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Today I am so grateful for blogging and for the blogging community!
College transformed me into a bit of a Sociologist, and I see blogging as something that has completely revolutionized my anticipated role in life.
I’ve always planned on and wanted to be a stay at home mom. That’s been the ultimate goal for as long as I can remember. And I can assure you that I could easily find enough work to fill all my days and more than plenty of satisfaction in doing that work if I were to do nothing but attend to my responsibilities as a wife a mother. It really would be enough for me.
But blogging has given me above and beyond what would be “enough.” It’s enabled me to develop talents that I thought were completely out of my realm of capabilities, which has been really exciting. It gives me a new identity apart from being a mother and wife– something for just me. And I appreciate that.
It’s also been a gigantic blessing in that it allows me to contribute to our family income. My husband is still in school full time, and probably will be for 5-6 more years (let’s not talk about it, mmkay?). I was working full time, supporting us, when I had the baby 2 years ago. It didn’t make any sense for me to go back to work. Decent childcare is so expensive that everything I’d earn would go to pay someone to watch Em for me! And I hated my job– so I’d basically be working just to fund my misery. Besides the fact that Chris and I had agreed that once the babies came, we’d find a way to make it work for me to be home with them.
I’ve been fortunate enough that my blogging, doing something I love, has helped us to pay the bills on a pretty monthly basis. And I can even do it (andhave done it) with Emma sitting on my lap! Talk about being blessed…
Beyond all ofthat, there’s even more to my appreciation of blogging: the friendships I’ve been able to form are unreal.
I went through this (long) phase during which I didn’t know how to refer to my blogging friends when I mentioned them in conversations with real life friends. I felt really stupid, like I was talking about my imaginary friends. Or like people would think I was sitting in front of 3 mega TV screens with a head set and 4 gaming controllers in my hands all day.
After Online BlogCon, I just gave up. Because it made me realize the friends I’ve met through blogging are really myreal friends. We support each other during hard times, just like real friends do. We share inside jokes, just like real friends do. We get jealous over each others’ outfits…. er, wait… did I just say that out loud?
Anyway, the point is that now in a conversation I no longer stammer around the phrase “blogging friend.” If someone thinks is weird… well, that’s ok. It’s kind of hard to understand unless you’re part of this whole thing. And I guess it’s not for everyone (just the super cool peeps, right?), so I can be ok with that.
Just know that Ido not own any sort of gaming headset. Just sayin’.
This recipe combines three ingredients that I love very, very much: Oreos, Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, and sweetened condensed milk (omg, if I could ever get Eagle Brand to sponsor this blog… *heaven*).
I’m addicted to Hershey Kiss fudge, and this Peppermint Oreo version is perfect for the holidays! So stock up on those Candy Cane Kisses by the cart full– you’ll thank me when your neighbors are banging down the door for more of this fudge, even after the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 bag Milk Chocolate Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts (like Wilton or Almond Bark)
- 1 bag Candy Cane Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or white candy melts (like Wilton or Almond Bark)
- 2 cups crushed Oreos
- 2 - 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and spraying very lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk chocolate hershey kisses, chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts, and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.
- Stir over LOW (no exceptions) heat until melted and smooth (the mixture should pull away slightly from the side of the saucepan). Fold 1 cup of the crushed Oreos into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour chocolate mixture into prepared 9x13 dish.
- Rinse out the sauce pan (if needed at all, sometimes I find it's totally clean simply from pouring it out!) and dry well.
- Add the Candy Cane Kisses, white chocolate chips or white candy melts, and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk to the saucepan.
- Stir over LOW heat until smooth and completely melted (the mixture should pull away slightly from the edges of the saucepan).
- Pour the white chocolate mixture over the chocolate oreo mixture, and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining Oreo crumbs over top and press into the fudge slightly.
- Let cool overnight (or at least 5 hours) to set. Cut into 1 inch cubes to serve.
Notes about this recipe:
- I prefer to use chocolate candy melts instead of white or chocolate chips, because I’ve found that using the melts keeps the chocolate fudge smooth and helps the white fudge set a little better. You can find Wilton melts in the craft/wedding section of most Wal-Marts. Almond Bark is typically on the baking aisle. Either would work. In a pinch, chips are just fine.
Fudge from my friends:
