Comments (21)

By Estela - Weekly Bite, July 9, 2010 7:57 am

Thanks for all the suggestions for my surplus of jalapenos! I think I’m going to freeze some and try to pickle the rest.

So, yesterday I was checking my emails and M was doing her normal laps around the house. You see, we have a bathroom with “Jack & Jill” doors, so she just cruises through the bathroom and makes a complete circle.

I noticed there was silence, and M didn’t come through the living room to complete her 13th lap. I quietly walked to the bathroom, and this is what I saw….

At first I wanted to put her in “time out”, but she looked so stinkin’ cute I had to grab my camera….

Sometimes I think babies are just like puppies…. when things get quiet and you don’t see them for a while… you know they are getting into trouble

Yesterday, Tim was getting home from a business trip. We have a little routine/tradition we do every time he comes home. The first thing involves making his favorite brownies. My husband LOVES his brownies… but he’s picky. I’ve tried over and over again to make fancy from scratch brownies… but he wants nothing of them. His favorite is good old Duncan Hines…

The brown stuff you see is coffee. Instead of using the water that the recipe calls for, I use coffee. It really brings out the chocolate flavor

And I always have to add extra chocolate chips for him…

And I always lick the bowl

Second part of our coming home routine…. Pizza! Tim loves pizza. We always order the same thing every time. Half cheese (for me) and half pepperoni & black olives for him.

I always eat the same thing… one slice of cheese, and half a slice of his pepperoni

And finally… my tradition. Daddy gets home and mommy opens up a box of wine…

Classy, I know…. But don’t hate on the box of Target wine until you’ve tried it. Its mighty tasty

I’m telling ya’ its heaven in a glass

In other news….

• I did get my 6 mile run in yesterday
• I was only able to clean the floors downstairs
• I started packing for our weekend trip!

On the agenda today:

• Bikram yoga class
• Buy a new pack-n-play for M
• Finish packing for our trip
• Go to mommy happy hour
• Go to our neighborhood happy hour
• Then we’re up early on Saturday and heading to PA!

Have a great weekend!!!

Comments (10)

By Estela - Weekly Bite, December 2, 2009 9:54 pm

I’ve been baking since I was in elementary school. I truly enjoy everything about baking. The more complicated the recipe, the better! I’m never one to take a short cut. I’m a “bake from scratch” kinda gal… except for brownies.

No lie, I bake a pan of brownies a week. My husband loves them… has to have them in the house. I’ve known him for ten years and have pretty much baked a pan of brownies every week… for ten years.

I’ve gone through literally hundreds of “bake from scratch” recipes and then started with the boxed mixes. For a while I was convinced that Ghiradelli had the best mix. I was wrong. The best brownies come from this beautiful red box.

The brownie mix HAS to be the Duncan Hines “Family Style” dark chocolate fudge brownies. Buying anything else is just not the same.

At first I baked the brownies exactly how the box says… but being the baker I am, I had to make some changes.

First, you want to follow the directions EXACTLY how the box states. ONLY use TWO eggs. Instead of water, add cold brewed coffee (the same amount used for water). Next, add 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Even though the box says to use a 13×9 pan, don’t. Use an 8×8 pan or similar size.

I like my brownies chewy. To get the best chewy brownies, this last step is super important.

Bake the brownies at 325 degrees for 24 minutes. Every oven is different. Twenty-four minutes is perfect for my oven. You want the brownies to be slightly under baked in the middle. If you stick a toothpick in the edges it should come out clean. If you stick a toothpick in the middle it should have a little bit of batter on it (but not raw).

As soon as the brownies are done remove them from the oven and stick the brownie pan immediately in the freezer. TRUST ME.

Leave the brownies in the freezer for about 30 minutes. You don’t want the brownies frozen, but the pan should be completely cold when you remove it.

The result…. BEST BROWNIES EVER!!!!

Enjoy!