Smiles all around!

Last night I did my taxes. I went in with low expectations for how much the government owed me back because you never know what sort of crazy thing could go wrong. I kept watching the "refund amount" up at the top of Turbo Tax, hoping it would stay green. It did. A lot more green than I even dared dream. So I will be paying for my first semester of graduate school without going into debt. Yeehaw.

Today at work, to celebrate a mutual love for the cacao bean--oh, and also because it's Valentine's Day--we are chocolate fountaining it up. Want to know what we're going to try dipping in it?

• Brownies (made with white chocolate chips, like my family makes 'em)
• Shortbread
• Homemade red velvet oreos with cream cheese frosting
• Chocolate chip cookie dough
• Mexican vanilla cookies
• Potato chips (you read that right)
• Cheesecake bites
• Marshmallows
• Juju hearts!
• Bacon (mmm...bacon...)
• Angel food cake
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Candy orange slices
  
• Nutter butters
  
• Sharp cheddar
• Gingersnaps
• Mini doughnuts
  
• Pretzels
• Regular oreos
• Oatmeal cookies

...and whatever else my co-workers bring. It's still early, so who knows what today has to offer! All weekend long, though, it was a baking extravaganza at my house. What can I say? Baking makes me happy, and when I'm happy I bake. It's a vicious cycle. Viciously tasty...