I hear some of you have it out there…

But, our daffodil bulbs are nearly two inches out of the ground with all this nice rainy but mild weather we have been having.

Last weekend though, I got to head up to the mountains with my girls for a lil snow tubing, which was SUPER fun.  There was snow up there.. but not the usual January scene.   (side note: Vancouver in 12 days might be rough…)

{after a running jump}

{me, going down backwards}

{see me!  thanks girls, for taking some excellent photos when I passed off my camera!}

{me riding the tube lift back up the mountain, after losing a snowball fight to the girls…}

It was fun to get decked out in my snow gear and get snowed on though!  Plus, there was cocoa at the end of the day….

Filled with lots of fun!

First we saw one of our favorite bands Rebirth Brass Band…..

and danced and danced until our feet hurt.  It felt good though.   It felt like I could still go down to Oak St and head into the Maple Leaf and see them next week too.  Someone brought a second line umbrella, they threw out Mardi Gras cups, and we all seemed to be wearing  fleurs-de-lis in the audience….

They played “When the Saints go Marching In” at the end and everyone got all excited.

Because on Sunday the Saints marched into the Superdome…

and, after nearly giving everyone an overtime-inducing heart attack… beat the Vikings!

all I can say is…..

Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?

Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat in the Super Bowl!

remember this little guy that kept cropping up at estate sales and blogs? well, he’s come to live with us!

so darling on his little perch

my friend Jo knew i needed a little cheering up after finding out Erik wasn’t coming home right away, so she tracked down the cute Avon owl and gave it to me as an early Christmas gift.

winter white

SO cute and perfect for cheering up the window sill, mantle, or centerpiece in during these long January days. Thanks, Jo!

in such great condition

We made these treats last weekend for a little get together with friends.

They were SO delicious, worth every calorie.  But hey, I was just reading something about how chocolate scientifically makes you happy.  Hm.  I’d believe it, I feel better eating chocolate.

This recipe is a modification from a Giada recipe.  She used a sugar cookie layer on the bottom though.  Here it is, without further ado:

Mascarpone Chocolate Peanut Toffee Bars:

yum  (makes 16 very generous – sized bars)

• Vegetable cooking spray
• Peanut Butter Cookie Dough (either made from your fav recipe, or prepackaged Pillsbury type)
• 1/2 c chopped peanuts
• 2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, the peanuts and vanilla extract. Using a spatula, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.  You also might ahve to reprick the dough halfway through cooking.

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the  chocolate-toffee candy pieces over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature preferably with ice cream on top.

on our winter tablescape.

look at the peeks of sunshine that have graced Seattle this week!  Sunny and 50 — feels like spring!