Ooey Gooey Chocolatey Brownies

Who doesn't love brownies? The smell, the texture, the taste... Really, sit a plate of these brownies in front of me and not only will I be instantly transported back to childhood but you can bet your sweet ass those brownies are going to disappear REAL quick! These are my favorite brownies to bake and are my "Go To" whenever I'm in need of a serious chocolate fix. They are SO moist, Soooo chocolatey and just.... UGH! They practically shove themselves down your throat. Give em a  try and tell me what you think.

Is your mouth watering?



BROWNIES:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• Half cup of white sugar
• Half cup of brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 "snack pack" of chocolate pudding

1. Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. Stir butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
3. Add eggs and beat well with a spoon.
4. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Give it a lil stir.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to the egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts if you are using them. Add the "snack pack" and give one final stir.
6. Spread batter evenly into pan.
7. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until brownies start to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
8. Frost when completely cool.

FROSTING:

• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 - 2 Tbsp milk

1. Beat butter, cocoa, honey and vanilla in a small bowl until blended.
2. Add powdered sugar and milk; Beat until spreading consistency. If frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar; If it is too thick add a little bit more milk.

** When i make these, I mix together about 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar and sift over the top of the frosted brownies.

Who DOESN'T want to save money? Anybody? Anyone?? Anyone???

I have an awesome friend, Teresa. She is a Bitching Betty Freakin' Crocker like myself, and also works some SERIOUS money saving magic... I am amazed every freakin time she tells me about a deal she scored or how much she saved at the store... She is going to be writing posts for me on this subject... So check back often. No joke- she is AMAZING. Here is her first piece:

Money is tight in our house, as I am sure it is in most American houses these days.  Budgets have been re-evaluated and pennies are being pinched tighter than ever.

I have developed some ways to save money on groceries, household item, baby goods and even pet food.

Some things I have learned:

ALWAYS clip coupons, check bulk prices (often times the smaller stuff is cheaper per unit AND you can usually get the smaller items FREE with coupons), make food homemade when at all possible, you pay for convenience!

*Coupon clipping – Always, always, always use them, for everything.  Most people will clip for the products they use or products they that are familiar.  Usually these products are name brand and even with the coupon cost more than their store brand equals.  The best deals come with combining a sale and a coupon.  For example, Walgreens is a great place to start.  They often have FREE items and you can make money on them using a coupon.  Last week, a popular children’s flu medication was on sale for $8.99.  That was already 50% off the normal price.  But Walgreens was also giving a $9 Register Reward, to be used like cash on your next visit, making the item free.  But if you had the coupon from the Sunday paper, you also saved $2.  I purchased mine for $8.99, used the $2 off coupon and paid $7.15 with tax.  I then got $9 to use on my next purchase.  I made $1.85 on that sale.  So I used it for my next set of deals.  Walgreens also had Huggies for $6.99 a package, down from the regular $11.99 price tag.  Great savings right there!  BUT…  I also had a $3.00 off two packs coupon.  Total was $13.98, minus my $3 was $10.98.  I used my $9 reward and paid only $1.98 plus tax for TWO jumbo packs of Huggies!

Here is the way I have deemed best for myself.  I hit either the Dollar Tree or Menards for the Sunday paper, you can get it for only $1 there!  I buy 3-4 each week and pull out the coupons.  Look for SmartSource, RedPlum and typically a third insert will be a Proctor & Gamble or General Mills variety.  Write in black marker the date of the Sunday they were purchased and file them.  Sales and coupons do not typically run the same week.  I did this for a solid month before even attempting a super coupon trick.  I then made a list of what I needed in my house.  I looked at the sales papers and ONLY chose what was on sale.  Some items fell off my list and were replaced by other on sale items.  After finalizing my list, I went on to check the coupons and made some great bargains.  My family of five people, one of which is in diapers, and a dog, typically spends $50 a week on groceries, household items and pet needs.

Look for not only sales and coupons but for the deals that give you rewards back at the register to use on your next purchase!

I will touch on some other money saving deals and ideas in my next clip J
                            Teresa Galvan-Krofta

Fuck Ups Happen....

This whole blog thing has really had me taking an acid trip down memory lane. It has brought back soooo many memories, good AND bad. I figured that for this specific post- I would focus on mistakes. Why? Cuz hey, fucks up, happen, right?

I have had SEVERAL kitchen screw ups throughout the years. Some more memorable than others. Like for instance there was the time (ohhhh about 7 years ago) that i wanted to make my dad a birthday cake but wanted it to be "super special." So i started with a package of carrot cake mix. That didn't seem like it was going to be enough batter for my cake, so i added a small pouch of this strawberry muffin mix i had found. I remember thinking "oooh I'll bet this'll be awesome!" So i added flax seed for the health factor (not realizing i needed to grind it first) and baked it up. THEN add insult to injury, i added some pureed strawberries to the vanilla canned frosting. (which wouldn't have been bad- but SOOOO not with that cake) I brought the cake to my parents' house and told them what i did. My mom looked horrified! LMAO i reassured her "no, it's going to be good!" OK, time to dig in... It was NOT good. It wasn't terrible, but the flavors just did NOT go well together for this specific cake. My dad and brother cracked jokes mercilessly. (not being mean- in my family we tend to have an EXTREMELY fucked sense of humor.) I cried. Like bawled... straight up snot cried i was so disappointed and upset.

Fuck ups aren't always bad, tho. I ran out of vanilla while making fudge for Christmas one year. So i used all i had. Almond extract. It was phenomenal! I got SOOOOO many compliments on it. (the only person that DIDN'T like it was my mom- but she doesn't like almond extract in ANYTHING) It was a total hit! That fudge is now aptly named "Fucked Up Fudge." Hey, it works.

What have i learned from my personal kitchen fuck ups?

• One: That's life. You HAVE to make mistakes in life. They serve a purpose and that purpose is to make you stronger and wiser. Live and learn.
• Two: It's trial and error, man. How the hell will you ever know what will or will not work unless you get off of your ass, take a chance and TRY.
• Three: Stop taking yourself SO damn seriously. I know i, for one, have been guilty of that one many times over! You have to have everything perfect, do everything perfect and you cant screw ANYTHING up. And we tend to be MUCH harder on ourselves than anyone else will be. Lighten up, man. It's usually NOT as serious as you think it is.
• Four: Sometimes the best things in life happen by mistake. Seriously- my fudge is one of the best things in life. No- it really is. lol

I guess what I'm getting at is this...
        Fuck ups are GOING to happen.
           So Loosen up and live life.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If Autumn had one distinct smell- this would be it. These cookies- I swear- are the essence of Fall! While they are baking, the aroma floats through your house, whispers "Come here you sexy beast, you" and pulls you by your nose towards the oven to await them.

I have never been a fan of pumpkin- but I can easily max out on these cookies. The pumpkin flavor is not so overwhelming as to scream "Yeeeeah! What's UP, baby! Who's your Pumpkin Daddy?!?". It is just a hint, and truly, in my opinion- the perfect amount.

Try them and see if you don't fall in love. (See what I did there? Fall? Fall? Autumn? yes? No? Ok then.. Moving right along..)

What You Need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup quick cook oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  
  Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir into creamed mixture alternating with pumpkin. (add some flour mixture, add some pumpkin, add more flour mixture, add more pumpkin... etc)
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded Tbsp onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake at 350 for 12 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. :)
   
   This makes between 60 and 64 cookies when I make them. Don't want to make that much? Plop some of the cookie batter onto a piece of plastic wrap. Roll it into log and twist the ends really tight to compact it together. Now stick it in the freezer and next time you want some cookies, just slice and bake! Just be sure to add a few extra minutes to your baking time.
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

Blueberry Muffin Cookies with Vanilla Lemon Icing

I wanted a cookie that was outside of my normal cookie line up. Searching through recipe after recipe, I just couldn't find what i was looking for. I had an idea for Blueberry Muffin Cookies... But that was just too plain. Glaze them? Frost them? ooooooh- drizzle them with icing. Even better? Drizzle them with a Vanilla Meyer Lemon Icing. 

So now i have images of these beautiful cookies dancing around inside my head. Where to start? I hopped on google to see what was out there. And most of what i came across were recipes that called for a box of blueberry muffin mix. Well, uh, NO. That will just not do for me. I like my baking to be from scratch as often as possible, if not always. The majority of these cookies tho, all looked like blueberry muffin tops. Literally like someone made muffins, cut the tops off and said "oh look! Now it's a cookie!" No, my friend... Those are just decapitated muffins. And a decapitated muffin does NOT a cookie make. lol 

 I started digging through my own recipes and brainstorming and found the perfect base for this cookie. My Banana Bread Cookies. They come out SOOO incredibly moist, just like banana bread, but in cookie form AND texture. And it worked out amazingly well for this recipe. Exactly what I had pictured and hoped for. So here it is...

Seriously, is that a yummy breakfast cookie, or whaaaat?

You Need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 banana, peeled and mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup quick cook oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 pint of blueberries, washed, drained and patted completely dry

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease or spray cookie sheets. (or use parchment paper)
2. In a medium size bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Beat in eggs, vanilla and banana.
4. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
5. Add blueberries and GENTLY fold into cookie dough. (Yes, you have to be gentle. You don't want to break the blueberries. They haven't done anything to you!)
6. Drop by rounded Tbsp onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes til very lightly golden.
7. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

For me- this recipe made 18 really nice size cookies AND 12 smaller cookies- perfectly sized for my kiddies! :) Will make more or less depending on size.

Now for the Icing...

OMG let me just say- you can use a regular old lemon for this- but if you can find Meyer Lemons- USE THEM! A Meyer Lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They are freaking DELICIOUS! They have a slightly sweeter taste than a regular old lemon.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 - 3 Tbsp Meyer Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Combine butter, lemon juice, vanilla and powdered sugar in a bowl. With beaters on low to medium speed, beat til well combined, nice and fluffy.
2. Now, it should be the consistency of frosting. Maybe a TINY bit thinner. If too thick, add a little bit more lemon juice. If too thin, add a little bit more powdered sugar.
3. Spoon into a Ziploc baggie, twist the top tightly, snip a tiny corner off of baggie and drizzle onto cookies.

Freaking delicious, man! I hope you enjoy!

Homemade Stock

Homemade Stock is SO simple to make... Time consuming, but VERY simple. It can save you quite a bit of money, too, depending on how often you use it. Myself, I use stock often. Whether it be to flavor up some homemade mashed potatoes, or some rice, or even just to cook chicken in to help keep it moist and lock in the flavor. And then there is the obvious use... Soup. (Have you checked out my Chicken Noodle Egg Drop Soup yet? You should. You really REALLY should.) Stock can be frozen very well, and hell you can even freeze some in an extra ice cube tray. Next time you're having soup and its too hot, drop in a stock cube. It will cool it without watering down your soup. :)

There are many recipes out there for Stock, you don't have to use mine. Find one that suits you- but this first recipe is a very basic chicken stock and is a very good place to start. There are different ways to make it also, but i usually make it after i have cooked up a whole chicken for dinner. So the Carcass Method is my go to. Oh and i should mention too, that the veggies you add in here are going to be thrown away, so i would maybe make this when my carrots and celery are almost ready to get thrown out. We just need em for a bit of flavor, anyway. I JUST made some last week before i put this blog up and i didn't take a pic of it... But hey.... I'm pretty damn sure you know what stock looks like, yes? Great. Moving on.....

Chicken Stock:

• 1 leftover chicken carcass. (cook up a whole chicken for dinner, eat, store any leftover meat and use the carcass)
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup of onion, chopped
• 1 - 2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (use how much you like)
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper (use how much you like)

1. Place leftover chicken carcass in pot and cover it with cold water. (you don't want any pieces of the chicken to be above the water. This invites bacteria in. I don't think I need to tell you- that's not good, my friends! lol)
2. Add carrots, celery, onion and parsley. give it a stir and then add your salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and the IMMEDIATELY reduce the heat to bring stock to barely a simmer.
4. Simmer UN covered for at least 4 hours. (I usually do 6-7 hours provided that I have the time. This reduces your liquid more making it a bit more concentrated.)
5. If you see a layer of fat on the surface, just skim it off and dispose of it.
6. Now, carefully remove the bones and throw away (let them cool a bit before chucking em in your trash, tho. they will be hot)
7. Strain stock into a large bowl. Toss your veggies. (i know, i know.... but we just needed em for the flavor, remember?)

Depending on how much water you used and how long you simmered for, you could wind up with 12 cups of stock or 20! I usually get 15 cups. :)

Now, if you are going to freeze this for future use, let it cool. (You cant put it into the freezer all warm. It will defrost your food! Don't EVEN think about it!!!) So, yeah, let it cool, and ladle into either freezer safe containers or freezer bags. I store mine in sandwich bags. I put 2 cups of stock in each bag. Then 2 sandwich bags inside of a larger freezer bag.

*************************************************************************

The Veggie Stock recipe below is a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC way to use up your veggies before they go bad. You can even save your veggie scraps (such as mushroom stems or asparagus and broccoli stalks) by putting them into a Ziploc bag and keeping them in the freezer. Then when you are ready to make this stock, just pull em out and go! And there are damn near no limits as to what veggies you can toss in here. You can even throw corn cobs in! Use what YOU like! Alright, here it goes...

Vegetable Stock:

• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 stalks celery, including some leaves
• 2 large carrots
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh parsley (7-8 sprigs)
• fresh thyme (5 or 6 sprigs)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 quarts water

1. Scrub veggies and chop into 1-inch chunks.
2. Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently, UN covered for 30 minutes. 
4. Strain stock and throw away the veggies. (it's ok, we got what we wanted out of em, anyways. No harm, No foul, man)
5. Then just follow the remaining steps from the chicken stock recipe above for cooling and storing.

Kiddies In The Kitchen

I think that it is REALLY important to allow children time in the kitchen. It is a time to bond with them and they learn SO much. Baking and cooking is, at it's base, math and science. They learn to measure, learn what happens when different things are mixed together, how different temperatures affect the outcome of those ingredients. Most importantly tho, it creates those warm fuzzy memories that we all want our kiddies to have. It helps them feel loved, as you are spending time with them. It fills them with a sense of pride and accomplishment. "Look what I did!" And I firmly believe that when your children leave the home, they should have at least a basic knowledge of how to cook for themselves. Our daughters should know how to cook with love for her family. Our sons should know how to help his wife in the kitchen. It doesn't matter what you are making together. It could be something as simple as those marshmallow crispy treats we all love, or more advanced like a three layer cake, or a five course meal. It just matters that you are doing it TOGETHER.

On a side note: They are GOING to make a mess. It's going to happen. Don't lose your cool, man. Messes can be cleaned up ALOT easier than hurt feelings. Just go with it... Make mistakes, Laugh and hug your kiddies often!

M stirring the marshmallows 2008

L mashing down the crispy treats 2008

L breading some chicken 2010

It's about the memories. Go make some.

Bitchin' "Toffee" Bits

Ok, really.... this shit is AMAAAAAZING! If you like toffee or Heath Bars- you will LOVE this! And it is SO insanely easy to make. Really, really... Give it a try. You are seriously going to thank me! :)

• 35 soda crackers (or graham crackers)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup of blanched slivered almonds. (this is to top it with and is TOTALLY optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cover a sided cookie pan with foil and lay crackers out on foil in an even layer.
2. In a saucepan over medium to medium high heat combine butter and brown sugar. Stirring CONSTANTLY bring to a boil and keep it boiling for 3 full minutes. Pour over crackers making sure to cover all of them.
3. Bake for 5-6 minutes- watch carefully so mixture doesn't burn or bubble over sides of cookie pan.
4. Remove cookie sheet from oven and place it on the oven door. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crackers. When chocolate gets soft, spread it over crackers with a spatula or back of a spoon.
5. If you are going to use the almonds, now is the time to sprinkle them on top.
6. Place into refrigerator for at least 8 hours. (i usually put em in the freezer for 3-4 hours... what can i say? I'm impatient!)
7. BEHOLD! Now sit back in awe and drool over your creation! OK thats enough- now, break into cookie size pieces. And stuff your face!!! You can thank me later. Don't worry- i'll be here. I'm not going anywhere.  :)

Homemade Bread

Bread is without a doubt one of my favorite things to bake. Alot of people tend to shy away from making their own because they think it is hard- but it's really not and it is SO much better tasting as well as better for you. Its a very relaxing process for me. The mixing ingredients together, kneading the dough, the aroma of freshly baking bread. Mmmmm I'm practically drooling just thinking about it! It is a little on the time consuming side- so make sure you have a couple hours free before you start! But you will have some time to get other stuff done while the dough is rising. The yeast does all that work for you! AAAAAAND you don't have to hear it bitch! Hell yeeeeeah!

I will be posting other types of bread soon- but for starters, here is one for you.

                                    Buttermilk Bread

• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (or you can sour your own milk by adding 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup of warm water (temp IS VERY important here. water should feel very warm but NOT hot)
• 1/2 cup of butter at room temp.
• 1/4 cup of white sugar OR 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 packages of Yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp if you buy in a jar)
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 1/2 cups flour

1. Place buttermilk in a pan with the butter and heat JUST til butter melts. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Proof the yeast. (drop your yeast into the warm water and let sit for 5-7 minutes. It will get foamy. if it does not get foamy, your water may be too hot or too cold OR your yeast may be no good. also- i usually add a pinch of sugar or honey to the water to "feed" the yeast- but its not necessary)
3. Place sugar (or honey), salt, baking soda and buttermilk mixture in a large bowl. Add your flour and mix well.
4. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. (hey- i'm giving you fresh baked bread AND a workout, here!)
5. Set dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let sit somewhere warm and draft free for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
6. Go get those dishes done. No seriously- you have an hour to waste here. Be productive! :)
7. Gently punch dough down and divide into two loaves. you can shape into free loaves on a cookie sheet or put dough into two loaf pans.
8. Let rise again for 20-30 minutes.
9. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. watch closely toward the end to avoid burning. Bread is done when you thump the bottom and it makes a hollow sound. (.....I know, right?) If the outside browned too much and is a bit hard- dont worry about it. wrap your bread tightly in foil for 30 minutes to an hour and when you unwrap it- it will be ALOT softer. :) See? No worries- I'll take care of ya!

My Personal Sanity... Or Something Like That.

If you know me- then you know where i can often be found at 3 am... In my kitchen baking something. It doesnt really matter what, just as long as I'm baking or cooking something. I can't quite understand it, myself, but that is where i feel the happiest. The most centered. The most whole, if you will. (whole.... hmmm... HOLE. I freaking LOVE that band...) It truly IS my personal sanity.. Anyhoo... I honestly cannot think of anything that i like to do that gives me the satisfaction that baking does. There is just something about taking individual ingredients and putting them together that makes me giddy. NO seriously- I often dance to music like a TOTAL jag bag while i cook and or bake. When someone tastes something ive made from scratch- just me and my 2 lil hands- and they like it (or better yet LOVE it) it makes me feel like I'm worth a damn. And while that may make me sound awfully pathetic- it is the truth... Maybe it is my low self esteem, or poor view of myself, idk... All i know is that when everything is going wrong and it feels like i just cant do a single damn thing right,  i can bake something. And hearing "yum", or "OMG" or "OH MOMMY THESE ARE EVEN GOODER THAN AWESOME!" (to quote my little Lucy-bell) just brightens me up and makes my fucking day! Hey- it is what it is, and i'm certainly not complaining. :)

Chicken Noodle Egg Drop Soup

Again, just like with my French Toast, I have made many different versions of Chicken Noodle Soup. (see a pattern here?) Its always hit or miss. One kid likes it but the other doesn't. The kiddies like it but my mom doesn't care for it... This one made EVERYONE happy. My mom even told me it was quite possibly the best she had EVER had. THE BEST. coming from my mom- that is HUUUUUUGE. There is damn near N O T H I N G better than making a huge pot of yummy homemade soup when you are sick. well- unless someone else makes it for you. Thats pretty fucking sweet. But i didnt have anyone to do that for me- which worked out for the best because i wouldnt have come up with this version. Have at it... Its delicious!

• 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 12 cups of chicken stock (i like to use homemade- but canned is just fine! OR you can use 12 cups of water with 9 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 1-2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs

1. In a large pot, melt butter and add minced garlic. Saute celery and onion in your butter mixture.
2. Add chicken, carrots, stock, parsley and black pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add noodles and simmer for 10 more minutes.
4. In a bowl, beat your eggs and then slowly pour (a little at a time) over bubbling soup WHILE stirring.
5. Cook another minute or two, add Parmesan cheese. Give it a good stir and dig in!!

This soup is yummy alone or with a salad and a nice warm loaf of homemade bread.

Cream of Chicken Variation:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 Tbsp flour
• 2 to 3 cups milk (depending on how thick you want your soup to be, start with 2 and work your way up)
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  In large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter.
2. Add the flour all at once and whisk well. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring well to avoid burning it.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat until nice and bubbly and thickened. Turn off heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour this mixture into your soup and mix well. 
5. ENJOY!

Ready Or Not.... Here I Come!

In the last couple of weeks, I have had several people tell me that i should start a blog on all the baking i do... I went back and forth on this idea for a few reasons... The main three being: Would anyone really even want any of my recipes? What in the hell could i possibly have to say? Who the HELL would want to read it? Thinking about it tho, I have been asked for my recipes quite often... Also, Ive come to realize that I usually DO have quite a bit to say- and do i really care if anyone wants to read it? LMAO

See, I'm going to do this... but i am going to do this for ME. Maybe this will help me better keep my recipes together. Or maybe this will give me someplace to vent thus helping me retain the small bit of sanity that i have left. But hey- you might get some decent recipes out of it, too. So really, it's a win-win, no? Soooooo.... here goes nothing.

On a side note: I do NOT claim to be a good writer... i cannot promise you that you will always like what you read, nor can i promise that spelling and punctuation will always be right. If that is a problem for you- im sure there are many other blogs that would better suit you. So take this blog for what it is- my recipes with a heaping side of rambling along with updates on my family and whatever else happens to pop into my head- with possible misspelled words, lacking proper punctuation and all... Or dont take it at all!