Sweets for the sweets- Carmelitas

Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon, fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
Oh, I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet, yeah
(Def Leppard, Pour Some Sugar On Me)

So, yah, that was the theme from my life this morning. No, get your head out of the gutter, I was making a new little treat called Carmelitas. It's Valentine's Day and my office is having sweets/chocolate day to celebrate. I know, like we need anymore sweetness around here, right? I looked through my Pinterest board and of course who wants to make something tried and true, why not just step out and try something new? And OHHHH MYYYY these were delish. I pan of gooey greatness. Enough sugar to put a small country into a diabetic coma for a few days. I highly recommend you give these a try. I doubled the recipe but they are super rich so probably the 8x8 pan is enough for most people.

Carmelitas
(from Lulu the Baker)
32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**If you want to use homemade or store-bought caramel sauce in place of the caramel/cream mixture, use 1 1/4 cups of sauce.
***To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

You say you want a rev-o-lu-tionnnn

Wow, my how time flies! Didn't intentionally stop posting for OVER a month but you know -life- it just has a way of sometimes taking all the hours of every day. Although, I suppose if it didn't then it would be death.......hmmm, another ponderance for a different day. What I really want to talk about is another thing happening ready or not and boy am I ready, is a little thing called "Podstock." Yes people LESS THAN 6 MONTHS from now, July 17-19, 2013, we will be tech-ing (yah,  I made up that word) it up at the Hotel at Old Town in Wichita, Kansas. It's like a giant geekfest, nerdtopia of crazy family members. You know the type, they are a part of your family you hesitate to claim to outsiders but are definitely the most fun. :)

One of my duties to get this party started is the graphics. Myself and the whole Podstock team have got some awesome ideas planned for ya'll. From the requested iPad Preconference (some repeated stuff and of course some new stuff as well) to the wonderful plethora of knowledgeable and F.U.N. presenters to the zany and whacky ESSDACK staff members (yes, moi is included in that menagerie) it promises to be another year of learning, community and craziness.

If you haven't already done it listen to Ginger and Andrea as they try to herd the cats and talk about Podstock, past, present and future in podcast fashion. Look for the most recent podcast due to post any day now with yours truly and the rest of our awesome media team.

Ginger, Jaime, Lori and Michelle in the podcast studio

Ginger Lewman, she totally rocks!

Jaime and Michelle -making anything a fun time

Glenn talking about "sticking it to the man"

This year we have decided to revisit the first Podstock's era of the 60's. We couldn't just reheat what was already done, where would the hullabaloo be in that, right? Peace, Love and Hippies was fun but this year is going to tap into the rebellious side of the 60's and start a revolution. Because isn't it that we all want to change the world? And we can, one device, one idea and one child at a time.

Last year we had two t-shirts (thanks Prairie Print, Wichita), one for all the Podstock family members

Kevin modeling the 2012 shirt

and a limited edition one.

Makes me wanna listen to some Styx, Journey or Boston

 I can't even tell you how many people wanted that limited shirt, so I'm gonna just tell you in advance how you can get this year's "special" shirt. It's easy really, just be an ESSDACK staff member. I know what you are thinking,that you already have a job (that isn't nearly as awesome as being on staff here at ESSDACK- just sayin') so you are not going to be eligible, BUT Au contraire mon frere it IS possible. If you submit a proposal to do a session and are accepted, you are in, simple as that, you've got a ticket to ride. Honorary staff member for a day - or two. So don't delay we wanna see what you have to offer. Go to the podstock 2013 page and submit a proposal.

And just to wet your appetite, here is a sneak preview of this year's shirt design.

Power to the People - the phrase which could quite possibly be on the back. wink wink

And here is the limited edition shirt

:)

haha, you didn't think I'd really show ya, now did you?


and just for giggles......here is a preview of the guitar pick. BTW people have asked where we order our picks from and the answer is Seven Kings.

So Hey Jude....er, I mean dude,  do it NOW, register to attend or even better submit a proposal, c'mon you know you wanna and until you do my guitar gently weeps.