"Tis the Season to Speek" Sweepstakes....

Speek is having an awesome giveaway.

Between now & December 12th if you sign up for a free Speek account you'll be entered into this awesome sweepstake! How awesome you ask??? Let's just say the Grand Prize is a $1,000 shopping spree, the 1st prize is a Nintendo Wii & the 2nd prize is an Apple iPhone. Who doesn't want/need all 3 of those? Plus with Christmas around the corner, I think we could all use some extra spending money!!!

So what do you have to do to win??? It's soo simple, that's what I love. You go click on the link below & sign up for your FREE account. Now you are entered.

How Does Speek Work?

1.

When you join Speek, you get a free account where you create a profile all about you and your interests. (Note: You never have to submit any sensitive stuff like a phone number, credit card number or social security number-- and the information you do give is 100% secure and never seen or shared with anyone else.)

2.

You then get access to an easy-to-use online viewer. That's where you'll receive ads that are matched specifically with you.

3.

For every ad that you view and rate your interest in, you get $.05.

4.

For every ad you view, a non-profit organization selected by you also receives $.05. You don't have to choose between the two-- you can make money and make a difference at the same time.

5.

When you invite friends and family to Speek, you make money for every ad they view too. The more people you invite, the faster it all adds up.

6.

When you want to get your money, it's as easy as pushing a button. Your proceeds will be put into your PayPal account (or you can choose alternate payment methods, like gift cards to your favorite stores-- whatever makes you the very happiest).

Tip Junkie Giveaway...

Over at tipjunkie they are giving away a bunch of great stuff just in time for CHRISTMAS! I don't know about you but i need all the help i can get to get ready for Christmas this year, it seems like it is coming way too fast!

Sneak Peek....

My super cute friend Shari was so kind and took a few family pictures for us. I'm still editing the ones worth using but thought i would share this one. My kiddos are super cute but when it comes to family pics they start acting crazy and it's impossible to get a decent photo.

The Karrens 2008

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

This is darling stuff!!!

PLEASE HELP!!!

This darling little family

needs our help. Their cute baby girl Mia was born with a heart defect and her insurance is running out and won't put her on more than one waiting list for a heart transplant. If the family wants her on more waiting lists they have to come up with $450,000 up front. I don't know about you but i certainly don't have that kind of money. I don't know anybody who has that kind of cash, so this CUTE girl is helping them by doing a quilt giveaway. You can choose to donate if you want but what is $1 dollar? I decided i'm going to go without my SONIC drink today so i can give to this family. Go HERE to donate to MIA! Go HERE to win the quilt!

Happy Halloween!!!
Well the ARMY GUY and the CHICKEN had a GREAT time TRICK OR TREATING.
Peyton totally got into it this year, he couldn't believe that people were just giving him CANDY for free.
The trunk or treat at the church was a hit, the kids made numerous laps around getting way too much candy.

We tried to get a few pictures but they didn't turn out very well.

Our cute little guys,
Brody was a little sad before we headed out.

OK so when you live in Arizona don't make your kids wear the old navy costumes. They are way too hot, Brody lasted about 20mins. before we stripped him down.

The mother load of CANDY!

YES we ate candy for breakfast, did you????

MORE CANDY!!!

I whipped this up for Brody about 20mins. before we left to go out, but i thought it turned out pretty cute. It still needs some lining but i'll do that next year.

YUMMY...

OK i know i'm a torture to myself and i know how to destroy a diet plan like no other. I can't help it though, it's not my fault people post yummy delicious recipes on their blog and i just so happen to come across them. I'm not saying i'm going to make these today but i definitely will be making them this weekend. I found them here, and i'm totally addicted to this blog now. She has some great ideas and i'll be totally using more of her recipes! I'll let you know how they turn out.

Caramel- Pecan Brownies

Soooo rich and heavenly... FOR THE BROWNIES: 12 Tbs (6 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces; more softened for the pan 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 4 large eggs 1¾ cups granulated sugar 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp table salt ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup natural cocoa powder 1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped FOR THE TOPPING: 1 cup granulated sugar ¼ tsp fresh lemon juice ¼ cup cold water ½ cup heavy whipping cream 3 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp table salt GARNISH: 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 Tbs heavy whipping cream ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped 1 Make the brownies: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. 2 Put butter and chocolate in a medium heavy-duty saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. 3 In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until well blended. Gradually whisk in sugar and then whisk vigorously until well blended. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk in flour and cocoa powder until blended. Stir in pecans and then scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing it into an even layer with a spatula. 4 Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and, if necessary, gently press down any puffed areas with a spatula to make the top level. Let cool about 5 minutes. 5 Make the topping: While the brownies are baking, make the caramel. Fill a cup measure halfway with water and put a pastry brush in it; this will be used for washing down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization. In a heavy duty 2-quart saucepan, stir the sugar, lemon juice, and ¼ cup cold water. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to wash away any sugar crystals. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan, until the mixture starts to color around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Gently swirl the pan once to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning in isolated spots. Continue to cook until the sugar turns medium amber, about 30 seconds more. (Once the mixture begins to color, it will darken very quickly, so keep an eye on it!) 6 Remove the pan from heat and carefully add the cream- the mixture will bubble up furiously. Once the bubbling has subsided, add the butter and gently whisk until completely melted. Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt. 7 Pour the caramel topping over the brownies (it won't be thick). Roll the pan around (or use a spatula) to spread the caramel evenly over the entire top. Let the brownies cool on the rack for 45 minutes and then refrigerate until the caramel topping has set (at least an hour and longer, if possible). The caramel will most likely sink into the brownies quite a bit, leaving a thin layer on top of the brownies. 8 Garnish the brownies: Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate into a small piping bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain tip. (Or put in a small zip-top bag and seal the bag. Using scissors, snip off a corner of the bag to make a small hole.) Drizzle the chocolate over the brownies in a zigzag pattern. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. 9 Cut the brownies into 36 rectangles. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (Well- covered brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days). If your kitchen is warm, it's best to keep them chilled. Yield: About 36 brownies Cooking Tips *You are certainly welcome to make this recipe easier by using store-bought caramel. Eliminate steps 5 & 6 and continue with step 7. Use enough caramel to cover the top of the brownies (probably about 1 cup or so will do). **These brownies are decadent and rich. A small piece is sufficient as a serving size. ***They can also be a little messy with caramel dripping slightly off of the sides. We displayed each brownie on a small square of parchment paper and then placed it onto the platter. Then it was able to become a hand-held dessert without being so messy for the person holding it.