Some Wednesday Morning Love

 

The Only Brownie Recipe You'll Ever Need

I’m what you’d call a brownie aficionado. I’ll eat most all brownies (except those nasty ones with the nuts in them. Why are those even around these days with all the nut allergy craziness and the fact that they are not good?)

They have to be just right – fudgy and a little gooey with a crisp crust on top so it snaps when you slice through them. And I found the perfect recipe. So perfect, in fact, that I feel I must share because if I eat one more brownie that is dense and dry I might cry. What are you people doing wrong?!!

This recipe originated with the actress Katherine Hepburn. We’re besties, Katherine and I.

Actually… we’re not besties, exactly. I have googled her and found out she liked brownies (soooo it’s kind of like we’re besties). She provided this recipe to a reporter and it’s since been on every food blog once or twice.

It’s easy enough that you’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand. You can get mad props when you mention they are made from scratch. And possibly the best part, if you don’t want to share, an 8x8 pan is pretty much a single serving size (at least in my mind).

Items you’ll require:

1 stick of butter

2 squares of your favorite chocolate. (I use Ghirardelli’s)

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon of salt

Enough powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Pre-heat oven to 325. Grease an 8x8 cake pan. Melt the butter and chocolate together. I use the microwave. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and stir vigorously until well combined. Stir in the flour, salt. Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. I usually bake it for 30-32 and it comes out pretty gooey. For an added bit of deliciousness, I sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

I've been the only one home for 2 days. No judging.

If you make them, I’d love to hear how it turns out!

What is your go to dessert? Leave it in the comments.

**Updated: I use Ghiradelli's 4 ounce chocolate baking bars, which is divided into squares. I use 2 of those squares. Happy baking!

Back Seat Pilot

I'm not a great flyer. I use ‘great’ because I’m not totally crazy like “I see a colonial woman on the wing churning butter” kind of girl. I tend to keep my hallucinations to myself. You wouldn’t even notice how crazy I am if you were sitting around me. Now if you were sitting next to me and you happen to be my husband then you’d probably notice.

On flights that aren’t turbulent I can forget my fears and act completely normal, carry on conversations even. If it’s bumpy, hold on to your seats. I immediately go into survival mode. I start reading the safety pamphlet, eyeing the nearest exits and making plans on which passengers I need to elbow out of my way should I have to make a hasty exit.

Mark tries to tell me the scientific details of flight that, he feels, should calm me down. What he doesn’t realize however, is that it’s very hard to digest physics when my mind is fully engaged with keeping the plane in the air (obviously and your welcome fellow passengers). It can’t do two things at the same time. You try listening to why the engines propel the plane forward even when it’s windy WHILE you’re keeping an Embraer Jet at 36,000 feet. It can’t be done, y’all.

Unfortunately, we had to travel this weekend and thankfully my husband came along this time. Here are a few snippets of our conversation:

I’m pretty sure the wings shouldn’t be wobbling like that. Actually, I’m 100% sure. Maybe we should call the flight attendant.

I’m 100% sure you’re wrong. Do not call the flight attendant.

Isn’t Columbus on our left? I don’t think we should be banking to the right. Oh, wait…that is our left.

<<blank stare>>

Do you hear that? It’s a buzzing sound…OMG…the wheel door didn’t shut all the way. WE CAN’T LAND WITH ONE WHEEL. Maybe we should alert the flight attendant.

I’m sure the wheel door shut. Stop digging your nails into my hand, please.

I’m just going to call the flight…

DO NOT CALL THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT.

He is going way too fast to land. Shouldn’t he be slowing down now? I don’t want my parents to have to identify my body. My hair looks like crap today and my mom will totally hate that I didn’t brush it.

You need to go fast in order to make sure there is sufficient wind going over the wings in order to blah blah science blah.

WHAT? So you think my hair looks gross, uh? I bet you think I’m fat too. That is just awesome. Thanks a lot, Mark.

Sigh

It’s tough being my husband… and my pilot.

Happy 3/4 Birthday Love Bug

Today marks Ella's 7th month as our baby girl. 7 whole months filled with doubt, joy, fear, laughter, and love. Lots & lots of love.

She started out in nugget form.

This post was supposed to be a 6th month thing ( Happy Half Birthday is so much catchier than Happy 3/4 Birthday or whatever 7 months is. I'm not very math-y) but time got away from me.

Our first family photo

I get so frustrated with myself for not getting these milestones down. I know I'll forget these seemingly innocuous things that make me weak in the knees - like the way her hair will never lay flat ( just like her daddy's), the way her two little teeth just barely appear through her gum, the way her feelings get hurt if you don't catch her before her wobbling becomes a tumble. I feel time slip away faster and faster and it makes me sad. She barely even wobbles any more.

I so got this, Mom

Where has the time gone? I guess we've been busy laughing at the dogs & wrinkling our noses when they get too close, enjoying our bath time & loving all this new food (Go squash & green beans!). We've gone on long walks & gone to church, visited family, taken airplane rides.

Waiting patiently for the next bite.

We've cried when the tooth fairy said it was time to get started on those teeth & when we have to go into the carseat. But we've laughed more than cried.

Daddy knows the right place to tickle & Mommy how to fake hiccup (and is really good at it).

Sometimes just looking at Daddy can insight giggles.

The dogs are comedic geniuses & are responsible for many peaceful grownup dinners (Thanks Duke & Oscar). She loves wet paper towels and tasting said towels with her little tongue.

More paper towel, please!

Having a child is so much more - more love, more joy, more light & more laughter- than I could ever dream of. Sounds very cliche, I know, but cliches are cliches for a reason.

It's too early for a photo shoot, momma.

 

Love You Forever (Ella)

By Robert Munsch

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadlines, Schedules & Babies...Oh My!

I’m a planner. I relish planning to the extent that when I think about getting to make lists my mouth waters. (I KNOW! So weird, right?!) For example, I’m planning Ella’s first birthday, which is in SEPTEMBER.

Planning inevitably leads to having a schedule and if I’m on schedule then all is right with the world. My schedule though can, more often than not, be arbitrary and may not always be communicated to the others in my life. This leads to problems. There have been on occasion (once or twice or 14 million…) where I have blown up, seemingly out of nowhere, because we did not adhere to the “in my head” timeline.

When you said we you needed to drop off the dry cleaning I took that to mean we’d have to eat lunch first and then drop off the dry cleaning because I ate breakfast at 9:15 and you know I can’t go more than 2 hours without food and if we eat lunch then that means we have to leave the house by 10:30 or else we can’t drive to Corelli’s (b/c that is where I planned on going IN MY MIND) and be done by Noon in order to get to the dry cleaners. AND it is very clearly 10:45 and we are OFF THE FREAKIN’ SCHEDULE!

Those conversations never goes well.

So now, enter Baby. She also likes schedules (thank you, Jesus!). She enjoys sleep (again, thank you, Jesus!). But there isn’t enough time in the evening to get everything we need to get done for ourselves (for instance, pick up a few quick groceries, go workout, pick up prescriptions etc.) and feed her, bathe her and put her to bed before she blows up like a little firecracker out of sheer exhaustion.

What happens when we fail as parents!

The hubs feels that her going to bed later is not a big deal. I feel tremendous guilt – she’s not getting enough sleep, her pattern is going to be all messed up, she won’t nap properly for her caregivers tomorrow, then her eating schedule will be all messed up. The hamster wheel in my brain never stops spinning on the What Ifs.

I’m not sure if this schedule thing is just in my head or if we really need to be strict getting her to bed on time. Screw working out (which is not too hard to give up)! I know everyone with kids goes through this and everyone without kids has time management issues. So please tell me if I’m being crazy or not. And please give me some suggestions!

And you have a deadline but it’s in my head and I won’t tell you until you miss it at which point you’ll see me explode with rage.

You’re welcome.

 

You're So Silly, Momma!

How can you have a manic Monday with those smiles??!!

High Five For Friday

It's Friday, folks!

Woke up today on the wrong side of the bed but after I remembered a short snippet from a Joel Osteen sermon I got myself together! He said that while we may be going through a rough patch - the job isn't going so well or our relationship isn't what it once was - we need to continue giving it our all. When God blessed us with the job when we were unemployed or brought this wonderful man into our lives we were happy & felt blessed. We gave 110%. Just because the newness has worn off doesn't mean we should stop being thankful or quit working hard. Redoubling my efforts today :)

Here are my top 5 things from this week:

I have the coolest baby on the planet!

I have been laughing out loud since I downloaded this book. The author of the super popular blog The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson, has come out with her first memoir. You will definietly ask yourself if the stories are true because they are weird, hilarious and vaguely terrifying. Go buy it now!

I had a horrifying hair failure this week but it made me giggle. I'm having fun trying out different styles. You should too!

It was a rough Thursday, y'all but a nice California cab & brownies from scratch made it bearable!

The two loves of my life sacked out together! Looking forward to a weekend with these two :)

I'd love to hear the the highlights of your week! Post it in the comments!