat to spare your monitors. you are welcome.