Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

I bought all the ingredients to make these for our Christmas dinner at Melissa's, butI ran out of time.  Yesterday when I ran across the ingredients I thought I would humor myself and make them, since I got jipped (gypped?) out of any holiday baking.  I am happy to report they turned out just like this and they taste even better than they look!  On the glorious ourbestbites.com there is a great, step-by-step, photo tutorial.  I followed all their directions.  It takes a little time, mainly to refrigerate between layers, but otherwise it's easy and so worth it.  Your'e Welcome!!!

PEPPERMINT CANDY CANE BROWNIES  ~ from ourbestbites.com
Brownies:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4oz)

1 C butter (2 sticks)

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1t vanilla

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 t baking powder

Frosting:

2 C powdered sugar

4 T butter, softened

1 1/2 t peppermint extract (I only used 1/2 tsp)

1 T milk

pink food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:

6 oz (about a cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 T real butter

Additional:

1/2-1 C crushed candy canes (Use Bob's NOT Spanglers!) 

 6 candy canes = ½ cup (6 oz. box of 12)

First, the Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.The chocolate you want is baking chocolate, which is sold in bars by the chocolate chips. Make sure it is unsweetened. Give those squares a rough chop so they'll be easier to melt.

Then place them in a microwave-safe bowl along with the 2 sticks of butter (also chopped).  Melt in 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside. Don't accidentally stick your finger in the melted butter and chocolate combo because it will laugh at you for forgetting that it is unsweetened.

In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, beat eggs for about 3 minutes until thick and frothy.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Then add in the melted chocolate and butter that you set aside. Combine flour and baking powder and whisk into brownie batter by hand until just combined. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. If you want to make the job much easier, line your pan with foil first.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness and don't over bake! When brownies are done, cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, pop in the fridge to chill. (makes the frosting spreading easier)

Next layer is the frosting:

Combine all frosting ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Add extra milk by teaspoonful if you need a little more. Spread evenly over cooled/chilled brownies and place back in the fridge to chill again while you do the final step.

Chocolate Glaze:

Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in 30 second intervals until smooth.Set aside for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, so it can cool off just a bit. Remember in the first step when I told you to not accidentally let your finger fall in the chocolate butter mixture? Totally doesn't apply to this chocolate butter mixture. Quickly spread on top of brownies. I say quickly because the frosting is cool and the chocolate is hot. If you take your sweet time and overdo it, you'll make a big gooey mess. Just spread it on quick.

Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top and return to the fridge until chocolate is set on top.

Remove from fridge a few minutes before serving. Cut into squares, eat, ooh and ahh, and then eat another one. Or two.  ( I would wait another 30 minutes or so to serve them when they are at room temp).

A New Year & A New Address

It won't be official until January 14th, but the move has begun!  It has been such a daunting task, but such a good decision.  We picked up the keys to our new home  a  few days ago.  While we were in  Louisiana for Christmas, we got the good news that our escrow was delayed 2 weeks, which means we are back to our original move dates.  At first we were frustrated, but then we realized by having  a month of thinking we had to be done moving by December 30th it helped motivate us to hustle our packing and planning.  That is an understatement. We basically did zero for Christmas.  No decorating.  No tree.  No nativities.  No baking.  No parties. No Christmas cards.  No fun, until the night before we left for Louisiana.  But that's a story for another post. 

I am finding that moving is almost more mental work than physical and we are exhausted all the way around.  Trying to decide how and where to put things in a place that will be convenient is taking more time than I imagined.  I have taken for granted so many little things, like knowing how all my appliances work and where things are in the kitchen, or anywhere else for that matter.  I am trying to plan carefully so I can unpack as I go.  We will have a much larger kitchen and pantry so that helps.  But then I get emotional and overwhelmed with the enormity of the task ahead, and after a small meltdown I just start all over again and make a new list. 

The other thing I have taken for granted is the ease of having  "current information" on all my ID, checks, etc.  Now when I am asked," Is this your current address?", I will have to remember my new address and phone number.  The address is super easy - 41111 -  but the phone number and zip code will be tricky since it's been the same for 30 years!

What I Will Miss About This House

Today when I was doing the dishes I noticed two little lizards playing on our sunny retaining wall  and it made me feel kind of sad and melancholy.  It reminded me of Nick and Josh's herping days, having the preschoolers get excited to see the lizards during recess and my little Claire chasing back and forth after the lizards  last year.  I started thinking about all the improvements we have made and  I decided to make a list about the  things I will truly miss about this house:

Lizards running and sunning on the back wall

My glorious, deep, stainless steel kitchen sink

My corian counter top

The downstairs bathroom with bronze fixtures and matching accessories and Texas stars

Our big soaking tub with the built in shampoo shelf (simple pleasures)

A perfect place to hang my pretty chime

Big wall grouping of family pictures downstairs

Hanging my quilts from the landing

Hanging my quilts on the walls with vaulted ceilings

from Craig - the nice wide driveway

Our old tree in the front yard that died

The "new" brick wall and back gate on the west side

People knowing this was our house and having old friends drop by

Our sliding glass door that no longer sticks
(and the pretty, ruffled , country curtain valences)

Knowing how to operate all the appliances

Our one-year-old A/C unit

Being close to shopping

Knowing my address and  phone number - I have had the same phone number for over 30 years. . .

Friends close by I can count on in a heartbeat

Ceiling fans in all the bedrooms and landing, especially my pretty master bedroom fan


The sweet memories of  raising our family the past 16 years, including 5 graduations, 3 1/2 missionary farewell's, 3  homecomings, 5 engagements, 5 weddings, and 8 grandchildren (and the news of #9 due in January 2011).

Then it took me a lot longer to think about the things I  will not miss at all.  The first three were easy but I've been thinking about it all day (both lists) while I pack.  Did I mention that packing is not such a fun way to celebrate the Christmas season?

The traffic due to the moronic, rude and thoughtless parents of Palm students-  twice a day - that gets worse every year.

Unfriendly neighbors

Barking, yipping dogs

Rusty old group mailbox and weird postal workers

Dopey garden window in kitchen - overrated and impossible to clean

Lack of cupboard space and drawers

Lack of overhead lighting

The aging green carpeting

The aging, chipped floor tile

Needing to paint

The drafty windows

DYLAN THE AMAZING PUZZLEMAN

This post is old news but it is worth posting even this late.  This summer we discovered that Dylan and Claire had an amazing talent for jigsaw puzzles.  Dylan  has always loved puzzles, the harder the better.  He was acing the difficult preschool puzzles  I usually save for the end of the preschool year and then he moved on to 24-36 piece puzzles, and for his birthday in July he got some 50-65 piece puzzles. This summer in Idaho we tried the 100 piece puzzles, and with a little help he could do those as well. [and we discovered you can get them at the dollar store] This fall he spent a day with me and with a little bit of help the did a really hard 100 piece puzzle with tiny pieces.

His technique is so interesting.  Most of us do the outside border and then fill in the design.  But Dylan puts it together by looking at the design and working outward. Sometimes we have to help him group the pieces together for one section, but usually he pushes our hand away or takes it apart and redoes it on his own.

These are pictures from Idaho in August. I love it that Claire and Dylan are both the middle child in their families and they are both puzzle experts.  They can even outdo their older siblings, which doesn't always go over well!  Such cute kids --- all so different, with such different talents but each and everyone is wonderful!!!

Louisiana - round 1

Jamie had to have some medical work done last month so she flew me to Louisiana to help her with Kaylee and Blake.  Kaylee was so excited, she ran through  security before my plane had even landed.  A kind TSA agent escorted her back to Jamie, but by then Kaylee was freaked out.  So when I fianlly got there, Kaylee was not to sure whether it was okay to approach me. On the way home from the airport in Alexandria, we were delighted to find a Logan's Roadhouse, which Ben and Jamie discovered in Texas.  It was the perfect place to stop for lunch, and Kaylee loved being able to open the peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. Look at how cute Blake is with a part in his hair!  Kaylee was 4 in October and Blake is 20 months old.

Kaylee was being so cute and silly while I unpacked.  I slept in her room and she slept on a blow up in Jamie's room.  It was fun to be in their world in DeRidder and see where they live and work and play.  DeRidder is just south of Fort Polk, a huge Army base in west central Louisiana.I got there on Saturday, November 6 and Jamie's surgery was on Monday morning.

Jamie's friend took her to the hospital early that morning, then later Blake and I took Kaylee to preschool and then we went to Wal-mart.  I thought there was team spirit in Texas and in Boise, but they have nothing compared to those LSU and Saints fans in Louisiana.  Every store in town had a huge section of LSU and Saints gear.  And there were flags, signs and stickers everywhere.  The Sunday paper had a four page spread on just the  LSU game, and that was the small town Alexandria newspaper.  Everyone was so warm and friendly, taking southern hospitality to a new level.  

The kids were angels for me, but they were so glad to see their mom later that night.  By the end of the week Jamie was feeling better and we did a little shopping and even found a darling  new quilt shop in Leesville, the next town over. 

It was rainy at the end of the week and Kaylee was thrilled to use her umbrella on the way to preschool.

 Jamie looks fabulous, but she is way too skinny!  Isn't Blake's spiky hair cute?  Blake LOVES trains and Woody, not necessarily in that order.  Whenever he sees or hears a train or sees a railroad track he says "choo- chooooo" in the sweetest little voice.  That boy stole my heart.

Jamie sent Ben decorations for his hooch [storage container converted into housing] and while we were shopping for things to send him, Kaylee just about jumped out of the cart in the aisle with the little trees and ornaments.  So of course I thought she should have one for her room, and she gladly picked out all the pink and purple ornaments. 

It turned out so cute and fits perfectly on top of her dresser.

The day before I left I needed to spoil them a little and I got Kaylee a Strawberry Shortcake and Blake a Thomas the Train that you shake and it goes and makes noise.  This was a busy trip with not much picture taking.  I will do better when we are there for round 2 at Christmas.  I was sure I would be strong and not cry when I left this time, then Kaylee started crying saying she didn't want me to go, and of course, I lost it!  I told her I had to go home and take care of Grampa so I could bring him back for Christmas.  Can't wait!

The Amazing Nicholas and His Lovely Assistant, Paige

 Nick had Paige help him do a "magic trick.--- Now you see her. . .

 Ala peanut butter sandwiches!

. . .  Now you don't!

 TA-DA!

She made it back!  But the best part of this magic trick was that Claire freaked out when Paige disappeared! Bless her little heart, she couldn't figure out what happened to her sister [who was just hiding behind the couch].  Even when we tried to show her how it was done, she wanted no part of Uncle Nick's hocus-pocus!  This was one of those - you had to be there - moments.  We could have made big bucks if we had Claire's expression on video.  And Paige was so tickled with herself for helping the very cool Uncle Nick - who can do cool tricks on the trampoline, too.  Good times!