I can’t say enough about these brownies. Really. Brownies are right up there with chocolate chip cookies in terms of personal preferences and biases. I think that brownies disappoint eager audiences just as often, even if they don’t have that old “it’s actually a raisin” trick that cookies do. Sometimes they look like they will be perfect but deliver a bit of a chalky pasty bite that brings a person down. Sometimes they just leave you with a meeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhh. But these brownies will not. They will remind you why brownies were dreamed up in the first place. They are worth the time on the treadmill. They are worth making, worth eating, and worth wiping off five chocolate faces and 50 mudgy fingers. They stand behind the brownie promise and deliver. These brownies are it. Try them, really, do. No one will mind.
Archive for the 'Recipes' Category
I know you have probably figured out your Christmas Eve menu by now, so here’s a suggestion for later in Christmas Week or for New Year’s Day or whenever. I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman’s blog, and it’s called Fancy Macaroni. It has carmelized onion, bacon, and some lovely cheeses: Gruyere, goat cheese, fontina, and parmesan….okay, so are you convinced? I made it for our dinner tonight, which we’ll enjoy after the Christmas Eve service. Right now it is sitting in the fridge, but not before I had a sample (and Doug had a sample and my sis-in-law Meredith had a sample) and we all agree it is amazing. And it’s a good thing that it’s all locked up in the fridge or I’m afraid it would be long gone by evening!
Let me just take a moment to recommend a recipe to you all. This has got to be the easiest, cheapest little number ever. This time of year, we can all use a bit of that cheap and easy in our lives! But it is also super good and kid friendly too. Try it with a salad and crusty bread for the easiest ever entertaining menu!
2 c. dried navy beans (soaked overnight)
1 T. minced fresh sage, divided
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. coarse pepper
8 garlic cloves
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, boston butt, or picnic roast
4 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Mince a teaspoon of fresh sage and three garlic cloves. Grind in (with the side of your knife) a teaspoon of kosher salt and the pepper. Rub all over the pork. Place beans, 4 c. chicken broth, remaining five cloves garlic, remaining sage, teaspoon salt, and bay leaves in a dutch oven. Lay the pork on it, and bring to a boil. Cover and pop in the oven for 4 hours, or until pork is very tender. Discard bay leaves. Pull pork into chunks, and serve with the beans on the side. Would be beautiful in a shallow bowl with the pork on top and some fresh sage to garnish.
And what could be better than pumpkin cake? Here’s a recipe for a good one.
Pumpkin Cake
Grease and flour a 9×13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together 4 eggs, 1 2/3 c. sugar, 1 c. oil, 2 c. canned pumpkin.
In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 t. salt, 1 t. soda. Add to the wet ingredients.
Bake for 1 hour.
Frost with cream cheese frosting: 1 block of cream cheese (at room temp), 1/2 stick butter (at room temp), 1- lb. bag powdered sugar, and a 1/2 t. vanilla.
Over on my blog I asked for some good breakfast ideas for hungry kids . . . and let me tell you! There are some fantastic ideas coming in over there! So if you’re in need of some new recipes give it a look – and if you have any great recipes of your own to share then I’m totally eager to hear them! (And you’ll get a shot at a Tintin book to boot!)
Since I’m on a roll, I thought I’d include the recipe I’m making for Heather’s bday tomorrow. It’s the easiest ice cream recipe in the world, doesn’t have the custard to cook, no eggs, and tastes fresh and yummy. If you just happen to have three quarts of half and half taking up space in your fridge, and you don’t know what you’re going to do with it, here’s your answer. Mix three cups of sugar with one cup of the half and half and stir until it is dissolved. Then add the rest of the half and half and stir in 4 tsp. good vanilla (imitation vanilla just isn’t vanilla) and 1 tsp salt. Chill it up nicely in the fridge and then freeze it in your ice cream maker. Now is that easy, or what?
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