Love Thursday & Photo Friday: The Combined Post Edition

I am a slacker. There. I said it. I am not ill, nor is anyone in my family. I didn't work on Thursday. I had no big appointments. So why didn't I post? I just told you--I am a slacker! Sheesh, did you forget already?!

Also, I had nothing to post about. Unless, you know, you want to talk about the tumbleweeds of dog hair that are accumulating under my kitchen table. You don't want to talk about that do you? Good, because that's a pretty boring thing to post about. Not to mention kinda gross.

You know what's not gross? Besides George Clooney or Hugh Jackman or my sweet, darling, absolutely hawt husband? The food I made yesterday! It's actually the complete and utter opposite of gross. I believe the food I made yesterday falls under the category of It's So Awesome It Must Be Inhaled While Making Nummy Noises.

You see, this whole back to work thing has thrown me off a little bit. My schedule is wack, yo. I simply cannot get everything done. I mean, I had that trouble before I went back to work, it's just now there's less time for me not to get everything done. If the laundry gets done, the cleaning suffers. If the cleaning gets done, the laundry suffers. If I live in this completely crapified and messy house much longer EVERYONE will suffer! But I digress... My point is, that my family hasn't been feeling much love from me lately.

And so in order to get back into their good graces I stooped to bribery. Bribery of the very best kind--I made them goodies! And, because I love you all, (Yes, even you, stranger/lurker. Yep, that's right. I love you even though you might be reading this in your p.j.'s and have a fabulous case of pillow perm. I love you and want you to keep coming back!) I am going to do what they taught me in kindergarten. I am going to share!

Well, I'm not going to share the actual food, because that could get tricky what with the shipping and the possible food allergy problems. But I am going to do the next best thing: I'll give you the recipes. I know. Generosity is my middle name. (Not really, because that would be weird. Unless I was a Puritan.)

The first little goodie I have to share is one of my all-time favorite things to eat--cucumber sandwiches. And the fact that I used the cucumbers that I grew in my very first garden makes them that much tastier. But if you don't have a garden, your basic grocery store cuke will still taste awesome. See? Don't they look delicious? THEY ARE!!! My son Sean is one happy boy right now, because he loves these almost as much as I do. And here's how you make them:

1 loaf of French bread, sliced. (I try to use a smaller loaf so the cucumber slice doesn't look like a little island in the middle of the bread.)
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 envelope of Good Season's Italian dressing mix
1 cucumber, washed, peeled and sliced
Dill (optional)

Mix the cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix together until well blended and smooth. Spread on the bread slices. Top with a slice of yummy cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Place on a platter and guard the plate so that you may hoard them all for yourself share with the ones you love.

Next up is a tasty little treat involving marshmallows and caramel. Okay, now. Wipe off your keyboard. Do you need a bib to catch that drool? I found this on One Pretty Thing who has a link to The Big Red Kitchen. And because I haven't asked her permission to copy the recipe, if you click that there link, it will take you to the page on her blog where the recipe is. Instead, I'll just taunt you with some more pictures of their delicious caramel-marshmallowy goodness. Mmmmm...don't they look yummy?

They are. I know because I made some and then sampled a dozen a couple. I used Coco Krispies and chocolate chips to roll them in as well as regular Rice Krispies. Can I just say the addition of chocolate to the mix makes them a little S'more-like? And that my friends, is a very good thing to be like. My children declared them good, and lo there was peace and forgiveness throughout the land.

So now, my sweetlings, don't say I never gave you anything! To paraphrase The Good Book, go forth, enter thy kitchen with thanksgiving in your heart, enter thy pantry with praise. Your family will thank you for it.

They might even go as far as rescinding the Meanest Mom Ever title--but don't hold your breath. That might require more than mere finger foods have to offer.

***While this probably doesn't sound like my usual Love Thursday post, I am placing it in that category because I made these things for mah preshus family because I lurrve them! Also, it's my blog and I'll tag how I want to, so there.