When I was growing up, I got used to the sight of him sitting down at the kitchen with a bowl of shelled nuts and a nutcracker. He’d crack away, and I’d sit next to him and crack an almond here or there, since they were my favorite. Every now and then, he’d crack a walnut and I’d be in awe, since those are really tough to manage.

Well, my dad still snacks on nuts, and he also likes them in his baked goods. When given the choice between chocolate chips or nuts, he’ll go nuts all the way. But I say, why choose? So these brownies are full of both chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Hello, old school brownies!

I am so incredibly beyond excited that Friday looms. This week, I had to drive about 25 miles each way to a class and then sit all day and learn. I love learning, but I don’t love driving. I also don’t love sitting for long periods of time. Being in motion is key.

Movement is a friend. When we don’t move, we get all sore and achy. I’m sure you’ve had that same experience. Still, a day loafing on the couch is warranted now and then. Do you have any of those in your future?

Some of life’s finest moments revolve around a couch, a blanket, and a classic dessert. Sometimes I opt for truffles, if Kenny’s been a sweetie and kept my supply nice and stocked. But when there are no truffles, a brownie will do just as well!

Confession: as much as I love the velvety texture of a brownie without any mix-ins, there are times when I really crave that extra crunch. A brownie with walnuts and chocolate chips has enough crunch to make anybody happy.

These are fudgy enough for any picky brownie eater too, in case you couldn’t tell. I’ve never made a cakey brownie in my life, and I don’t intend to start now!

Hope your weekend is filled with good snacks and lots of downtime. If you want that extra dose of relaxation, try a nutcracker. It can be very satisfying. Just ask my dad!

Enter my favorite quick recipe, so easy I hesitate to call it a recipe: bark!  Two ingredients, everyone. Get excited!

I love making bark and almost never buy it because really, why? You can customize flavors as you choose, and it’s pretty much the work of a couple of minutes, plus the 30 minutes of required chill time.

There are exceptions, of course. Trader Joe’s makes really good bark, so I love buying that. And Godiva’s chocolate almond bark is a good splurge. But other than that, I’ve been known to kind of huff and turn my nose up at store-bought bark, especially if it has no creative flavor action going on.

It’s with that thought in mind that I made this bark. Trader Joe’s makes a great holiday-edition caramel corn, totally addictive. Some of the popcorn is covered in chocolate, and there are a bunch of nuts in there, too. All kinds. It’s really my crack, if you must know. I buy it and tell myself I’ll only have a bit, and then yeah.

So of course, it made total sense to put a bunch of this addictive substance into bark. Why not? Just imagine Moose Munch in a bark, and that’s what we’re dealing with here. The Trader Joe’s version is pretty much the same thing, and it’s delicious.

This bark can be wrapped up and gifted to people, so think about it as a fantastic holiday season option! And if you can’t get to Trader Joe’s, any caramel corn and nut mixture will do. There’s never a need to buy bark when you can make it so quickly! Try it and enjoy.