Superbowl Snacks for the WIN

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Rubbermaid

and Sharpie but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #RubbermaidSharpie  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

It is officially Superbowl Season. And everyone is gearing up for their Superbowl parties. Are you hosting a party? Or are you getting a dish ready to impress your party host? No matter what your Superbowl plans are, I've got some ideas for you to win the crowd.

Heading to a Party? Adam and I are getting ready to move to Arizona, which means no matter what party we need a conversation starter. An awesome bowl/container is the easiest way to grab someone's attention. Head to Target for some Rubbermaid and Sharpies to design your own bowl. Another option? Find a recipe that will win the taste buds of everyone around you. With a fun bowl or a tasty side dish you are bound to have a conversation starter.

Hosting Your Own Party? Create a spread that will please even the pickiest of taste buds and add a little flare to it! My favorite is a taco bar. Tortillas, chips, ground turkey, ground beef, cheese dip, lots of lettuce, cheese, guacamole, sour cream - the list is endless. Make sure you have enough options for everyone to build a dish that they will love and that meets their dietary needs. And add the flare with pun-ny signs!

These are two of our favorite party recipes. Whether you are hosting or you are an invitee - these two sides are sure to score big smiles with the crowds!

Chip Dip

aka - the EASIEST recipe

Ingredients

One 10-ounce can beanless chili

One 8-ounce block cream cheese

Directions

Combine in pan

Place on stove

Melt and stir

Ready to serve!

Salsa: Restaurant Style

Ingredients

Two 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (or more to taste!)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin, with seeds and membrane
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 whole lime, juiced

Directions

Combine the diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt, sugar and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like.

And of course - the best part about hosting the party is the food. But the worst part is all the leftover food. So win your guests over with a Rubbermaid to go! And if you sign up with Target for their mobile coupons you can save $1 off your plasticware + $1 off you Sharpie 4 pack and impress the party at the same time. Text COUPONS to TARGET to get the Rubbermaid and Sharpie coupon offers that run from January 25 until February 8. Because the only thing better than impressing your guests with an awesome go home is to save while doing it! Now go get your Superbowl on. Who are you cheering for? Got any awesome recipes ready for your party?

Shirleys and Pizza

Finals ended last week. Which means Adam has a lot more time at home. Right now all that is going on in his world is baseball. This morning he told me, "I love not having school because when I'm not at baseball I just get to focus on you, you, you!" Since school has ended Adam has done so many things for me. Cleaned the house, gotten the groceries, taken me to lunch, cooked multiple dinners, and taken time to watch my shows with me. Last weekend he made a really yummy dinner for us. Really simple and really yummy combining his favorite of pizza and my favorite of Shirleys. I asked what I could do to help and he said, "It is really easy... so you can just sit on the couch." So instead I got up and took photos.

When he put the pizza in the oven I asked how long we needed to leave it in. His response? "I don't know! I'm making this up!" I would tell you the recipe... but since we made it up I don't even know what we turned the oven to. Oops! While it was cooking we relaxed and made Shirleys.

On our honeymoon all I wanted was Shirley Temples. But we didn't buy a soda card so I didn't get any the whole time. Finally, on the last night of the cruise I decided to order one at dinner. It was heavenly. And Adam remembered and when he came home with dinner materials he also had all the things you needed for a real, honest to goodness Shirley. And it was much better than the one on the cruise. Oh, and the pizza was so good! Adam should make up recipes more often. I think next time we will jazz it up a little more, you know, take it to the next level? Have any suggestions for our french bread pizza experiments? Or do you have any other easy recipes for us?

Love,
Deidre

Hunters of Happiness || Guest Post

Hi Love, the Skinnys readers, I'm Elise! I'm the girl behind the blog Hunters of Happiness. 

I'm excited to be here and tell you a little bit about myself. 

So, I'm Elise and this is my new husband Scott. 

Together we're the Hunter family!

Hunters of Happiness is all about our journey to find happiness in the everyday. 

So far I am the sole author of our blog and so you'll hear about all those things I love!

Mainly, fashion, food, family and faith.

 I LOVE blogging! It's super fun. I love getting creative with outfits, sharing a hilarious story, making something new in the kitchen or journaling our various adventures.

Well, I hope you'll stop by and see what our hunt for happiness is all about :) 

blog // instagram// pinterest // twitter // bloglovin'

Oh So Delicioiso || Guest Post

It is fun to find friends that blog. And one of my friends from my hometown has a recipe blog with her sister and some friends. And let me tell you, these ladies know how to cook. You've probably seen their recipes on Pinterest and didn't even know it! So I invited Aubrey to come and share a little love and cooking. Ain't she a doll?

----------------------------

Hello there, Aubrey from Oh So Delicioso {A Cooking Style Blog}. My hometown girl Deidre invited me over to her lovely blog to share! I’ve enjoyed reading Love, the Skinny’s.. It takes me back to my newly-wed days when all was romantic and exciting and just blissful. After 7 ½ years, 3 years and maaaanny many years of school, I am happy to say, I am still in love. Am I lucky? Yes, but it wasn’t luck that brought our marriage to this day. It is good ol’ fashioned labor of love. LOVE is totally a labor!

When Brandon and I were first married he had a personal encyclopedia on the foods he would NOT eat. This left me quite a trial trying to come up with nutritious meals. Many nights I would give up and say “fine you cook it!” This was the perfect strategy in to me learning his likes. After eating many of his boxed meals or frozen dinners I learned his flavor. I tried to focus on seasoning and herbs that he liked and apply them to the black listed foods. Over the years he has trashed his encyclopedia and now just has a page or two. And I honor that. Nothing makes me happier than him saying, “mmm.. that’s really good, what d’ you put in this?“

I have to be honest though, I haven’t always been a great cook. From experience I’ll give you a little advice, don’t mix up the sugar and salt! Cooking is a skill that for some is natural and other is learned, although I feel to most it is a learned skill (you don’t usually see many natural prodigy cooks on food network do ya?). And what a rewarding skill! I mean who doesn’t love to eat warm soft rolls right out of the oven that melt in your mouth?! For me there is also the reward of serving others.

I was raised to know that when you serve someone, you gain a love for that person. And that is why I cook. I cook to serve my husband; to serve my children. And I’ve gained a greater love and purpose as a wife and mother. Please call me old fashioned, because I feel that some great wisdom has been lost in the modern family. I am not in the least judgmental of other family situations, because I may someday be in their shoes. For now, I have to opportunity to fix a home cooked meal ready for the Mr. when he arrives home and to teach my children the variety of foods and flavors and how to keep their sweet little bodies healthy and strong. To show my family the adventure of cooking and the bond that food can bring across cultures and most importantly with in a family. So many of our recipes on our blog are “grandma” recipes. The foods that we ate as children at grandma’s house, and we still love them today because of the sweet memories and love that went into those meals.  Will be children survive if I don’t ever fix Chicken Cordon Bleu? Sure, but they will be missing out. Could he cook for himself? Sure, he’s actually a good cook. But what a sweet thing I can do for them by providing a nutritious dinner. They don’t always pat me on the back, and I don’t get any promotions. The happiness that dwells in our home is the best reward I can have.

I’d like to share one of my husband’s favorite meals he requests regularly. It can also be found on our blog under Pastas in the recipeindex!

 Ingredients:

16 oz farfalle pasta (bow-tie)

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 chicken breasts
1 cup thawed peas
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) *optional

3-4 cloves of garlic

1T pepper

3/4 cup butter

1 lb bacon (previously cooked and crumbled) **must be real, fresh cooked bacon. not "bacon bits or real bacon"

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 120z Lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice

Directions:

In Crock Pot cook chicken in marinade on low for 6 hours. About a half and hour before serving boil pasta. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices and shred. Set aside. In a small sauce pan melt better, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper cheese and bacon. Wish together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl pour sauce over cooked drained pasta. Add chicken, stir through. Sprinkle with a little bit more cheese for presentation on top.

Cheers to cooking and serving our families, the most important people in the world. 

Grub Tour || Cranky Chuckie's

Adam and I decided to try a new restaurant last weekend. We had a groupon for Cranky Chuckie's in Provo, UT. It was a place neither of us had heard about... but we have been in the mood to try new eating places lately. Cranky Chuckie's is located above Ruby Thai over by condo row and J Dawgs. At first when we pulled up I said to Adam, "How the heck are we supposed to get up there?!" I couldn't see a stairwell.. maybe because I was looking on the wrong side. Adam pointed and said, "Probably that door..." And sure enough, right in the middle of the building was a door with a sign that said Dave's Cranky Chuckie's. I just smiled and said, "Oh... yeah... that C should have given it away." Anyway... up the stairs we go. As soon as you get to the top of the stairs you take a right and enter... What the heck? Am I in Seattle now?! I love it. The atmosphere is really laid back, the walls are all painted a dark blue, there is some Red Hot Chili Peppers (at least when we first walked in) playing, a small stage (for an open mic night someday), and overall it seems like a best kept secret. The whole atmosphere makes me feel like I just walked into some little hipster secret in Seattle. So great. I wont lie, at first it was a little awkward because there isn't a hostess directly when you walk in. you have to walk in a few steps towards the bar to find someone to seat you. The night we went was fairly busy and so the waitress was running around a bunch. Either way. We got seated (if you go on a weekend make a reservation!) right away.

Well. First things first. I love the simplicity of the black table cloths. But even more. I love the glasses. They were so tall. And so fun. I drink a lot of water, so it was nice to not be needing a refill every three seconds. The menu is pretty simple, but each item has it's own unique twist. Adam and I didn't take much time to decide what we wanted. Neither of us were super hungry, so we can't smaller items. But one thing is for sure. I will be trying the meatloaf next time I go!

I had the Open Faced Turkey Sandwich. It was much better than I expected. Imagine this. Sourdough bread, turkey, a sort of pesto-like sauce, cheese, tomato, and lettuce. Sounds good, right? Well. Then top that with a farm fresh fried egg. It was one of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted. And it filled me up perfectly. The fries were great too. I am not a big ketchup person. It is fry sauce or nothing. But I could eat these fries without any sauce, which I appreciate in a french fry.

Adam had the sausage and mashed potatoes. Here is his review, "The mashed potatoes with sausage at Cranky Chuckies was completely different than what I expected. It turned out to be delicious. When we were seated, a couple next to us was eating the mashed potatoes and sausage. I had already looked at the menu but when I saw what they were eating, I decided to choose what they were eating. The mashed potatoes had pineapple in it, which caught me off guard at first, but turned out to be a nice addition. The serving size was large enough to where I couldn't finish it. I will return to Chunky Chuckies and I will get the mashed potatoes and sausage."

So there you have it people. If you want to try new twists on great food and feel like you are in Seattle at some trendy restaurant with tall glasses. Head to Cranky Chuckie's.

Love,

The Skinnys

Dear Taco Soup,

Taco Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS 

1 LB. Hamburger 

1 onion chopped 

1 can corn 

1 can kidney beans 

1 can chopped stewed tomato 

1 pkg. taco seasoning 

2 cups water 

TOPPINGS

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Tortilla chips (We like Salsa Verde Doritos or Fritos) 

DIRECTIONS

Brown hamburger and onion together. 

Add in all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. 

Serve over tortilla chips and top with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Nice and easy. Light and breezy. And that is how it is done.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Corn Chowder,

Like I have said before. It is soup season. Here is the latest installment from the Skinnys' home.

Creamy Corn Chowder

Serves 6-8

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. water

2 1/2 c. milk 

2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. chicken broth

1/2 lb. bacon (optional)

1 small onion, minced

2 potatoes, diced into small cubes

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn

Salt and pepper to taste

A few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne pepper

Fry bacon until crisp.

In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. 

When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. 

Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. 

Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. 

Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. 

Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste.

Ladle into bowls.

Garnish with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want.

And when I say "if you want" I mean... you should do it. It is more delicious than you would believe with those extra toppings. Now go, soup it up!

Love,

Deidre

Dear Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes,

That is the longest title for any treat. From here forward I am not calling these treats Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. I am calling them EPCC [Epic] Cupcakes. And let me tell you this. They are epic and easy. A few ingredients and 2 dozen delicious cupcakes will follow. And at the risk of making your grossed out because everyone hates this word, they are very moist even though it comes from a box. And I only feel the need to mention that because three people said that. First... you get to see a few nice photos of my making these treats because Adam loves to use the fancy camera.

Can't you tell how HAPPY I am to have these delicious goodies? They really were so good.

Ingredients
1 package spice cake mix
1 15 oz.can of pumpkin (I prefer Libby's)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 container (16 oz.) prepared cream cheese or vanilla frosting

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
BLEND cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
BAKE for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Spread cupcakes with frosting. I empty the frosting container into a bowl and whip it up. It isn't as dense and seems to go a little further.
Decorate with assorted sprinkles, if desired.

See? They look good. Right? And they were INCREDIBLY easy to make. And even better tasting. The party was at 7:30 and I baked them all starting at 6:30. I may or may not have put the cupcakes in the freezer right when they came out of the oven so I would have time to frost them... but either way. 2 dozen cupcakes prepared and ready to eat in an hour. That is what I like to call impressive. Also. I am slightly mad at my friends because they didn't take home the leftovers per my request... so I spent the next week eating cupcakes. I guess I am just putting on my winter coat a little early this year.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Grub Tour | The Awful Waffle,

Awful Waffle

602 East 600 North 

Provo UT

Last week was the Awful Waffle blogger meet up. And let me tell you. The Awful Waffle is GOOD. There was about 15 bloggers there and we all ordered different things so we could share and taste test.

I tried a little of everything. Here is a list of the things I had a bite of, that way you can get an idea of the variety.

Cinnamon waffle with strawberries, cream cheese icing, and cinnamon sugar on top
Barbecue chicken pizza
Crepe filled with nutella topped with strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream
French fries with their three speciality dipping sauces
Liege waffle with speculoos and strawberries
Spicy sausage egg and cheese crepe
Crepe with pumpkin pie filling, graham cracker, cream cheese icing, whipped cream

I know what you are thinking... this girl ate a ton... what the heck? I just want to remind you, with a bunch of girls ordering, we all shared. That is how I was lucky enough to try it all! Let me tell you my favorite things about this place:

1. Delicious waffles and crepes with any of the toppings you want. Seriously so much variety. 
2. Savory crepes too. You want a crepe but not a treat, they have you covered.
3. The light fixtures are bomb. Some made out of bird cages, some out of mason jars, and some with exposed copper. The light fixtures was enough all on it's own to make me happy.
4. Two words. Chalkboards everywhere.
5. They are more than waffles because there is a pizzeria with it now. I got one to go. And they write little messages in the lid of every to go box.

Besides all of those things, it is just a fun environment and a good price. The only downside to Awful Waffle is parking. It is in the middle of a complex,so you either have to park a little further away or luck into a spot close. There is also a church parking lot across the street, it says it boots... but I parked there and was fine. Just a side note in case you need to be there at a specific time. Plan for parking. I would seriously recommend stopping in. Here are some photos of the environment at The Awful Waffle. 

Ceramic deer head on the wall? Don't mind if I do.

The one thing that someone remembered to take a photo of before DIGGING in.

Most of the bloggers that were there that night.

Okay. So... you see what I mean? First of all. The food is GREAT and very reasonably priced. The atmosphere is fun and modern (maybe a little hipster trendy?). There is always room to draw on the table or the wall. And there is a lot of seating so you don't have to worry about searching for a seat. I pinky promise you will love Awful Waffle.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Soup,

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

8 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/3 cup sour cream (optional)

Ground black pepper to taste

Grated cheese (optional)

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. 

Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. 

Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. 

Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. 

In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. 

Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. 

Add sour cream and stir until dissolved

Season with pepper and serve.

Garnish with grated cheese if desired.

What is your favorite fall soup?

What recipes will you be making these next few months?

Love,

Deidre

Dear Post Workout Drink

Ladies and gentlemen... the vacation is over. And now you might be asking, what the heck, you were on a vacation? Yes and no. I wasn't out exploring. I was on a gym vacation. Which... let's be honest.... was a bad idea. After working out like CRAZY for Miss Idaho and then working out to stay slim for my wedding.. I was like, "Hey body, I am going to give you a break!" and my body was like... "Don't let me go... I look awesome." And then let my body go is exactly what I did. Oops. So now it is time to get back into shape so I can wear my white skinny jeans again. After I go to the gym I am always hungry and needing a little something something to get my body kicking again. So I have been making this simple post-workout drink that I like to call "Purple Drank". That's right, with an "a" in there.

Purple Drank

One cup blueberries

Half cup oats

One banana

One spoonful of peanut butter

Water or milk to consistency

Blend

Pour

Drink

Easy enough. And it keeps my body satisfied and not like I want to die after working out at power pump. Have you ever been to power pump?! It is all sorts of workout CRAZY!

Love,

Deidre

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Birth Month Giveaway!

Dear Beef Stroganoff,

It is true. I am not only a wife. But I am a homemaker. It is slowly coming along. And last week I made my first real, everything from scratch dinner. We didn't have it much growing up because my mom didn't love it. I forgot how much I love it. And let me tell you something else. Adam loved it too. It was a huge hit. And he rated it as one of the top meals I have ever made. Which could be due to the fact that I usually make fish tacos, beef tacos, or chicken tacos... or some sort of chicken (I did make some bomb BBQ chicken the other night) dish. So here you have it people. I am REALLY proud of it.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 cup sliced mushrooms (do not use canned)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooked rice or noodles (I use one pack of noodles)

Directions:

Saute onions and garlic in a little butter on a skillet

Stir in meat, flour, and seasoning and saute until meat loses its color

Add mushrooms then soup

Simmer for 10 minutes

Stir in sour cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat; do not boil

Add milk if needed

Serve over rice or noodles

It is a big hit at our home. And I would be making it soon again if I didn't have a list of other things I want to try and make! Hopefully you enjoy it too.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Apple Pie Dip,

Adam had a LOT of homework the other night. And my brother and his family invited us out for dinner. Adam said, "You go, I will do homework..." And I thought... that was a good idea, because I just distract him anyway constantly asking if he is done yet?! So we went to Costco, got him some food, unloaded the car, and I headed to family. It was a great dinner of yummmmy soup (which I love in the fall) followed by a night of helping get a treat ready for church the next night. We made Apple Pie Dip and ate it with graham crackers the night we taste tested it and cinnamon chips at church the next day. My mom and I were on apple duty... which wasn't too bad since we used a Victorio apple peeler. And then my sister in law made the YUMMY treat! But I got the recipe to share with you. It tasted just like an apple pie, and was too good to not share with you!

How cool is that? All thanks to the handy apple peeler. My mom and I bought one for ourselves as well!

Apple Pie Dip

2 cups peeled, cored, and diced apple

2 tbsp fresh lemon/calamansi juice

3 tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water

Directions:
Combine all the dip ingredients in a small pan except the cornstarch-water mixture.
Heat for a few minutes until it’s boiling and has extracted juice from the apple.
Add cornstarch-water mixture to the “sauce”
Put back on stove top until boiling and the sauce has thickened.
Set aside. You can serve this warm or chilled. It doesn’t matter. It will taste delicious.

Cinnamon Chips

5 (6-inch) wheat tortillas

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Cut tortillas into desired wedge size.
Put in a slightly greased baking pan.
Brush the tortillas with butter.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 400º F until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
Let them cool before serving and serve with the Apple Pie Dip

That is right people. FALL IS HERE. Bring on the boots, scarves, apple cider, pumpkin cookies, and cinnamon treats.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Breakfast Surprise,

The best part about a day off of work it sleeping in. The second best part is there is actually time to make breakfast in the morning. And I don't mean some toast on the way out the door. I mean a yummy breakfast that could leave you full until tomorrow. So this morning Adam has weights and such for baseball at 7:30. So I slept in and then woke up to surprise him with breakfast once he returned. He has been asking and asking for chocolate chip (we had banana ones last night to replace the chocolate kind) pancakes. But we didn't have chocolate chips. So I ran to the store, and while I was there getting those little sweet morsels I got a craving for coconut syrup. So I picked up some buttermilk. And when he returned home at 10:20, we had a GREAT breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and coconut syrup. Yummmmy. The pancakes don't look as good as they tasted. I was struggling with the flip today.

Coconut Syrup

1 cube butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

Bring to a boil

Remove from heat

Add 1/2 tsp baking soda

and 1/2 tsp coconut extract

Stir and ENJOY! 

I got this recipe from one of my best friends and roommates from Sophomore year. She would make it all the time and it stemmed a lot of pancake parties where we lived.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Cake Brownies,

Brownies from scratch.. not from a box.. who does that? Hardly anyone, and rarely me (because Ghirardelli brownie mix from Costco is BOMB) unless I am CRAVING Marg's brownies. A little cake-ish but a little more brownie. Marg is a woman from my hometown that always shares her recipes, and we love her for it... among many other things. Honestly, some of my favorite treats and meals growing up were first created in Marg's kitchen. From these brownies, to her Halloween chili, and then back to her special ingredient frosting. So here you have it. Brownies.

 

Brownies

1-cup butter melted

2 cups sugar

½ cup cocoa

4 eggs (one at a time)

1½-cup flour

1-teaspoon vanilla

1½-cup walnuts (chopped) optional

Dash of salt

Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let cool and frost

Frosting

½ cup softened butter Mix the following: 

¼ cup milk

1-teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup cocoa

1½ - 2½ cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter and then add the rest of the ingredients

Add powdered sugar to the desired consistency

How fitting is it that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was on the tube while I sat down to blog this. It is like ABCFamily was waiting for me. And now head to the kitchen. Yummy, yummy, chocolate treat!

Love,

Deidre