new years resolutions..

So I made some new years resolutions this year. It's been going pretty good so far. My favorite challenge that I issued to myself was to make a treat just for the Mr. each week. So on Monday's Lil Bit and I drop the kids off at school, then we head to the grocery store for the weekly shopping, then we get home unpack and put our aprons on. I have also been making my own granola bars and muffins each week for the kids to have in their lunches as a side item or snack. These are fairly healthy, containing pumpkin, flax and dried fruit. The granola bars have been a huge hit, and not just because I generously drizzle them with melted chocolate chips.  For just under $12, everyone in our family can have a granola bar a day (the Mr. takes two because some times he doesn't get to eat any lunch) They are just as tasty as cliff bars, and as I have packed them with seeds (but not nuts so they are school safe) whole grains, flax and oats I feel pretty good about feeding them to my kids. I chop them all up and put them in the fridge for the week.. Yum!

The Mr.'s treat each week is not healthy. It has been designed to sate his 8:00 craving for an entire bag of chips, or not-been-cooled muddie buddies, or entire pound of m&m's. This challenge has been great for me. So far I have enjoyed setting aside some time each week to do something specifically for him. Thus far I have done simple chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels, the first week, last week an oreo crust peanut butter chocolate pie.. and this week straight from pinterest...
SLUTTY BROWNIES..

http://www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html
Umm I just tried one , you know to sample.. DELISH, probably you are drooling just looking at them.
In case you are wondering they are called slutty because they are so EASY, and everybody wants them.

I just bought all the ingredients at ALDI (where I shop now because I am trying to get our budget under wraps before the big fall change*) I baked some for the family to enjoy in little individual silicone muffin cups (available at dollar store) (Costco eat your heart out) and then made 1/2 a pan for The Mr. to have all to himself. (you too can own a 1/2 brownie pan for $1 at the dollar store).

So if you are not on pinterest yet.. I highly suggest checking it out, although it is something of Craft Porn and mildly addictive.. it has opened up a whole new world of ideas possibilities and deliciousness.

*big fall change.. for the first time in 7 years I will not be coaching a fall sport. While I look forward EAGERLY to all those free afternoons with the kids, I will be missing the paycheck that used to accompany that sacrifice. So we need to trim $601 from our monthly budget. Totally doable right?

We'll see!