Busy Day

Today has been a busy day.  Carver and Gannon were here for a grandma day while Kalissa was sleeping after working the overnight.  Then I got a call from Craig.  The Waucoma Firemen were moving their meeting to tonight.  If you’ve been reading my blog long, you know that our family is a big time supporter of our local fire department.

Everyone on the department has been awesome from the moment Kramer, my husband who passed away last year, joined the department.  I think that was back in 1997.  Since then our son Buck spent time on the department and now our daughter Kalissa’s husband is on the department.

Our family decided that we want to have a tradition of supplying supper for the firemen at their meeting every June.  We aren’t thinking anything fancy…this year we’re just doing pizza, chips, drinks and bars.

The firemen have been so good our family.  When Kramer was sick they came and did our yard work, tilled our garden, fixed the siding on our house even did some landscaping.  Here’s a picture of them all from that day.  We couldn’t have been more thankful.  Kramer and I both appreciated that so much.  (Read more HERE)

Then once we knew Kramer didn’t have long… they all came and planned a goodbye party for him.  All of the guys and first responders filed through and told them that they’d miss him and thanked him for his service.

What an amazing group of guys.  Kramer was so appreciative of this.  It meant so much to him! (Read more about that HERE)

As if that wasn’t enough, Kramer made a request that he not be transported by a hearse from the church to cemetery and instead be on the fire rig.  The guys all made that happen too!  (read about that HERE)  They coordinated the nicest funeral procession.  Kramer would have loved it.

Kramer wasn’t a little guy…but hoist him they did!

They all made it happen smoothly without a hitch.

They presented me with his helmet and to this day it stays on the treadle on his side of the bed.  That’s it’s permanent spot.

The guys have continued to be great and support me-inviting me to the firemen Christmas party and stopping by to check on me.  I’ve worked to try to help them out when I can too.  I continue to work their fundraiser breakfast and donate a quilt.  I was part of their mock disaster too.  Now…our family is doing a meal for them all.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So…all, back to my busy day and trying to make a pan of bars to serve to the guys tonight.  I thought I’d make Revel Bars.  (recipe here)

I was on the phone with Kalissa.  She was driving home.  I was getting some advice on how much pizza I would need.  The boys were at my house.  While talking I put a can of sweetened condensed milk on the stove with a bag of chocolate chips to melt.

About then Gannon fell and hit his head hard on the floor.  (it’s all about being 16 month old) I hung up with Kalissa, took Gannon to the living room and rocked him until he quieted.  Well then I had to call Kalissa back and tell her Gannon was okay.  Well in the process, I forgot about what was on the stove.  UGH.

I ran to the kitchen and thought the chocolate mix on the stove might be salvageable….but I’m on my diet and can’t taste it.  UGH.

So I told Kalissa to stop at my house before she went home to sleep so she could taste it.  She came.  She tasted it.  She said, “it’s okay but a can get a slight taste of it.  It’s almost like a s’more flavor”.

Well that gave me an idea.  Add marshmallows and call them s’more bars.  Who would know?  So that’s what I did…

Here they are ready for oven….

….and here’s what they looked like when they were out.

I think some chocolate syrup over the top might be the trick and then they’ll be good.  Of course, I can’t try them as I’m on the diet…but I do have a taste tester…

…and he said delicious.  So I guess I’ve created a new recipe…quite by accident.