three sweet things

Our daughter celebrated a birthday recently, and we are so proud of the young lady she is becoming.  Her sweet smile, her kind heart, her love for all those around her: family, friends, neighbours, classmates...sometimes I don't think many of us deserve her endless ability to love and see the light in all of us, but she gives us her all, every day.

Sometimes I think of her as a little girl...and she is.  However, she surprises me with the amount of mature awareness she possesses.  How she fully understands how to extrapolate the good in all of us, and how her presence makes everyone want to be better human beings.

The one thing that my daughter inspires me to do is be a kinder human.  (Just being in the same room evokes the need for people around her to just give her a big hug!)

So, here's the top three things that my daughter does that I will try to emulate back to her, so I too, can be as kind and sweet as she is.

1)  I will tell her more about my own childhood stories as she tells me hers...allowing her to identify (and feel comfort) with the trial and tribulations of being a little girl in a big world.
2)  Out of the blue, at no particular time or reason, I will remind her of all the wonderful things that she does that makes her beautiful and special. Every day.
3)  I will be patient and remember that "you can't rush art". (Even if that "art" is brushing her teeth during the morning rush).

Even if I don't become even half as sweet as she is, I hope she never changes...and remains sweet as can be.

Three Layered Sweet Square
(Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Coconut)

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour

Middle Layer

• 175ml/ 5 oz (about 1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut

Top Layer

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350degrees
• Melt butter in microwave and stir in the next three ingredients.  
• Press into an ungreased 8x8 pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile stir condensed milk with coconut (do this just before spreading onto the bottom layer, or else the coconut would absorb all the milk).
• Once the bottom layer is baked, spread the coconut mixture evenly over top.
• Bake again, for approximately 10 minutes, or until coconut mixture begins to turn golden on the edges.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave intermittently every 25 seconds, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
• Once the first two layers are baked, remove from oven.
• Spread chocolate mixture evenly over second layer and let cool.

Makes approximately 18-24 squares.