10:30pm Peanut Butter Brownie Temptations

Once there was a time in my life that the only time I could get to the grocery store was at 10:30pm.  Long after the munchkins were tucked in their beds and pappa was settled in for the night I would head to the local 24 hour grocery with my list in hand to gather the supplies to feed my hungry family.  It was such a treat to wander the aisles and take time to consider my choices and contemplate what I could make with "that", all at my leisure without the distraction of the little people in my life.  They were good little shoppers, mind you, but my ability to concentrate while multi-tasking (shopping, answering questions, figuring out which was the better buy, keeping track of three little bodies, crossing items off the list, making sure the littlest body was still sitting in the cart, replacing items that mysteriously appeared in the cart, etc.) was always compromised.  So shopping alone at night was my solution.  

At that time the bakery section of this grocery offered many temptations to their shoppers and the one that always got me at 10:30 at night when I was all by myself were the Peanut Butter Brownies.  They started calling my name as soon as I walked in the store and invariably a package of six of them ended up in my cart.  And there was nothing "mysterious" about how they got there either.  

These brownies were a chewy delight of peanut butter, frosted with a generous layer of peanut butter frosting and drizzled with a touch of chocolate on top.  Melt in your mouth goodness!!!  My mouth is watering now just typing about them!

And, again not so mysteriously, at least two of the brownies were gone before I made it home.  The remainder were tucked away into a cupboard where the little hands of my munchkins would not find them and I enjoyed one for breakfast and one for naptime snack and one for an afternoon pick me up and one for a bedtime treat the next day.  Yes, I confess, I hid them from my family and did not share a bite!

Eventually I decided that this deception had to stop.  And I came clean and started to share.  This presented a problem because now that package of 6 brownies did not last as long.  My solution was to find a way to duplicate these yummies at home.  

And today I share with you my version of the 10:30pm Peanut Butter Brownie Temptations.  I think they are a reasonable copy of the grocery store recipe and they still taste so good late at night after all the house is quiet.  So, beware!

Ingredients for the brownies include sugar, peanut butter, eggs, shortening, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine the shortening, peanut butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla....

 ...until they are creamy and smooth.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add to peanut butter mixture and mix until smooth.  Spread batter in greased pan and bake until golden brown.

Brownies are ready to be consumed but don't! until you have completed the next step--the frosting!!!!

Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter and milk until smooth and creamy (I'm using those two words alot in the description!)

Spread on top of brownies (leaving just enough frosting in the bowl for licking!)

Yup, you could eat 'em just like this but wait!  There's more!

Melt chocolate chips and a dab of shortening together in the microwave.

Stir until smooth and creamy. (Last time, I promise)

Drizzle over frosting.

And, now, you eat them.  


Peanut Butter Brownies
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt


Cream sugar, peanut butter, shortening, eggs, vanilla thoroughly.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until smooth.   spread in well greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350º.


Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter
2-3 T. milk (or amount necessary for spreading consistency)


Combine until smooth.


Chocolate Glaze
1/2. c. chocolate chips
1/2 T. shortening


Melt in microwave or on stove top.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle over frosting.                                 

Run, Mary, Run!

It was another first for this 50-something gal. 

A half marathon!  

Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would attempt such a crazy feat!  But each time I would cheer on a family member as they finished a full or half marathon I would notice the participants who walked across the finish line, usually long after the runners and the thought would wander through my mind..."What if?"  

So last fall as I watched my son finish the Omaha Half Marathon I made a decision.  I would sign up for the Lincoln Half Marathon which would take place this spring.  I knew that I could not waffle with the decision because the slots fill up very, very quickly once the registration opens up in December.  So as soon as registration opened up, I filled in the on-line form, entered my credit card info and hit "Submit".  It was done!  I was in and I was entered in a very, very long road race. Longer and farther than any distance I had traveled on foot before.  

I had lots of encouragement from family, all convinced that I could do this.  

And bright and early last Sunday morning I waited with 10,000 of my new friends for the start of the 2012 Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon. 

It was a GREAT experience and amazingly (or not so amazingly) God used it to reveal some Spiritual truths.  

The current Ladies Bible Study I am involved in has been considering the importance of relationships between women in the Body of Christ and the value of community in our daily lives.  

As I was running the 13.1 miles I saw examples of how that plays out in my life.  

I was in a crowd of 10,000 people from all walks of life, with a myriad of backgrounds, a variety of reasons for being there.  Some were running for a personal best time, some were running just to finish alive and upright, a few were running to win even.  But no matter what brought each of us to this place at this time to participate in this event we had something in common--to finish.  

As I ran/walked/jogged (whatever you want to call it) I felt a connection with these relative strangers with whom I shared the road.  I realized that we had a common purpose and goal and that united us regardless of all the differences that could separate us.  We weren't dressed in the same running attire, we didn't wear the same shoes (in fact, I saw one gal with no shoes at all), we didn't run in the same manner, we didn't move at the same pace.  In the family of God, the people who have a relationship with Jesus, we can be separated by a number of reason but with the common thread of the Holy Spirit we are connected.  We have a common goal, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love each other as ourselves.  I have a connection with my brothers and sisters in Christ that supersedes all the differences that can separate us. 

Also, as I continued on the course I was cheered on by a crowd of people that lined the streets and paths for the entire 13.1 miles.  Here were people who appreciated the efforts of me and the others on the road and showed it through shouts of encouragement.  Again, I did not know any of the faces I looked upon and they did not know me personally but they cheered me on anyway.  They were my "cloud of witnesses" that surrounded me as I ran.  Their presence helped me lay aside the encumbrances (the fatigue, the monotony, the sore legs, the blisters) that could have hindered me.  The signs they displayed, the high fives they offered, the music they played all kept my mind occupied with the positive aspects of the experience.  And the unexpected results of all this encouragement and distraction was that I ran more of the miles than I walked.  I ended with a better result than I expected.  One could even say I excelled, all things considered.

My "cloud of witnesses" in everyday life keep me focused on the right things, keep me putting one foot in front of the other, keep my eye on the finish line.  Some of them I am intimately acquainted with, some I know only by name and some I don't know at all but each one spurs me on through encouragement, prayer, affirmation and admonishment.  And because of them, I find that I can excel, all thing considered.

And now that I reflect on my experience and the thoughts that it stimulated I see that the timing of this particular running event, my decision to enter, and the fact that my Bible Study was studying the value of community was all brought together by God's Sovereign hand to make an impression on me.  

So to those who stood along 10th Street holding signs that read "Run, Strangers, Run!" and to my closest and dearest friends who encourage me daily to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" I have received I say "Thank You!"  

We are all in this "marathon" together.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."

Ephesians 4:25

 

Here We Go II

I am a blogger!

After being respectfully chewed out reprimanded yesterday by my good friend and fellow blogger (Thanks, Tami!) I decided to go public!  You see, I have been a sort of closet blogger since last fall. 

I started out last October by locking the doors, pulling the blinds, turning off the lights and hiding under the covers as I typed that first post, trying my hand at this new blogging thing.  You can read about it at Here We Go! 

    

But since I didn't tell a soul what I was doing the only traffic sources originated from Siberia and Eastern Europe.  Weird!

  

After I decided I kinda liked blogging I crawled out from under the covers and clued my family in to get their responses.  All positive. 

Then I turned the lights back on and let the extended family in on the "fun".  Again, positive feedback.

Slowly but surely, the blinds were lifted as I let the "secret" be known by a few others. So far so good.

And now, 

TA DA!!!!!

I am unlocking the doors and letting the whole world know--I am a blogger. Not a post everyday kind of blogger, just a post when the urge strikes me kind. And as you may notice I don't always get the urge to post the same type of info each time.  Variety is definitely the spice of my life so the stuff that makes me Mary is all over the place.  

So enjoy, World!  And, really, thank you Tami for the nudge.  

Christmas in...April?

Why am I thinking about Christmas in April, you ask.  No, I am not planning for Christmas 2012.  Well, not directly anyway.  But I am FINALLY crossing something off my list from Christmas 2011.  I may not be prompt but better late than never I say.  (And I say that often because I can be sloooooow at getting something finished sometimes.)  

I ran across this idea on Living Solutions Interior Designs blog and tucked it away until a rainy? day.  Actually it was quite sunny today as I worked on this.

I love the photo Christmas greetings we receive every year from friends and family but after the holidays I am always wondering what to do with the special memories of such special people.  

I have tried papering the refrigerator with them.  It is fun to have all those smiling faces greet me each day but after a month or two those faces start to look a bit worn from the wear and tear of opening and closing the frig and eventually I end up picking them up off the floor again and again.   

The only wall space that would accommodate every photo is in the short hallway at our back door which can be dark and less noticeable.  Not such an honorable spot for my dear friends and family.   

Sadly, the pile of photos that represent all the time and effort each family put into choosing the right outfits for and selecting the perfect design for and addressing and stamping and sending usually ended up in a pile on the computer desk somewhere.  (I pause here to offer my deep apology to each and everyone of you who remembered us at Christmas with your lovely cards and sentiments.  You all deserve more than a dusty corner of my desk.  There, I feel better now.)  

To solve my dilemma I made a Christmas Card Photo Book.  

All you need is:

Photo Christmas cards

Book Rings (I bought 2" rings but I think 1" would work too)

Hole Punch (Either the one-at-a-time version or the larger 3-at-a-time version)

I stacked the cards so that all the smiling faces were facing the same direction, with two edges lined up (top and left edges, in the instance)

I began by punching holes in 3-4 cards at a time but then realized that some of the photos needed to be lined up a bit different to avoid punching a hole in someone's head.  (Again, I offer my apology to anyone whose head I mistakenly punched before making this adjustment!) So I switched to punching the holes in one photo card at a time.

Once the hole punching was completed, I fed (is that what it's called?) the cards onto the book rings and WHA-LA! 

A Christmas Card Photo Book!

This will not end up in a dusty corner but probably on the table in the family room. I am going to enjoy flipping through this throughout the year.  

And no more guilty conscience! 

Pinned AND Did It 3

(I discovered that this post did not show up correctly on the blog so I am reposting which explains why Pinned and Did It 3 comes after Pinned and Did It 4.  I really can count!)

I am a part time healthy eater.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.  Increasing my water consumption is one of those on again, off again habits that I am working on.  I hope that as I drink more of the healthy stuff (i.e water--which I like--alittle) I will drink less of the less healthy stuff (i.e. Diet Coke and coffee--both of which I like--ALOT!).

I pinned this idea for Sassy Water and gave it a try.

Lemon and cucumber slices and mint leaves are added to water in a pitcher. 

I was given this clever pitcher with a cylinder insert that worked perfect for this idea.

The water "brewed" in the frig over night to let the flavors mingle.  The next day I tried a taste and thought it tasted mostly like cucumber peels. EEEEEWWWWWW!  But after a little stir it tasted much better.  

A web search came up with some sites that claimed Sassy Water helps promote weight loss and reduce tummy bulge.  I can't endorse that claim but if a pitcher of Sassy Water in my frig gets me to drink more water I'll be happy.  

Maybe even Sassy!

Pinned it AND Did It 4

I picked up my first box of fresh produce from the CSA farm last week, about three weeks earlier than usual.  But then nothing has been usual about our spring this year.  

The goodies included a few stalks of rhubarb, asparagus, spinach, winter storage potatoes, and fresh herbs.  The spinach and asparagus were devoured as soon as possible after getting it all unpacked but the rhubarb was put on hold until I had time to decide what to whip up with it.  Last year I baked up a blueberry-rhubarb concoction, probably a crumble or brickle or cobbler or something like that.  I couldn't remember exactly what it was but I DO remember how delicious it was.  I give you this year's version of Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble. 

Chopped rhubarb, frozen blueberries, sugar, flour

I made a smaller version of the original recipe as I only had half the called for rhubarb. 

Combine chopped rhubarb, frozen blueberries, sugar and flour and pour into greased baking dish.

 I used an 8" square dish for my downsized crumble.

Oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cold butter.

For the crumbly topping, combine brown sugar, oats, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon in mixing bowl.

Oh, look! It's the same pink alien hand that helps the Pioneer Woman with her kitchen tasks!

Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or two forks until it is incorporated evenly into the dry ingredients.

 Spread the topping over the fruit filling. Bake at 350º.

 The Crumble will come out all bubbly and brown on top.

This picture doesn't do it justice.  The Crumble is more appetizing than it appears here.  

Blueberry and rhubarb make such a delicious duo.  

Blueberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients

• 6 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
• 4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• Whipped cream, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, rhubarb, sugar and flour. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
• For topping, in a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.
• Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm; dollop with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 12 servings. 

Recipe adapted from  Taste of Home

Misplaced? Verse

When last I "visited" Ninevah, the people had received the news from Jonah of God's pending judgment and had donned sackcloth and ashes, repenting of their ways.  God relented of His anger and compassionately granted a reprieve.  

But alas, the Ninevites' change of ways didn't last and 160 years later, the prophet Nahum delivers the message of God's judgment once again.  However, this time there will be no relenting from God.  He is "slow to anger" as Nahum states in verse 2 of chapter 1 but He is also "great in power" as the verse also states.  

Nahum begins his book telling of the wrath of God that was coming down upon Ninevah.  This rebellious people would experience whirlwind and storm, drought and withered crops, quaking mountains and dissolving hills.  God's wrath would be poured out like fire and the rocks would be broken up.  An overflowing flood and darkness would consume the land.  Distress would not rise up twice because the first round of destruction would be complete.  

Not a pleasant picture.

But wait!

What is this little verse 7 doing in the midst of all this talk of destruction and wrath?

The Lord is good,

a stronghold in the day of trouble, 

and He knows those who take refuge in Him.

A comment about God's goodness and protection from trouble seems very out of place right in the middle of this passage. It is as though the one who received God's inspired message made a "cut and paste" mistake.  Surely these words don't belong here, in Chapter One of Nahum?  Don't they seem more appropriate somewhere else? 

Wrath.  Vengeance.  Whirlwind.  Storm.  Drought.  Quakes. Desolation.  Upheaval.  Indignation.  Burning anger. Fire. Brokenness.

Goodness.  Stronghold.  Refuge.

Flood.  Complete end.  Darkness.

 

Isn't this bad editing, Nahum?

I think not.  This small, three line verse nestled here in the description of calamity and judgment offers a reminder of God's goodness, of God's protection in the midst of trials.  He is my safe place, my refuge when life causes the mountains to quake and the hills to dissolve around me.  This verse offers a respite from the heaviness of the verses that surround it.  It acts as a "word from our Sponsor" to interrupt the drama of life.  

And that is what God does for me.  He gives me a safe place, a respite, a refuge.  The calamity may rage on around me but just as verse 7 in Nahum Chapter 1 breaks into the heaviness of God's judgment of Ninivah, God offers me a break in the action, too.

"Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28      

Perfect editing, God!