Book It Day or a butterfly emerges from it's cocoon. Which is symbolic of hope and maybe some kind of metaphor for triumph in the face of adversity.

 So I've been in the hospital. For a week. This is actually the second time I've been hospitalized in three weeks. But I've been ill. For about three months. Not "I'm a dumbass because I won't go to the doctor so now things are serious." kind of ill but, several tips to urgent care/emergency room, scary antibiotics, ill.

 There is nothing like lying flat on your back for days on end, with iv antibiotics running through the central line they jacked into your neck,  to help you realize that you are a complete loser for not finishing your daughter's Book It Day costume.

 If you are unfamiliar with the Book It Program, it is an incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut that encourages children to read. Our school takes it completely seriously, asking the kids to dress up like their favorite characters from books and having a parade in the gymnasium.

 This year we had a theme: Eric Carle. And although I like Eric Carle's books, he is not one of our favorite, favorites. I do however really love the beauty of his artwork. So when Wub said she wanted to be the Butterfly from The Very Hungry Caterpillar I decided I was going to make her a long tunic style dress with huge butterfly wing sleeves. I was then going to airbrush the dress to mimic Mr. Carle's gorgeous artwork.

 Best laid plans....

But I had to do something. It was so hard on Wub and MHM worrying about me while trying to keep everything just turning over at home. MHM would get up in the morning, get Wub ready for school, head to school and work, pick up Wub from the sitter, grab something to eat and head to the hospital until it was time to go home and get some sleep. At some point he also picked up an upper respiratory infection so that was nice. She was such a trooper, I couldn't let her miss out on the fun of Book It Day too.

 So I sent him to the Dollar Tree to pick up poster board, green duct tape, colored pipe cleaners, and red sock hat. With crayons and a few supplies from home we got started.

 Using the book as a guide I cut out two wing shapes from the poster board. Then I lightly traced the major areas of the wings. Then we colored and colored and colored some more. It took the best part of three evenings and most of one very long day to color both wings (front and back). To be honest, it probably would have taken less time if we hadn't been using a hospital floor and tray table respectively to color on. Also if I had been slightly less doped up.

 After finishing the wings we used the green duct tape to join them together. Four elastic loops were held in place with clear strapping tape and we had ourselves a pretty rockin' pair of butterfly wings.

The head was made by lightly, tack stitching a circle of green foam on top of a circle of yellow foam to the hat brim and repeating on the other side. We then threaded a green pipe cleaner through the top of the hat, centered it making each side equal length. Then curled each side around a pen to form the antennae. I think she made a pretty adorable butterfly.

It definitely distracted us for awhile from scary allergic reactions to antibiotics and scary words like Lupus. They still are not sure what is wrong with me. Pathology points to an infection but it also points to an autoimmune disease such as Lupus. I hope that is not what it is. I won't know the answers for a while because the rheumatologist doesn't have any openings until May. No matter what the outcome. I will make do.

Hell, I hope that I can do better than make do and that I can make a butterfly.

These Bars are Bananas, B*A*N*A*N*A*S Fosters...

The next logical step from Caramel Apple Bar is obviously a Bananas Foster Bar, right?
Flaky shortbread topped with creamy, rummy, roasty bananas and sprinkle of crisp, nutty streusel. So yum, you gotta get you some.

Shortbread Base
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking pan.

 In a blender or food processor grind the oats into a fine(ish) flour. In a bowl mix the oats, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and butter together to form a dough. Press into the bottom of a prepared 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

 In the meantime prepare:

Banana Filling
4 ripe bananas,thinly sliced.
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rum
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt.

 Mix the milk, brown sugar, rum, butter and salt together, stir in the sliced bananas and pour mixture over the partially baked crust.

Sprinkle evenly with:

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tablesp0ons packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tablespoon cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes.

 Mix all ingredients together using a pastry blender fork until butter is thoroughly distributed. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Return pan to oven and continue baking for 45-55 minutes until streusel is crisped and brown

 Allow to cool and cut into 16-20 squares.

Caramel Apple Bars 'cause it's Fall Y'all!

 There is something about the first few days of Autumn that cause an almost uncontrollable urge to eat apples. I know for some people Fall  is the time of pumpkin spice but for me the sweet, crisp tang of the new apple crop is infinitely more appealing.

These bars have a crisp, buttery shortbread base topped off with a caramel, creamy apple filling finished with a layer of crumbly streussel. Oh my!

They are amazing still warm from the oven but if you have the patience to wait until they've fully cooled you will be rewarded. The crust will firm up giving the bars a good crunch and the caramel apple filling will mellow and set.




Shortbread Base
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightl butter a 9x13 baking pan.

 In a blender or food processor grind the oats into a fine(ish) flour. In a bowl mix the oats, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and butter together to form a dough. Press into the bottom of a prepared 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

 In the meantime prepare:

Caramel Apple Filling
2 peeled, sliced into wedges and thinly sliced. (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Pink Lady)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt.

 Mix the milk, brown sugar, butter and salt together, stir in the sliced apples and pour mixture over the partially baked crust.

Sprinkle evenly with:

Streussel Topping
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes.

 Mix all ingredients together using a pastry blender fork until butter is thoroughly distributed. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Return pan to oven and continue baking for 45-55 minutes until streussel is crisped and brown

 Allow to cool and cut into 16-20 squares.
Take an artfully arranged picture and then nom, nom, nom!