Brownie Bites from Scratch

I have been craving chocolate something fierce lately. Since I worked out 4 out of 5 days this week, I decided to indulge myself tonight. Besides, I was tapping into my inner Betty Crocker already today.

I've used this recipe a few times now and just love it. It's a recipe from Betty Feezor who used to be on TV. Because I always have the ingredients on hand, I never buy brownie mixes anymore!

Scratch Brownies from Betty Feezor via Cyndi Allison

• 1 cup butter or margarine (melted)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup cocoa
• 2 cups plain flour
• optional - nuts, raisins, chocolate chunks, caramel pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream margarine and sugar. This works well with a mixer, but you can do it by hand.
3. After the creaming stage, do switch to a spoon for mixing. Brownies tend to get tough if worked too much.
4. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix just until smooth.
5. Pour in cocoa and flour. Again, mix until smooth and lumps are broken up. But, don't go to wild on the mixing.
6. If you want to add extras, just fold those in easily.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes in 2 pans size 8 inches by 8 inches. You can use a larger pan like the 9 x 9 and cook for a little longer-25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. If you use a single pan, then the Scratch Brownies are thicker.

I have made this recipe in an 8x8 pan and they turned out fantastic. Tonight I split the batter into two bowls and added white chocolate chips to one, and Andes mint chunks to the other. Then I scooped the batter into greased mini-cupcake pans and baked them for about 14-15 minutes. The result was delicious, homemade brownie bites, perfect for indulging my chocolate craving! 

Craft-it-Forward in 2011

A friend of mine just posted her status on Facebook about "Crafting it Forward" and I've decided to participate. Instead of doing it on my personal FB page, I'm participating through my Cul-de-sac Mom Fan Page. The premise is that you commit to send 5 handmade things to the first 5 people who comment on you page. In turn you agree to post the same promise as your status, or on your blog. The only rule is that you must send your handmade items before 2011 ends. So who is in?

If you want to participate go to the Cul de sac Mom FB Fan Page and leave me a comment. Then leave me a link to your page, or blog where you posted your Craft-it-Forward message! Easy, right?!

If you're not one of the first 5 people on FB, you still have 2 chances to receive something handmade by me. First Follow this blog (click follow on the right sidebar) and then leave me a comment on the this post. Then go to my FB page and "like" it, or add me to your page's favorites. Then come back here and leave me a comment that you did so.  I'll pick one person using random.org to pick out a lucky 6th person!  You have 1 week to enter! No entries will be accepted after midnight, 1/13/11.

My Christmas Hangover

I have had the worst Christmas hangover this year! And it's not from drinking too much! The month of December brings so much happiness and cheer, and by Christmas I have my family surrounding me, participating in all of our Christmas traditions. We drink, we eat, we play games and watch movies. We laugh, we cry and we laugh some more. And then it's over. Christmas ends and they all go home. The tree comes down and the decorations get put away. The house feels empty (and bigger), and strangely quiet. All that is left is my Christmas Hangover and a big mess!

I'm not sure why this year is so much worse than recent years, but I just can't shake this feeling of sadness. I wrote an entire blog post yesterday about what I was feeling, and then I left it as a draft. It was good to get it out, but I don't need to whine where the whole world can read it! I don't really have anything to whine about, really, other than missing my family and feeling a little lost in my career (or lack thereof).

So today I made the decision to pull myself up by my bootstraps (who came up with that saying anyway?) and shake the doom and gloom cloud that I've been under. I need to get my house in order, spend some quality time with my kids, and start to figure out what I really want to be when I grow up! No one is going to do any of those things for me, so I better just jump in with both feet and get started.

So far, my plan is working. I've done 2 loads of laundry, washed the windows in my dining room, and took down the outside Christmas lights and decorations. The kids are playing nicely together (shockingly!) and I feel a little bit better about the New Year! I know there are a lot of good thing in store for me this year. Now I have to go out and find them! I really believe that our destinies are up to each of us, and I'm not letting mine pass me by!