Cookie Friday: Mexican Chocolate Brownie Recipe

I didn't get pictures of these! I'm sorry, but they don't look too different than your typical brownie. Stinky asked to make brownies yesterday, and I'd been contemplating something like this since coming to love Mexican Hot Chocolate. Then he asked to take some to his teacher, and I couldn't deny him that. Anyway, here's my recipe, adapted from one I found on epicurious. Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

1/3 cup butter
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 pan. Melt butter in sauce pan on low, then add chocolate chips. As chocolate melts, mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Crack and wisk eggs in a separate bowl. Wisk in melted chocolate to dry ingredients and then wisk in eggs. Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a piece of spaghetti poked into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool, and enjoy! Let me know if you try them!

in a rather undignified position.

The boys enjoying movie night with their cousin. I'm completely in love with this picture.

This summer we went to the zoo in the morning as soon as they opened. This, by the way is the very best time to go to the zoo. You eat breakfast in the car, there are no crowds for all of the good exhibits, you can see the zoo keepers at work, and you can be done by lunchtime. One of the things we saw was a muskox being traquilized so an injury could be examined. We watched her, the little pink tail of the dart sticking out of her rump, fight to maintain her composure and carry on as normal, then stagger to a rock structure and lean for a while. A few moments later, one of the staff said "...and she's going down." Then, down she went, collapsing to the ground in a rather undignified position.

I've felt some empathy for the muskox in the last few weeks. Don't get me wrong, the holidays were wonderful. Last weekend was one of the most successful weekends with the boys that we've had in a long time. There's just been so much going on that today, I find myself leaning on the nearest structure, waiting to collapse to the ground in a rather undignified position.

When WBH goes back to work after vacation, there's always a pout day, and today is the one. I sort of putter around the house, wishing he was home and we could do something fun. I'm not out of my pajamas, neither are the boys and it's past lunch time. I'm tired and I just want to get back into my warm, fluffy bed.

Fortunately, my boys snap me out of it. Stinky stacks his red blocks over his eyes and yells "laser eyes! laser eyes!" I give a performance normally reserved for LARP-ers, and Rotten laughs at me hysterically. We do this over and over again. Laying on the ground, I realize that I've done it. I've collapsed to the ground in a rather undignified position- and I'm totally recharged. As it turns out, dignity is totally overrated.

What I Wore Wednesday #2

I really liked the motivation that doing this one gave me last week to not wear sweatpants all the time, so I think I'll keep trying this WIWW out. Let's start with the bad:

Church this week. Right as we needed to leave, WBH pointed out that my new shirt was a little low for church if I'd be standing around anything but children and munchkins (one of the benefits of marrying a tall man...). So this completely unflattering ensemble was reminiscent of Nanny from The Muppet Babies. Lesson learned, ladies- have your husband check out your chest before the moment you're walking out the door.

Cardigan: thrifted

Shirt: thrifted

skirt: Marshalls

Shoes: hand-me-downs from little sister (does that make them hand-me-ups?) wore these because the parking lot has been icy. weather, please heat up so the heels can come back, please.

It gets a little better (hey look, she colored her hair and it makes her look less tired...)

grateful I wore slacks at a wedding reception, where I had to chase Stinky.

top: eddie bauer

tank: costco

slacks: limited, thrifted

booties: thrifted

necklace, bracelet: made by me

hey, waist, remember when I had you? Maybe you can make a comeback this year?

New Year's Eve with Family

Top: Target

Tank: Costco

Jeans: Volde-mart

Scarf : made by me

This may have been Christmas Day. I remember because it's the first day I'd seen my sister in a while- she works at the mall.

Tank: Hand-Me-Down
Sweater: Thrifted, Target

Jeans: Thrifted, Eddie Bauer

Booties: Thrifted

Pin: Made by Me

Well, now I'm inspired to do better next time! Hope you're having a great week!

30 before 30 : December 4th to January 4th

One month down. It was a busy one with holidays, family visits, and best of all, WBH home on vacation. So, what did I get done from my mega-list?

• Read Northanger Abbey
  
• Read 4 books (Northanger Abbey, plus the Hunger Games trilogy)


• Faked some button holes on bibs I sewed, because I didn't have time to learn to use the attachment. Will figure that out later- but it's progress!


• Read 80 pages in the Book of Mormon


• Made marshmallows


• Lost four pounds (and gained 1.5 back. Merry Christmas!)


• Exercised. Once, but I have plans to exercise today- does that count?
  
• Tried to post 7 days a week. I didn't always make it, but I doubled up a few that made up for it.


• Saw an increase in blog traffic- thanks!

I Made it Monday: Marshmallows

Cross one off the list, I made marshmallows on Thursday night. They're fantastic, and more dense than store-bought. They make hot chocolate divine. I used this recipe from Our Best Bites, and it was pretty simple. It requires a lot of attention though, so you'll want to have an extra set of hands for your kiddos when you give it a try. Let me know if you make them- I'm sure you'll love them.

Shared today at Skip To My Lou

Sunday Inspiration

To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.

Richard G. Scott

January's Header

Happy New Year! Have you sifted through the endless list of facebook statuses wishing you a happy new year yet?

I really like this month's header. As you can see, I get to cross something off my list, but more on that later. Hope you like it!