Tuesday Musing #18 and #19

Okay, maybe this is cheesy (chocolatey?), but I am going to combine the last two topics -

What are a few things that you could not live without?

&

Give us your favorite chocolate recipe(s) and tell us why you love it.

Because I really can't live without a few of my favorite chocolate recipes!


First, a recipe from a collection of short stories I checked out of the library once. One of the stories mentioned a cake. Someone (I'm no sure I am remembering the story correctly) asked Ms. Wrede to supply a recipe, which after some trial and error, she did. I don't have the book anymore (that would be some library fine if I did!), but I do have the recipe and it is very good. Here's a link to a copy of her original instructions.

QUICK AFTER-BATTLE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1/2 c butter

1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c white sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

2 T blackstrap molasses

2/3 c chocolate milk

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa

1 c flour

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 13" by 9" pan. In a large bowl, cream butter or margarine until fluffy. Add brown sugar and white sugar and mix thoroughly. Add eggs, vanilla and molasses, beating well after each addition. In a different bowl, stir flour, cocoa, salt, and soda together. Beat into butter mixture, alternating with milk. Beat for 1 - 2 minutes, then add choc. chips.

Pour batter into pan, bake 35 - 40 min. Cake should be flat and solid, not light and puffy. Let cool before cutting, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Next, a recipe I adapted from a candy cookbook I have.

HOT FUDGE

1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk, or for extra richness, cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend cocoa and sugar, add milk (or cream) and butter. Boil until thickened. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Now, a recipe my college roommate gave me (thanks Karen!).

BROWNIES WITH A CRUST

1 1/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c cocoa
1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 7 or 8 oz. milk chocolate bar

Mix 1 c of the flour with the sugar and margarine. Press into 13" x 9" pan and bake @ 350 F for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the condensed milk, cocoa, 1/4 c flour, baking powder, egg, and vanilla.

Let crust cool in pan for 3-5 minutes while you break or cut the chocolate bar into chunks. Evenly arrange chocolate chunks on crust. Pour milk mixture over them. Return the pan to the oven for 20 min. or until center has set.

Here's a Hershey's Cocoa recipe from my childhood.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

1 1/4 c butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c unsifted flour
3/4 c cocoa
1t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Optional: nuts or chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, cream well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.Add options

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees 8 - 9 minutes.

Yeilds: 4.5 dozens

And finally, that old standby...

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter
3 c rolled oats (or sub. coconut for 1/2 cup)
1/2 c peanut butter
1 t vanilla


Combine sugar, cocoa, milk and butter. Bring to boil. Remove from heat, add vanilla and peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add oats and mix well.

Cool before eating. (HA!!!)

Tuesday Musing #17

Are you addicted to anything? And if so what??

I am addicted to sleep and my kids are putting me through a
Twelve Step Program!

Here's their plan, starting with the evening meal (as close as I can figure it out) -

1. Naomi will make a huge mess at dinner.

2.Michael and Kelly will each eat as slowly as tired sloths.

3.Everyone given a job to help clean up the kitchen should moan and each take at least five minutes kicking against the pricks before they get around to doing it.

4.The three oldest girls will get distracted while brushing and flossing by talking about one of the following subjects - boys, weird teachers, clothes, how much homework they have, or boys (did I mention Boys?).

5.Someone will inform me that they need some vital supply for school from Target tonight.

6. Someone else will meet me at the door when I get home to tell me they just drank the last of the milk.

7.Michael will get into a long philosophical discussion about which pjs he wants to wear and why: preferably the ones he "has" to wear will be dirty in the laundry and he can throw a tantrum to drag the whole process out.

8.Heather and Gwen should each find 58 papers for me to read and sign for school tomorrow.

9.Naomi will get her second wind and decide she doesn't want to go to bed until next Wednesday.

10.Three or four people will announce they all need the internet for their homework right now and will need me to make up a schedule of whose turn is when.

11.Everyone will decide it has been so long since dinner (or their sloth like behavior didn't allow enough calories to be ingested) that they need a snack and then they'll ask for drinks.

12.The snack will give a surge of energy to everyone's brain and Summer will think of two questions, Rachel will come up with one, Heather will voice a couple, Gwen will list at least three or four, Kelly will ask five questions of her own and Michael, just wanting to get in on the action, will holler two or three questions that make absolutely no sense whatsoever, just so that he can have a turn!

P.S. Here's my other addiction - checking out the "free" silver jewelry - Silver Jewelry Club

Tuesday Musing #16

Olympics-

There are many different events at the Olympics.

You must create a new event that you would be the best at so that you could take home the GOLD.

What is your event?

Ok, I was reading the email from Kristin and Summer had a suggestion right away, then when I told Stan about it over the phone, he knew what his answer was immediately, so I am letting my family do the work for me this week.

Here are their (sort of) answers -

Naomi ran away when I tried to ask her.

And Michael had just about the same answer. He said, “I don’t want to tell you.”

Kelly said, “Buying things.” Oh, yeah, I'm good at that!

Gwen said, “Dodgeball.” I played in the parent/child game on the last day of her Recreational Games sports class.

Heather said, “I don’t know.”

Rachel said, “Making brownies.” Here is our family's favorite recipe for brownies.

Summer said, “Finding excuses to not let your teenage daughter go to the mall.” I don't know if I would classify my reasons as excuses.

And finally, Stan's answer. He said, “You can’t blog about that!”

So...I guess that means this post is done!

Tuesday Musing #15

This week's topic is - Ghosts.

I can not ever remember being afraid of ghosts. Maybe it was growing up LDS, but the life beyond and those who occupy it hold no fear or even strange fascination for me. Luckily, Rebecca said - no limit, no suggestions, no restrictions and I think I will be straying far from what anyone else will be writing about.

This is what I thought of when I saw the topic (this is the condensed version) -

Ghosts=dead people=thoughts of death=some of my funeral pet peeves

Yep, are you ready? Here comes my rant and rave about funerals.

First, I DO NOT want to be embalmed! I read recently what they do to you and it really upset me. And really, why is it necessary? Just to give people one more chance to see my face? That is what photographs are for. I think embalming is just temporary taxidermy. Don't you think it would be disrespectful to take your loved one and have them stuffed to keep in your living room for a few years so that you can have "closure"? What is the difference between that and having them embalmed (stuffed for a few days)? I feel that what they do to bodies to embalm them is disrespectful. If people really what to see me they can come visit me before I die.

Which bring me to my next pet peeve. When I die I would like to have it admitted that I DIED, not PASSED, thank you very much. Death is supposed to be painful. My mother went through a lot of pain to bring me into this world, why do we deny the pain the dead person and their loved ones go through? Jesus Christ overcame the pains of death. I think when we minimize with our euphemisms the reality of death, we minimize His sacrifice and triumph. Maybe I am wrong in my take on this. I would love to hear what you think.