Listen up folks. Now would be a fantastic time for you to loosen the belts on your pants, put your feet up and prepare to be wowed.
Last week I mentioned that Miss Viki’s banana bread was some of the best I’d ever eaten. Well. These brownies I am about to share with you are THE best brownies I have ever eaten in my entire life. These brownies are like sex on a plate. Single women would never think to look for a date if they could eat these brownies all the time.
Chocolatey goodness at its best. Prepare yourself for the wonder that is….
Duchess Allie’s Delicious Delectable Brownies
10 Tbsp butter
1 1/4c sugar
3/4c + 2Tbsp cocoa
dash salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
2 cold large eggs
1/2c flour
2/3c nuts (I use chopped Callebaut chocolate on the top instead)
Preheat oven to 325C
Line an 8in pan with foil or parchment paper (leave edges hanging over so that you can lift them out)
Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a double-boiler. stir until smooth and melted somewhat, and hot to the touch. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Stir in vanilla (use wooden spoon or strong spatula). add eggs one at a time, beat well after each.
Keep stirring until well mixed, smooth and shiny. Add flour and stir until mixed in, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes. mix in nuts, if using. spread into pan evenly!
Bake until a toothpick comes out slightly moist with batter, 20-25mins. Cool completely on a rack. Lift out and cut on a board, makes 16 or 25 squares… or less!
Best eaten warm or served with ice cream!
Thanks to my dear friend Allie for sharing the recipe for Tasty Tuesday. These are truly the best brownies ever made!!
I never saw a purple cow;
I never hope to see one;
but I can tell you anyhow;
I’d rather see than be one!
I think I have left a teeny tiny detail about myself out of the things I have been telling you all. Ok, I’ve likely left a lot of things out, but this is a doozie. I have a serious obsession with cows. Yes. Moooo.
When I was a teenager, I walked past a field of cows and as I stood at the fence, one of them came over and licked me. Instead of thinking about all the weird and wonderful diseases one could contract from such an experience, I became hooked. As far as I was concerned, I was in love with these beautiful creatures. And did you know that they don’t just come in black and white? It is, I think, rather akin to those kids in the 60s who got a new tv and could finally watch in colour! There are hairy cows, brown, long horns and none.
And so, I share with you, my wonderful world of cows. I have to share in picture form this way because I have sadly had to pack away my collection of cow stuffies and ornaments.
Perhaps these cows should visit the hairdresser who cut my daughters hair the first time??
There’s always one who can’t keep his head down in an earthquake drill.
I also like dogs. So the combo of dogs and cows was one I couldn’t turn down for this.
I have fallen victim to a phenomenon sweeping the blogging world. It is known as “tagging”. Yes, we are playing a giant game of tag. I use “victim” in the loosest sense because obviously the fact that someone thought enough to tag me makes me all giddy and prone to the cheesiest grins known to man.
I discovered I’d been tagged a few days ago, but the subject matter gave me pause for thought. Ah yes! There is a specific subject that I must write about. I’m told that this will be forever known as a “meme”. I have yet to determine the exact definition of this word, but I’m sure that later when I am at a loss as to what to do with a spare five minutes that has cropped up, I will look it up and log it in my stash of words of the day.
Kerrie at The Minivan Soap Box is the wise person who thought it only prudent to draw me further into the blogosphere by tagging me, and the fact that people now get to know how much I’m squirming about this is, I’m sure, a bonus.
Now, on my with my meme….
5 Classes I Wish They’d Taught In School
Please don’t be lured into a false sense of something by the title. I know it implies that I paid enough attention in school to care what they were teaching, but in all honesty I didn’t. However, I’m paying enough attention now to know that if they’d had subjects like this, I might have spent more time attending class, and less time sleeping.
1. Money Growing for beginners
Hard as I tried, I just couldn’t find the fabled money tree in my parent’s back yard, and I would have appreciated the opportunity to buy my own. I think it might have saved me years of working dead end jobs, and I’d own my own house and car now. Outline of class content to include lessons on prime planting time, care for the tender tree and advice on how to beat off thieves.
2. Advanced Sex-Ed for girls
aka “Just because he tells you you’re pretty and buys you 10 drinks, doesn’t mean he’s clean, safe or will be around in the morning”. Too many girls in my graduating year wound up pregnant within a year of gradding and with no guy sticking around. Elective ~ How to Adequately Punish the Guy who walks away.
3. Listen to your parents - they’re usually right
Suggested teachings: How to pick your friends 101, Do you really NEED that second helping 203
4. Children ARE Payback
Everything your mother ever said to you about “I can’t wait til you have kids of your own” will never ring more true when your 3 year old is having that sixth meltdown in a row in the middle of the grocery store. When your 15 year old screams “I hate you!” from the top of the stairs again, you will already be prepared because this class will have taught you that your children are indeed payback for the way you were as a child.
5. Spontaneous Choreographed Singing
Be able to break into song at any moment and have all your friends - nay, your entire school get in on the action. Learn to sing like Mariah, dance like Britney and harmonize like the Bee Gees. Uniforms and basketballs provided. After taking this class, you will never again have another normal conversation. Sing your heart out.
Ok. I’ve completed my task and now I must follow the rules and “tag” 5 other people to perform the same task. This is no easier than the composing of the meme.
And now for the rules for you people who I just tagged!
* Link to the person that tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog
* Blog about the 5 classes you wish they’d have taught in school
* Tag random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
* Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Ooooh folks….this Banana Bread is some of the yummiest banana bread I have ever tried. My friend Viki shared this wonderful recipe with us, and it is with her permission that I share it with all of you. Enjoy!!
Miss Viki’s AMAZING banana bread:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 well beaten eggs
2 frozen and then thawed over-ripe mashed banana (use a food processor or a blender)
Method:
Add your dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt)
In another bowl cream your shortening, and gradually beat in the sugar until its a paste. Add the eggs (prebeaten) and combine well
Freeze the bananas in advance (and any others, we always have five or six frozen in the freezer to use anytime) and pull them out and thaw with hot running water (they go mushy) and put them in the food processor
Mix into the shortening mix, the dry ingredients alternating with the banana (1/2 dry, 1/2 banana, 1/2 dry..you get the idea)
after each addition beat well…keeping the mixture the consistancy of a cake mix or so.
Pour into a greased loaf pan (this recipie can double nicely, I do it all the time)
and preheat your oven at this time to 350.
Let mixture stand for 20 minutes and then bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 mins (until the top has a crack and it looks nicely done)
This past weekend was….um…..interesting. As I mentioned in my Friday posts, Karma got her revenge on me for my gloating about the sun by snowing all over us. As a result, I had a rather deflated kid moping around the house because T Ball practice was cancelled. Sadly, being deflated does not necessary dictate that said child will also be quieter. If anything, the volume in the house increased as she asked me for the 18th time why she couldn’t go play and I had to explain yet again that the snow on the ground made the field all muddy. Not everyone’s parents are as brave as I am with a washing machine apparently. Or the Coaches (of which Hotty Hubby is one) are all a bunch of wimps. Or maybe we just felt like sitting our tushes on a Friday night instead of freezing our asses off watching a bunch of you kids not catch a ball. Whatever, pick an answer. And if you scream at me like that again, so help me I’ll drive you down to the diamond and let you play on your own in the snow.
By Sunday morning, all the snow was melted and the kid in question had re-inflated at the prospect of being able to throw a ball around again. I don’t think I have a seen a child more in love with her coach. (No..not her father…the other coach). Coach Nate is pretty easy on the eyes, I’m not the first to notice. But clearly my daughter has taken a shine to him. As I watched her on Sunday, chasing after him for high fives and praise, batting her eyelashes at him, and smiley that big cheesy smile, it occured to me that I was reminded of the actions of those little Barbie doll girls that swoon all over the guys at the meat markets bars. Remind me to lock her up when she’s a teenager. At least she’s paying enough attention to the Coach to take in some of his instruction right??
On our way to the car after the game, we stopped by my dad’s car to say goodbye. As we’re standing there, this woman in a huge huge truck drives into the parking lot and parks. I have never in my life seen such amazing parking, I swear. Having failed to find a spot available in the parking lot and, I’m assuming, lacking in the ability to turn the monstrous vehicle around, she decided she’d make her own spot. Up onto the sidewalk she went. I wish I’d had my camera so I could show you all. Not only was she on the sidewalk, but she was parked on the sidewalk next to the only spot open in the lot. The handicapped spot. Well, how considerate is that? No no, I couldn’t possibly park in the handicapped spot. I’ll just park up here on the sidewalk so that if anyone needs that spot they can have it. Oh, they now can’t use the ramp for their wheelchair because I’m parked on it? Well, I could move, but…well, I can barely drive this tank as it is. I think I’ll leave it there.
Seriously lady? Are you that wrapped up in our own little world?
Yesterday afternoon we were in what some would call the third circle of Hell. Though I have to say that I’m not even sure that Beelzebub himself would have subjected himself to this. Yes, yes, we were at The Wiggles performance. All in all, I have to admit it was one of the most parent friendly performances I have ever been to. Hotty Hubby and I were rolling around laughing. The Wiggles themselves had a hard time keeping a straight face a good portion of the time. As we watching the men and women cavort around on stage in some questionable costumes, I looked over to see my children emulating this. The vision of your children dancing around with huge smiles on their faces, singing along to some of the most ridiculous songs on the face of the planet, is amazing.
There is one thing I must say about this little Wiggles adventure of ours. My father bought these tickets for us, so that the kids could get to see a great show without us having to sell any internal organs to pay for it (thanks Dad!). They were, theoretically, fantastic tickets. Floor seats, 12th row back. Every show we’ve ever seen at the Arena were floor seats and while this was the furthest back we’ve ever sat, the floor is usually a great place to be. And it would have been but for one small issue.
When we found our seats, we got settled and looked around to see if there was anyone else we knew. Because, you know, in an arena that hold thousands of people, you’re bound to see someone you know right? A woman and her small child came and sat in front of us and we adjusted our positions accordingly so that the kids could still see the stage. Great, looks like this will work out well. Unfortunately, the two women with children sitting to the right of the woman in front of us had other ideas.
Woman to the right: “Excuse me ma’am, we’ve been separated from some friends of ours who are now over at the other end of the row and we’d really like to sit with them [because we can't possibly survive without them]. Would you consider switching places with them?”
Woman in front of us: “Umm…..umm……sure. I guess so”
And off she goes to switch places. Hotty Hubby and are not to worried at this point because surely the seats will be filled with yet another parent and child right? Haha! No so my friends! I looked up to find two amazon women filling the seats to join their friends. So, now we have a group of 6 adults to go with 2 children. And they’re all freaking giants.
A word of advice to all of you out there. When you go to a children’s show, put on for children, for the benefit of children and making them smile, where the greatest portion of the audience is made up of..you guessed it…children - please do not sit a group of gigantors in front of the CHILDREN.
I may have mentioned at some point before, I can fairly vocal at times. The exception seemed to be with the Broom Cupboard Lady - but on the whole I make my opinions known when I feel like it. So there I am, sitting behind the Giants of Lilliput Land and saying such things as “Gee [Hotty Hubby], I don’t know what to do, the kids can’t see over the GIANT ADULTS IN FRONT OF THEM!” “What are we going to do to make sure the kids CAN SEE?!” “I wonder if they’ll slide down in their seats a bit so, you know, the kids can actually see the show that’s meant for them”.
I should have saved my breath. The show started, the “ladies” in front of us were still sitting up nice and tall and swaying back and forth so that neither of my children could see, and I was verging on smack down status. So I hauled the kids out of their seats and went and sat in the stands. Now, not only could the kids see, but they could dance. Sweet.
Kids Performace Seating Etiquette 101: If you’re at a kid’s show and there’s kids sitting behind you, please ensure you do your best to allow the kids behind you to see the show that cost a fortune to get into.
