Cookies, Brownies, and Caramel - OH MY!

***If you are on a diet.  Do not scroll down.  Don't do it.  In fact- you should probably run from this post.  As fast as you can.  Because the sheer yumminess radiating from the screen may cause you to indulge.***

We have an awesome milk man.  If you don't get your milk delivered- you may not know that milk men don't show up in the middle of the day.  They work overnight.  Even in the winter.  BRRRRRR.  My brother in law is also a milk man- so we hear first hand about milk-man adventures.  Usually people don't think to leave anything for them.  A few weeks ago- I started leaving baked yummies out for him.  Hailey even left a picture she had drawn for him, that said "Thank you for being our milk man!"- he left her chocolate milk the next week.  See?  Awesome.

So now that we have been leaving him goodies- I can't just stop!  So every Monday night, I am baking.  Which is great for me because I love to do it- and great for you- because I will be sharing my concoctions here!  Don't be surprised if I start asking people to take some of the goodies off my hands.  A girl can only eat so many goodies before she has to buy new jeans.

So lets get started, shall we?  Monday afternoon I was sitting pondering what to make for Mr. Milk Man.  We made chocolate cake 3 weeks ago, chocolate chip cookies the week after that, then banana bread.  It was too soon to repeat any of those.  But gosh cookies sounded good.  So did brownies.  So did caramel.  HOMEMADE caramel.  And Heath bar. I looked at Chris and proposed that we put them all together.  1,000,000 delicious calories in every nibble.  A.K.A Sheer Bliss.  It's dangerously yummy people.

So here's what we start with- this is for a big batch, so if you want to half it ,you can.  I would usually make everything from scratch, but we had a deadline, so store bought it is!

Before you start baking anything else, you will need a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk.  Peel off the label- and lay can on it's side immersed in water.  It needs to be completely submerged or the can will explode. No joke.  Bring the water in the pan to a boil, then leave the water simmering for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.  Make sure the can stays covered with water.  Once the 2 hours has passed, remove the can from the water and set aside to cool.  DO NOT OPEN IT WHILE IT IS HOT.  Hot sugar is worse than a lava burn.

While your caramel is cooling- you will need:

Preheat your oven to 350*

2 boxes of your very favorite brownie mix.  This one was on sale- so it was my favorite today.

- Oil, 4 eggs, and water for your brownie mix

A 2 pound roll of premixed chocolate chip cookie dough

Heath Bits

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. In the base on the dish, spread out your cookie dough until it covers the base of the pan.  Bake just the cookie dough for approx 10 minutes.  While it bakes, mix your brownies- according to the box directions.

The cookie dough will still be partially undone.  Pour your brownie mix on top of the cookie dough.  Put the pan back into the oven- set your timer for 30 minutes and wait.  My brownies took close to 50 minutes to cook- but ovens vary as do our altitudes, so better to add time than overcook!

Now is the time to hand your cute little puppy dog eyed kiddos or hubby the spoon from the batter.  If you are cool with that.  I put a little disclaimer in there just in case.  :-)

Your cookie brownie is done when a toothpick removes nearly clean from the middle.  You don't want it to be dry- but certainly don't want raw batter in the middle either.  Remove from the oven.  Now is the time to crack open that amazing caramel goodness you made earlier.  It's hard not to eat it by the spoonful.  Resist if you can- the brownies want some too.  Spread the caramel over the top of the brownies while they are still warm.  Sprinkle a little Heath bar on top.  Then wait a little bit so you don't melt your taste buds trying to taste it.

Once your cookies brownie caramel heath goodness isn't oven hot anymore, brace yourself.  Because this bad boy is rich.  You may need a glass of milk.  Or a scoop of ice cream.  Or both.

Enjoy!

Coming soon..... Coffee Kahlua Devil's food cake with a whipped Burbon Icing.

Long Road... | Englewood Colorado Family Photographer

I can't believe nearly a month has passed since my last blog post.  We have had a crazy month and it seems like my head is finally slowing its spin.  For those who don't know, we take care of my Grandmother.  She is nearly 87!  On April 29th she had a heart attack.  By the grace of God, she is recovering very well, but it has been one heck of an adjustment since her coming home.  We are just thankful that we are with her and were able to get her medical treatment before it was too late. Doctor's appointments, Therapists, Nurse Visits, and old friends have kept our household bustling.  Being home constantly has given us a chance to take lots of snapshots of the little details of our life.  Teagan is sitting up on her own now, and this new perspective has her wheels turning.  You can see that now she thinks she wants to get moving- and crawling will come before we know it.  She is such a joy and so full of personality.  She can't resist an opportunity to brighten someone's day with her precious 5 1/2 month old smile.  She is my little chubba- Rolls everywhere!  Hailey and Noah were chubby, but never had so many rolls.

Noah is our busy boy.  100mph or sleeping (Sometimes in the funniest places), he keeps us on our toes.  He is actively potty training- so all of our visitors have gotten to witness shameless acts of streaking as he bolts for the potty.  He is at the age that is far too busy to take the time to look at the camera unless we are slinging mud at a window or trying to scare Mommy as "Dino Noah".  He lights up our life.  Noah is our pistol.  Our energy.  Our chatterbox. His sister's defender, best friend and worst enemy.  If they aren't fighting, they are holding hands and hugging.  He adores his baby sister and wants so desperately to carry her around.  We have had a few instances that we have to stop him as he attempts to lift her off the floor by her legs.  He makes each day interesting and exciting- and while it can be tiring- it is wonderful and I am thankful to have such a smart, healthy little boy.

Then there is Hailey.  A princess to the core, during playtime we have to address her as such.  "Princess Hailey"- and if she is playing the role of mommy, it is "Mommy Princess Hailey".  She is full of questions- most that she is too young to ask.  She is a little mommy, and glued to her baby sister's side.  She loves being a helper and tries all too often to carry Teagan and change her diapers.  She is a daddy's girl, and about half way through the workday will start asking if she can watch for him to come home.  She wants to go to school as long as I come with her.  She is amazing and has a beautiful and caring heart.  She doesn't know a stranger in the world, and if you aren't careful when we bump into you at the store- she may very well share her life's story with you as we wait in the check out line.  At 4 she already has a heart for service and asks how we can help others.  It melts my heart.

We are beyond blessed to have such amazing children.  We are blessed to spend time with their great grandmother- they are given more gifts from their time with her than they could ever hold in their  hands.  We are blessed to be at home, blessed to have each other, blessed to have time together, blessed to know that the most solid thing we have is family.

7 Weeks | Englewood, Colorado Baby Photographer

We are only a few days away from announcing the winner of the Best of 2009!  It is a close race- so be sure to vote for your favorite!

If you have children, you know how quickly they grow.  The first couple of weeks after they arrive seem to drag as you adjust to less sleep and a new routine- then suddenly when it seems like you might lose your mind, they smile at you.  Then someone hits the fast forward button.  It gets faster with each child.  Teagan has grown so quickly.  We celebrated 7 weeks together yesterday.  SEVEN.  I feel like I was just at the hospital having her last week.  Of course, I feel the same way about my 4 year old- and my parents say they feel the same way about me.

It teaches me to value each day to the deepest extent.  I am blessed to be able to capture them often.  I wish that I had participated in a Belly-2-Baby or First Year plan with my oldest.  I have a million snapshots of her, but I wish we had gotten professional portraits every couple months for her.  My younger 2 kids just kind of fell into Belly-2-Baby, and I know that someday they will love to look back in their albums made just for them.  They change SO fast.  SO fast.

My children and husband are my heart.  I love them beyond what words can convey.

I had so much fun doing her 7 week pictures yesterday (yes, I do weekly portraits their first year-- they look different every day!)  I even made a flower clip to use in that pretty hair of hers- and it will be fun to use with little girls in the future.

Snapfish | Denver Portrait Photographer

I dream of being a scrapbooker.  I have all sorts of scrapping toys, tons of paper, books, tools, everything.  Often, the reason I don't get around to it is lack of time- but the real and largest problem is I take 100's of pictures and never get them printed!  I have such a hard time thinking about cutting up beautiful, high quality prints, even if it is to put into a beautiful book.

So when I stumbled upon Snapfish I was floored.  Not only do you get your first 50 4x6's free, but you have the option to print your photos Matte (pretty than glossy IMO).  I'm always a bit nervous about non professional printers, but when their box arrived, I was surprised to see that they were a very nice quality.  The color is good, and the paper quality is okay- better than a cheapie printing place, but not so nice that I will feel bad cutting them to fit into a scrapbook.   I will be using them on occasion for my day to day snapshots- and I recommend you give them a try for your home photos too!

(That ouch on my daughter's nose is from when she broke it several months ago... that is her after it healed in the striped shirt next to her cousin-yay for skin that heals well!)

2 years old | Englewood Child Photographer

2 years ago today we welcomed Noah into our family.  A boy to the core, he is ever busy discovering what will and what won't flush down the toilet, how things come apart, and how quickly Mommy can catch him if he runs away.  Just as equally as he is rambunctious is he love bug.  A snuggler and quiet the mommy's boy until recently.  He is realizing how COOL daddy is- and how much fun he can have with him.  We love him dearly and are so thankful that he is part of our lives. I could write and write about all the things you are to our family- but you and sister want to paint!  I am so excited to see you grow Noah.  I can't  call you a baby anymore- even though you will ALWAYS by MY baby.

At the Hospital

1st Birthday

Before your first Haircut

After your first haircut

Merry Christmas | Denver Newborn Photographer

Such a beautiful Christmas in Colorado this year.  Our days were filled with family, food, and love.  And of course, a little bit of Santa baby. I pray that your Christmas was blessed and filled with love!

Thank you | Denver Photographer

To all of my past an present clients, to those who I will meet in the future, thank you.  I am thankful for all of you.  You all allow me to have the very best job in the world; helping make memories for all of you.  Thank you for your business, your friendship, and most of all for trusting me with capturing you and your loved ones. I am so looking forward to the next year with all of you!  I wish I had more words in order to express my thanksgiving, but without getting emotional, that is about as far as I can get.

All shiny and new | Denver Portrait Photographer

It's a blog!  I am so excited to present to you the all new Brink Street Photography blog.  Here you will find sneak previews of recent sessions, new products, special events, and many many other fun and exciting things that we just couldn't present on the flash website!  It will be a continual work in progress, adding new features as Brink Street grows.  I hope that you continue to join us! So lets get started by introducing my family (my most captured "subjects"!)

This is me, Kim... and that little bump is our soon to arrive 3rd kiddo.  She will be here before we know it and can't wait to meet her.  I can assure you that you will see plenty of her here on the blog just as soon as she arrives.

I am blessed with the most amazing family in the whole world.  I have a best friend and husband all rolled into one- which is fantastic because we can talk for hours, be complete goofballs (something we are exceedingly good at), but we get to hold hands and snuggle too!  Doesn't get much better than that.  Plus he's really really good looking....

We take care of my lovely grandmother, a wonderful addition to our lives.  She is 86 and my kids are nuts about her.  She is a loving and gentle soul and we are so happy that we get to share this time of her life with her.

And then there are my babies...  God lent them to me for a little while, and I promised to enjoy them to the fullest!  My oldest daughter will be 4 in January, and my son will be 2 in January.  Yes, they will all have birthdays within 2 weeks of Christmas.  Go us for timing!  They are the most amazing kids- little balls of energy.  They are the truest photographer's children- simply meaning they see the camera and RUN!  You'd be amazed what we have to do to get their pictures.  I admit it, I'm not against a tiny bit of bribery.

And of course, we cannot forget our oldest, our sweet doggy daughter- the one who loves all of us with everything she has, tolerates the kids clambering on her, and gets WAY too many table scraps.

Now for the fun part!  Here's where you get to play along, and maybe even win a prize!

We have THREE prizes up for grabs!

Comment on this Blog: The first 25 people to post a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win a Starbucks giftcard... Mmmm Peppermint Mocha... (don't forget to leave your email address)

Become a Facebook Fan: The first 25 people to become fans of Brink Street Photography on Facebook will be entered into a random drawing to win a Starbucks giftcard.  Have you tried their "Perfect Oatmeal"?  It's pretty darn perfect.  Click HERE to become a fan.

Share Brink Street: If you think this blog and/or website is worth sharing, tell your friends!  The first 20 people in the greater Denver area to share the link www.brinkstreetphotography.com/blog on their Facebook or their own blog will be entered to win a gift card to either Tokyo Joes or Duffy Roll!  You get to choose.  If you haven't had either, you need to.

Have fun and thank you for helping get the word out!