Thin Mint Cookie Bars/ My Playlists

I think that music can tell a lot about a person.

I’m not saying that you can judge a person by the music they listen to, but I do think that you can gather impressions about them.  Especially considering that most people listen to music that contains lyrics that they can relate to or songs that mean something to them, for some reason or another.  Music is just another form of communication. People have songs that they listen to when they’re sad, angry, mad, happy, etc.  And then there are ‘comfort songs’ that people listen to just to feel content and at ease.   I’m reading “Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult and she wrote something like: your comfort songs are like the cardigan you pull out on Sunday that you put on and immediately feel at ease.  I completely agree.

I really think you’re putting yourself out there when you tell somebody what music you listen to.  With that being said, here is my Top 25 Most Played list on my iPod

…and my last 25 “liked” songs on Pandora.

Take what you want from it.  🙂  What would your music list have?

Now, moving on to other important things…

Thin Mint Cookie Bars…. Who do you know that doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies?  Probably not many people, if any.  I wanted to recreate one in bar form, but the only recipe I could find in bar form was for Samoas… and I wanted thin mints, so I made my own!  They were super good, too!  I brought them to my classes with me, and they were gone by the end of the day.

Thin Mint Cookie Bars
Servings: 48 (or so…maybe 24 if you cut yours like mine ;)) 

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate animal crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter

Top layer: 

• 6 squares chocolate almond bark
• 1/4 tsp mint extract (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 15×10-inch pan. 
3. Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in small bowl.
4. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
7. Spread into prepared pan.
8. Bake 10 minutes.
9. Take out of oven.  The cookie will still be wet-ish.
10. Mix together butter and animal cracker crumbs.
11. Crumble mixture over cookie and lightly press down
12. Put in the oven again for about 10 more minutes.
13. Melt almond bark and mix in the extract. 
14. Drizzle over cookie crumbs.
15. Don’t cut until the chocolate has hardened.

Thin Mint Cookie Bars/ My Playlists

I think that music can tell a lot about a person.

I’m not saying that you can judge a person by the music they listen to, but I do think that you can gather impressions about them.  Especially considering that most people listen to music that contains lyrics that they can relate to or songs that mean something to them, for some reason or another.  Music is just another form of communication. People have songs that they listen to when they’re sad, angry, mad, happy, etc.  And then there are ‘comfort songs’ that people listen to just to feel content and at ease.   I’m reading “Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult and she wrote something like: your comfort songs are like the cardigan you pull out on Sunday that you put on and immediately feel at ease.  I completely agree.

I really think you’re putting yourself out there when you tell somebody what music you listen to.  With that being said, here is my Top 25 Most Played list on my iPod

…and my last 25 “liked” songs on Pandora.

Take what you want from it.  🙂  What would your music list have?

Now, moving on to other important things…

Thin Mint Cookie Bars…. Who do you know that doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies?  Probably not many people, if any.  I wanted to recreate one in bar form, but the only recipe I could find in bar form was for Samoas… and I wanted thin mints, so I made my own!  They were super good, too!  I brought them to my classes with me, and they were gone by the end of the day.

Thin Mint Cookie Bars
Servings: 48 (or so…maybe 24 if you cut yours like mine ;)) 

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate animal crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter

Top layer: 

• 6 squares chocolate almond bark
• 1/4 tsp mint extract (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 15×10-inch pan. 
3. Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in small bowl.
4. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
7. Spread into prepared pan.
8. Bake 10 minutes.
9. Take out of oven.  The cookie will still be wet-ish.
10. Mix together butter and animal cracker crumbs.
11. Crumble mixture over cookie and lightly press down
12. Put in the oven again for about 10 more minutes.
13. Melt almond bark and mix in the extract. 
14. Drizzle over cookie crumbs.
15. Don’t cut until the chocolate has hardened.

Thin Mint Green Monster

Man, it has just been one of those days.

You know those days where nothing goes right?  Where you just stop doing things because you know it’s pointless.

That’s my excuse for homework, at least.  I’m sure that would go over really well.  “I didn’t do my homework because I knew I was going to fail.”  But, I insist on making a blog post instead of doing it anyway.

This day is putting me in a bad mood and there’s only so many times you can claim it’s “that time of the month” before people start questioning you.  “Katie, didn’t you say “your time of the month” was last week?” Uh, what? No!

I just have a few quick requests….

Dear puddle, get away from my shoes.
Dear bobby pins, please restock yourself.
Dear teacher, please don’t get mad at me because I was having technical difficulties with my computer.  It’s not my fault.
Dear homework, if you aren’t “group work”, please don’t have “group work” written on you so I don’t wait to do it in class with a group when I was supposed to do it by myself.
Dear cat, please quit puking on all of my stuff.  SERIOUSLY!
Dear Verizon, please get the iPhone so I can finally have my birthday present.  (I’m in a bad mood, I can be greedy).
Dear Pretty Little Liars, please just tell me who “A” is. (Don’t make fun of me.  It’s an unhealthy habit that can’t be stopped.)
Dear Glee cast, please don’t ever sing Justin Bieber songs again, and if you do, please don’t make Sam sing it; you’re ruining him for me. (Again, don’t make fun of me.)
Dear Mom, who accidentally bought the wrong thing at the store today, it’s okay. It was probably my fault!!
Dear blogger, please don’t tell me an error occurred when I try to post this recipe!!!!!

Okay, so it was nothing significant, but it just added up today and I was not having any of it.

Anyway, on a more positive note, I’ve been obsessed with these Green Monster smoothies lately.  There’s a whole site dedicated to recipes for them, so I think I’m set for life.

They have spinach in them.  They’re green.  They taste delicious.  If you’re like me, you’re really hesitant about the green/spinach thing.  Ew.  When I take these to work with me, I put them in a non-see-through (that’s a word right?) cup because they’re so nasty looking.

But please trust me when I tell you that you can’t even taste the spinach.  It’s a really good way to get vegetables into your diet if you’re anti-veggies.  The one I’ve been making lately tastes exactly like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie.  I swear!  Don’t believe me?  Try it for yourself!

Also, if anyone has any tips on making one of these look appetizing, please let me in on your secret.

P.S. Happy late Valentine’s Day.  I hope you all enjoyed it.  I did!  Post on that coming soon 🙂

Thin Mint Green Monster

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used vanilla and added two tablespoons of cocoa powder)
1 cup milk
1 HUGE handful of spinach
1/8 tsp mint extract (or to taste)
Sweetener, to taste.  I add a bunch of agave nectar.
Ice cubes to desired consistency.  I like mine super thick so I add a bunch

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Easy as pie. 

P.S. I’m trying to win a free box of Clif Bars and I’m also trying to win a package from Fitting It All In of her favorite things.  You should all check out her blog, it’s very cute!

Thin Mint Green Monster

Man, it has just been one of those days.

You know those days where nothing goes right?  Where you just stop doing things because you know it’s pointless.

That’s my excuse for homework, at least.  I’m sure that would go over really well.  “I didn’t do my homework because I knew I was going to fail.”  But, I insist on making a blog post instead of doing it anyway.

This day is putting me in a bad mood and there’s only so many times you can claim it’s “that time of the month” before people start questioning you.  “Katie, didn’t you say “your time of the month” was last week?” Uh, what? No!

I just have a few quick requests….

Dear puddle, get away from my shoes.
Dear bobby pins, please restock yourself.
Dear teacher, please don’t get mad at me because I was having technical difficulties with my computer.  It’s not my fault.
Dear homework, if you aren’t “group work”, please don’t have “group work” written on you so I don’t wait to do it in class with a group when I was supposed to do it by myself.
Dear cat, please quit puking on all of my stuff.  SERIOUSLY!
Dear Verizon, please get the iPhone so I can finally have my birthday present.  (I’m in a bad mood, I can be greedy).
Dear Pretty Little Liars, please just tell me who “A” is. (Don’t make fun of me.  It’s an unhealthy habit that can’t be stopped.)
Dear Glee cast, please don’t ever sing Justin Bieber songs again, and if you do, please don’t make Sam sing it; you’re ruining him for me. (Again, don’t make fun of me.)
Dear Mom, who accidentally bought the wrong thing at the store today, it’s okay. It was probably my fault!!
Dear blogger, please don’t tell me an error occurred when I try to post this recipe!!!!!

Okay, so it was nothing significant, but it just added up today and I was not having any of it.

Anyway, on a more positive note, I’ve been obsessed with these Green Monster smoothies lately.  There’s a whole site dedicated to recipes for them, so I think I’m set for life.

They have spinach in them.  They’re green.  They taste delicious.  If you’re like me, you’re really hesitant about the green/spinach thing.  Ew.  When I take these to work with me, I put them in a non-see-through (that’s a word right?) cup because they’re so nasty looking.

But please trust me when I tell you that you can’t even taste the spinach.  It’s a really good way to get vegetables into your diet if you’re anti-veggies.  The one I’ve been making lately tastes exactly like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie.  I swear!  Don’t believe me?  Try it for yourself!

Also, if anyone has any tips on making one of these look appetizing, please let me in on your secret.

P.S. Happy late Valentine’s Day.  I hope you all enjoyed it.  I did!  Post on that coming soon 🙂

Thin Mint Green Monster

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used vanilla and added two tablespoons of cocoa powder)
1 cup milk
1 HUGE handful of spinach
1/8 tsp mint extract (or to taste)
Sweetener, to taste.  I add a bunch of agave nectar.
Ice cubes to desired consistency.  I like mine super thick so I add a bunch

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Easy as pie. 

P.S. I’m trying to win a free box of Clif Bars and I’m also trying to win a package from Fitting It All In of her favorite things.  You should all check out her blog, it’s very cute!