The Best From-Scratch Brownies I've Ever Made...and they're so easy, too!

Most foods taste better from scratch, but my previous attempts at brownies...well, I always went back to box-mix brownies.  I want brownies to be moist and fudgy, but my from-scratch brownies always turned out more dry or cake-like.  Not that there's anything wrong with cake, but if I wanted cake, I wouldn't be making brownies, now would I?

On Pinterest (where else?), I found this Fake Betty Crocker Brownie Mix Recipe.  Could this recipe really be the one?  The brownie recipe that tastes as good as box-mix, but leave me in control of all the ingredients?  (The Betty Crocker brownies aren't too bad as far as having fake-food ingredients, but I'd still like to eventually eliminate fake-food entirely.)  And could this recipe be really cheap and easy, too?

Oh, yes, my friends.  It is all that.

If you'd like to re-pin the recipe, here's my pin.  And if you'd like to skip right over to the original recipe, click here.

And if you'll excuse me, I think some chocolate is calling my name.  

Do you have a favorite brownie recipe?

The Versatile Blogger Award {Featuring Blogs Mini-Series}

In the middle of my October Extravaganza (Halloweenfest?  Month of Madness?  I never did choose a name for my month of Halloween/autumn-themed posts), I received an e-mail from Julianne from Sew Fantastic telling me that she was giving me the Versatile Blogger Award!  So I've been a little slow in responding, but better late than never, right?

Thanks, Julianne!

As part of this getting this award, I need to:

--Link to and give a shout out to the award-giver.  (Check!)

--Share seven things about myself.  (All right, I'll do that in a minute.)

--Send this award on to fifteen other bloggers.  (I've decided to do this in a mini-series, and write up a feature for each blog.  Because who doesn't like being featured, right?  So I'll feature one blog each Friday for fifteen weeks.)

Okay, seven things about me:

1--My mom taught me how to sew when I was a kid, and the sewing machine scared me!  (It was so loud!)  But now I love sewing; quilting, making clothes, crafting--I love it all!

2--One of my favorite classes in college was Book Arts (aka book making).  I really need to write some tutorials on making books.  (Maybe they'd be good Christmas presents...)

3--I graduated college with my major in Studio Art.  Yep, craftiness was part of my major.  Also drawing and painting, but I haven't had too much time for those since Boo was born--it's hard to paint in only nap-sized lengths of time.  (But my wonderful sister babysat Boo long enough for me to paint this.  Thanks, Sis!)

4--I'm not really a fan of cooking, but I love making desserts.  (I don't mind cooking itself; it's the mostly washing up all the pots and pans.  And all the time it takes.) Mmmm, chocolate chip cookies...

5--I love to read.  Novels used to be my favorite, but now I really like how-to books.  I love learning how to make new things!  (I bet you're all super-surprised.)

6--If I could go anywhere in the world, I would choose Hawaii first.  (But there are lot's of places I'd like to go!  Scotland, England, Brazil, anywhere on a cruise...)

7--All right, one more thing...hmmm...I've never sewn with knits.  I really need to learn how, especially since I want to start making more clothes for Boo.

The first blog I am passing this award on to is Peace, Love, Recipes by Courtney.

Okay, so I told you I'm not really into cooking, but I love finding new recipes.  (I know, weird.)

Doesn't this Creamy Cran-Raspberry Sherbet look delicious?

Or how about these Nutella Fudge Brownies?

There are plenty of non-dessert thing, too, but like I said, desserts are my favorite.  :) 

So head on over to Peace, Love, Recipes.

Happy cooking!

Pigs-in-a-Blanket: Mummy Style!

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(This giveaway is now closed.)

Here's a quick, easy, and super fun Halloween meal:  Mummy-fied Pigs-in-a-Blanket!

Oh, man, Boo was so excited when she saw we were having hot dogs for lunch.  She's a little too young to appreciate the mummy-ness of these, though.  Oh, well--Mr. MadeIt and I got a kick out of them!

You need:

Hot dogs (of course!)

Biscuit dough of some kind.  I used Bisquick, but refrigerated biscuits or crescent rolls would be even easier.

Mustard

Toothpick

(I didn't take pictures of me making these because it's so easy to see from the end result.)

Slice your dough into long, thin strips.  Thinner strips = wraps around more times = looks more like mummy.  I know; I tried with thick strips first.

Just wrap your hot dogs with the dough strips.  Try to have the seams on the bottom.

Bake according to the biscuit directions.

Use your toothpick to draw little mustard-blob eyes onto your mummies.  (Thanks, Mr. MadeIt, for that idea.  I was trying to just carefully squirt tiny blobs straight out of the mustard bottle!) 

Have fun eating your creations!

Happy crafting!

Inspiration of Halloween Awesomeness

(Are you looking for the My Memories giveaway?  Click here.  Remember, the winner will be announced on Wednesday, so hurry and enter!)
(This giveaway is now closed.)

What's your favorite part of Halloween?

The pumpkins?

Source: ellenscreativepassage.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: recapturedcharm.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: halloween.tipjunkie.com via Jill on Pinterest

The clever quips?

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Melony on Pinterest

The costumes?

Source: projectrunandplay.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

The cute crafts?

Source: gardenofpraise.com via Melony on Pinterest

Source: houseofbabypiranha.com via Jill on Pinterest

The creative food?

Source: godairyfree.org via Sunny on Pinterest

Source: theknead4speed.com via Jill on Pinterest

What are you doing for Halloween this year?

Five Star Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Topping

Monday evening in my family means Family Night!  Family Night is a  time we set aside to be together as a family (go figure), play games, learn about Jesus, and--this part is very important--have Family Night Treat!

Last week, we didn't have any treat planned, so I just looked around my kitchen to see what might inspire me.  This is what I found:

mini marshmallows

peanut butter chips

semi-sweet chocolate chips

and 

Heath English Toffee Bits

Add graham crackers from my cupboard, and I think I can make that work.

Prep time:  5 minutes, maybe less (I love quick cooking)

Total time:  20 minutes, maybe less

Crush graham crackers and spread them out in your baking dish.  (I used 3 graham crackers for a 6 x 8 1/2 inch casserole dish.)  Add all the ingredients listed above in whatever amounts you like.  It's a flexible recipe.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffy and start turning golden brown and delicious.

Serve hot over ice cream.  It is also good (four stars, says Mr. MadeIt) eaten by itself.

(I always like it better when recipes have pictures with them, but none of my pictures turned out nicely.  Sorry!)

Chocolate Celebration Cake Recipe--Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy birthday to me!  It was my birthday recently, and I got some really great stuff, like a book about making patterns from clothes you already have (and altering the patterns to create new designs), and another about machine quilting in sections.  Oooh, I can't wait!

And to make a great birthday even better, this was my birthday cake!  It was soooo good, all that chocolate and caramel...

Chocolate Celebration Cake--is it chocolate for a celebration, or a celebration of chocolate.  I'll let you decide.

Hey, no licking the screen.

Not only was it good, but it was also easy.  Here's the recipe:

1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix, and the ingredients to make it.

1 can dulce de leche, heated to a spreadable consistency (You could also use sweetened condensed milk, cooked down to a caramel consistency, or soft caramel candies, melted down.)

1 can of your favorite chocolate frosting

Assorted chocolate candies

Make the cake according to the package directions.  Bake it in two square/circle pans--we're making a layer cake.

Once the cake layers are completely cool, turn one layer out onto your hand, then place right-side-up on your cake stand (or green cutting board, if you're me).  You may need to cut the top flat so the second layer will have a stable foundation.  A bread knife works well for this.  (Now you get to nibble on the yummy cake you just cut off!  One of the joys of making your own birthday cake!)

The dulce de leche or other caramel goes on now.  Save some to drizzle on at the end.  Then top with the second cake layer.

Frost.

Pile the cake high with your chocolate!   If it's chocolate, or tastes good with chocolate, it can go on this cake!  I used Reese's peanut butter cups, Rolos, M&Ms, peanut butter chips, and mini marshmallows.  The M&Ms and marshmallows helped break up the large amounts of (delicious, but not very colorful) chocolate.  To add additional visual appeal, I cut my peanut butter cups in half, to show the centers.   

Drizzle the leftover caramel over all the chocolate goodness.

Now all that's left is to enjoy you're amazing deliciousness!  Yummm!

Mmmm, caramel.

I should have heated up the caramel a bit more so it would flow better.  Oh, well.  Tasted great anyways!  So much chocolate.  So much caramel.  So good.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in the Taste of Home magazine.

Fresh Homemade Strawberry Jam

Yummy goodness.

Sweet and natural perfection.

What am I talking about?  Fresh homemade strawberry jam, made the day after the berries were picked.  Is there anything better?  Mmmmmmmm..........

All you need are strawberries, sugar, pectin, jars, lids, and ... the things you screw onto the top of the jar that keeps the lid on.  Bands?  Anyway...the recipe for the jam is in the pectin box, so I won't write that here, but here are some tips from my experience:

Fresh picked-when-they're-ripe strawberries are the best, but remember that you really do need to make the jam immediately.  (Or the pie, or the ice cream topping--whatever goodness you have in mind.)  The strawberries you usually see at the grocery store were picked green and put out when they are nearly ripe--they last longer than strawberries that are allowed to ripen on the plant.  (You can put whole, unwashed berries in the refrigerator, and they last longer.)  The strawberries we jammed the first day were a lot happier with life than those that had to wait until the second day.

Don't buy three flats of strawberries all at once, as amazing as that may sound at the time.  That was too much jamming to do so quickly, before the fully ripe and wonderful berries turned into, well, you know--less than wonderful berries.  (Although I admit I will not be complaining as I'm eating the jam all year long...)

The recipe in the pectin box probably says you have to process the jam, that is, boil it in a canner for a while.  But you don't.  Follow the directions up until the jars are full and the lids are screwed on, then just flip the jars upside down, let them sit  for five minutes, them flip them back over.  You should soon hear little pops that let you know the jars sealed.  (You can check to make sure the button on the lid is down if you don't hear all the pops.)  Any that for some reason didn't seal can just go in your refrigerator, but we didn't have that problem.  If you're worried, go ahead and follow the directions in the box; that will of course work, too.  But my mother-in-law has never had a problem with this method.  (This is my first jam-making experience, but she's done it a lot.)

Enjoy!

Updated: Valentine's Date Dessert--Cherry Brownie Towers

I am so excited for Valentine's Day.  (This holiday wasn't so exciting before I was married, but now I love trying to think of something romantic and fun for me and my husband.)  Now that our kitchen is (practically) finished, I just had to come up with something delicious to make.  Joseph loves brownies, so...

I haven't actually made the Cherry Brownie Towers yet--it needs to be a surprise for Joseph!--so I'll have to update this post after Valentine's Day to include pictures.  Alright, I made it today.  (We decided to celebrate today, rather than actually on Valentine's Day, because we'd have more time today.)

You will need:
1 package (about 18 oz) brownie mix and the ingredients to make it
1 can cherry pie filling
Frosting (whatever flavor you want, or even whipped cream/Cool Whip)
Heart shaped cookie cutter

Mix up and bake the brownies according to the directions on the package.  You don't want the brownies to be too thick, so bake them in a 9x13 pan.  You'll see later why.

After the brownies are cooled, cut them into hearts with the cookie cutter.

On your serving plate, layer brownie heart, pie filling, brownie, filling, brownie.  Repeat for your other towers.  (I got two towers of different diameters out of my pan of brownies.  And lots of leftover brownie bits between and around the hearts.)

(Doesn't it look delicious already?  Mmmmm...)

(Oh, no!  The little one fell apart!  But I put it back together.  The bigger hearts seem to be more stable...)

Frost the top and outside of the towers.  You could crumble up the leftover brownie and press onto the sides (or just munch on them while you're working on the rest of the dessert...)

And you're done!

(Yum!)

Shortly after I took these pictures, the big heart broke in half and one side fell off!  Any ideas why?  The little one stayed together...

Even though it didn't stay together properly, it was DELICIOUS!  Oh, so good!  I will definitely be making this again, but probably not in towers.  It'll just be brownies topped with cherry pie filling and whipped cream.




P.S.--This recipe is based on one I found in the cookbook Favorite Brand Name:  Cake Mix.  But obviously their version used cake instead of brownies.