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brownies and pajamas

By on September 3, 2013
p classic fudge walnut brownies l

From Julie of By The Recipe.

Some days are just meant to be pajama days.

It’s a little overcast here today. Here being our family’s cottage.
The last weekend of the summer, of course we would have hoped for a lot bit of sun.

The air is heavy. Thick with humidity. Rain seems inevitable, and at this point might offer some relief. At least it would make me feel less guilty about being in my pajamas and still in bed.

Did I mention it’s pretty much lunchtime?

Why the pajama day? Let’s take a walk through time…

At the beginning of August, I was giddy with excitement. Both of my little people would be away at the same time, giving Beloved and I some quality, little people-free time.

I should have recognized Beloved’s business trip for the foreshadowing that it was. Not only would I be little people free, but also Beloved-free. Wondering why I was not rejoicing? Or why was I not going on the trip with him? Especially since he was traveling to the UK. His whirlwind trip was too short for me to join him. A pity since the kids were taken care of.

Had I joined him, I would have missed the pleasure of visiting a girlfriend at her beautiful cottage. Both of us, little people-free, we were able to sit on the dock, enjoy the sun and relish in girlfriend glory.

Add desperate phone calls from my little boy person, who was horribly homesick, and you’ve got the picture.

I’ll keep it short and not dwell on his misery, nor mine. But let’s just say that his desperate phone calls and iMessages brought my little people-free time to a screeching halt. The time I did have on my own was wrought with stress over how impossibly sad he was.

After 6 teary and stressful days, I joined my little boy person who was very well taken care of by our closest friends. This was the plan all along, to join them at the coast, I just got there two days earlier.

But let me tell you, the greeting I received was like no other, or any other greeting I ever will receive. His little 9 year old body came running towards me and leapt into my arms and there was no way he was ever letting go.

We enjoyed a glorious week on the coast of Maine. Two families together, the best weather ever seen in Maine, copious amounts of lobster and more ice cream cones than you can even imagine.

Almost seems like a dream.

This past week, school started. My little girl person started her adventure into the big, bad world of high school. She couldn’t be happier!

Little boy person, not so much happiness. Again I’ll keep it short and not dwell on the misery. His, nor mine. To sum it up, tears, tears, and more tears. From both of us.

He will be fine. He’ll get over it. He will be a stronger person in the end. But it still sucks.

I have decided that the hardest thing I have had to face so far in my 12 years of being a mother, is to watch my child experience emotional pain.

As my little boy person has cried, over and over, I have sprouted a lovely cold sore and a sinus cold.

Oh and did I mention the PMS?

So it’s a pajama day. The only thing that would make it better? Brownies. Think I might have to get my little girl baker to whip some up for me.

Dave & Kate’s Brownies

Go to the link to read more about these brownies. I discovered this recipe from David Lebovitz’s website. I discovered David Lebovitz from a blog called Add more Butter!.

Make these brownies and then spend time reading both sites. And then pick up David Lebovitz’s book, Sweet Life in Paris!

Happy baking, reading and eating!

8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed
2 ounces (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped.
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 g) nuts, chopped
optional: 1/4 cup (25 g) roasted cocoa nibs
1/4 cup (35 g) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC.) Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a large rectangle of foil, leaving the overhang over the rim of the pan. Butter or spray the inside of the foil lining the pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium saucepan set over very low heat, melt the butter and the chocolate, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then mix in the eggs and the vanilla extract.

3. Stir in the nuts and cocoa nibs, if using, then the flour and salt. Scrape the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies feel just-set in the center. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, lift the brownies out of the pan by grasping the foil overhang, the cut the brownies into squares.

 

Julie of By The Recipe says this about her food writing:

I’m not sure which came first: my sweet tooth, or my desire to bake.  Before I was a wife and a mother, I was a baker.  I love to bake.

Before kids, I wasn’t much of a cook. After kids, my cooking abilities improved, I guess because I needed to feed my family. Over the years I have come to enjoy cooking, almost as much as baking.  But let’s be honest, the best part of baking and cooking are the accolades of a great mouthful of food. That inspires me.

When I cook, I cook by the recipe. Almost always.

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