Demobilization & Dessert Disaster (again)

It's a little early to be talking about demobilization & debriefing, but just stay with me here.

Part of the "outprocessing" that the guys go through when they come home includes lectures about reintegrating into family/work life, turning in equipment, checking their health & wellbeing, etc.

Since this war has now been going on so long, the military is finally learning that spouses and families need to be involved in many of these events as well, and when Jake returned after his first deployment, the spouses and soldiers had a day where we all came together & had a little bit of the lectures and talking as well.

I am sad to say, but I think a part of MY demobilization from all of this is going to be to relearn how to COOK and BAKE! With all the wonderful meals that have been made and shared with us, I am losing my knack in the kitchen. Remember my (Happy) Birthday Cake Disaster? Well, I've done it again. For the same poor group of women!

I hosted bible study tonight...and I had a boxed brownie mix that I planned to make. But then I found some caramels, so I got all Betty Crocker on myself and decided I'd make "caramel brownies." Easy, right? Epic. Failure. Again.

Ok...I give myself a bit of credit. Both desserts were ugly as sin, yet edible. Well, this was a little less edible...as the caramel was really sticky. You know it's bad when you warn your guests that you have insurance so in case anyone breaks a tooth, it's all good.

There was a point in the chewing (and chewing and chewing) tonight that made me think of the scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation where they are all eating the awful turkey dinner and Beverly D'Angelo tosses the piece of turkey over her shoulder. Hilarious. It wasn't *QUITE* that bad, and all of my bible study friends politely ate the brownie mess. But, Lord, will they stick with me for the "third time's a charm" dessert that I joked about? Perhaps when I said I'll buy storebought the next time I was only half joking...

~Emily