Don't forget to refrigerate

When making Killer Crunch Brownies, but upping the ante with milk chocolate both times, you are cautious as you attempt to make two chicken pot pies for your family. The work it entails (hardly any), the ingredients already bought (well, not counting the previously GRILLED chicken)...a 26-oz can cream of chicken soup, a 2 pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables, half that can of milk, and a sprinkling of celery salt and fresh ground pepper. Only thing I forgot after my shopping excursion today was that refrigerated pie crust you unroll on top, I'd already secured a two-pack of FROZEN extra deep pie crust (which you'll pre-bake before filling, at 350 for 10 minutes). So mix that one-and-a-half cups of sugar into your waiting 2 sticks of butter and 12 oz bag of milk chocolate chips, previously melted. Add the teaspoon vanilla and four eggs, each mixed in individually. Add 1-1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. And again, bake As Mel recommends, for 25-30 minutes. Add fluff, add crispies. Then REFRIGERATE, REFRIGERATE, REFRIGERATE....or else your marshmallow will become drippy, and totally ruin the planet.

One-and-a-half cups of sugar SHORT

It was so simple, just start preheating the oven to three-fifty, then turn on that burner and reheat on LOW those two sticks of butter and bag of semisweet chocolate chips (I used MILK, but had to leave MID-recipe), should take all of ten seconds. Let it cool, add one and a half cups sugar, and stir in a teaspoon of vanilla. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stir in completely. Then one-and-a-half cups of flour combine with one-half teaspoon salt to make brownies (and bake for 30 minutes in a foil-lined, then greased, 9 x 13 pan). Next layer is totally seven ounces of marshmallow fluff spread upon warm aforementioned brownies. Bear with me as I combine on the stovetop on low, 3 cups of rice crispies mixed with a cup of melted chocolate chips and a cup filled with peanut butter. Press onto the top of the fluff, and you've got my free evening being spent repairing my almost-lost recipe. Thank God I had to run to the store to buy SUGAR!

Vistas

When nothing's changed between old college friends, and the memories flood back, the laughter and ties immediately remembered...you feel proud of that Mediterranean Pasta Salad that needed only diced banana peppers to take it over the top. Staying up until 1:30 in the morning reconnecting after almost twenty years of life going on, it's an amazing feeling to have people in the world who have always known you, still do, and consider you to be like family. Catching up on everything you remember to be true about each other, reaffirming that these people resonate with your core self, and standing firm that a yearly repeat of this familiarity and celebratory reunion must occur, only next time at the cabin. It's good to know that old memories can be reignited so effortlessly, that today's successes can so seamlessly weave into the stepping stones of the past. And alongside, it affirms those who ARE family in this little ol' farming community we've been so blessed to reside in for twenty-some years and counting.

Freezer cookies

Peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies stored as rolls in the freezer for slice-and-bake preparedness.  A simple recipe times four, take a look at the oatmeal raisin:  1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar...whipped together.  

Add 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla.  1 cup flour, 1-1/4 cup oats, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt.  1/2 cup raisins.  Roll into 8-10 inch log, cut 1/4-inch slices, bake 10-12 min at 375 degrees on lightly greased baking sheets.

Quadruple everything into: 2 cups each of butter, sugar, packed brown sugar.  4 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla. 4 cups flour, 5 cups oats, 2 tsp each baking soda and powder, 1 tsp salt.  1-2 cups raisins.

For the peanut butter: 1/2 cup shortening, peanut butter, sugar, packed brown sugar.  

1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla.  1-1/4 cups flour and 1 tsp baking soda.  Roll into 8-10 inch log, cut 1-inch slices and then quarter and roll into balls. Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Quadrupled into: 2 cups each of shortening, peanut butter, sugar, packed brown sugar.

4 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla.  5 cups flour and 4 tsp baking soda.

Snacksville

Oh, the options were endless, which fantastic muffin recipe shall I try?  Leaning towards chocolate chip automatically, but shall I add the extra three-quarter cup of cocoa, subtract the same amount of flour, and make them mocha? Eyeing 3 medium ripening bananas, I wonder, do I go healthy and go banana bran?

For the most basic of muffin recipes, just whisk together 3 cups of flour, 1 T baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cream 10 T softened butter with 1 cup (minus 1 T) sugar on med-high until light and fluffy (2 min).  Add one egg, beat well, add a second egg, beat well.

Alternately beat in dry ingredients and 1-1/2 cups plain yogurt, until incorporated.  Pour this into a buttered 12-cup muffin tin, pop into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Serve warmed and slathered in butter.

Sunday Summertime mornings

Not pancakes again, not on a free-to do-as we please Sunday morning.  Yes, school's out officially, we can finally relax...kids back in my nest are the good times I live for.  All the more baking I'll do to justify my existence, to soothe knots in my soul, and provide nourishment to my loved ones.

I'm on a bar hunt lately, having received killer feedback on Mel's Killer Crunch brownies, layers of   chocolate/peanut butter rice crispies, upon marshmallow fluff, atop brownie.  Oh so insanely delicious, you have to refrigerate them and try them.  And so frosted brownies make me reminisce about the seventies and school days, her Congo Bars, blessing the marriage between a walnut blondie and chocolate brownie.  Which shall I definitely both choose?

Luxury

When I go to Target and return with life's essentials, ten pounds each of unbleached flour and sugar, I'm sure I've gone insane.  Straight off the deep end with 3 cans of tomato paste, evaporated milk, a can of cherry pie filling..., in love with that "just in case" filled-pantry feeling.

Too many bags of semisweet chocolate chips, okay three, Hershey's milk chocolate Nuggets, and some bittersweet Ghirardelli, who's gonna commit me?  A week's worth of sloppy joe leftovers, creamy skillet Mac and cheese, plus a 9 x 13 of blueberry dessert to please me.

I spent over 8 dollars on almost 3 pounds of grapes today, gulp, for the love of my family.