S'mores Bars

Cozy up next to a fire, grab your marshmallows and grahams, and get ready for some chocolate-y goodness!

I really love s'mores. The ooey gooey cream center between two graham cracker crunches. Oh my...my heart skips a beat. S'mores remind me of times where I'm relaxed and in a good mood. I was in the mood to bake something but I didn't want to make a cake. I've never tried to make bars before of any kind, so I figured why not make s'mores bars?!

Some More S'mores Bars, Please

1 cup butter (room temp)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups graham crackers (crushed pretty fine)-- this amounts to 14 graham crackers, fyi.

1 to 1 1/2 cup peanut butter (based on your liking of pb)

3 GIANT Chocolate Bars (The 6.8oz ones)

1 14oz container marshmallow fluff

Mix the first set of ingredients until smooth.

Add in the second set of ingredients until just incorporated (will be crumbly like)

Grease a 9X13 pan (recipe can be halved for an 8x8).

Divide the graham crust mixture in half. Gently press one half of the mixture into the pan.

Using a spatula and some patience, smear the peanut butter over the graham crust.

Gently plop the chocolate bars (enough to cover the entire pan) onto the peanut butter. Break them if you need them to fit more snug.

Use a spatula and spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate (GOOD LUCK!). I didn't warm it in the microwave, though I bet you would have an easier time spreading it if you did.

Finally, pour the remaining half of the graham crust over the marshmallow layer. My mix was in crumbs, so it was easy to spread and then pat together to make on even layer.

Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or until light brown on top. Cool completely and cut and enjoy!

YUM!

To open a bakery or not?

Is it smart to start your own business? Now or ever? Experts claim that becoming your own business owner can be a bad move. Breaking free of the chains from working for 'the man' can be liberating. Without such direction and security, taking the leap into your own business can be a bit scary and risky.

I know I've had dreams of opening my own bakery and so has my sister, my husband, and just about everyone else I know. No one likes to be under someone else's thumb. We want freedom. We want to hold our future in our own hands. The question is: Are we capable? Can we handle our own dream? My husband says that only crazy people with crazy ideas are successful, people willing to take a chance and go for it.

It seems that poor accounting skills and a bad economy will shred your business apart. This is true. I wonder how many businesses start out working in the home and when business blooms, proper expansion occurs. This expansion, however, not being a leap 30 steps ahead but only 5 (not paying for too big of a facility, not getting in over your head financially or employee-wise). I assume this is how all small businesses start? My mom basically opened shop. She bought a small store and put out an 'open' sign. She's never had to advertise. It's always been word of mouth. Perhaps it's just her chosen occupation that makes it no need for advertisement. Considering a bakery I believe there's got to be a strong foundation of clients and sales.

It's not all fun and games. When I think of owning my own bakery I think of how I will decorate it, how I will relate to the customers coming in to enjoy treats, or I imagine baking cakes and decorating them all day long. What I don't think about is the 18 hour days working towards a deadline. Dealing with weather changes and how they affect cake delivery for weddings. I don't think about constantly being dirty with flour. I don't think about unhappy customers. I don't consider the same repetitive movements and cakes/sweets I'll have to make. I also don't think about what happens if no one loves my bakery.

"Oh, everyone loves sweets! I don't need to advertise!" " People will love my bakery!" These thoughts are a dreamer's gold. Not everyone will love my baking. My bakery might need some help getting discovered in my local and regional area. It's a dreamy thought to open up a business and have everything fall into place. Crap happens though and sometimes you can't change it. No matter how good of a product you have, if people don't know about it or dont like it you're out of luck.

I think also it's hard to admit defeat. One doesn't want to admit his business is a failure. That would then lead to him being a failure. On top of pursuing your dreams you've got to keep your feet on the ground in reality and go with the flow of the economy and market.