Weeknight Craving Chocolate Brownies

After a busy weekend on Mondays all I want to do is sleep in and never get out of my pajamas slash leave my cozy bed. I wish casual Friday's at work could actually transition to Casual Monday's because it is on Monday's where I feel least excited to get ready for work. You know what I mean?

My weekend was spent eating and walking around everywhere as per usual. Saturday I met up with some friends for brunch at Agave, which I have been wanting to try for quite some time. It was pretty good! Afterwards Kyle and I took the crosstown bus to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which we sadly realized the other day we hadn't been to in almost a year), and browsed the paintings and sculptures and armory and weapon room. Epic. Then, we got hot dogs from the food cart and saw Zootopia. Does it say something about us that we legitimately enjoy kid movies over adult ones? They are just always so clever and cute and funny! Sunday we went to a rowing class and could hardly move the rest of the day we were so sore. But we did make it to church and I am so glad that we did, because it was exactly what I needed.

So anyway, you may dislike me after this post, because having an easy brownie recipe on hand to make whenever you like (as easy as making on a weeknight) may ruin any hopes of having a healthy diet free from baked goods.

I'm sorry but not really sorry?

When the brownie craving hits me, it is actually a rare one. If I do crave sweets it is often a chocolate chip cookie or a slice of cake. I can usually have a piece of chocolate and the craving goes away. But at some point last week I had a not so great day at work and came home with one thing on my mind: therapy through baking and chocolate.

I searched the web for some easy brownie recipes and finally modified a few to make this one. As always I cut the sugar when I can, add chocolate chips when necessary, and it resulted in an easy chocolatey combination that may be easily doubled if more brownies are needed. So, if the brownie craving hits you on a Tuesday night at 8pm, all you need are a few basic ingredients and about 45 minutes and your craving will be satisfied. You're welcome.

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Weeknight Craving Chocolatey Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup chopped chocolate, such as Attune Probiotic Chocolate Bars!

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. Grease and line an 8x8 pan or similar size.

Melt the stick of butter and cocoa powder over medium low heat. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Transfer to a medium sized bowl. Once cooled, beat in eggs, one at a one. Add vanilla and sugar, and stir to combine until smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, and stir until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan, and top with chopped chocolate pieces. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then remove with parchment paper to cool on counter. Slice into squares!

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This post features chocolate from Attune Foods Probiotic Chocolate bar! I love their products because they only use simple and pure ingredients in everything they make. Make sure to check out their site!

First Video Post! {Morning Coffee}

I come from a family of coffee drinkers. My Lolo (grandpa) literally drinks coffee all day, throughout the day. He will drink lukewarm coffee, day-old coffee, two-day-old coffee, and especially free (or senior citizen discount) coffee. My mom likes it with hazelnut or french vanilla creamer, milky and creamy and slightly sweet. My dad grinds his coffee beans the night before, so as not to wake the rest of the family since he wakes up before the sun rises. He brews his really strong, and drinks it black before his morning walks. My husband of course is also a coffee drinker, and similar to me doesn’t like to speak to anyone until he’s had a cup or two. He also gets up between 4-5 AM everyday, so maybe that’s a big reason why…

The morning ritual of grinding coffee beans, measuring and spooning it into the filter, smelling the earthy aroma and hearing the drip drip drip is something I have grown up with and continue to implement in my own home. I’ve often made the mistake of arriving to work without having any coffee at all, and realize how out of sync I feel with the start of my day. It’s comforting and peaceful and calming to have a morning ritual of making coffee to me, and that’s part of the reason why I’m SO very excited about today’s post!

I made my first video featuring one of my favorite things ever: morning coffee. Please be kind as I know it’s a little rough around the edges, but I had so much fun making it and am really hoping to make more in the future. I shot the entire thing on my cheap tripod, and edited it in the Windows free movie editor, but I’m pretty excited at having tried a new and creative form of documenting!!!

Hope you enjoy and (hopefully) more to come soon!! : )

A morning ritual for me involves waking up, shuffling into the kitchen, and starting my day with fresh brewed coffee. I recently received a chemex and love the slow and precise way it makes the entire coffee process. It is almost therapeutic!

Pull Apart Stuffed Pizza Bread

There are certain foods I feel like one should be able to make in the event of a zombie apocalypse, Hunger Games district 12 setting, or some other post apocalyptic world event. I often think if there was a crazy event where there was a major blackout and we lost the Internet and things what would I be doing? Well, this pull apart pizza bread is one thing.

It's so easy to put together, assuming one had ready made bread and fresh mozzarella and working ovens during this zombie apocalypse. I saw a similar pull apart bread made on Kelsey's Homemade awhile ago, who is another one of my Food Network idols where I love most everything she makes.

I made it on a whim when I bought the bread at Zaros Bakery on my way home after bridesmaid dress shopping for Alex's wedding. After going to a few different stores but finally finding the ones (yay!), at one point someone mentioned ice cream and then it was all I could think about. (Trying on dresses will definitely bring on an appetite, I think.) So afterwards Riana and I went on a hunt for a Haagen Daz which Google Maps said was on 33rd and 6th. We couldn't find it anywhere. It was actually hidden in the depths of Penn Station, and after what felt like forever we finally found it and secured a scoop of dulce de leche in a sugar cone. Next door was a Zaros, and I carried the gorgeous loaf in one hand and ate my ice cream in the other the entire subway ride home.

Then I stuffed it with cheeses and pepperoni and green onion, and we ate it for dinner!

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Pull Apart Stuffed Pizza Bread

Inspired by Kelsey Nixon on Kelsey's Homemade

Ingredients:

• 1 firm loaf, in an oval or circle shape (such as sourdough)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
• 8 oz. mozzarella, sliced thin
• 2 tbl. chopped green onion
• 3 tbl. olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a sharp serrated knife, score bread into cubes, cutting diagonally across loaf. Cut deeply but not all the way through to the other side. 

Once bread is scored, pull sides apart and begin stuffing with pepperoni, cheeses, and green onion. Drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

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