White Chocolate Macadamia Bars

I have a question for anyone who is listening. I frequent garage sales quite often. I love turning old stuff into new stuff and I also love a bargain. Every once in a while I head over to the best neighborhoods to garage sale. Sometimes you can really find something nice for a good price. Anyway I don't know the area all that well, good enough to get around a little. I went with my Mom and my three year old (who has been potty trained, oh, for about 5 months). Your probably know where this is going to. We stopped at a garage sale and it was towards the end of our excursion. My daughter announces loudly that she has to go to the bathroom. Ok, I know I can accept some responsibility here on my part. I asked the woman of the house/garage sale, who has two young daughters if my daughter can use her bathroom. She says no. I say you can take her in, she can go by herself, I don't have to go. She says no, we do not allow anyone to use our bathrooms. Ok, I am not happy but I can accept this, it's her house after all and she owes me nothing. Anyone with recently potty trained children knows that when they say they have to go, its not a whisper, its a glaring screaming call because they always wait to the last minute. She's crying because she has to go so bad. So, my Mother and I take her to the side of the car and were going to stand around her while she pees in the street, blocked of course by us. Well, the Garage Sale woman comes walking down the driveway and states, "Oh my God, you have got to be kidding me, you cant go there, go on the grass."

My head is swirling because all I can think of is my poor baby needs to relieve herself. There is no bathroom in sight even if we could make it there in time. I think okay lady you want me to kill your grass. you coo coo. The street IS public property. She says, "that's very disrespectful to me."

To which I say , "you are being disrespectful to my daughter. She has to go, she is 3, I thought maybe you would understand as a Mom of young children. (geesh not even letting her go on the road)" Well my daughter couldnt go anyway. So we whizzed out of there (pun intended). And, luckily, because I do not know the area, found a restaurant to use their bathroom. My daughter sure was telling the truth. Poor little thing. I won't be doing that again but I am just curious what you all think of this dilemma. What could I have done differently (okay besides thinking ahead and getting her to a bathroom before it got critical)? Was I in the wrong? Was she? What's your thoughts about this, if any?

Back to the food. One more bar for the party! I bought some macadamia nuts this past week because I had a coupon and they were a decent price. So I had to put them to good use. I love the quickness of this recipe. I am not into spending a ton of time these day smaking individual cookies. So why not make one big cookie, hence the bar!

These are delicious cookies, well worth the price of macadamia's (within reason of course).


WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA BARS
Bonus- all done in a pot and transferred to the baking pan.

3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts or slivered almonds
1 cup white baking chips

Heat oven to 375 F. Spray a 13x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a 4 quart sauce pan melt butter and brown sugar over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted; remove from heat.

Beat vanilla and eggs into sugar mixture with electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in flour and baking powder on low speed. Stir in half of the nuts and 1/2 cup of the baking chips.

Smooth out into pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and 1/2 cup of the baking chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and center is set. Cool about 30 minutes. Cut into bars.