I baked!

Layered Brownie Bars
Taste of Home Baking Classics Copyright 2008

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts I left these out
9 whole graham crackers
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture.

Remove a third of the batter to another bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Fold in walnuts. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange graham crackers over top.

Add chocolate chips to remaining batter. Drop by spoonfuls over graham crackers and spread evenly. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack before cutting. Yield: 2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 203 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 252 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
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I just felt like making something yesterday. I have a surplus of baking ingredients that I either need to use up or they will end up in the trash.

I only sampled a small bit of these but I thought they were good - just what you would expect based on the ingredients. My older son was not impressed but it may have been the graham cracker layer - he's never been a fan of graham crackers. And, well, he's become accustomed to store-bought treats lately. My little guy begged for one of these this morning but then he just smashed it all over the couch. I think they will go over fine at work.

One really nice thing about these is that they don't take long to bake - mine were done in 20 minutes.

I will cook again

For a moment there I wondered if I would ever cook again. I contemplated selling off my cookbook collection. But lately I'm thinking that I will eventually cook again. I may thin down my cookbook collection a bit but I'm not going to let go of it just yet.

So hang tight, I will be back eventually.

Passing along an all-time favorite

Kansas Kids’ Cake
Treasury of Desserts Copyright 1993

¾ cup honey
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk
Peanut Butter Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour 13x9-inch baking pan.

Beat together honey, butter and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; add to peanut butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared pan. Prepare Peanut Butter Topping; sprinkle over batter.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Topping: Combine ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour in small bowl mixing until well blended. Stir in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
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This is a recipe that I LOVED. Of course the name made me think of the day I might make this for my kids but alas, with my firstborn's peanut allergy, that will never happen. So I'm passing this recipe along and really, really hoping that one (or more) of you will make this and share the results with the rest of us.

Still alive.

I'm here, just still not cooking. I'm not apologizing either. I feel like maybe I cooked and ate more than my share over the past few years and it's a well-deserved break. I don't see myself cooking again anytime soon. There is a lot going on here (here as in at home, not this blog obviously!)

Several of you have found me on Facebook so I know it can be done but shoot me an e-mail if you're having trouble. I've recognized most of you right away believe it or not but it doesn't hurt to mention that you know me from here. I've received a few odd friend requests. I'm not quite warmed up there and you won't find any recipes but it might get interesting, you never know. I haven't started farming yet LOL.