Slutty Brownies: Sure to Please Any Man

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This weekend I had my beau come to visit me for the first time since we have been dating. I decided I needed to impress him not only with a clean house, but with a great menu. I made sure to make breakfast and dinner for him at least once to make sure he realizes that I have well-rounded skills in the kitchen. I also whipped up a batch of these slutty brownies and had them on display when he arrived to give his tastebuds a jump start. I know they were a hit because he kept going back for more throughout the weekend. Here’s the recipe so you can make them for your special someone as well.

Slutty Brownies
1. Follow the recipe for your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I used the recipe on the back of the bag of Tollhouse chocolate chips. Add a tablespoon of water to the batter at the end. Spread the dough evenly in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
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2. Place Oreo cookies in a single layer on top of the cookie layer. Do not overlap the cookies. If they happen to break, it is ok. You are going to cut this creation into bars for serving anyway.
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3. Follow the recipe for your favorite boxed brownie recipe. You can make your own brownie batter but I think the boxed brownie mix is perfectly fine. No need to go through all the extra fuss. Pour the batter evenly over the cookie dough and Oreo layers.
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4. Place the baking dish into a 350 oven. Cooking time will vary so keep checking your creation every five to ten minutes after the 45 minute mark to see if they are cooked through. Take a tester and poke it in the middle to see if it comes out clean. When the tester comes out without cookie or brownie batter on it, you know that your slutty brownies are ready to come out of the oven. Cut them into squares and enjoy!

Boudin: Maker of the Original San Francisco Sourdough

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Over Easter break, Karla and I had the pleasure of visiting the other side of the country. We went to the West Coast for the first time and landed ourselves in the fabulous city of San Francisco. It was an eye-opening experience for me. As Karla found out, it was the first time I took a public bus. Who knew you had to pull a chord to let them know you wanted to get off at the next stop? Certainly not this small town girl. After a week, I was glad to find myself back in small town America.

We found some great places in this city. Over the next few blog entries you will be hearing about them. Most have to do with food…OBVI! The first place I loved was Boudin Bakery and Restaurant. They are known for their sourdough bread and supply their wonderfully crusty on the outside chewy on the inside bread to most of the restaurants in the area. But not only do they have a magnificent bakery, but they have a stellar menu in their restaurant upstairs as well.
IMG_0976 This is the dungeoness crab louie salad that I enjoyed.
IMG_0975 This is a basil gimlet. I do love my gin drinks!  I also had a moscow mule, served in a traditional copper cup, which was equally as delicious.
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Don’t miss out on Boudin the next time you are in San Francisco. I even saw a man eating a Boudin baguette by the mouthful on our plane ride home. Guess that souvenir didn’t make it home!

A Pantry Martha Would Be Proud Of

Here is a look at my completely remodeled pantry.  As you can see, it was inspired by Martha herself.  I even picked the paint color out to match her style.  Martha would be proud.  Now I have access to all of my kitchen accessories to make the perfect tablescapes for my guests.  It’s only half full in the picture here but by then end of the day the shelves will be completely covered.

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