Caramel Butter Pecan Bars

Let’s talk about laundry today.

On the surface, it’s pretty simple.  Throw it in the washer, throw it in the dryer, fold it, put it away.

But it came to my attention yesterday that there are mitigating factors that some people (like maybe your husband/boyfriend/fiance) are unaware of, so we’re going to discuss this now in the hopes that you can educate them before things get out of hand.

Because laundry requires a bit of planning.

I keep my hamper in my bathroom, and 5 days out of 7 there are piles of sorted laundry littering my bathroom floor.  To a mere observer, the piles surely seem haphazard.

But what they REALLY are is a small piece of a finely tuned machine.

Anytime I throw in a pile of laundry, there are a couple ofquestions I ask myself :

Is there something already IN the washer?

If the above answer is YES– Is there a load already IN the dryer too?

This is important because it throws a whole wrench in the laundry process.  It means that besides just throwing a load in, I also have to commit to folding and putting away the load in the dryer (or at least folding it and leaving it in the living room for everyone to step over) AND transferring the washer stuff to the dryer.  Which will obviously ALSO need put away, lest the NEW load I’m washing sits all day/night and gets mildewed.

See?  A simple thing like throwing in a load of laundry is not so simple.

Basically, I’m sort of a rocket scientist, what with the laundry algebra I’m doing all day.  It’s tough, wears out my brain, and is at least partly responsible for the days that my husband comes home and I inform him that his dinner choices are sandwiches or Fruity Pebbles.

It came to my attention that some people might not be fluent in Laundry Algebra when my well meaning husband decided to do some laundry.

You know how sometimes your kid(s) are playing super quietly in their room, and instead of asking what they’re doing, you tiptoe like a stealth ninja up to their door and spy on them because you know that the slightest disturbance will throw everything out of balance and next thing you know, they’re asking for food and changing the channel from Real Housewives to Cartoon Network?

It was sort of like that.  I didn’t want to do anything to make him question the fact that he was doing laundry, so I made sure to be quiet and still and let it be.

The next day, however, I entered the laundry room to be greeted with a sight that one can only describe as a miniature house of horrors.

The laundry basket I use to haul clean laundry to the living room, where I sit and fold it, was full of wrinkled clothes.  Clothes that had NOT been run again or fluffed before removing because I guess that some people don’t know the trick about dryers doubling as super expensive magic ironers.

The dryer was full of a giant load of jeans, cardigans, and a fun assortment of sturdy and delicate clothes.  It had been run on Heavy Duty apparently, because that is my husband’s favorite washer/dryer cycle.  I have never used Heavy Duty myself, but I guess it sounds manly, as I have no other explanation for his choice.

The washer was full as well.

I sat down and tried to explain the Laundry Algebra to my husband.  How you can’t just throw in a load unless you take full measure of the current situation and can commit to seeing it through.  He seemed like he understood what I was saying, but I’m honestly not fully convinced.  He was making the same face as one when I talk about shoes.

In short — be careful when you wish for someone to help you with the laundry.  Because they might just create MORE work for you, then you will wish that you hadn’t even complained ever.

Okay, I actually never wish I hadn’t complained, I just wish that instead of  DOING the laundry, my husband would instead buy me a present to make up for it.  Much better for everyone involved.

As always, this post is a two for one, because besides sharing sage laundry advice ( presents are better than help), I’m also sharing the recipe for these yummy and easy bars.

There is a buttery cookie layer, a caramel layer, a pecan layer, and a chocolate layer.

It’s a good thing all around.

Caramel Butter Pecan Bars

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Cookies June 2012 Issue

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons) cold butter, sliced into pieces
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping, warmed until pourable
• 11.5 oz bag milk chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 350.

2.  In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.  Cut in butter until you have a blended, crumbly mixture.  Evenly sprinkle over the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 pan.  Press firmly to make a crust.  Sprinkle pecans evenly over the crust and drizzle with the caramel topping.

3.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling all over.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with entire bag of chocolate chips.  Let stand for 5 minutes, then carefully spread the melted chips over the surface of the bars.  Cool until chocolate is set, then cut into squares.

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t think of that until just now.

Enjoy — these are a really great dessert and perfect for a pot luck. A little piece goes a long way!!

Happy Wednesday!!