Fringe Vanilla and Cream Cheese Crescent Roll Bars

I don't win things. I'm sure you've heard someone say that before. But it's true. Raffles. Giveaways. Contests. Sports. Ok, maybe occasionally sports. Or maybe not. But that's not the point. The point is... It was my name, MINE, that she posted. My email to which she sent that fateful message. Alright, alright I might be just a tad melodramatic here. But how can you not be when you win a bottle of pure vanilla extract? Yes indeed folks. I WON!!! WHOO! Ahem. Excuse me. The lovely Fringegirl Tricia from The Domestic Fringe hosted a wonderful giveaway on her blog for a bottle of her very own Fringe Vanilla. I highly encourage you to check out her blog. She's fabulous!

So, when I received my bottle of premium quality Fringe Vanilla I, of course had to whip it out and bake!

...Or just smell it for a while. Come on. Everyone does this. Right? ...Right?

So! Step one for creamy, crescenty goodness. Gather the follow ingredients: Two packages of crescent roll dough, two packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, one beaten egg, one cup of sugar, brown sugar, and of course, vanilla.

Gather like so. Step 2! Cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla all go into a mixing bowl... And then you mix it. Duh. You know what else is fabulous about this recipe? It's the first one I made using my new kitchen aid stand mixer!! I love it. It's great. I got it for like, twenty bucks and it's practically brand new. Love.Love.Love.

Step three: Get brother to open crescent roll packages 'cause jeepers they're scary when they like pop open. No, this is actually a step. If there is anyone else in the house, I will make them open these things. Biscuits, pizza dough, crescent rolls... they're really scary.

Nice work, bro. I couldn't have done it without you. Seriously.

Step four: Take one package of crescent dough and lay it in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. You could prolly do this in a 9x9 or whatever size pan you had on hand. This is sorta tricky as the dough sometimes tear or doesn't line up well, but just squish it around until it covers the entire bottom.

Step five: Use your spatula and get the cream cheese mixture onto the base layer of dough. Try and make it an even layer but if you eat a few finger-fulls... I'm not telling.

Step six: Layer the second package of dough over top of the filling. This can be pretty tricky but you just gotta fumble through it until you find a way that'll work for you. It's not too hard.

Step seven: Bake for 30 minutes or so. Oh, did I mention your should prolly preheat your oven to 350 degrees? 'Cause you should probably remember to do that. That usually helps. Hm. After it's done in the oven, let it cool. Duh. You don't wanna burn your mouth. And then I throw mine in the fridge 'cause I like mine refrigerated. But if you don't... that's cool. I respect your decision. I think it's a mistake, but I will respect it.

Step eight: After it's chilled in the fridge for... I dunno, a while, cut yourself a slice and enjoy! Ok, maybe two slices.

But seriously. These bars are great. Fringe Vanilla is great. And The Domestic Fringe is really, really great. Like, not just great. Like, so.really.fabulously.amazingly great. Go. Go look. You won't regret it. I promise. :)

-Spencer

That's It. He's Gonna Die.

One of the most exciting parts of my trip to Costa Rica was the Crocodile Tour. It was towards the end of our trip and when our Director said we were taking another boat tour I know I wasn't the only one groaning. I figured we'd only see a crocodile from a distance and it'd splash into the water and be gone before we got a proper look at it. After being on our tour bus (nicknamed the "Black Stallion") for a while I was tired and thought this boat ride would be a chance for a nice long conscious nap. You know. The kind of nap where you're not actually asleep but you're so zoned out and not paying attention you might as well be. So I was not exactly jumping out of my seat to get off the bus and down to the boat.

At first, the trip started off something like this. "Look to your right. Do you remember what that bird is called?" And everyone would mumble back "Great white egret" or "It's an Anhinga." I was thrilled. Really.

Can't you tell? So thrilled. And then our guide says "Oh, wonderful! Here's one of the big boys. Up here to the left. The locals call him Osama." So of course everyone is peering eagerly off to the left as we keep getting closer... and closer... and closer. This is Osama the Crocodile.

Yeah. That's a 16 foot crocodile. Maybe... twenty feet from where our captain takes the boat. This croc is over sixty years old. And chubby. But what happened next is where the story gets interesting. Our captain José Gets.Out.Of.The.Boat. WHY WOULD YOU GET OUT OF THE BOAT!? There's a sixteen foot male crocodile nicknamed 'Osama' and a 9 foot female crocodile sitting right there! WHY?? Well, to feed the crocodile, of course! How silly of me.

Ok, yeah that's a different crocodile. Because he got out of the boat TWICE. He's insane. And then two more female swam up while he was feeding the female next to Osama and he was trapped. So he had to step over Osama and weave through the other three females to get back to the boat. I was pretty convinced the next picture I'd be taking was gonna go a little something like this:

Fortunately, José did in fact not get his arm bitten off. I still think he's insane. And I was pretty certain he was gonna die. I mean, I was hoping someone else knew how to drive a boat because I was convinced we were not gonna have a captain. I mean, really. What sort of person GETS.OUT.OF.THE.BOAT?? GET BACK IN THE BOAT! PLEASE! So in conclusion... Crocodiles are scary. In fact they are so scary, I think I might need entire tub of therapy frosting to get over this one. Yup. The entire tub.

-Spencer

To Guanacaste and Back Again

So folks, it's been a while. Ok, ok. It's been almost a year. But can you blame a girl? It was my senior year at high school and I was busy with scholarships, and... and schoolwork!... and... and fun. Yeah, fun. Haha. And I moved too. I moved out of my parents' lovely home and am now living in a house they own right next to the campus my brothers' attended and I am now a student at. College! Eek!

Anyways... In July, my mom, grandma, and I traveled to Costa Rica as a sort of graduation present from my grandmother to me. It was incredible! I'd never been out of country before nor had I been to the ocean. Psh. Now I'm a world traveler. See?

That's me. On a zipline. Waaayyy up high in the trees. My mom and I went through Pura Aventura for our ziplining and I must say they were great. The guides were funny and really good at their jobs. They even took a few of us upside down on one of the lines. Now that's a little freaky.

For the actual tour itself though, we took Caravan's ten day tour. What a fabulous company. They had all the connections to get us into the coolest places and before the general public. Our tour director was amazing too. He knew we had to get up half an hour earlier on our first day if we even wanted a decent change at seeing the crater of the Poas Volcano.

Yeah. That's a volcano.

My only regret is that we didn't get much time to really experience day to day life. Sure, we saw cultural performances and met some of the Tico people but many days were spent on the bus looking out at the real Costa Rica or standing on the hotel balcony looking out over the city. I wanted to be out there. I wanted to really experience the people. You know what that means right? I'll just have to go back some day.

So look forward to some exciting, stupid, and funny stories of our travels in the next few weeks. And, as the Ticos say, ¡Pura Vida!

-Spencer

A Bad Case of Senioritis

That's right folks. I am a senior. I am finally in my last year of high school. And I can't wait to get it over with. Yeah, yeah. I know what you're saying. Enjoy childhood while it lasts. Don't be too eager to get out into the world and work. College is the biggest decision you'll make. Psh. I've heard it all. And I'm ready to vomit if I hear it all one more time. Let me give you some insight into the mind of a crazy, hectic, exhausted, laughing, stressed Senior.

College? Scholarships? Ah!
I was one of the lucky few. I knew where I wanted to go to school. And I knew I was going to get in. I applied to one college. And was immediately accepted. (How could they say no to my 32 on the ACT right?) But that doesn't mean I wasn't still stressed. Copies of transcripts, writing essays, getting letters of recommendation, making my application flawless... well that was just part of it. Then there's the agonizing wait. Checking the mailbox everyday, just hoping to see your name on an envelope. And then it's there. It's a medium size envelope and skinny. Is that bad? Did they reject me? Opening that letter is one of the scariest moments of my life. And I knew I was gonna get in.
Now that I am in, all I hear is people asking me where I got in, where I've decided to go, why would I choose that college, what am I gonna do? Well, folks. I don't know most of the time, so you might as well not bother asking me. Now, I've moved on to scholarships. Which are also incredibly stressful. I mean, they're gonna pay for education. They're really big.

Friends and Fun
I like having fun. I mean, what teen doesn't? What rational person doesn't? But sometimes it's hard to find that time around school and dance and work. And certainly don't get me started on my job. Unfortunately, this means I'm not going to be around the house much. which can be difficult for parents who have a bad case of Empty Nest Syndrome. But, if you force me to stay home and spend "quality time" with you, I'm just going to want to get out of the house more. Trust me, at the end of the night, after school and work and friends, there's no place I want to be more than Home. And, at the end of the night, I just want to lay down and relax. I don't necessarily want to be down in the kitchen or living room being social. Sometimes, I just want to lay back and watch tv. Don't fret, I will come out of hiding eventually, but you can't force me out. Just give me the space I need and I'll be around.

School. School. School.
Oh sure. Senior year. Should be a cake walk right? Wrong. Teachers claim that they don't care anymore, they just want you to graduate and get out of their hair. And yet, they assign insane papers and projects and tons of homework. At this point, I'm sure all seniors out there are going "Aren't we done yet??" Well, dear seniors, not quite. The first three years of high school seem to fly by in a blur. Senior year seems to take forever but will be gone in a second. We're so close to our futures, and yet we're stuck night after night still doing our spanish and calculus homework. Everyone is pushing, pushing, pushing you to finish, to cross that line. All I can say is... Breathe. May will come soon enough. Parents, enjoy us while you can because soon, we'll be out in the big world, making our own way.

Life as We Never Expect It

Sometimes, life throws us a curve ball. You don't expect it. You don't get time to plan for it. You don't know what to do once it happens. It messes up your plans (oh, is that why I never blog any more?) and drives you, well, insane. But would it be life any other way?

I'm a senior in high school now. I've applied to colleges, I'm working on scholarships, I'm trying to balance school and work and what has become my pathetic social life. It's become a stressful, crazy rollercoaster ride lately. And to my friends, my parents, my boyfriend and everyone else around me who've had to put up with me, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

But I'm not trying to depress you and cast the world into a dark, dreary, 'everything sucks' light. It is true that at time life just plain sucks. But what defines us more than how we handle conflict and challenges? Let me tell you. Nothing. Sometimes, you're gonna make people angry. Sometimes, you're going to disappoint people. You're going to elate and offend, intimidate and inspire. You're going to evoke all sorts of emotion in all sorts of people. And that's not a bad thing. One day you may say to your neighbor, "I like your hair" You thought you were being sweet and sincere. She took an hour trying to get it right, hates it, and thinks you are mocking her. That's not your fault. If things turned out exactly as you intended them every single time life would be an awfully boring place.

What I'm trying to say here is this: Things aren't always gonna turn out as you plan, but you might as well make the best of them. That's luck right there. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason teaches us this. Luck is not finding five dollars in the parking lot or that necklace you lost last week under the dresser. Luck is in opportunities. Luck is having a friend who will come at the drop of the hat to help you in the Concession Stand. Luck is having parents who say go for it all and we'll be right there behind you. Luck is having a boyfriend who loves me unconditionally even when I'm, well, a jerk about things. Luck is in opportunities we seize the minute the appear for we will lose them if we procrastinate but a second. So, in every sense of the word, I am lucky.

We only live once. Why should we waste our time pouting and fretting over what new surprise, what new upset is going to pop up next? If we constantly lived in fear of some crazy accident or incident messing up our carefully laid plans? We'd get nowhere. We'd meet no one. We'd be awfully lonely and unhappy. So, seize life by the horns, take it as it comes and live spontaneously. There's really no other way to do it.

-Spencer

Mind Your P's and Q's

Well. It's been a little while. Unfortunately this hiatus was not really of my choosing. Being a Junior is incredibly hectic. ACT, scheduling, sports (a lot of sports), refereeing for sports, homework, and a trip to DC. Most of that is all another story for another time except for my experiences in Washington DC.


I am a Midwest girl. I grew up smiling when I passed someone on the street, waving when I passed someone on the road, greeting my neighbors when I saw them, happily offering aid to anyone who needed it, pointing anyone in the right direction, and striking up conversations with random people when we stood in line at the grocery store. These traits, however, do not seem to be appreciated in other parts of the country. In fact, many of my attempts to be friendly while visiting the nation's capital were spurned. I'd smile as I'd pass someone on the street and they'd glare or look at me like I had two heads. I was very discouraged after a day or two of touring the city and finding that our glorious capital wasn't near as friendly as I expected.

This got me wondering. Thousands upon thousands of tourists take a pilgrimage to the birth of liberty only to be treated coldly and sometimes, rudely. What does this say about us? Let me assure you, our whole country is not like this. Though I have limited travel experience outside of the Midwest, I know people can be polite and courteous. You always hear people saying that we need more good in this world, yet if you dropped your keys on the street with an armload of stuff, would they go out of their way to pick them up? I doubt it.

I'm not complaining and going on and on about how society is terrible and we should all just crawl in a hole and die. That is very much not my purpose. My purpose is to bring light to issues such as these so that more people realize what's going on. So, I'm going to challenge you. I want you to be nice. Yup. Nice. There's a novel concept. Haha. Smile. Strike up a conversation with your cashier. Tip your waitress a little extra. Help the person struggling with all their stuff. Just... be nice.

-Spencer

Simple minds, simple pleasures

Raise your hand if you think that any of the following are a detriment to society?: cell phones, texting, video games, online chats, hand held game systems, computer games...any of those? By the way, if you raised your hand, now is the proper moment to feel foolish for raising your hand to an inanimate object ;).

Yeah, we've heard it all before. The teen generation of today will have no social ability when they are older, we'll all be having epileptic seizures by the time we're in our late twenties, we'll all have carpal tunnel when we're all older...all thanks to technology and it's recent developments. Yes, technology - particularly my cell phone and computer - are pivotal components in my life. And yes, I'm a teenage boy and I do play the occasional play station or xbox or even online games. I will whole heartedly support the statement that technology - mostly the aforementioned types - completely dictate the life of the average teen.

Now, for you younger people reading. Have you ever shook your head in embarrassment and shame while looking upon a 50+ year old parent texting you and saying "hey dude. lol," or maybe some of you have have laughed your head off when an adult asks for your help in opening one of those fancy things called a...wait a minute, let me think of the name. A we...web...a website? Yes, I think that's what you kids call them.

Parents, adults...it's your turn to laugh at the teens.

Even I can see how funny it is when a teenager gets a flashback to what life was like a little bit before our time. I've seen young children, somewhere between 10-12 years old, look at a cassette tape and say, "what's that?" Just this morning my 19 year old sister and I got our hands on my mother's old typewriter. Yup, that's right. Woohoo, I officially love typewriters, no lie! I'm not even a little bit ashamed to say that we spent about half an hour having a blast with a typewriter haha. Two young adults, completely mesmerized every single time that little curser thing slid back and forth over the page. How intriguing.

Anyone out there ever play Super Nintendo? Well folks, let me tell you a little bit about your writers, Spencer and I. Both well into our teen years, bordering adulthood, both very technologically based...both in possession of Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems we were recently able to dig out of the farthest, darkest reaches of piles of old junk. One of the most primitive game systems, laughable graphics compared to today's games, yet your two studious, very mature writers spent hours playing Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country, and darn it we were having the time of our lives. I don't care if they're old. Those games are fun!

An what happens to us teens when you take away technology completely? Yeah, some of us may fall apart, even if its for a little bit. It's sad, I know. Keep your eyes peeled, though. We do know how to entertain ourselves. I know a girl, very smart, very deep minded, extremely intellectual, extremely good with computers, and I happen to know for a fact she spends an awful lot of time texting and messing around with her phone. Yet just the other day I watched this girl for at least an hour as she discovered a box of bendy straws, and then proceeded to combine then into one super long straw. Sounds foolish, doesn't it? Well, this 16 year old girl spent almost an hour completely in awe of this amazing invention she created by simply sticking one straw in the end of another. Yes, she was absolutely amazed. Perhaps that is what texting and computer games can do to one's brain. Poor girl.

In the end, we're teenagers. I think that's a pretty good excuse for any of our faults. We're just teenagers, give us some slack. Our heads aren't stuck in the clouds; they're stuck in the pixels and the memory cards and the "lol"s. It's kinda nice, though, kinda fun to have our heads pulled back a step or two once in a while.

No matter what we do, though, in the end the rest of the world still has to deal with us. Good luck, world!

*superman*