RECIPE // Chocolate Hazelnut Squares

This is another recipe that came into my life when I became an Ahern.  This is my husband's favorite dessert and he requests it each year on his birthday.  It is creamy, chocolaty and delicious.  It feels like you are eating a Nutella cloud...seriously. 

Matt's family calls this Tom Jones Cake because the original name had "sex" in the title and they unanimously decided that Tom Jones IS sex.  Therefore renaming the dessert and keeping their Mormon sensibilities in tact.  

And can you blame them? This guy means business! (Yep, they're the coolest in-laws of all time.)

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SQUARES 

(a.k.a. TOM JONES CAKE)

Recipe by: Emilie Ahern

Serves: 12-18

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup nuts, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temp.

1 large tub cook whip, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding

2 1/2 cups whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.

2. Blend together flour nuts, sugar, and melted butter.  Place on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring half way through and breaking up large clumps.  

3. When cool enough to touch, reserve 1/2 cup and press remaining crumbs into bottom of a 9x13" baking pan. Let cool completely. (NOTE: If I'm pressed for time I put the entire pan into the freezer and by the time I'm finished whipping the cream cheese layer it is cool to the touch).

4. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 1/2 c. Cool Whip.  Spread evenly onto cooled crust.  Rinse bowl and beaters.

5. In the rinsed bowl, beat together both pudding mixes and milk.  Spread on top of cream cheese layer.

6. Top dessert with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.  

7. Chill at least 2 hours then serve.  

Can be made a day ahead.  Store leftoevers in the same pan, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Fashion Wrap-Up // 2018 Golden Globe Awards (a.k.a. Back in Black)

Last night's award show was pretty amazing...especially if you like Woman Power! Before I get into the fashion I have three comments...

1. Seth Meyers did an AMAZING job! He found just the right balance of humor and seriousness when addressing the sexual harassment allegations sweeping Hollywood. Watch his hilarious monologue here. Yay Seth!

2. Oprah. Oh my, Oprah. I was literally sobbing as she accepted her Cecil B. de Mille award. If you didn't see the Golden Globes last night, stop what you are doing right now and watch this clip of Oprah's speech. Then scream, "Amen, AMEN!" Also, the reaction shots from women in the audience are the best.

3. This year I am doing the unthinkable....a fashion wrap-up with NO Worst Dressed List. Women came together last night and wore black to show power, togetherness, compassion, and hope! No one gets ripped (except those two actresses who wore color--I will destroy them later in this post).

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED

Dakota Johnson and Sarah Paulson are two actresses whose fashion I usually dislike. Dakota's because she has truly awful style (or a Stylist who needs to be fired) and Sarah because she is a fashion risk-taker who is usually too risky for my taste, but whom others love. Last night they both surprised me. Dakota has never looked so good on a Red Carpet.  Sarah is still quirky and risky with this choice, but I love it!

NOT SURPRISED AT ALL

I love a mini The Help reunion because Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis always slay on the Red Carpet and last night was no exception. Extra props to Octavia for always killing it as a plus-size woman.  Extra props to Viola for that amazing hair!

Also, not surprisingly, Eva Longoria showed us how gorgeous and elegant and stunning a pregnant woman can be on the Red Carpet. The night truly belonged to Oprah Winfrey and she came dressed to slay! Everything is just so perfectly styled for the most perfect speech.   

SIMPLY STUNNING

These women proved that "less is more" with these perfectly stunning styles that are elegant and understated.  Zoe Kravitz is gorgeous with her short hair and those statement earrings.  Reese Witherspoon looked truly perfect from head to toe.

EXTRA ELEGANCE

Jeannie Mai wore a dramatic dress that was so gorgeous and her entire look was spot on! Laura Marano should have had her hair completely pulled back, but otherwise this look and this dress are so wonderful!

A POP OF COLOR

Mandy Moore was so beautiful in this look! I love that red belt and those red lips.  Alison Williams always wins the Red Carpet and last night was no exception. The beading on that gown and the unexpected pop of orange was to die for.

BEAUTIFUL BLONDS

Nicole Kidman had the most awkward televised kiss of all time last night (yes, it beat out Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley), but her fashion was perfection.  Michelle Pfiefer stunned in this look that was a great blend of masculine and feminine pieces.

Let's revisit that kiss, shall we? I mean, I'm pretty sure my very FIRST kiss was 100,00 time LESS awkward than this...

I'M GOING TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION

Both of these actresses broke cardinal fashion rules of mine.  Issa Rae needed to choose EITHER the necklace OR the shoulder details, but not both.  But I'm giving her a pass because she looks amazing!  I have a really, really, REALLY hard time with women in pants on the Red Carpet.  It rarely works. MANY women went with this look last night. But of all of them, Alison Brie was the only one who looks stunning! She is serving up Katherine Hepburn here...right?!

THOSE TWO ACTRESSES WHO

DIDN'T WEAR BLACK

Barbara Meier and Blanca Blanco decided against wearing black. I mean, honestly, I have never heard of either of these woman. And maybe this was a strategy to get people talking about them, but I think it's a really bad strategy. They just looked stupid and like they don't support other women, and in the current climate in Hollywood, that might be career suicide.  It's a bold move, but a very bad move.

BEST DRESSED

This was so easy. Jessica Biel was a goddess last night. I mean, look at this woman.  The dress. The jewels. The hair. The make-up. The Justin Timberlake arm-candy. It was just all perfection.

WEIGH IN! 
Who was your best dressed?
Did Oprah make you cry?

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Year In Review // 2017

What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

(Matt) Built a banjo from scratch.
(Emilie) Got a tattoo. Attended The Moth live event in SLC. Made homemade ravioli.
(Ella) Attended Young Women's Camp.
(Evangeline) Performed in a Ballroom Dance competition.
(Bianca) Was a special guest at a movie premier.
(Jude) Potty-trained.
(Cecilia) Attended Disney On Ice.
(Granger) Had a birthday party

What moments from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory? Winning a weekend trip to Park City and going with our entire family (and our dog!). It was truly a vacation we will always remember!

My 40th Birthday weekend with girlfriends in SLC.

Our family's Random Acts of Service day.

Did you make any resolutions? Did you keep them? My resolution was setting better limitations for doing favors for other people/better self care. Yes! I did a much better job at making sure my family and my own needs were taken care of before reaching out to help others.  

Did your family suffer any illness or injury? Jude cut his knee open on the metal threshold of our kitchen and living room and required 9 stitches. Evangeline suffered from Toxic Synovitis on Christmas Eve (we spent our Christmas Eve at Primary Children's Hospital).

What was the best thing you bought? An outdoor projector. It is so fun!

What are your favorite photos of 2017? 

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to live musicals with the Redheads.  We saw Hairspray, Newsies, Cindarella, a Broadway Review, and The Grunch.

What song will always remind you of 2017? Let It Go from Frozen. This was the year Cecilia discovered (and became obsessed with) Frozen and sang this song a million times each day, at the top of her lungs.  Yeah, I know we're 5 or 6 years late on this one.

What was the best food discovery of 2017? Kitchen Sink Cookies. We're obsessed.

What do you wish you’d done more of? Keeping a clean house.

What do you wish you’d done less of? Screaming.

What was your favorite new TV show? We tried to watch Stranger Things since everyone is in love with it, but it was too creepy and violent. Instead we watch reruns of The Great British Bake Off.

What was the best book you read? 
Nonfiction: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Fiction: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

What was your greatest music/podcast discovery? Our entire family became obsessed with the Kind World podcast and the Heavyweight podcast.

What was the best film you saw this year? Dunkirk

What news story really effected you this year? The #MeToo movement and seeing high-powered men finally being held accountable for sexual assault.

What did you want and get? A brad nailer (for Christmas)!

What did you want and not get? A mortgage on a house.

What's something you fell in love with? Our Amazon Echo. We love using it to play music, make shopping lists, and applaud when someone eats their veggies at dinner.

What was your family's favorite kid's book? We didn't discover a new favorite this year.  We love the classics and read Green Eggs and Ham more than any other book.

Who was your celebrity crush this year? Idris Elba. So dreamy!

What kept you sane? Renegade Craft Society

Who was the best new person you met? I finally met my internet friend Stevie (and her kids) in real life!

What was a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017? I learned a lot about shifting and changing faith and that everyone is on an ever-moving path of faith. I learned about makeup contouring. I learned that if Cecilia gets a hug every morning then her behavior is much better all day long. I learned that, in many ways, Matt and I are succeeding at parenting. I learned to let self-imposed expectations go. I learned that I am a woman whose weight fluctuates between a size 16 and a size 20 and that's okay. I learned how to love my friends more fully and which friends are there for me fully. I learned that when women finally find their voice they can change the status quo and the world.

PAST Years in Review: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

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